Food Allergy and Joint Pain – Is There a Connection?
Most, doctors specializing in the treatment of arthritis, joint pain, and autoimmune diseases affecting the musculoskeletal system never even consider diet as an important factor in the development of these conditions.
I was formally trained in rheumatology at the VA hospital in Houston, TX, and I can say that diet and nutritional recommendations to patients were discouraged and in most cases frowned upon by our attending physicians. It was actually this experience that prompted me to dig deeper into the connection between autoimmune disease and food.
Over the past 10 years, I have treated thousands of patients with arthritic conditions. The most single effective therapies have always been diet and exercise. The paradox with exercise… It is harder to stick to if it flares up the arthritis. The problem with food…everyone reacts uniquely based on their own unique chemistry. But it only makes sense that if drugs can target inflammation as a treatment, why can’t food. After all, isn’t food a drug of sorts?
I have found that medical research greatly supports this connection, but more importantly, I have found that patients get better after eliminating inflammatory foods from their diets. What foods should we avoid to help recover from arthritis? Depends on the person. Everyone is unique.
Drugs only mask inflammation, they do not correct the source. Many pain meds also cause vitamin and mineral deficiencies. This side effect can prevent long term healing. For example, NSAIDS (non steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs) can cause folic acid and vitamin C deficiency. Both of these vitamins are crucial for the body to be able to repair damaged cartilage, joints, tendons, and ligaments. See the diagram below:
Fox News recently interviewed me on this very complex topic. You can watch the interview below. If you think that the information will benefit someone (including your doctor), please share it.
Forms of Arthritis That Benefit With Diet Changes:
- Osteoarthritis
- Rheumatoid arthritis
- Ankylosing spondylitis
- Lupus
- spondyloarthritis
- psoriatic
- reactive arthritis
- Fibromyalgia
- Scleroderma
- Myofascitis
- Dermatomyositis
Common Foods Associated With Joint Pain
In my clinical experience the following short list of foods commonly contribute to arthritis. The list is not comprehensive.
- Grain (all grains including wheat, barley, rye, oats, corn, rice, millet, sorghum, etc)
- Lectins
- Nightshades (potato, eggplant, tomato, peppers, tobacco)
- Hydrogenated Fats (hardly a food, but added to a lot of processed food items)
- Sugar (in all processed forms)
- Coffee and Tea
- Soy
- Peanuts
Foods That May Help Reduce Inflammation
- There are many, but I have comprised a list of some generally very helpful anti-inflammatory foods here…
All the best,
Dr. Osborne – AKA The Gluten Free Warrior
Gluten Free Warrior Commentary
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Very true. For years I kept going to my rheumatlogist, who said my only options were drugs or exercise for my unexplained joint pain. I refused to accept this, as exercise made me feel worse, and I did not want to take painkillers or drugs, I wanted to find out the CAUSE. I finally figured it out myself without the help of any doctor, that I was gluten intolerant, and also could not tolerate any grains. To this day if I eat rice, my joints will begin to hurt again.
Interesting information on food allergies in relation to joint pain. My clients have experienced reduction in pain when they changed what they ate. Good stuff Pete.
It is absolutely true – I had an extremely sudden onset of Arthritis 3 months after the birth of my son – I literally got excrutiaing pain overnight – and after a couple of weeks, I could no longer walk or hold my baby! Not being a fan of classic doctors, I took matters into my own hands and went down the dietary route immediately. I refuse to take toxic drugs for a condition that cannot really be effectively treated (!)After only a few days, my pain dramatically reduced. As you say, every person is different, so it took a while to realise how MANY foods I was reacting to! And to subsequently find enough information to realise I was suffering the RA as a secondary immune reaction to Leaky Gut Syndrome. Thank God for the internet and the few decent doctors that are working for our cause!! I am now treating Leaky Gut and on an extreemly strict diet – coming up to my second year now. It’s a long process but better than a lifelong arthritic condition, even if I never eat grains again. Who cares! Thanks for publishing this…