Rheumatoid Arthritis/Gout Relief

Foods that increase Rheumatoid Arthritis Pain

Thousands of people have gotten rid of the pain from Rheumatoid Arthritis (RA) by removing “nightshade plants” from their diets. What are nightshade plants? White potatoes, eggplants, tomatoes, tomatillos, all peppers of the capsicum family (habanero peppers, bell peppers, chili peppers, jalapenos, etc.). These plants contain glycoalkaloids and steroidal compounds that are believed to cause inflammation in RA patients. Some members of the nightshade family, which is named for belladonna, the deadly nightshade, are highly poisonous.

Scientific research does not confirm or deny the link between these foods and the increase in pain caused by this chronic illness. It is important to note that these vegetables DO NOT cause the disease; they may contribute to the inflammation, causing the pain to be worse once the disease has started.

Unfortunately, these plants are among the staples of the American diet. One of our clients developed arthritis pain due to Lupus and she started complaining about pain in joints and hips. We made customized recipes that excluded all nightshade plants from her diet but kept her nutrient intake intact and preserved taste so she does not feel deprived. Within about four weeks the pain started to go away. Twelve weeks later, all the inflammation in her joints and hips went away. She has been pain free for 2 years as of this writing. She even been participating in marathons every year to benefit the Lupus foundation.

The problem with these vegetables is that they are used in a variety of packaged foods (potato starch, tomato sauce, tomato powder, etc) If you want to remove these plants from your diet, you have to learn to carefully read ingredients of all packaged foods, ask the waiter about the ingredients in a particular dish when at restaurants and be watchful when eating in public places and social gatherings. At Zizania we design customized recipes so the RA patient does not feel confused or nutrient deficient. Depending on the severity of the pain, the patient may be able to tolerate small amounts of these vegetables once in a while.

Working with RA patients, we also found that a low protein/low fat diet sometimes decreased the pain without even removing the night shade plants.

The way to avoid any undesirable foods is to prepare your own food at home, read all ingredient labels and understand what they mean when buying commercially made foods, and eating raw foods as often as possible when in public places.

Other foods that cause inflammation in RA patients are dairy, citrus fruits, acidic foods, sweets, coffee, and animal protein (including fish).

To learn more about how to change your diet to achieve your health goal, contact us for your complimentary consultation.