A 7-Day Rheumatoid Arthritis Diet Plan For Inflammation Relief

Exactly What To Eat To Soothe Rheumatoid Arthritis Symptoms Naturally Dr. Will Cole

You might be surprised to find that the symptoms of rheumatoid arthritis can be helped by what you eat. As a functional medicine expert, I’m here to tell you that there is hope for healing – and a lot of it comes down to the food you eat. 

This uncomfortable condition can make daily tasks feel impossible. By understanding Rheumatoid arthritis and its connection to inflammation, you can begin to craft a diet plan that puts you on the path to healing.

Read on to see what foods have anti-inflammatory properties, which aren’t as helpful, and a meal plan full of great options for an anti-inflammatory diet.

The Food-Inflammation Connection

For every medical condition — especially inflammatory diseases and those related to pain — there are foods and ingredients that help and those that hurt. Certain foods — which we will talk more about later on — trigger gut permeability and more inflammation. There are also certain foods that directly fight inflammation and lower pro-inflammatory cytokines.

The mismatch between modern food and our biochemistry has contributed to the rise in autoimmune conditions. Our food supply has drastically changed due to the increase in processed foods and chemical additives, yet our genetics haven’t changed in thousands of years. We haven’t been able to adapt to these extreme changes in the food we eat. 

While there is no “one-size-fits-all” diet, processed foods and chemical additives are generally inflammatory for most people, especially for those who already have autoimmunity. The best diet for rheumatoid arthritis eliminates inflammatory foods and prioritizes nutrient-rich foods. For example, the Mediterranean diet, a plant-based diet, or a plant-heavy ketogenic diet are all good for some patients with RA.

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. A rheumatoid arthritis diet plan to overcome your symptoms includes a heavy amount of these anti-inflammatory foods and little to none of those that are linked to inflammation. 

LISTEN: Autoimmune-Inflammation: Top Causes, Functional Medicine Labs, Diet + Lifestyle Factors, The Nervous System Component & Exactly How To Heal

Best Foods For Managing RA Symptoms 

The following foods have been linked to anti-inflammatory effects while offering well-rounded nutrients that provide health benefits and help your body function optimally. I include several foods below that are rich in polyphenols (a type of antioxidants) and micronutrients that have been studied extensively for their anti-inflammatory effects on arthritis. (1)

A good rheumatoid arthritis diet plan should include:

  • Healthy fats: Incorporate healthy fats, such as fatty fish, avocados/avocado oil, coconuts/coconut oil, nuts and seeds (chia, hemp, pumpkin, flax seeds, etc.), extra virgin olive oil, and grass-fed beef. (2) 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.
  • Cruciferous vegetables: Add cruciferous veggies to your diet, like broccoli, Brussels sprouts, and dark leafy greens. These veggies are loaded with sulfur and vitamin B that fuel your methylation — the biochemical superhighway that controls your ability to detox and manage inflammation levels. (3) Eating a variety of vegetables in a multitude of colors will also provide your body with a wide range of micronutrients needed to benefit your overall health.
  • Antioxidant-rich fruits and berries: Fresh fruits like blueberries, raspberries, pomegranates, and apples. These fruits all contain high levels of beneficial antioxidants that work to inhibit 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, poultry (including chicken), and organ meats. As well as healthy fat, proteins like these have a variety of nutrients that have been linked to decreased inflammation such as B Vitamins and healthy omega-3 fatty acids.
  • Legumes: Legumes (such as beans, chickpeas, lentils, and peas) are antioxidant and nutrient-rich foods. This is why diets like the Mediterranean Diet include such foods, As well, high consumption is recommended for RA patients. (2)
  • Whole grains: Whole grain foods – including whole grain bread, whole wheat pasta, brown rice, and even some pseudo-grains like quinoa – have a small but positive association with reducing RA risk. These should be consumed in moderation, but these and fruits are the best kinds of carbohydrates to support an anti-inflammatory lifestyle. (5)
  • Herbs + spices: Turmeric's high curcumin content is known to lower inflammation — particularly in cases of rheumatoid arthritis. (6) Take advantage of spice synergy and pair turmeric with ginger and black pepper, which increases curcumin bioavailability when eaten together or taken together in supplement form.
  • Tea: Teas are some of the best inflammation-fighting drinks on the planet. Earl grey tea made with bergamot oil is high in the antioxidant theaflavin, which works to drive down inflammation by down-regulating pro-inflammatory cytokines. (7, 8) Green tea is a great anti-inflammatory beverage since it contains high levels of the beneficial catechin, epigallocatechin gallate (EGCG). Studies have shown that EGCG can boost your anti-inflammatory Nrf2 pathway and down-regulate your pro-inflammatory Nf-kB pathway. (9)

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    Foods You Should Avoid

    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 bio-individuality, some foods are generally known to exacerbate arthritis.

    Here are some of the foods you should avoid:

    • Coffee: One study found that coffee consumption may increase rheumatoid factor (a protein produced in RA patients) in the blood. (10)
    • Gluten: Many people think you are only intolerant to gluten if you are diagnosed with celiac disease. However, celiac is an autoimmune disease that is just on the extreme end of the broader gluten-intolerance spectrum. (11) If you have Rheumatoid arthritis, gluten can contribute to high inflammation levels.
    • Dairy: There are aspects of dairy that are inflammatory, especially if you have 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 A1 casein subtype. (12)
    • Refined sugar: Refined sugars cause metabolic problems and increased inflammation. They also feed bacterial dysbiosis, which can elevate inflammation in the body, harming gut health and microbiome.
    • Nightshades: Avoid a diet high in nightshades, which include tomatoes, peppers, potatoes, eggplants, goji berries, and some spices (e.g. cayenne pepper). Alkaloids in the skins of these nightshade plants can cause an inflammatory response in the bodies of some susceptible people. (13)
    • Industrially processed seed oils: Avoid margarine or “buttery spreads,” canola oil, corn oil, grapeseed oil, rice bran oil, safflower oil, soybean oil, sunflower oil, vegetable oil. These are all highly processed, highly inflammatory, and they also oxidize with heat exposure — even ingesting them at room temperature can oxidize them due to your body heat. (14)

    7 Day Rheumatoid Arthritis Diet Plan

    Now that you know which 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 answers to questions like “What meals are good for rheumatoid arthritis?” and “What is a good breakfast for Rheumatoid arthritis?” but this meal plan will also 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: Berry smoothie with spinach, blueberries, strawberries, and collagen protein powder
    • 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

    Learn how to reverse your autoimmune symptoms, reduce inflammation, and balance your immune system through my self-directed functional medicine course, Mastering Autoimmune Conditions and Inflammation. 

    FAQs

    Depending on the study, potatoes are named as a food that either helps RA patients get plenty of important nutrients or a food that increases the risk of developing this autoimmune condition. (1, 2) In general, I would recommend sweet potatoes as an alternative to regular white potatoes when possible to address inflammation. They offer a better overall nutrient profile (and, let’s be honest — they taste better!).

    Some studies have suggested that poultry or high protein intake may increase RA risk or the inflammatory markers associated with flare-ups. (2) However, most large-scale research shows no association between protein intake and RA, either in terms of the types of protein consumed or the amount of protein consumed compared to other macronutrients.

    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 lying down 
    • Loss of mobility 
    • Nodules under the skin around the joint that are hard to the touch 

    Related: Do You Have An Autoimmune Disease? These Are The Symptoms To Look Out For

    Though researchers don’t have a definitive answer as to what causes autoimmunity, the main theory is that it is caused by a genetic weakness triggered by an immune system response to an outside factor. These triggers lead to an out-of-control inflammatory response that can cause intestinal permeability, which further perpetuates this inflammatory-immune cycle.

    Poor diet is one trigger of many. Some of the most common inflammatory-autoimmune triggers I see include:

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

    To learn more ways to find healing, read my Functional Medicine Guide To Rheumatoid Arthritis.

    How Functional Medicine Can Help You Heal

    Following an RA 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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    1. Bañuls-Mirete, M., Ogdie, A., & Guma, M. (2020). Micronutrients: essential treatment for inflammatory arthritis?. Current Rheumatology Reports, 22, 1-21.
    2. Gioia, C., Lucchino, B., Tarsitano, M. G., Iannuccelli, C., & Di Franco, M. (2020). Dietary habits and nutrition in rheumatoid arthritis: can diet influence disease development and clinical manifestations?. Nutrients, 12(5), 1456.
    3. Syed, R. U., Moni, S. S., Break, M. K. B., Khojali, W. M., Jafar, M., Alshammari, M. D., ... & Mohan, S. (2023). Broccoli: A multi-faceted vegetable for health: An in-depth review of its nutritional attributes, antimicrobial abilities, and anti-inflammatory properties. Antibiotics, 12(7), 1157.
    4. Heber, D. (2011). Pomegranate ellagitannins. Herbal Medicine: Biomolecular and Clinical Aspects. 2nd edition.
    5. Guan, C. M., & Beg, S. (2023). Diet as a risk factor for rheumatoid arthritis. Cureus, 15(5).
    6. Chandran, B., & Goel, A. (2012). A randomized, pilot study to assess the efficacy and safety of curcumin in patients with active rheumatoid arthritis. Phytotherapy Research, 26(11), 1719-1725.
    7. Winiarska-Mieczan, A., Tomaszewska, E., & Jachimowicz, K. (2021). Antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and immunomodulatory properties of tea-The positive impact of tea consumption on patients with autoimmune diabetes. Nutrients, 13(11), 3972.
    8. Aneja, R., Odoms, K., Denenberg, A. G., & Wong, H. R. (2004). Theaflavin, a black tea extract, is a novel anti-inflammatory compound. Critical Care Medicine, 32(10), 2097-2103.
    9. Peairs, A., Dai, R., Gan, L., Shimp, S., Rylander, M. N., Li, L., & Reilly, C. M. (2010). Epigallocatechin-3-gallate (EGCG) attenuates inflammation in MRL/lpr mouse mesangial cells. Cellular & Molecular Immunology, 7(2), 123-132.
    10. Heliövaara, M., Aho, K., Knekt, P., Impivaara, O., Reunanen, A., & Aromaa, A. (2000). Coffee consumption, rheumatoid factor, and the risk of rheumatoid arthritis. Annals of the Rheumatic Diseases, 59(8), 631-635.
    11. Sapone, A., Bai, J. C., Ciacci, C., Dolinsek, J., Green, P. H., Hadjivassiliou, M., ... & Fasano, A. (2012). Spectrum of gluten-related disorders: consensus on new nomenclature and classification. BMC Medicine, 10, 1-12.
    12. Pal, S., Woodford, K., Kukuljan, S., & Ho, S. (2015). Milk intolerance, beta-casein and lactose. Nutrients, 7(9), 7285-7297.
    13. Patel, B., Schutte, R., Sporns, P., Doyle, J., Jewel, L., & Fedorak, R. N. (2002). Potato glycoalkaloids adversely affect intestinal permeability and aggravate inflammatory bowel disease. Inflammatory Bowel Diseases, 8(5), 340-346.
    14. DiNicolantonio, J. J., & O’Keefe, J. H. (2018). Importance of maintaining a low omega–6/omega–3 ratio for reducing inflammation. Open Heart, 5(2), e000946.

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    BY DR. WILL COLE

    Evidence-based reviewed article

    Dr. Will Cole, DNM, IFMCP, DC is a leading functional medicine expert who consults people around the globe, starting one of the first functional medicine telehealth centers in the world. Named one of the top 50 functional and integrative doctors in the nation, Dr. Will Cole provides a functional medicine approach for thyroid issues, autoimmune conditions, hormonal imbalances, digestive disorders, and brain problems. He is also the host of the popular The Art of Being Well podcast and the New York Times bestselling author of Intuitive Fasting, Ketotarian, Gut Feelings, and The Inflammation Spectrum.

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