Natural Remedies for RA Relief

Foods Known to Remedy Rheumatoid Arthritis

Adapt your diet a little more each day.

• WATER! We all benefit from drinking lots of water, yet people with RA need it even more so. Dehydration will effect the joints and increase pain.
• Cold water fishes like salmon, tuna, mackerel, herring have been known for their high Omega -3 fatty acid content. The essential fatty acids are particularly needed by folks who suffer from RA.
• Consume a diet rich in whole whole grains, nuts, and seeds.
• Include fruit in your diet daily, especially avocados, pineapple, bananas, and blueberries.
  A story about about avocados...Dr John Heinerman, a medical anthropologist, reports he has not found a single case of RA among the Mayan Indians of the Yucatan Peninsula and Guatemala who regularly consume ripe avocado pears. The same is true of various native North West Amazon tribes who live in areas where wild avocados grow in abundance. Only when they give up avocados and start eating a Westernized diet do they start suffering from the disease." (J Heinerman, Encyclopedia of Healing Juices, Parker Publishing, 1994). THINK about it!
• Increase consumption vegetables, especially sulfur-containing foods such as legumes, garlic, onions, brussel sprouts, and cabbage. Now if you are shrinking away thinking...YUCK! ... :-) you WERE, weren't you? ...hang in there, for there's a veggie product that can make getting all of those greens in an easier way. We'll get to that, for now trust there's an easier way OR go on over to peak at Healthy Greens now. You are saved from brussel sprouts and cabbage! :-)
• WATER! :-) Yes, it IS important enough to repeat! You may not think you are dehydrated, yet not enough water could be a big part of your pain.

Specific Nutrients for Rheumatoid Arthritis

Relief for joint pain and RA

• Some swear by borage oil and evening primrose oil both being essential fatty acids which contain very high amounts of GLA (Gamma Linolenic Acid) which helps to improve blood pressure and circulation. This GLA may already be included in a quality Omega essential fatty acid supplement, but is worth checking since some swear by this ingredient.
• Copper There has been some evidence of copper's possible link to RA. Blood levels of copper are often elevated in people with rheumatoid arthritis, which leads some to believe that copper is being drawn out of body tissue stores and then transported by the blood to fight inflamed joints. It is known that copper, like zinc and selenium, is used to form anti-inflammatory compounds in the body and so can help counteract the inflammation that occurs with rheumatoid arthritis. Copper is also essential for the body's manufacture of connective tissue, the ligaments, tendons and such that wrap around a joint like rubber bands and keep it stable. In the body, copper combines with salicylate, a compound found in aspirin, and improves the drug's pain-relieving ability.
  Read more about these studies about copper here.
  
• green-lipped mussels - A lipid extract from green-lipped mussels was shown in a clinical trial to be effective in reducing pain and improving arthritic condition and improvement of joint function. In this study, 70% of 60 osteoarthritis patients put on a diet of the green-lipped mussels lipid extract were found to have experienced significant improvement in joint tenderness, morning joint stiffness, grip strength and overall have better mobility after four and eight weeks. Another study in Scotland resulted in 76% of RA patients put on the green-lipped mussels lipid extract to report significant improvement.
  Read more about the green-lipped mussel extract here.
  
  
• Aborigines have used Emu oil as a natural cure for centuries, and research has confirmed that it can reduce inflammation and pain. In some cases natural cures like this have proven to be more effective than the usual prescribed medication.
  Learn more about emu oil here.

Foods to Avoid if you have RA

• Avoid inflammatory foods such as saturated fats (meat, dairy) and all hydrogenated, partially hydrogenated or trans fatty acids.
• Avoid food additives and preservatives.
• Also avoid or limit foods high in sugar and simple or refined carbohydrates.
• Avoid caffeine.