Summary
Experiences with food intake, diet manipulations and fast were registered in rheumatic patients. The study was a questionnaire-based survey in which 742 patients participated. It comprised 290 patients with rheumatoid arthritis, 51 patients with juvenile rheumatoid arthritis, 87 patients with ankylosing spondylitis, 51 patients with psoriatic arthropathy, 65 patients with primary fibromyalgia and 34 patients with osteoarthritis. One third of the patients with rheumatoid arthritis, ankylosing spondylitis and psoriatic arthropathy reported aggravation of disease symptoms after intake of certain foods while 43% of the patients with juvenile rheumatoid arthritis and 42% of the patients with primary fibromyalgia stated the same. Twenty-six percent of the patients with juvenile rheumatoid arthritis and 23% of the patients with rheumatoid arthritis, ankylosing spondylitis and primary fibromyalgia had previously tried certain diets in the attempt to alleviate disease symptoms, whereas 13% of the patients with sporiatic arthropathy and 10% with osteoarthritis had tried diet therapy. Less pain and stiffness were reported by 46% of the patients and 36% reported reduced joint swelling. Similar beneficial effects of diet were also reported in other rheumatic disease groups. Fifteen percent of the patients with rheumatoid arthritis and ankylosing spondylitis had been through a fasting period. Less pain and stiffness were reported by 2/3 of the patients in both groups and half of the patients in both groups reported a reduced number of swollen joints.
This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Panush, R.S., Carter, R.L., Katz, P., Kowsari, B., Longley, S., Finnie, S. Die therapy for rheumatoid arthritis. Arthritis Rheum 1983, 26, 462–471.
Denman, A.M., Mitchell, B., Ansell, B.M. Joint complaints and food allergic disorders. Ann Allergy 1983, 51, 260–263.
Marshall, R., Stroud, R.M., Kroker, G.F., Bullock, T., Carroll, F.M., Greenberg, M., Randolph, T.G., Rea, W.J., Smiley, R. Food challenge effects on fasted rheumatoid arthritis patients: a multicenter study. Cl Ecol 1984, 2, 181–190.
Darlington, L.G., Ramsey, N.W., Mansfield, J.R. Placebo-controlled, blind study of dietary manipulation therapy in rheumatoid arthritis. Lancet 1986, i, 236–238.
Parke, A.L., Hughes, G.R.V. Rheumatoid arthritis and food: a case study. Br Med J 1981, 282, 2027–2029.
Panush, R.S., Stroud, R.M., Webster, E. Food-induced allergic arthritis. Arthritis Rheum 1986, 29, 220–226.
Panush, R.S. Food induced (“Allergic”) Arthritis: Clinical and Serologic Studies. J Rheumatol 1990, 17, 285–290.
Beri, D., Malaviya, A.N., Shandilya, R., Singh, R.R. Effect of dietary restrictions on disease activity in rheumatoid arthritis. An Rheum Dis 1988, 47, 69–72.
Arnett, F.A., Edworthy, S.M., Bloch, D.A., Mcshane, D.J. et al. The American Rheumatism Association 1987 revised criteria for the classification of rheumatoid arthritis. Arthritis Rheum 1988, 31, 315–324.
Brewer, E.J., Bass, J., Baum, J., Cassidy, J.T., Fink, C., Jacobs, J., Hanson, V., Lecinson, J.E., Schaller, J., Stillman, J.S. Current proposed revision of JRA criteria. Arthritis Rheum 1977, 20, 195–199.
Bennett, P.H., Wood, P.H.N. Population studies of the rheumatic diseases. Amsterdam: Expert Medica 1968, 456.
Bennet, R.M. Psoriatic arthritis. In: Arthritis and Allied Conditions. 9th ed. Ed. McCarthy, D.J., Philadelphia: Lea and Febiger 1979, 642–655.
Ellis, M.E., Ralston, S. The ESR in the management of polymyalgia rheumatica/gaint cell arthritis syndrome. Ann Rheum Dis 1983, 42, 168–170.
Wolfe, F., Smuthe, H.A., Yunus, M.B., Bennett, R.M. et al. Criteria for the classification of fibromyalgia. Report of the multicenter criteria committee. Arthritis Rheum 1972, 33, 160–172.
Felder, M., de Blecourt, A.C.E., Wuthrich, B. Food allergy in patients with rheumatoid arthritis. Clin Rheumatol 1987, 6, 181–184.
Sköldstam, L., Larsson, L., Lindström, F.D. Effects of fasting and lactovegetarian diet on rheumatoid arthritis. Scand J Rheumatol 1979, 8, 249–255.
Hafström, I., Ringertz, B., Gyllenhammar, H., Palmblad, J., Harms-Ringdahl, M. Effects of fasting in disease activity, neutrophil function, fatty acid composition, and leukotriene biosynthesis in patients with rheumatoid arthritis. Arthritis Rheum 1988, 31, 585–592.
Uden, A-M., Trang, L., Venizelos, N., Palmblad, J. Neutrophil functions and clinical performance after total fasting in patients with rheumatoid arthritis. Ann Rheum Dis 1983, 42, 45–51.
Sundquist, T., Lindström, F., Magnusson, K-E., Sköldstam, L., Stjernström, I., Tagesson, C. Influence of fasting on intestinal permeability and disease activity in patients with rheumatoid arthritis. Scand J Rheumatol 1982, 11, 33–38.
Lunardi, C., Bambara, L.M., Biasi, D., Venturini, G., Nicolis, F., Pachor, M.L., De Sandre, G. Food allergy and rheumatoid arthritis. Clin Exp Rheum 1988, 6, 423–424.
Sköldstam, L. Fasting and vegan diet in rheumatoid arthritis. Scand J Rheumatol 1986, 15, 219–221.
Pincus, T., Callahan, L.F., Brooks, R.H., Fuchs, H.A., Olsen, N.J., Kaye, J.J. Self-reporting questionnaire scores in rheumatoid arthritis compared with traditional physical, radiographic and laboratory measures. Ann Intern Med 1989, 110, 259–266.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Haugen, M., Kjeldsen-Kragh, J., Nordvåg, B.Y. et al. Diet and disease symptoms in rheumatic diseases — Results of a questionnaire based survey. Clin Rheumatol 10, 401–407 (1991). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02206660
Received:
Revised:
Accepted:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02206660