Beer’s (and other) weird connection to rheumatoid arthritis

Autoimmune conditions or diseases are the result of an immune system gone haywire. Instead of your immune system engaging to protect you from a threat, it begins attacking the body, as if it can no longer differentiate between an invader, like a pathogen, or your body’s tissues or organs.

Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is a painful autoimmune disease that attacks the joints.  People with RA experience joint stiffness, swelling and pain. It can even lead to severe disability in cases where joints become so swollen and disfigured that you’re unable to use them.

What exactly triggers RA is still a mystery, though experts suggest it’s a combination of genetic susceptibility and environmental and lifestyle factors.

Experts are certain about one thing: Inflammation, particularly when it is chronic, is a driving factor in autoimmune disease. That’s because inflammation is one of the first cues that the body gives the immune system.

Some past research has shown diet can help tamp down inflammation. For that reason, diet protocols have been designed for certain autoimmune conditions and have been suggested as preventatives as well.

In fact, a team of scientists at the University of Leeds in the United Kingdom has recently discovered five diet options that they say can help lower the risks of developing RA or help manage it if you have it…

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Foods that impact rheumatoid risk

The researcher started with a systematic review of 30 different studies involving nearly 10,000 people with RA. Specifically, they sought to explore the relationship between 32 different food groups, drinks and nutrients and the risk of developing the disease.

Remember, even if your DNA predisposes you to a condition, epigenetics has proven that factors, including lifestyle, can alter how genes function.

Based on what they found, the researchers came up with some easy-to-follow dietary advice that could help stave off RA. Foods that were associated with a reduced risk of developing RA include:

• Oily fish
• Fresh vegetables
• Fruits
• Whole-grain cereals
• Beer

Yep, you read that last one right…

The team found that low-to-moderate alcohol consumption (specifically beer) was associated with a reduced risk of rheumatoid arthritis. Each two unit/week increase in alcohol linked to a four percent risk reduction.

However, it’s important to note that while lower alcohol intake was beneficial, the risk of rheumatoid began to rise once weekly alcohol intake surpassed about four pints of lower-strength beer/lager/cider per week or 3.5 standard glasses of wine.

According to research author Yuanyuan Dong, a PhD researcher in the university’s School of Food Science and Nutrition, “These findings offer a deeper understanding of how diet can impact rheumatoid arthritis risk and suggest potential dietary modifications for disease prevention and management.”

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On the other hand, the team also discovered that certain drinks could actually raise your rheumatoid risk, including coffee and tea.

But they point out that the association was low, with tea consumption increasing risk of the disease by four percent per cup. And they say that the risk with coffee was even less.

So considering the numerous health benefits of the two, you might want to take the warning with a grain of salt.

In addition to those foods, the researchers say that vitamin D was also linked to a lower risk of RA. Considering what the VITAL trial found about the sunshine vitamin and omega-3s, like you get from fish oil or oily fish, I’m not at all surprised.

For advanced relief of symptoms, try a fish oil supplement taken with cranberry juice. Previous research determined drinking cranberry juice with fish oil supplements can boost fish oil’s beneficial effects in people with RA by decreasing disease activity and inflammatory biomarkers.

Sources:

Eating oily fish, fruits and cereals and drinking one pint of beer a week can cut risk of rheumatoid arthritis — EurekAlert!

The right food for real rheumatoid arthritis relief — Easy Health Options