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in collaboration with
Dr Laurent Grange (Rheumatologist)
Medical validation:
June 02, 2022
According to a study published in the journal RMD Open, diet has little impact on the progression of two joint diseases: rheumatoid arthritis and osteoarthritis. A hypothesis confirmed by Dr. Grange, rheumatologist at the CHU Grenoble-Alpes.
Consuming more Omega-3s, adopting a vegetarian diet, avoiding sugary and refined products… Many experts praise a special osteoarthritis or rheumatoid arthritis diet to reduce inflammation and better prevent painful crises. Supposed benefits denied by a new study, published in the journal RMD OPen.
Few studies support particular diets
Although a healthy diet brings many health benefits, the influence on rheumatoid and musculoskeletal diseases would be weak according to the researchers.
“There just aren’t enough high-quality dietary studies.”can we read in the study.
To reach this conclusion, the European League Against Rheumatism (EULAR) brought together a group of scientists to examine the potential impact of diet, exercise, weight… on the progression of the following diseases: osteoarthritis; rheumatoid arthritis; systemic lupus erythematosus; axial spondyloarthritis; psoriatic arthritis; systemic sclerosis and gout.
A total of 24 journals published between 2013 and 2018, and 150 research articles were closely analyzed.
“No diet can stop the disease”
Most of the work carried out concerned osteoarthritis and rheumatoid arthritis and measured the impact of various food products on the health of patients: meat, eggs and fish; fruits and vegetables, plants, minerals and vitamins…
Fish oil, vitamin D, avocado or even soy have been found to be ineffective on the progression of osteoarthritis.
“No diet stops the progression of osteoarthritis or rheumatoid arthritis. The latter only improves the quality of life of patients (less pain, weight loss). Mediterranean diets are recommended because they are rich in omega 3“, says Dr. Grange.
Little dietary evidence
On the rheumatoid arthritis side, most dietary interventions were rated as “poor or very poor” due to the small number of studies and participants.
“Therefore, based on current evidence, there is no single dietary intervention that has substantial benefits on outcomes for people with osteoarthritis and rheumatoid arthritis.“, conclude the authors.
Furthermore, although there has been much less research around other rheumatic and musculoskeletal diseases, “again, there is no consistent evidence that any dietary exposure significantly improves outcomes under these conditions“, add the scientists.
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Personalized lifestyle support remains relevant
However, patients must maintain a healthy diet and a stable weight to stay in shape. So be careful not to say that a dietary intervention has no influence, because we know that weight loss can slow the progression of osteoarthritis of the knee in particular. Personalized care including lifestyle interventions (physical activity, maintenance of a stable weight or weight loss, etc.) remains important for patients with rheumatism, as confirmed by the latest recommendations from the European League against rheumatism (EULAR).