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A Plant-Based (Vegan) Diet May Help With Your Rheumatoid Arthritis
Author: Dawn Flemming
September 25th, 2017
Categories : Arthritis, Nutrition

An agent known as Neu5Gc may be associated with aggravating rheumatoid arthritis in the body. A vegan diet may help with the disease.

Rheumatoid arthritis is an autoimmune disease. It is a chronic inflammation of the joints and other places in the body. An autoimmune diseases is where the body attacks the body’s healthy tissue. In rheumatoid arthritis the immune system primarily attacks the joints. The resulting inflammation ends up damaging the joints which end up in joint pain, swollen joints, and even loss of joint function.

We know that our diets can directly affect our health, including our immune function. A change in diet may help people with rheumatoid arthritis. One diet that has been recommended is a plant-based diet, otherwise known as the “vegan diet”.

A plant-based diet may help by reducing the body to an inflammatory agent known as Neu5Gc which is found in animal products. Neu5Gc may not only play a role in the body’s inflammation, but it may also play a role in the growth of cancerous tumors. Studies have found Neu5Gc’s presence in tumors. Interestingly enough, the agent is not produced by the human body nor is it found in plants. Its source comes from animals. It may be possible that Neu5Gc may play an important role in the development of cancer in human beings.

Studies have shown that people with enter plant-based diets may see improvements in their rheumatoid arthritis. It is possible that Neu5Gc may be aggravating the body’s inflammatory response to the joints.

It doesn’t stop there. Antioxidants are mostly found in plants which may also decrease inflammation in the body which is why plant-based diets (vegan diet) may help with rheumatoid arthritis. Patients who suffer from rheumatoid arthritis should consult with their doctors and see if they can try a plant-based or vegan diet.

Dawn Flemming is Director of Business Services at Geriatric In-Home Care in Fresno, California.

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