Dietary Interventions for Rheumatoid Arthritis

A review of literature to explore whether dietary interventions effective and safe in alleviating pain and joint stiffness in rheumatoid arthritis. There is some evidence that fasting followed by a vegetarian or Mediterranean diet may be beneficial but the high drop-out rate needs to be considered when recommending it to patients. Concordance with any intervention is essential if it is to have long term effect on the outcome of the disease process. The level of benefit experienced by the patient needs to be balanced against the degree of change the patient is willing or able to make. When recommending such dietary interventions, consideration must be taken of the adverse effects of diet on the condition of the patient with RA which may be made worse, and whether it is useful to expose patients to additional nutritional risks.