Poor diet has been identified as one of the top actual causes of death in the United States time and again. But poor diet doesn’t just cause premature death; it causes years and decades of chronic disease leading up to death, which limits our ability to live a vibrant, pleasurable life. Arthritis represents just one way disease can limit our quality of life. It is a manifestation of countless diseases, many of which are caused in part by poor diet.

What Is Arthritis?

Arthritis refers to painful inflammation of joints. There are many types of arthritis: some acute and fleeting with no long-term consequences, some chronic and causing decades of crippling pain and immobility. Below is a discussion of three common types of arthritis and how diet may play a role in the disease process.

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Common Types of Arthritis

Osteoarthritis

Osteoarthritis is a type of chronic arthritis characterized by inflammation and degeneration of the joint. It is often referred to as a “wear and tear” disease of the joint due to a lifetime of use; however, research has shown that osteoarthritis is not simply a disease of aging. Risk factors that we can control, such as poor biomechanics, muscle weakness, and obesity, play a large role in the disease process. Diet also plays a role.

In a study published in 2015 in the journal Arthritis, researchers investigated the effect of a whole-food, plant-based (WFPB) diet on osteoarthritis. They conducted a randomized controlled trial, meaning they randomly assigned participants with osteoarthritis to a WFPB diet and compared them with participants who continued their usual omnivorous diet. Within two weeks, participants eating the WFPB diet reported a significant reduction in pain and improved functioning compared with the control group. 

Another study of a larger group of people found similarly promising results. The 2006 study, published in the Journal of Nutrition, Health and Aging, found that eating meat just once per week (compared with eating no meat) was associated with an increased risk of osteoarthritis by 31 percent in women and 19 percent in men. Meat consumption more than once per week was associated with a 49 percent increased risk in women and 43 percent in men.

In another large study published in Annals of the Rheumatic Diseases, researchers used data from two large cohorts to examine the association between fiber—a nutrient exclusively found in plant foods—and risk of knee osteoarthritis. Those who consumed the highest amounts of fiber had a 30 percent lower risk of knee osteoarthritis in one cohort, and a 61 percent lower risk in the other cohort.

Although not completely understood, the effect of a healthy diet on osteoarthritis may be mediated through reduced inflammation and promotion of healthy body weight. Overweight and obese individuals are over twice as likely to develop osteoarthritis compared to normal weight individuals, and even minimal weight loss can substantially reduce that risk. Because plant-based diets are associated with lower body weight and with weight reduction, this may make them powerful tools in the treatment or prevention of osteoarthritis.

Rheumatoid Arthritis

Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is an autoimmune disease. The immune system normally recognizes self from non-self as a way of defending the body against foreign invaders (e.g., bacteria, parasites). In autoimmune disease, the immune system maladaptively attacks certain parts of the body. In the case of RA, the target is synovium, a tissue that lines the inner surface of joints. This leads to a chronic inflammatory response that deforms joints and surrounding tissues. Certain factors increase the risk of developing RA, including genetic factors, smoking, and obesity.

Although data is limited on the topic, a few studies have shown diet may play a role in the prevention and treatment of RA. In a 2003 study published in Annals of the Rheumatic Diseases, researchers randomized participants with rheumatoid arthritis to a Mediterranean diet—which emphasized fruits, vegetables, whole grains, legumes, and nuts—or to continue their normal diet. After 12 weeks, the Mediterranean diet group showed decreased disease activity, had fewer swollen joints, and had less pain compared with those who did not make the dietary changes.

In a different randomized controlled trial published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, researchers tested the effect of fasting for 7 to 10 days followed by a vegan diet for 3.5 months in patients with RA. After one month of intervention, the vegan diet group had decreased pain, less morning stiffness, and fewer tender and swollen joints compared with the omnivorous group.

Although these results are promising, larger studies are needed to validate their findings and further elucidate the effect of plant-based diets on RA.

Gouty Arthritis

Gout is an inflammatory disease caused by urate crystals depositing in various tissues of the body, especially joints. Uric acid is a breakdown product of compounds called purines, which are found in high concentrations in meat, seafood, and alcohol. At high levels in the body and under certain circumstances, uric acid can form crystals that trigger a painful inflammatory response. Due to differences in purine content among foods and its role in the disease process, extensive research has been done on the effect of diet on gout risk.

A study published this year in Clinical Nutrition included two cohorts totaling 13,935 people followed for over eight years on average. The authors investigated the effect of a vegetarian diet on the incidence of gout and found that those eating a vegetarian diet were a third as likely to suffer from gout compared with non-vegetarians, even after accounting for differences in other risk factors (e.g., age, smoking, alcohol use) in their statistical model. 

A large study published in 2004 in the New England Journal of Medicine followed 47,150 men over a period of 12 years and compared meat consumption between men who developed gout with those who remained healthy. They found that those eating the highest amount of meat and seafood were, respectively, 41 percent and 51 percent more likely to develop gout than those eating the least amount of meat and seafood. Interestingly, they found that high purine vegetables were not associated with an increased risk of gout.

Diet and Arthritis: the Big Picture

Although further research is needed to better understand the effect of plant-based diets on the various types of arthritis, I have a hunch that nature was consistent in its design: that the diet that benefits our hardened arteries, insulin resistance, elevated blood pressure, painful menses, erectile dysfunction, ischemic hearts, distressed psychology, and diseased kidneys, is very likely to also benefit our inflamed joints.

The post Plant-Based Diets and 3 Types of Arthritis: a Look at the Evidence appeared first on Forks Over Knives.

Plant-based eating was not a part of my family’s traditional culture. Growing up Dominican, all I knew was rice, beans, chicken, pork, and beef.

Diagnosis: Juvenile Diabetes

At age 9, I was diagnosed with Type 1 diabetes. I remember my mother crying in the doctor’s office as if I had been given a life sentence. 

I was taught about medication, not nutrition. I believed that as long as I took my insulin, I could eat and drink whatever I wanted. I was so wrong.

At age 26, I had my son seven weeks prematurely. I was diagnosed with hypertension and hypothyroidism. I had high cholesterol by age 30 and diabetic retinopathy by age 35. At 40, I was diagnosed with rheumatoid arthritis, osteoarthritis, and diabetic gastroparesis. I’ve had my gallbladder removed; bone spurs in my heel, shoulder, and toe; trigger fingers; and Dupuytren’s disease. I was given cortisone shots, which raised my blood sugar astronomically and caused me to gain weight. I reached 198 pounds. (I’m only 5’5”.) 

Ready for a Change

One day while watching documentaries, I came across Forks Over Knives. I became determined to get better. In March 2015, I gave up eating all animal products, processed foods, and refined carbohydrates. I ate whole grains, beans, and all the vegetables I could find. 

Within three months, I lost 20 pounds. My cholesterol stabilized, so my doctor took me off of the statin medication. Within six months, I had dropped another 30 pounds, and he took me off the blood pressure pills. My A1C declined dramatically, so my insulin prescription was cut in half. My joint pain lessened. My eyes improved; I no longer had symptoms of retinopathy. I was utterly amazed. A whole-food, plant-based diet turned my health and my world around.

My friends tell me I’m aging backward. I tell them and everyone I can that we can cook our traditional foods in a healthier way and it will taste as good. I love making vegetable and bean chili and empanadas stuffed with vegetables, quinoa, and beans. I enjoy sharing my journey and letting others know that it’s not that hard to make the change; all we have to do is make the choice.

Read Next: How a Vegan Diet Impacts Diabetes

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I finally went to a doctor and was diagnosed with rheumatoid arthritis. I was only 37. The doctors explained the lengthy list of medications they wanted me to start taking, including injections. I told them that I wanted to do research of my own before agreeing to a course of treatment. They more or less told me that I was crazy and that, given how bad my inflammation was, I would be crippled within a year if I didn’t follow their plan.

Drafting My Own Plan
I did not want to live my life dealing with all the side effects of being on multiple medications. I went home and my mom and I sat down to research alternative options for treating rheumatoid arthritis. Then we came across Forks Over Knives and learned about the whole-food, plant-based diet.

In the months leading up to that point, my husband and I had both been following a low-carb diet, which was basically the polar opposite of WFPB. But after reading about WFPB and the reasoning behind it, I knew instantly that it was what I needed.

My meat- and cheese-loving husband was so supportive: He wanted to go WFPB with me so that we could do it as a team. Little did he know that it would also drastically change his life.

We jumped in head first and adopted a 100 percent WFPB diet. Within two months my pain was gone. My inflammation was nonexistent. My husband and I have lost weight, and we both feel better than ever!

By July I was able to complete my first half marathon, and I have run two more since then. My husband and I have completed miles and miles of hikes together and life is amazing.

Radiant Results
I recently had bloodwork done, and the doctors found no signs of inflammation anywhere. As if that weren’t enough good news, after six months of eating WFPB, I’ve finally been able to have normal menstrual cycles on my own, without any medication: Having battled polycystic ovary syndrome my whole life, that was never possible for me before.

My mom also has adopted the whole-food, plant-based way of eating and is healthier than ever. Thank you, Forks Over Knives, for changing our lives!

Ready to get started? Check out Forks Meal Planner, FOK’s easy weekly meal-planning tool to keep you on a healthy plant-based path.

The post From Bedridden to Running Marathons: Healing Rheumatoid Arthritis with a Plant-Based Diet appeared first on Forks Over Knives.

It is a tricky thing being a career woman, though. We spend our life striving to reach the top, but then it often coincides with the time we want to have children. I had three children in five years. I poured the same intensity from my medical training and practice into my children. I nursed them all. I made fresh meals daily, baked their birthday cupcakes, and knit their Halloween costumes. I was exhausted. It was a hard life, but I felt that it was the cross I had to bear in order to have it all.

But after my third child, life changed. I recall the time so vividly. I went back to work eight weeks after the baby came. I remember the utter exhaustion of sleeping three hours, going to work, then running home to nurse, cook meals, and start again. Every night, my husband would drag me out of one of children’s bedrooms so I could fall asleep in my own bed, until the next cry woke me up. I was haggard, but felt I had to sacrifice.

From Having It All to Having a Big Fall

One morning, a couple of months later, I woke to the baby’s cry and couldn’t move my right shoulder. It was red and hot, but I ignored it, figuring it was from a trauma I couldn’t remember. Three days later, the fourth finger on my left hand was red and hot. I started having trouble buttoning the kids’ clothes. A day later, I felt like I had glass going through my feet. I started taking the elevator at work to ease the intense pain in my joints.

After about a week of denial, I realized something was truly wrong. I remember the day almost like it was dream. The alarm went off at 5:30 a.m. I felt exhausted in my bones. I could barely get out of bed. As I hobbled down the stairs to let the dog out, my feet felt even worse—the “glass” was cutting my feet. I could barely open the door to let the dog out.

Then the baby cried. I moved to run up the stairs to get her before the other children woke with the noise. But I couldn’t. I couldn’t run. Every bone in my body burned. I couldn’t run up the stairs. So I crawled. I can still taste the salt from the tears I shed as I crawled up the stairs. I remember getting to her crib but not being able to get her out. It was then, as I lay on the floor crying, and when my husband had to pick up the baby to give her to me, that I realized I was in real trouble.

The Doctor Becomes the Patient

Two weeks later, I was diagnosed with severe rheumatoid arthritis. My rheumatologist looked at my inflammatory markers and told me I needed to get on advanced therapy immediately. After that first meeting, I was fairly confident that I would no longer be able to practice cardiology. All the harrowing pictures from medical school of advanced RA came flooding back.

The baby was now 5 months old, and I was nursing. My rheumatologist told me to stop nursing as soon as possible. He wanted me on drugs within a week. So I quit nursing. I cried every moment of those seven days. Every time I heard the baby cry, I had to walk away. My breasts were engorged and painful, but I could not feed her. I still want to cry as I write this because of the deep sorrow I felt at those moments. I felt like my choice had been taken away, that I had to give up something that was so dear to me. But as a patient, and as difficult as it seemed, I realized I had to trust my physicians.

It wasn’t easy. As I started losing my hair and the daily nausea from my RA medications became more severe, I grew more and more bitter and lost. I started to blame my daughter. I thought that if I hadn’t had a third child, none of this would have happened. After a few months on the medications, though, I started to feel better. I became more adjusted to the drugs and had fewer side effects. I had begun to cope with my disease, yet hadn’t let go of the anger.

Inflammation Nation

One day, about six months into treatment, I met a woman who would soon become a dear friend. She was a holistic nutrition consultant and was interested in educating my patients about diet. I was skeptical, but she offered to do my nutrition profile. When I met her, I was already vegetarian, so I wondered how could I possibly be healthier? When the nutritionist recommended I eliminate dairy, I laughed and couldn’t understand why that would be important. She started telling me about inflammation and studies she had read. I have never been someone who does things gradually. I was all in almost from the moment I considered it. I thought, “What did I have to lose?” I had already lost control of my body by taking these medications and suffering their side effects. So I took the plunge. As I began the dairy elimination, I started reading and educating myself about dairy’s role in inflammation. It has been an educational journey ever since.

I started noticing changes to my body within weeks. I became leaner, more energized. I started getting stronger. I added yoga and meditation. Learning that tools like sleep, meditation, and a 100 percent plant-based diet could recharge my body without medications was an awesome discovery. After six months of being on a plant-based diet, I went to see my rheumatologist who noted that my inflammatory markers were nonexistent. My cholesterol was so low, he was sure I had started a statin!

I challenged my physician to lower my medications. He thought it was a bad idea because my illness was incurable, and he felt I should accept a lifetime of medications. I switched doctors that day and found someone who would work with me, with my changes. I started to wean off my meds over a one-year period. After two years of medication, I came off completely. I remember the day I threw away my last pill bottle—that hopeful nervousness coupled with the fear that I had made a terrible miscalculation. I wondered if I was falling into the abyss or if I would climb higher. Now I am proud to look at how far I have come.

Coda: The Curious Upside of Sickness

After fearing that I wouldn’t be able to continue in medicine, I am now the director of cardiovascular nutrition at University of Florida in Gainesville, where I am building a wellness and prevention clinic to educate medical students and doctors about nutrition and to improve dietary options for cardiac patients in the hospital and beyond. I am also involved in research to understand the impact of diet on illness. As part of the American College of Cardiology, we are working on national standards in cardiovascular nutrition.

It took me years to admit that I have an illness. I always felt like if I said it out loud, people would think less of me as a physician, as a mother, and as a person. Now I realize that it is because I have an illness that I understand and connect with my patients better. It is not illness that defines us but, rather, how we respond to it that makes us who we are. A person like me who was so controlled and rigid falls hard when illness hits. I blamed my poor daughter for causing my illness. I was angry for a long time. But now I am the healthiest I have maybe ever been. My cholesterol is ridiculously low. My inflammatory markers are nonexistent, and I am entering my third year off of medications. I am strong. I run, I do yoga, and I take care of myself.

I have learned to laugh more and not to worry so much about being late or about climbing the ladder. I thank my body every day for what it can give me, and I forgive it for what it cannot. In some ways, the crazy thing is that getting sick was the best thing that could have happened to me. I have my little girl to thank for bringing me back from a world in which I was drowning. I realize now that my daughter didn’t make me sick, she saved me.

The post How My Rheumatoid Arthritis (and a Plant-Based Diet) Made Me a Better Cardiologist appeared first on Forks Over Knives.

The pain was so excruciating that I couldn’t sleep, stand, sit, walk with ease, lift anything, or even breathe sometimes. I was severely depressed and laid on the floor crying most mornings because I couldn’t even lift my arms up to take a shower. I was scared to close my eyes at night because I didn’t know how immobile I would be in the morning. I was losing my hair, the tingling sensation in my legs was unbearable, and I was having suicidal thoughts.

After my diagnosis I was given the option of going on the prescription drug methotrexate, a chemotherapy agent and immune system suppressant which has terrible side effects. I took prednisone (a corticosteroid) to get some relief and told the doctor I would think about taking the other medications. During that month before the next doctor’s visit, I discovered the work of Dr. John McDougall and Clint Paddison, who both recommend a plant-based diet to help or reverse rheumatoid arthritis.

I read everything I could during this period, educated myself on nutrition, and watched Forks Over Knives and other plant-based documentaries. On February 29th, 2016, I switched to a plant-based diet and started exercising more. At my next appointment, my doctor laughed when I told him my plan to heal my body naturally and wean myself off the prednisone. He stated, “You’ll be in pain.” That just made me try harder.

I saw my doctor at the end of May and was able to report that I have hardly any pain and feel great. He couldn’t believe it and ordered my blood work. It came back normal with slight inflammation. I was able to completely go off the steroids. I also had the positive side effect of losing fifteen pounds. I feel energized, happy and am painting again!

I’m still working on healing my body so I keep my diet pretty simple. I love veggie sushi, rice noodle soups with miso broth, simple Indian curries with potatoes and pineapple, and simple green salads with lemon juice and salt.

It’s pretty easy to stay on plan after seeing my inflammation markers go down so drastically in my blood work and remembering the eroded bone in my foot. I can also feel it in my joints when I eat something that I shouldn’t, so that’s a lot of motivation!

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