Arthritis Food Myths

Yesterday, a friend asked me about what foods I missed, since I started the anti-inflammatory diet. Thankfully, I don’t have much of a sweet tooth, but I do love pasta. I love Italian food in general. I've had a mad craving for pizza ever since I started this crazy diet! “That must suck,” said my friend, because a lot of what is good about Italian food is tomatoes and those are an anti-inflammatory no-no. Or are they?

The common belief is that tomatoes and other nightshades are bad for people suffering from arthritis. According to this belief, I should also be avoiding green and red peppers. Or should I?

People believe nightshades are bad for arthritis because they contain solanine. No research has ever confirmed solanine’s dangerous role in arthritis and inflammation. Although a 2011 study suggested the opposite was true in men. Moreover, many nightshades contain essential nutrients. A single tomato contains 20% of your recommend daily dosage of vitamin A and 28% of your daily dosage of vitamin C. Unless you have some other problem with tomatoes, eat them up!

While I found a lot of supportive information for the anti-inflammatory diet through the Arthritis Foundation (AF), the AF also provides a warning against certain myths about using food as medicine. They debunked the tomato myth for me and warned me about other myths.

I didn’t even know that a dozen gin-soaked raisins per day is supposed to provide pain relief, and a moment after I read that, I didn’t care. According to the AF, no scientific study has ever supported that claim.

People may have been doing this for centuries,
but it still doesn't work.

People are even drinking apple cider vinegar to ease pain because it contains beta-carotene, but the amount of beta-carotene in apple cider vinegar is nothing compared to the amount of beta-carotene in a carrot. Eat a carrot!

We’ve known since the 1980s that dairy can slow the progression of osteoarthritis, but people suffering from arthritis pain are still warned away from it. If you don’t have a problem with the dairy industry (blood and puss), choose lower-fat dairy products. I haven’t been avoiding dairy all together, but I have been replacing some of it with almond milk and soy cream (for my coffee).

The raw food diet, famously touted by Woody Harrelson (I love him), might make digestion more difficult and has been found to cause nausea and diarrhea, while offering little more than a placebo to those suffering from chronic-inflammation related problems. The AF recommends switching to a raw food diet slowly, if you are determined to make the change.

Some people think that coffee causes gout. This is silliness. Research has shown it actually lowers the risk and has many other health benefits. Drink up!

Also, people with chronic inflammation are often encouraged to avoid citrus fruits for no good reason. Citrus fruits are an excellent source of vitamin C, which can reduce arthritis pain.

To find out more about my journey in exploring food as medicine, like my Facebook page.

Fat and Inflammation

“Obesity in animals, including humans, is not dependent on the amount of body weight, but on the amount of body fat - specifically adipose tissue.” 

Adipose, or fatty tissue has an important role to play in the body in terms of cushioning and support, as well as storing nutrients, but excess deposits of fat are vulnerable to attack by immune cells. Inflammation is a process created by these immune cells to protect the body from infections and keep us healthy. Chronic low-grade inflammation can occur, when our immune systems are chronically attacking excess fat deposits. As we already know, chronic inflammation makes us vulnerable to a list of other ailments.

Diet and exercise can help us control the amount of excess fat we carry on our bodies. Exercise can also be used to reduce pain, encourage healing, and prevent diseases.

I use yoga to maintain core strength. Increased core strength, my doctors have told me, will naturally reduce the pain in my lower back by building up muscles that support the spine. As my arthritis has grown worse, I have also begun to see how much of an impact that gentle exercise has on the pain in my feet and knees.

Now I wonder if I should be exercising harder to reduce excess fat on my body. If I do, I might start out with something like this, or I might just join a soccer team, in addition to continuing to practice yoga for the continued benefits I get from doing it.

Any other suggestions?

Turmeric for breakfast

This turmeric tofu scramble recipe is one of my kid’s favourites and fits perfectly into the anti-inflammatory diet. I could eat this with a piece of whole grain toast every day and be happy.

With all of my health problems, my mom has been trying to get more turmeric in me for ages. Turmeric belongs in the ginger family and originated in southwest India, where farmers harvest the roots annually. The roots are processed and ground into the deep-orange-yellow powder we are all familiar with. “One active ingredient is curcumin, which has a distinctly earthy, slightly bitter, slightly hot peppery flavor and a mustardy smell.”  Along with supporters of the anti-inflammatory diet, my mom will be happy to know that science is starting to take turmeric seriously too.

Scientists are especially interested in curcumin’s affect on the body. Basic research is still underway to study its potential to heal kidneys, arthritis, cancer, irritable bowls, diabetes, Alzheimer’s, as well as its basic anti fungal and antibacterial properties. Last year, Scientific American’s Everyday Einstein even talked about turmeric, if only to point out how much we still need to know about curcumin. How much turmeric is needed to have a medicinal impact on the body? How much is bad for you?

Really the only warning I’ve found on turmeric for your health is about its vulnerability to adulteration in the marketplace, which consumers have been aware of and have developed tests for. 

I know what I want for breakfast.

Why I hate supplements

“Very expensive urine” is the Sheldon Cooper quote I use to describe vitamins and supplements. Every time I think of taking a supplement I am reminded what a terrible idea it is.

Part of me wants to take supplements, that part of me that remembers the love in my grandma’s eyes as she gave me my Flintstone’s chewable. She did what she did out of love and I did the same with my kid. People take vitamins; it is what one does. But are we really risking our health and the health of our children?

The law defines dietary supplements in part as products taken by mouth that contain a "dietary ingredient." Dietary ingredients include vitamins, minerals, amino acids, and herbs or botanicals, as well as other substances that can be used to supplement the diet.

As an adult, I haven’t regularly taken any dietary supplements. I used to eat some of my kid’s Flintstone chewables and I bought a supplement recently that was recommended by doctors for reducing the symptoms of arthritis, but I hated the idea and my memory problems made it difficult for me to keep up the habit.

People take supplements for all kinds of reasons according to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA). 

People use dietary supplements for a wide assortment of reasons. Some seek to compensate for diets, medical conditions, or eating habits that limit the intake of essential vitamins and nutrients. Other people look to them to boost energy or to get a good night's sleep. Postmenopausal women consider using them to counter a sudden drop in estrogen levels.

I wouldn't be trying the anti-inflammatory diet, if I didn't hope that I would get some benefit from the right kinds of vitamins etc. However, study after study is finding that we can't be sure over-the-counter supplements contain the ingredients listed on the bottle. The University of Guelph found that one in three supplements on the market are fake. The FDA has had similar findings, but there’s still little consumers can do about it.

 

The FDA even says on their website that the law doesn't require supplements to be proven safe before they are marketed, which means that what these little capsules contain could be seriously harmful to you.

The researchers from the CDC and the FDA analyzed representative surveillance data from 63 hospital Emergency Rooms over a 10-year period (2004-2013), and their statistical analysis projected about 23,000 ER visits annually resulting from ingestion of supplements, about one-tenth of which led to hospitalization. 

According to the authors, “Such visits commonly involve cardiovascular manifestations from weight-loss or energy products among young adults and swallowing problems, often associated with micronutrients, among older adults.” But because of irresponsible, two-decade-old legislation, the answer to the critical question, “How many Americans are killed each year due to ingestion of so-called dietary-nutritional supplements?” cannot be answered. 

The culprit is the Dietary Supplements Health and Education Act of 1994 (DSHEA). Congress virtually exempted supplements from oversight under DSHEA, which bars federal authorities from requiring evidence that herbal remedies are safe or effective, or even that the dosage information on the label is correct. Since 1994, these products have not been subject to the same regulatory requirements as prescription drugs—or in fact to any meaningful regulation at all. Source.

You can read the details of the DSHEA here.

Imagine you get one of the two in the three bottle of vitamin C that actually contain the 500 mg of vitamin C promised on the bottle. Some vitamin C supplements on the market contain 1,000 mg. An adult only needs 65-90 mg of vitamin C per day. Taking that much extra vitamin C rarely causes adverse reactions, like diarrhea, nausea, and stomach cramps, rarely. Luckily, vitamin C is water soluble, which means that the excess 910 mg of vitamin C become expensive urine.

Unfortunately, that’s not the case with some other vitamins, like vitamin A, which can build up toxic levels in the body. A 2001 study by the National Cancer Institute found that men who took vitamin E supplements were 17% more likely to develop prostate cancer. Alpha-Tocopherol, Beta-Carotene Cancer Prevention Study found that vitamin A increases a smoker’s chance of developing lung cancer by 18%.

The third most popular supplement in the US is fish oil. Fish and fish oil are recommended by Dr Weil as part of the anti-inflammatory diet. Manufacturers of fish oil supplements even put a nice lady in the grocery store near my house, who gave me free samples. As I’ve told you before, I'm sick and I want to feel better. It is so tempting to believe in the magic pill, especially if that pill seems natural and inexpensive, but I’m glad I didn’t take those fish oil supplements.

As long as it’s not rancid, fish oil isn’t bad for you. Norway is one of the world's largest producers of fish oil. However, one study in Norway found that 95% of non-prescription fish oil on the market is rancid. When fish oil goes rancid, the omega-3 oxidizes creating free radicals. Free radicals actually encourage inflammation and cancer.

A study different than the Norwegian one found between 11%-62% of over-the-counter fish oil pills showed oxidation. Source.

I don’t want to take supplements that cause inflammation, especially not when I’m on an anti-inflammatory diet. I’d rather have a burger and fries, but I won’t.

Fish are a reliable source of fish oil, just like carrots are a reliable source of vitamin A, and oranges provide plenty of vitamin C.

I’m not saying that you should never ever take a supplement. In certain circumstances, you may benefit from taking a supplement. In those circumstances, your doctor will prescribe one to you and you should buy it from a pharmacist from a supplier that has been regulated. Otherwise, who knows what you’ll be ingesting?

Omega-please

In preparing to make this change in my life, I’ve been experimenting with a lot of seafood. I never used to be a fan of it, but am having fun trying new recipes. Last night, I made tilapia with chermoula sauce and cucumber blood orange couscous.

Tilapia with chermoula sauce and cucumber blood orange couscous.

Chermoula, or charmoula, is popular in Algerian, Libyan, Moroccan and Tunisian cooking, as a marinade, and to flavour seafood. It was really simple to make by mixing cumin, coriander, sweet paprika, cilantro, olive oil, and lemon juice together.

Eating seafood seems like an important part of the anti-inflammatory diet because essential fatty acids play such an important role in the body. Fatty fish are high in fatty acids, especially omega-3s, which help form the classic eicsanoids that affect inflammation; the endocannabinoids that affect mood, behaviour, and inflammation; the lipoxins that also affect inflammation; and others — even acting on DNA.

However, when my kid was 3 years-old, they once famously said: “Fish are for swimming; not for eating!” And poof! We had a new vegetarian in the family. Eventually, they even became vegan and I cooked nothing, but vegan food, for ten years. They grew taller and more talented than me without eating any fish for a large portion of their life. So, is eating fish really that important?

It turns out my kid probably benefited from not eating certain kinds of fatty fish because they are also high in mercury, PCBs, and other toxins that can be especially harmful to children and pregnant women. Walnuts, flaxseed, canola, and soybean oils are all much safer sources of essential fatty acids.

Because I just started experimenting with these great fish recipes, I am not going to give them up just yet. In the meantime, I suppose I could give walnuts a chance.

What is the anti-inflammatory diet?

Shrimp bur blanc on linguini with a side salad.

Dr Andrew Weil says:

It is becoming increasingly clear that chronic inflammation is the root cause of many serious illnesses — including heart disease, many cancers, and Alzheimer's disease. […] Learning how specific foods influence the inflammatory process is the best strategy for containing it and reducing long-term disease risks.

The anti-inflammatory diet is not intended to cause weight loss, which is fine. Other than the constant pain, I am pretty comfortable in my body (I think I look hot). The anti-inflammatory diet isn’t so much a diet as it is a lifestyle change, in which you eat foods that reduce chronic inflammation in your body. Dr Weil calls understanding which foods to eat ‘scientific,’ though I still think parts of his approach are hookum, for example vitamins are a racket (Sheldon Cooper once referred to supplements as “very expensive urine”). If this means that the placebo aspect of this diet doesn’t work as well on me, so be it. I’m really sick and I want to feel better, but I prefer evidence-based medicine.

Supplements appear third from the top of Dr Weil's anti-inflammatory diet food pyramid, which illustrates the recommendations of the anti-inflammatory diet in a visually pleasing way -- not according to recommended quantities. Red wine and dark chocolate are the two recommendations that top supplements in the pyramid. Supplements were the first thing that made me skeptical of Dr Weil's approach, but he is not the only advocate of the health benefits of anti-inflammatory foods.

The Arthritis Foundation promotes the idea that certain foods help combat inflammation, implying that a diet of these foods may benefit people with rheumatoid arthritis (that's me). The Arthritis foundation recommends eating 3-4 ounces of omega-3 rich fish twice a week; "at least 1½ to 2 cups of fruit and 2 to 3 cups of veggies per meal"; a handful of nuts every day; lots of beans; 2-3 tablespoons of olive oil every day; onions (I'm not a big fan of those); lots of fibre; less processed food and salt; and moderate alcohol (they have a picture of red wine and that is good enough for me). The Arthritis Foundation encouraged me to calculate a diet plan that is right for me through the USDA.

The USDA recommended I eat 2600 calories a day to maintain my current weight, or 2400 calories a day to lose weight. I chose the 2400 calories a day option, because I can't imagine I ate more than that before I started really thinking about food, and this is what was recommended:

For breakfast I had enough fruit and grains for the day with a glass of pro-biotic blueberry pomegranate juice, half a cup of 7-grain oatmeal, topped with blueberries and strawberries. I put almond milk on my oatmeal and soy milk in my coffee, so (according to this) I can have two more cups of dairy, three cups of vegetables, and 6.5 ounces of protein before the day is over.

This is similar to, but not the same as Dr Weil's food pyramid. His food pyramid would have me eating more (I like him for that). Dr Weil says I can have all the mushrooms, garlic, ginger, turmeric, and cinnamon I can eat. After the wonderful breakfast I had, he would also let me have 2-4 more servings of whole grains; two more servings of protein than the USDA recommends (if one is beans and the other is tofu); another serving of fruit; and one more helping of vegetables than the USDA recommends. According to Dr Weil's food pyramid, I can also have 2-4 cups of tea and a couple glasses of red wine before bed. Either way, I am not going to starve.

Greetings from a sick skeptical place...

Thank you for joining me in the first post of this blog. My name is Tine Hreno and I already blog about the research for my novel. When I decided to try the anti-inflammatory diet, blogging about it seemed like the obvious next step.

I’m basically a young old lady; my memory doesn’t work well and I have terrible arthritis. Also, I’m stuck in my ways, but I’m tired of getting sick so easily.

My memory problems were brought on by chronic silent migraines. According to WebMD: 

Silent migraines are a medical oddity. How can you have a migraine "headache" without headache pain? 

These so-called migraines have lessened with the use of anti-inflammatory medication.

Upon hearing the good news, my friend exclaimed: “It’s amazing how many problems can be caused by inflammation!” Which is interesting because, as already mentioned, I’ve got lots of problems!

Did you know that inflammation is the common link between such debilitating conditions as Alzheimers, heart disease, cancer, and arthritis?

Did you know inflammation is thought to be the culprit behind the visible signs of aging?

Inflammation is a wellness buzz-word these days, and for good reason. If you reduce inflammation in your body, you'll not only look and feel younger, but you'll significantly lower your risk for chronic disease! Source.

The very notion of a “wellness buzz-word” irks me. When everyone started going gluten-free, I headed straight to Chinatown, got some gluten in a can, and started eating it.

When I started taking anti-inflammatory medicine to reduce the symptoms of silent migraines, I started to feel better. This sense of relief was mixed with amazement at how terrible I was feeling before. My body has grown used to living with a certain amount of pain.

Inspired by my story, another friend suggested I try out an anti-inflammatory diet to see how that changes things. The anti-inflammatory food pyramid lists red wine, so it can’t be that bad… Can it?

I like food and drink. I tested out a few anti-inflammatory foods and am willing to give it a try. If some foods can make you sick, it’s not too much of a stretch to think that others might cure you. However, part of me is still very reluctant and skeptical. I would like this to change my life, but the whole concept of food as medicine makes me think of the backward-gazing anti-vaxxers, who are making us sick in the first place.

In addition to giving the anti-inflammatory diet a serious test drive, I intend to use this blog to investigate claims made about the ability of foods to cure disease (eyes free samples of fish oil suspiciously). I expect to uncover a bunch of hoaxes, while learning some interesting things and getting a little healthier. As a young old lady, I’m definitely going to have some fun along the way!

Thank you for joining me!