Rheumatoid Arthritis and the Gluten Factor

Research has been done on possible correlations between gluten and arthritis. Preliminary evidence suggests that a gluten-free diet may help improve symptoms of rheumatoid arthritis.

For a significant number of people suffering with rheumatoid arthritis, the force driving the autoimmune condition is celiac disease.

If you have celiac disease and rheumatoid arthritis, going on a gluten free diet is likely to cure the arthritis.  The existing damage may not be reversed, but it should prevent any further damage.

The avoidance of gluten might improve various forms of arthritis, including that associated with other autoimmune problems like psoriaic arthritis.  The gluten connection commonly affects the major joints, such as the knees or the spine, but is not limited to these areas.

Many arthritis patients have discovered that just cutting out wheat as much as possible from their diet has made a tremendous difference in their arthritis symptoms and their overall comfort.

The following testimony is typical of what many rheumatoid arthritis patients have reported.

“I was diagnosed with rheumatoid arthritis ten years before my celiac diagnosis. The RA was so severe by the time of my celiac diagnosis that I could barely walk anymore and was having many other complications. Within forty eight hours of going strictly gluten-free and grain free and dairy and soy free my RA just seemed to melt away. My rheumatologist refused and still refuses to believe that my RA could possibly be secondary to celiac and even denies that I have celiac in spite of a very positive endoscopy. No matter. I haven’t seen him for a long time now because of a general lack of symptoms for RA.”

Multiple studies have shown that gluten may affect or worsen arthritis

One study found that 26% of rheumatoid arthritis patients had celiac disease.

In one trial, 14 weeks of a gluten-free (no wheat, rye or barley), pure vegetarian diet, gradually changed to a lacto-vegetarian diet (permitting dairy), led to significant improvement in rheumatoid arthritis as evidenced by associated symptoms as well as by objective laboratory measures of disease.

Celiac disease, a disease characterized by an intestinal inflammatory response to glutinous grains, is associated with endocrine or connective tissue disorders  and that celiac disease is over-represented in connective tissue disease, including RA . This lends further implicit support to the notion that gluten-containing grains may be a factor in at least some cases of RA. In fact, one group reported that 37% of their RA patients demonstrated elevated antibodies against gliadin.

Additional factors to be considered

Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) patients who eat a gluten-free vegan diet could be better protected against heart attacks and stroke. RA is a major risk factor for these cardiovascular diseases, but a gluten-free vegan diet was shown to lower cholesterol, low-density lipoprotein (LDL) and oxidizedLDL (OxLDL), as well as raising the levels of natural antibodies against the damaging compounds in the body that cause symptoms of the chronic inflammatory disease rheumatoid arthritis, such as phosphorylcholine.

How can gluten exacerbate the symptoms of rheumatoid arthritis?

Gluten intolerance in arthritis occurs due to a damaged intestinal tract. Gluten intolerance in arthritis occurs when the gut is injured for some reason other than celiac disease, such as when there is a bacteria or yeast infection. Gluten intolerance in arthritis occurs due to a condition called leaky gut syndrome.

The mechanism involved is still not completely clear. It appears that gliadins (one of the two main groups of protein contained in gluten) can sometimes pass between the cells in the intestinal tract and enter the bloodstream. People who suffer from RA often have what is known as a leaky gut, which obviously makes this more likely.

A healthy intestine allows only nutrients to pass into the bloodstream. When the intestine is damaged, larger molecules such as incompletely digested fats, proteins, starches, and even bacteria, also permeate the intestinal wall.

Having entered the bloodstream, gliadins react with various organs and other receptors. Because of their similarity to antigens which are present in the joints of arthritic patients, gliadins set off a reaction leading to inflammation (causing swelling and pain), as the body tries to throw off the invader. Other symptoms may also be caused by this rogue substance, including depression, now thought to be due to gliadins’ interaction with structures in the brain.

The use of non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) to treat RA is known to cause damage to the gut, which means that these medicines tend to compound the problem.

Practical advice for those with rheumatoid arthritis

While gluten intolerance will not be the cause of every case of arthritis, there is enough evidence to suggest gluten as a possible culprit for many. This ailment should be considered for unresponsive cases of arthritis in both children and adults.

Eliminate all wheat products such as bread/pasta from the diet for a period of 4 weeks and see if there is any improvement. Substitute with ‘Gluten-free’ breads & rice pasta. Use grains such as rice, corn, sago, oats or spelt. If Gluten is a factor, your psoriasis symptoms should begin to show improvement within 1–4 months.

Take Probiotics

Take a good probiotic product in order to create a more healthy intestinal flora. There is always an intestinal problem associated with rheumatoid arthritis. Rheumatoid arthritis starts in the intestines when toxins seep through the intestine walls and enter back into the system and eventually out through the skin.

Probiotics include tablets containing Lactobacillus acidophilus, Propionibacterium freudenreichii, shermanii, and Bifidobacterium bifidum.

Probiotics are one of the best ways to introduce healthy bacteria and yeast into your digestive tract where they can help you build your immune system so that your body can overcome the yeast infection.They also help you digest food, get rid of toxins, and fight inflammation that leads to arthritis.

I would highly recommend the superior probiotic product Primal Defense.

This product was developed by Jordan Rubin author of the highly-acclaimed  book Patient Heal Thyself, who cured himself of Crohn’s Disease through a trial and error process that lasted quite a number of years.

Primal Defense is a natural whole food probiotic that blends HSOs (Homeostatic Soil Organisms) with nutrient-rich Super Foods.

• Primal Defense is designed to optimize the health of the human digestive tract and immune system.
• Primal Defense is produced using the Poten-Zyme process and the Microflora Delivery SystemTM (MDS).
• Primal DefenseTM contains the nutrients that are essential to building a healthy digestive tract and a healthy body.

Primal Defense is a natural whole food probiotic that blends HSOs (Homeostatic Soil Organisms) with nutrient-rich Super Foods.

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Psoriasis and Gluten Intolerance