Does diet influence the risk of developing arthritis?
Ask the doctor
Q. Does diet play a role in the development of arthritis?
A. Many people believe that diet has a lot to do with the development of arthritis. For most types of arthritis, the evidence to support this is mixed at best.
For some types of arthritis, there are clear links with diet: a good example is gout, a disorder characterized by too much uric acid in the blood and tissues. Crystals of uric acid deposit in the joints, where they cause a type of arthritis called gouty arthritis.
Dairy products, citrus fruits, and coffee appear to modestly lower the risk of gout. Meanwhile, the risk of developing gout appears to be higher among people with a diet that is high in
- meat
- seafood
- alcohol (especially beer)
- high-fructose corn syrup (as in sweetened soft drinks)
- purines (a form of protein found in sardines, liver and other organ meats).
Even so, the vast majority of people who choose these foods and drinks never develop gout. And for those who already have gout, drug treatment is usually much more effective and reliable than changing diet.
Another condition in which diet may affect arthritis risk is celiac disease. This is an immune reaction to gluten in the diet. Gluten is a component of wheat and other grains. By eliminating gluten from the diet (by avoiding many bread products, cereals, and a host of other common foods), the condition, including joint pain, can usually be controlled.
There is no clear connection between diet and the development of osteoarthritis (the most common type of arthritis), rheumatoid arthritis, or lupus. And once these diseases develop, removing certain foods or adding others to treat the joint symptoms has met with inconclusive or disappointing results.
Perhaps the most important connection between diet and arthritis is indirect: diet can contribute to excess weight, and obesity can worsen joint symptoms in weight-bearing joints. Maintaining a healthy weight and avoiding a diet that contributes to obesity may reduce the risk of developing osteoarthritis. And studies have shown that obese people with osteoarthritis may have less pain if they lose weight. However, joint injury and genetics play important roles in osteoarthritis risk, and changes in diet alone do not reliably reduce symptoms of osteoarthritis.
Future research could change our understanding of the link between diet and arthritis. For example, researchers are trying to identify a highly effective anti-inflammatory diet that could reduce arthritis symptoms. Another area of active research is figuring out how diet might modify the microbiome (the millions of micro-organisms living inside our bodies) in ways that will reduce joint inflammation.
Someday we may learn that when it comes to arthritis, diet has a bigger role to play than is currently appreciated.
Image: © dragana991/Getty Images
About the Author
Robert H. Shmerling, MD, Senior Faculty Editor, Harvard Health Publishing; Editorial Advisory Board Member, Harvard Health Publishing
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