Myths About Arthritis

There is this great article in Arthritis Today magazine (August 2011) called Arthritis Food Myths.  I don't know how many times someone has told me I should not eat mushrooms or tomatoes or I should take glucosamine tablets or that I should not eat dairy.  When I was first diagnosed it was very confusing, did I have RA because I was eating the wrong foods?  I have such a limited diet already, what if I had to cut out more food?

photo by: hotblack

Some of the funnier myths are:

• eating a dozen gin-soaked raisins a day relieves pain
• drinking cider vinegar eases pain
• a low-acid diet lessens arthritis pain
• the more red wine the better!
• fasting relieves RA pain
• citrus fruits cause inflammation

When I was first diagnosed the internet had all these stories of people who had stories of being cured when they went on a raw-food diet or stopped eating diary products.  I thought I would not have to be on medication forever, maybe I could just change my diet.  Well, I learned pretty quick that those "cures" were not going to work for me.  No gin-soaked raisins were going to magically make me better.   I have a pretty aggressive form of RA and had to be put on biologic drugs as soon as they were released.  Which is good because I can't imagine living without eating mushrooms, tomatoes and an occasional piece of cheese!  What is life without 'shrooms and 'maters?!