I get asked often, “Do special diets help rheumatoid arthritis symptoms?”

Since I have had RA for 22 years now, I have tried so many different things the last few decades. There are many articles online about trying certain diets to “cure” rheumatoid arthritis or other immune diseases.

It is hard to know if they can work! Trying new diets can also be dangerous because many times they can make your symptoms worse!

I will share with you my personal journey trying special diets to help rheumatoid arthritis!

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Do Special Diets Help Rheumatoid Arthritis Symptoms?

Before we begin, head over to this post about dealing with an arthritic flare step by step. I share all of my tips to deal with a flare that always work! Also, you can read about my favorite heating pad in this post. This heating pad is such a handy tool to use when you are dealing with joint pain.

Vegan

I ate vegan for years! It drove my husband crazy because he loves meat 🙂 I felt good overall eating this way, but I still encountered flares and pain. More than anything, eating vegan made me thin (also stress from college) and kept bloat away. I still enjoy eating vegan meals, but I started adding in more animal proteins years ago because I needed it. A vegan diet didn’t cure or keep my symptoms away.

I started eating this way when I stopped eating dairy, and decided to just go all the way vegan. I have never been a huge meat eater, so it was simple for me.

Ketogenic Diet

I don’t like to ketogenic for long-term health reasons. Also, dairy is one of the biggest things that makes my RA flare. You can read about it in this post. My husband tried keto for his health issues, and it made him worse. He also doesn’t do well with this type of thing.

Anti-Inflammatory Diet

I was on this special diet for years to see how it helped rheumatoid arthritis symptoms. Overall, it was another way of eating I enjoyed. Most of the foods on the list are things I like anyways. It didn’t make my arthritic issues magically go away though, but I still incorporate many anti-inflammatory foods. It does help my symptoms more than other diets I have tried.

Mediterranean Diet

This was a popular diet back when I was first in college especially for weight loss. I did it to see how it helped inflammation. This diet was great for energy, but again, I still had inflammation and pain throughout testing it for months. It is actually very similar to the anti-inflammatory diet, and it incorporates good things for health in general.

Paleo

I probably eat “paleo” more than anything, but I love beans. They are  a great source of protein, so I incorporate it often each month. Other than that, my husband and I both enjoy a Paleo way of eating. I feel good eating healthy foods like this everyday.

Other Diets

There are many other diets I have looked in to, but these are the main categories I have tested over the last 12 years or so.

Foods That Have Helped My Symptoms

While most diets don’t cure any arthritic issues I have, there are some foods that have noticeably helped my symptoms!

• Raw Honey – Check out my case study here.
• Collagen – This is so good for joint pain.
• Kombucha – helps so much with fatigue.
• Smoothies – these drinks help with inflammation!

What I Have Discovered

As you can see, all of the diets have benefits, but none of them “cured” rheumatoid arthritis symptoms for me. Instead, I have found eating a balanced diet while incorporated many aspects of each special way of eating to be the best thing for my health and sanity.

The only thing that truly aggravates my symptoms is when I eat too much of it is dairy!

What About Supplements

I have taken many supplements over the years.  I talk about them in this post. I will be doing a separate post on supplements that do and don’t work! This includes spices and probiotics!!

Always Talk to Doctor First

Remember, everyone is different. Some people have rheumatoid arthritis symptoms, but don’t have a rheumatoid factor in their blood, so things can be treated differently. Your doctor will always help you figure out foods that might be causing issues!

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