wheat and RA

[Guest guest]

You Are What You Eat: New Theories About Rheumatoid Arthritis

By Tracey MS

WebMD Medical News Archive

April 18, 2000 -- Rheumatoid arthritis sufferers take note or take it with a

grain of salt but eating cereal grains such as wheat, rye, barley, oats and

corn, or legumes, such as beans and peas, may produce changes in gut structure

that promote the development of the disease in susceptible people. That's

according to a paper published in the current issue of the British Journal of

Nutrition.

" Our theory helps us begin to understand the connection between joint

inflammation and gut inflammation that's been a universal clinical finding for

years, " lead author Loren Cordain, PhD, tells WebMD. He and his colleagues have

developed a theory about " how diet can interact with gut tissue as well as

components of the immune system to promote the development of [rheumatoid

arthritis]

in certain individuals, " he says. Cordain is a professor in the department of

health and exercise science at Colorado State University in Fort .

People who may be susceptible to developing rheumatoid arthritis would be

those with genes that predisposes them to the disease. " We're not saying that

everyone with this genetic make-up would develop the disease, but if the

circumstances were right, they would, " says Cordain.

The right circumstances could include consuming foods such as cereal grains

and beans, which are high in a substance called lectins. Lectins can cause

changes in the wall of the digestive track, which allows some of the material

normally kept inside the gut to leak into the body. The material can then prompt

the immune system into attacking the body's own joints, resulting in rheumatoid

arthritis.

Cordain says, " What we need now are good [studies] where we test whether a

diet that doesn't contain lectins and perhaps some other foods will reduce or

[improve] the symptoms of [rheumatoid arthritis]. Some anecdotal reports

indicate that it will. "

Carol , PhD, RD, LD, tells WebMD, " There's no doubt there's a role

for large [studies] looking at the role of diet in the development and

management of [rheumatoid arthritis], and the NIH seems to be moving in that

direction. " However, she's unsure about what actually causes the disease. " We

aren't

even close to establishing a clear link between genetics and rheumatic

diseases, " she says. is assistant professor in the department of

nutrition at

Georgia State University in Atlanta and was not involved in the study.

Jaya Venkatraman, PhD, was also not involved in the study but tells WebMD,

" As far as a causal role for diet in [rheumatoid arthritis], I'm not familiar

with any research establishing that link. " However, she adds, " We do know that

some people with [rheumatoid arthritis] who go on vegetarian diets or

substitute fish " in their diets report feeling better. She too says that more

research

is needed. Venkatraman is professor in the department of physical therapy,

exercise, and nutrition sciences at SUNY at Buffalo.

Vital Information:

Researchers have known about a connection between joint inflammation and gut

inflammation, and now suspect that diet may play an important role in these

processes.

A new theory suggests that eating cereal grains can encourage the development

of rheumatoid arthritis, a disease in which the immune system attacks the

body's own joints.

Researchers say cereal grains contain a substance known as lectins, which can

emerge from the digestive track and into the body, prompting an immune

response, which eventually leads to an immune system attack on the joints.