John Myers
An anti-inflammatory diet is advisable for rheumatism. Botanicals from vegetables and spices, as well as omega-3-rich foods, can help quell painful flare-ups.
Rheumatoid arthritis often referred to as “rheumatism” for short, is a progressive joint inflammation that attacks the inner skin of joints, tendon sheaths, or bursae. It is an autoimmune process: the immune system of those affected fights the body’s own tissue by misdirecting it. The disease must be treated with immunosuppressive drugs. With diet, those affected can also try to contain the inflammatory process and thus relieve pain and stiffness.
Basic rules of proper nutrition in rheumatism
- The basis of the diet should consist of vegetables, good protein – such as nuts and legumes – and high-quality vegetable oils – such as linseed and wheat germ oil*), extra virgin olive oil – and low-sugar types of fruit.
- Antioxidants in vegetables, spices, and herbs can reduce the activity of inflammatory flare-ups.
- The omega-3 fatty acids ALA, EPA, and DHA also have an anti-inflammatory effect. ALA can be found in particular in linseed oil (important: gentle processing: omega-safe or Oxyguard), the other two in fatty sea fish such as salmon, herring, and mackerel as well in algae oil and krill oil. Algae oil is usually added to other products and labeled “Contains DHA-rich oil from the microalgae Schizochytrium sp.” (or “Ulkenia Sp.”).
- Meal examples: Breakfast: quark with fruit and linseed oil/wheat germ oil or wholemeal bread with cream cheese and raw vegetables; or green (vegetable) smoothie.
- Lunch: mixed food, e.g. B. two handfuls of spelled pasta or brown rice with three handfuls of vegetables of your choice.
- Dinner: e.g. B. Vegetable soup or steamed fish with vegetables. Raw food is harder to tolerate for many people in the evening, their digestion demands maximum performance from the intestines.
- One day per week can be planned as a smoothie fasting day: breakfast quark plus 2 x green smoothie as a meal replacement. For more vital substances, you can add 1 teaspoon of wheatgrass powder or, if necessary, 1 teaspoon of matcha tea powder in the morning.
- A fasting that goes beyond this – such as therapeutic fasting – should only be carried out under medical supervision!
- If other chronic diseases are involved, a pegan diet can be helpful: 75 percent vegetables and fruit, some nuts, seeds, fish and meat, eggs – no grains, no dairy products.
- Rheumatic people often lack B vitamins, especially B1 and B6, as well as vitamin E and the minerals magnesium, copper, and selenium. These vital substances are found in green tea, nuts, wheat germ, whole grains, lentils, and cashew nuts. Two Brazil nuts a day are enough to stabilize the selenium balance – please do not overdose.
