A Plant-based diet reduces inflammation and chronic pain, Fibromyalgia, and Rheumatoid Arthritis
Plant-based foods are beneficial to decreasing inflammation, thereby decreasing chronic pain, fibromyalgia, osteoarthritis, and rheumatoid arthritis.
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Arthritis is a group of diseases caused by painful and swollen joints. Osteoarthritis is a gradual loss of cartilage and overgrowth of bone in the joints, especially the knees, hips, spine, and fingers, causing pain and stiffness. Rheumatoid arthritis is more aggressive and occurs when the body attacks the joints. Rheumatoid arthritis causes painful, inflamed joints and often results in permanent damage.
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Dietary changes help those impacted, even as much as eliminating the inflammation and pain entirely. Multiple research studies show that people who cut out trigger, inflammatory foods find that their pain improves or goes away. The underlying reason is that certain foods spark inflammation in the joints. When those foods are gone, so is the inflammation.
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A survey of 1,000+ arthritis patients revealed that red meat, processed meat, sugar, fat, salt, caffeine, and nightshade plants (e.g., eggplant, tomatoes) commonly worsen the condition. Once someone eliminates the inflammatory food completely, symptoms typically improve within a few weeks. (Arthritis: What Works: Sobel, Dava, Klein, Arthur C.: 9780312927196)
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Research shows that dairy protein often makes symptoms worse.
After only four weeks on a low-fat vegan diet, people with moderate to severe rheumatoid arthritis had significant improvements in morning stiffness, pain, joint tenderness, and joint swelling.
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Effects of a Very Low-Fat, Vegan Diet in Subjects with Rheumatoid Arthritis
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​Fasting followed by vegetarian diet in patients with rheumatoid arthritis: a systematic review
People with osteoarthritis also benefit from a whole-food, plant-based diet, by significantly decreasing their osteoarthritis pain in two weeks. By the end of six weeks, they had more energy and better physical functioning.
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Whole-Foods, Plant-Based Diet Alleviates the Symptoms of Osteoarthritis
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High-fiber plant-based diets lower the risk for knee osteoarthritis by up to 61%.
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There are many research studies that showcase the value of a plant-based diet towards pain symptoms, chronic pain, fibromyalgia, osteoarthritis, and rheumatoid arthritis:
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Whole-foods, plant-based diet alleviates the symptoms of osteoarthritis
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Uncooked, lactobacilli-rich, vegan food and rheumatoid arthritis
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Faecal microbial flora and disease activity in rheumatoid arthritis during a vegan diet
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Effect of a strict vegan diet on energy and nutrient intakes by Finnish rheumatoid patients
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Fibromyalgia syndrome improved using a mostly raw vegetarian diet: an observational study
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Divergent changes in serum sterols during a strict uncooked vegan diet in patients with rheumatoid arthritis​
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A fasting and vegetarian diet treatment trial on chronic inflammatory disorders
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Pilot study on which foods should be avoided by patients with psoriasis
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Changes of faecal flora in rheumatoid arthritis during fasting and one-year vegetarian diet
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Controlled trial of fasting and one-year vegetarian diet in rheumatoid arthritis
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Plant-based diets help address the following health issues
The health benefits of eating plant-based include:
Methodology
There is an overwhelming volume of research to substantiate the detrimental effects of animal consumption and the benefits of a plant-based diet. We have included an abbreviated list of peer reviewed research articles as well as those by leading institutions. We have excluded industry-funded research articles (or at least listed as having industry funding or if a primary author has an industry affiliation). Please let us know if you see a lapse or additional research we should include.
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