Exactly What To Eat To Soothe Rheumatoid Arthritis Symptoms Naturally

What is Rheumatoid arthritis?

What a lot of people don’t realize is that there are multiple different types of arthritis. But what makes Rheumatoid arthritis different from other types, including osteoarthritis, is that it is an autoimmune disease, which means it is caused by an underlying issue with the immune system that causes it to attack your body’s own tissues. 

Autoimmune disease can target virtually any part of the body, including the skin, the brain, the eyes, and the colon. But in the case of RA, the body’s immune attack is aimed at the joints and the fluid and tissues that surround them, causing the cartilage, bone, and ligaments in that area to deteriorate and cause stiffness, swelling, and pain. RA most frequently targets the wrist and hands or the feet, ankles, and knees. 

Symptoms of Rheumatoid arthritis

Because RA stems from an issue with the immune system, the symptoms of RA can be more centralized than other types of arthritis. For example, you may experience fatigue, muscle aches, loss of appetite, or a random low-grade fever along with more recognizable symptoms of RA, like: 

• Joint pain 
• Swelling or heat around the joints
• Stiffness in the morning or after sitting or laying down 
• Loss of mobility 
• Nodules under the skin around the joint that are hard to the touch 

If RA is allowed to occur without treatment, it can escalate into a more systemic illness called “inflammatory arthritis,” which can cause other complications like an increased risk for cardiovascular disease, shortness of breath and chest pains, carpal tunnel syndrome, kidney problems, anemia, rheumatoid nodules, brittle bones, frequent infections, headaches, and drastic appetite changes.

Causes of Rheumatoid arthritis

With most autoimmune conditions, researchers don’t have a definitive answer as to what causes autoimmunity. However, the main theory is that they are caused by a genetic weakness being triggered by an immune system response to an outside factor. All of these triggers lead to an out-of-control inflammatory response that can cause intestinal permeability, which further perpetuates this inflammatory-immune cycle.

Some of the most common inflammatory-autoimmune triggers I see include:

• Toxin exposure
• Infections (bacterial, yeast, viral, or parasitic)
• Leaky gut syndrome
• Poor diet
• Chronic stress
• Nutrient deficiencies
• Mold toxicity

The connection between food and inflammation 

For every medical condition — especially those related to pain and inflammation — there are foods and ingredients that help and those that hurt. There are a few reasons for this. One of the biggest is that our food supply has drastically changed in a short period of time due to the rise in processed foods and chemical additives. However, our genetics haven’t changed in thousands of years thus, we haven’t been able to adapt to these extreme changes in the food we eat. It’s this mismatch between modern food and our biochemistry that has contributed to the rise in autoimmune conditions.

Plus, certain foods - which we will talk more about later on - trigger gut permeability and more inflammation. While there is no “one-size-fits-all” diet, these foods are generally inflammatory for most people - especially in people who already have autoimmunity. There are also certain foods that directly fight inflammation and lower pro-inflammatory cytokines. Getting food intolerance labs and doing an elimination diet can help you further determine what foods your body loves and what foods lead to inflammation in your body. A Rheumatoid arthritis diet plan to overcome your symptoms includes a heavy amount of these anti-inflammatory foods and little to none of ones that have been linked to inflammation.

Best foods for Rheumatoid arthritis

So you may be wondering what foods make up a healthy Rheumatoid arthritis diet plan. The following foods have been linked to a decrease in inflammation while offering a well-rounded amount of nutrients that your body needs to function optimally.

1. Healthy fats

Fat has gotten a bad reputation for years. However, studies have begun to show that healthy fats are beneficial for brain health, hormones, and inflammation levels.

Some of my favorite clean, whole food sources of healthy fats include:

• Wild-caught seafood (salmon, tuna, etc.)
• Avocados/avocado oil
• Coconuts/coconut oil
• Nuts + seeds (chia, hemp, flax, walnuts, pumpkin seeds, etc.)
• Olives/olive oil
• Grass-fed beef

2. Vegetables

Cruciferous vegetables like broccoli and Brussels sprouts along with dark leafy greens are loaded in compounds like sulfur and B vitamins that fuel you methylation - your biochemical superhighway that controls your body’s ability to detox and manage inflammation levels. Eating a variety of vegetables in a multitude of colors will also provide your body with a wide range of micronutrients needed to power all systems of your body.

3. Antioxidant rich fruits + berries

Berries and fruits like blueberries, pomegranates, and apples all contain high levels of beneficial antioxidants that work to inhibit (1) oxidation and cellular damage from life stressors like toxins, stress, and poor diet that lead to chronic inflammation.

4. Clean animal protein

Wild-caught seafood, grass-fed beef, and organ meats in particular have a variety of nutrients that have been linked to decreased inflammation such as B Vitamins and healthy omega-3 fatty acids.

5. Herbs + spices

Herbs and spices like turmeric are known to lower inflammation - particularly in cases of rheumatoid arthritis (2) - due to its high curcumin content. Take advantage of spice synergy and pair turmeric with ginger and black pepper which increases curcumin bioavailability when eaten together.

6. Tea

Tea has been used as a therapeutic beverage across many cultures for thousands of years. Earl grey tea made with bergamot oil is high in the antioxidant theaflavin that works to drive-down inflammation (3) by down-regulating (4) pro-inflammatory cytokines. Green tea is also a great anti-inflammatory beverage since it contains some of the highest levels of the beneficial catechin, epigallocatechin gallate (EGCG). Studies have shown (5) that EGCG can boost your anti-inflammatory Nrf2 pathway and down-regulate your pro-inflammatory Nf-kB pathway.

What foods should be avoided for Rheumatoid arthritis?

Since RA is a condition I see often in my telehealth functional medicine clinic, I am often asked the question, “what foods make rheumatoid arthritis worse?” While you should consider your own bioindividuality, there are some foods that are generally known to exacerbate arthritis. If you suffer from RA, it would benefit you to undergo a Rheumatoid arthritis diet plan that limits or removes them for at least 30 days to lower inflammation before reintroducing to see how you feel.

1. Coffee

One study found that coffee consumption may increase rheumatoid factor (a protein produced in RA patients) in the blood. (6)

2. Gluten

Many people think that you are only intolerant to gluten if you are diagnosed with celiac disease. However, this autoimmune disease - yes, celiac is an autoimmune disease - is just the extreme end of the broader gluten-intolerance spectrum. (7) If you have Rheumatoid arthritis, gluten can be contributing to high inflammation levels.

3. Dairy

While not everyone is sensitive to dairy, there are multiple aspects of dairy that are inflammatory for people, especially if you have autoimmune conditions like Rheumatoid arthritis. Casein, the main protein found in dairy, has been found to be an inflammation trigger for people with autoimmune conditions due to the fact that most dairy in America contains the inflammatory (8) A1 casein subtype.

4. Refined sugar

Refined sugar can spike your blood sugar which can lead to metabolic problems and increased inflammation levels. It also doesn’t benefit your gut microbiome as it feeds bacterial dysbiosis which can also elevate inflammation in your body.

5. Nightshades

Members of this plant group that consists of tomatoes, peppers, potatoes, eggplants, goji berries, and some spices (like cayenne pepper) contain certain alkaloids in their skins which can cause an inflammatory response (9) in the bodies of some susceptible people.

6. Industrially processed seed oils

Not only are these highly processed and highly inflammatory in nature, they also oxidize  with heat exposure - even ingesting them at room temperature can oxidize them due to your body heat. These oils include:

• Margarine or “buttery spreads”
• Canola oil
• Corn oil
• Grapeseed oil
• Rice bran oil
• Safflower oil
• Soybean oil
• Sunflower oil
• Vegetable oil

7 day Rheumatoid arthritis diet plan

Now that you know what foods are beneficial for Rheumatoid arthritis it's time to put them all together for the ultimate Rheumatoid arthritis diet plan. Not only will you get an answer to questions like “What meals are good for rheumatoid arthritis?” and “What is a good breakfast for Rheumatoid arthritis?”, this meal plan will give you an idea of all the amazing meals you can eat while still facilitating your healing. 

Day 1

• Breakfast: Overnight chia seed pudding made with coconut yogurt and berries
• Lunch: Spinach salad with tuna, avocado, walnuts, and balsamic dressing
• Dinner: Grilled wild-caught salmon with a side of sauteed asparagus and Brussels sprouts

Day 2

• Breakfast: Sweet potato “toast” with smashed avocado
• Lunch: Burger salad topped with onions, avocado, and pickles
• Dinner: Walnut crusted baked halibut with roasted veggies of your choice

Day 3

• Breakfast: Overnight chia seed pudding made with coconut yogurt and berries
• Lunch: Chicken or tuna salad with grain-free crackers
• Dinner: Salmon poke bowl with cauliflower rice, coconut aminos, and avocado

Day 4

• Breakfast: Green smoothie with spinach, green apple, celery, and avocado
• Lunch: Spinach salad with tuna, walnuts, avocados, and balsamic dressing
• Dinner: Lettuce wrapped burgers and homemade sweet potato fries

Day 5

• Breakfast: Overnight chia seed pudding made with coconut yogurt and berries
• Lunch: Chicken or tuna salad with grain-free crackers
• Dinner: Ground beef, chicken, or shrimp tacos wrapped in lettuce with extra guac and cilantro

Day 6

• Breakfast: Berry smoothie with spinach, blueberries, strawberries, and collagen protein powder
• Lunch: Spinach salad with tuna, walnuts, avocados, and balsamic dressing
• Dinner: Chicken stir-fry with cauliflower rice, coconut aminos, and broccoli

Day 7

• Breakfast: Overnight chia seed pudding made with coconut yogurt and berries
• Lunch: Chicken or tuna salad with grain-free crackers
• Dinner: Grilled wild-caught salmon with a side of sauteed asparagus and Brussels sprouts

Seeking help from a functional medicine practitioner

Rheumatoid arthritis is an autoimmune condition that doesn’t have a set healing plan for every single individual. Following a Rheumatoid arthritis diet plan like this one can be the first step in your healing journey but sometimes you need a little extra help identifying your specific triggers. In my telehealth functional medicine clinic we run extensive labs and take a comprehensive look at your health to put together a diet plan and identify wellness tools that work for your specific health case.

If you are ready to take back your health and put your Rheumatoid arthritis into remission, schedule a telehealth functional medicine consultation today.

As one of the first functional medicine telehealth clinics in the world, we provide webcam health consultations for people around the globe.

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