Arthritis can be affected by diet
The recognised forms of arthritis to which food intake may contribute are:
- osteoarthritis, through obesity. There is limited information from a study by same general
practitioners in the United Kingdom that pantothenic acid (a vitamin) may ameliorate the
symptoms of some osteoarthritis. Also, fasting may reduce symptoms of some forms of
arthritis, by unknown mechanisms;
- gout (see also 'Gout is Caused by Heavy
Drinking');
- rheumatoid arthritis, where the inflammatory process may be modulated by
polyunsaturated fatty acids (see also 'What
we know about Fats and Oils') and their
products known as leukotrienes;
- Osteoporosis, although not an arthritic condition, may produce bone pain, which may be
mistaken for arthritis.
