Is there a link between arthritis and nutrition?
Nutrition has been associated with arthritis for many years, and considerable research has been invested in finding out if there is actually a link between this painful condition and what we eat.
Nutrition is most commonly associated with three different types of arthritis:

• Osteoarthritis
• Rheumatoid arthritis
• Gout

Aside from gout – an arthritic condition that is worsened by rich food and excessive alcohol consumption – the link between food and arthritis is hard to prove.

Making sense of the information

Making sense of the information is confusing – especially as the answer to the food-arthritis question is different, depending on what you read or who you ask!

The idea that there is a link between diet and arthritis is not new. In the 1960's, food elimination diets became popular. These diets were highly restrictive (e.g. no additives, preservatives, fruit, red meat, alcohol, herbs or dairy products) and had little scientific evidence to support their use. There is also a strong possibility that nutrient deficiencies could be caused by long-term adherence to such diets.

The idea that certain groups of foods are more likely than others to influence arthritis symptoms is more widely accepted. However, even this is difficult to prove, as different foods appear to affect different individuals in different ways!

The allergy theory

The theory is that certain foods trigger allergic-like reactions in people who have allergies or sensitivities to them. How exactly this can occur is not known. It is suspected however that certain proteins can trigger the production of antibodies in some people. These antibodies may then form a complex which irritates the lining in the joints, causing the pain associated with arthritis.

While the theory seems fine, most scientists still disagree on how big the problem is. While some doctors directly attribute food allergy as a cause of arthritis in as many as 36 percent of patients, others think that the incidence of allergy is a lot lower and only linked to certain types of arthritis. The link remains extremely difficult to prove. Even in carefully controlled trials, results can be inconclusive.

The reasons for controversy

There are a number of factors that make allergy hard to prove. The placebo effect is the degree to which thinking you are going to have an allergic reaction can actually bring on a reaction. For example, imagine that you think you have an allergy to tomatoes. Just knowing you had eaten tomatoes might be enough to make you feel worse. On the other hand, knowing that you had not eaten tomatoes might make you feel better.

But if you had unknowingly eaten tomatoes, would you still feel worse, or would you feel better because you thought you hadn't eaten them? It's very hard to design a study that guards against the placebo effect.

Even if you manage to design a placebo-effect free study, the next problem is the natural course of arthritis. Arthritis is a chronic disease, worsening and easing throughout the sufferers lifetime. This cycle of increasing and decreasing pain can make it difficult to work out if a food eaten has affected your arthritis at all.

Can any research findings be used safely?

The biggest danger comes from nutrient deficiency caused by food elimination.