According to a new study, a low-fat vegetarian diet with no calorie restriction can help improve joint pain in patients with arthritis. Participants in this study lost weight and also improved cholesterol levels. The study was published in the American Journal of Lifestyle Medicine.Also read – World Vegan Day 2021: Everything You Need To Know About The Vegan Diet, Explained | Watch the video
“For millions of people suffering from rheumatoid arthritis, there may be a plant-based diet prescription to relieve joint pain,” said Neil Bernard, lead author of the study and chairman of the Physicians’ Committee. Also read – World Vegetarian Day 2021: All The Advantages And Disadvantages Of The Vegan Diet You Need To Know
“And all the side effects, including weight loss and low cholesterol, are just as beneficial,” she added. Rheumatoid arthritis is a common autoimmune disease that usually causes joint pain, swelling, and eventually permanent joint damage. Also read – World Environment Day 2021 | What steps can you take to be environmentally friendly? Watch the video
At the beginning of the Physician Committee study, participants were asked to use the Visual Analog Scale (VAS) to rate the severity of their worst joint pain in the previous two weeks, from “no pain” to “pain as bad as possible.”
Each participant’s disease activity score-28 (DAS28) was also calculated based on tender joints, swollen joints and C-reactive protein values, indicating inflammation in the body. DAS28 increases with the severity of rheumatoid arthritis.
During the study, 44 adults previously diagnosed with rheumatoid arthritis were assigned to one of two groups for 16 weeks. The first group followed a vegan diet for four weeks, with the elimination of extra food for three weeks, followed by the re-introduction of individually eliminated food at nine weeks.
No meals were provided, and participants managed their own food preparation and purchases, under the guidance of a research team. The other group followed an uncontrolled diet but were asked to take daily placebo capsules, which had no effect on the study. The groups then changed their diet for 16 weeks.
During the wagon phase of the study, DAS28 decreased by an average of 2 points, indicating a greater reduction in joint pain compared to a 0.3 point reduction in the placebo phase. The average number of swollen joints dropped from 7.0 to 3.3 in the vegetarian phase, while in the placebo phase the number actually increased from 4.7 to 5. For those who have completed the study, VAS ratings have also improved significantly in the wagon phase, compared to the placebo phase.
The vegan diet also resulted in a further reduction in DAS28 in the sub-analysis of individuals who increased their medication during the study and were limited to other sub-analysis participants who made no change in medication.
In addition to a reduction in pain and swelling, there is an average reduction of 14 pounds in body weight on a vegetarian diet, compared to an increase of about 2 pounds on a placebo diet. Total, LDL and HDL cholesterol were also found to decrease further during the vegan phase.
(With ANI inputs)
