Elimination diets

[Guest guest]

Elimination diets

Elimination diets are a way of trying to identify the foods that may

cause hypersensitivity in people. On an elimination diet, you would stop

eating foods that may be causing your arthritis symptoms and then bring

foods back into your diet one at a time. Elimination diets should be

followed only under the guidance of a doctor to make sure you are still

obtaining necessary nutrients. It is still very difficult to isolate

foods because many foods are hidden ingredients in other foods. The

usefulness of elimination diets in arthritis is probably questionable, as

only a tiny percentage of people truly suffer from food allergies.

The evidence for foods causing arthritis or making it worse is very

controversial and the list of the foods that have been implicated in

causing flare-ups in arthritis is quite substantial, including milk and

dairy products, food colouring, additives and preservatives, chocolate,

red meats, salt, sugar, coffee and nightshade vegetables (such as

potatoes, tomatoes and eggplant).

Some studies have looked at the relationship between inflammation of the

gut and inflammation of the joints. Researchers have looked at lectins,

food substances found in cereal grains such as wheat, rye, barley, oats

and corn, or legumes such as peas and beans, which it has been suggested

may promote the development of rheumatoid arthritis in genetically

susceptible individuals. Lectins are said to cause the walls of the

digestive tract to become leaky. Researchers propose that material

normally kept inside the gut may leak into the body, prompting an immune

reaction that leads to inflammation in the joints.

It can be quite difficult to determine accurately whether a particular

type of food adversely affects your arthritis. The power of suggestion

can be very strong, and some foods used in cooking may be eaten without

you realising. Further complicating the issue is that arthritis is not

constant–it flares up in an attack and then may calm down.

Each individual is different and there is no one food reported to cause

symptoms in everyone. There are many books that recommend all sorts of

exclusion diets and claim miraculous results, but these are controversial

and may deprive your body of essential nutrients.

In the absence of concrete evidence, it is best to avoid unproven

nutritional practices. If you have concerns about the adequacy of your

diet, you should talk to your doctor.

http://www.mydr.com.au/default.asp?article=2779