Rheumatoid arthritis symptoms 'improved' by cutting out certain food in new study

dailyrecord.co.uk:

A vegan diet eased joint pain for people with rheumatoid arthritis (RA), according to new research. Participants consumed a low-fat vegan diet without calorie restrictions in a study by the US-based Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine.Rheumatoid arthritis is a long-term condition usually affecting the hands, feet and wrists.It also causes pain, swelling, stiffness in the joints and eventually leads to joint damage.

The study, published in the American Journal of Lifestyle Medicine, found that participants lost weight - with an average of 14lbs (6.35 kg) - and improved their cholesterol levels. "A plant-based diet could be the prescription to alleviate joint pain for millions of people suffering from rheumatoid arthritis," said the study's lead author and president of the Physicians Committee, Neal Barnard, MD."And all of the side effects, including weight loss and lower cholesterol, are only beneficial."The 44 participants, who had previously been diagnosed with RA, were split into two groups.

The first group ate a vegan diet and prepared their own food for four weeks. They then eliminated additional foods for three weeks, then reintroduced the same foods individually over nine weeks.Group two kept to an unrestricted diet but were asked to take a daily placebo capsule, which had no effect in the study.The groups then switched diets for 16 weeks.Did you know you can keep up to date with the latest news by signing up to our daily newsletter?We send a morning and lunchtime newsletter covering the latest headlines every day.We also send coronavirus updates at 5pm on weekdays, and a round up of the week's must-read stories on Sunday afternoons.Signing up is simple, easy and free.You can pop your email address into