In at least some rheumatoid arthritis sufferers, the pain they
feel may be an allergic reaction to a common group of food
plants known as nightshades. Potatoes, tomatoes, peppers,
zucchini, and eggplants are members of the same group of plants
that has been implicated in arthritis pain.
Luckily, this problem is an easy one to identify; the sufferer
simply needs to try an elimination diet for a few days. Here's
what to do: eliminate all these foods from your diet for a week;
then, one by one, add the foods back to your diet. If you're
sensitive to any of these items, you'll most likely end up
having a reaction to the food that mimics your arthritis pain,
perhaps in addition to other physical symptoms.
So what if you're a meat and potatoes man, or your favorite
comfort food is a big plate of pasta and marinara sauce? Do you
have to give up all of your favorite foods forever? Maybe not.
Try a second phase of the elimination diet, avoid all
nightshades and then test one food at a time, for several days,
before going on to the next. (Make sure you avoid all
nightshades for at least four days between each test, and only
include one of these foods at a time.) You may find that you can
tolerate some members of the nightshade group better than
others; and that you can tolerate potatoes, for instance, for
two or three days in a row before you have a reaction.
Once you've defined the level of tolerance that you have for
your favorite foods, develop a rotation diet based on your new
knowledge. You may want to eat only one member of the nightshade
group on a certain day; you may want to keep track of when you
eat these foods and only eat them every three or four days. Of
course, if you react to a particular food like peppers after a
single instance of exposure, it's wise to eliminate those from
your diet completely.
You may find that your arthritis pain disappears completely, or
that the pain lessens once you've eliminated or reduced your use
of the offending foods. But before you throw away prescribed
pain or anti-inflammatory medication or begin to change your
behavior (boosting your exercise routine or other activities,
for instance), have a serious talk with your doctor. Discuss
your allergies, discuss his or her plans for ongoing treatment
of your health issue, and come to an understanding of how to
proceed. Arthritis is a serious chronic, and sometimes
progressive, illness, and you need professional help to manage
it, even if you've succeeded in controlling the symptoms with
diet.
About the author:
Aldene Fredenburg is a freelance writer living in southwestern
New Hampshire and frequently contributes to
Tips and
Topics. She may be reached at
amfredenburg@yahoo.com.
