Do you have these symptoms?

I made an important discovery about 6 years ago which I want to share with all RA sufferers. I am really excited about this discovery as I know what it is like living in pain your whole life (and now that has pretty much completely gone for me - I have not needed to take any drugs for over 6 years now).

I have had RA for over 60 years (diagnosed with Junior RA at age 5 in the early 1960's).

I have been on NSAIDs throughout my life (for most of it biologics, etc. weren't even invented yet!), so I may have a mild form of it compared to others. I did try 'harder' drugs many times, but they just made me feel worse and also had serious side affects which I was not prepared to accept, so I went back to NSAIDs for most of my life.

I have fused vertebrae in my neck and two totally replaced hips. I had been in pain for most of my life and had always needed NSAIDs.

I have a degree in Microbiology from Kent University (in the 80's) so I am not uneducated or a crank.

Through a chance discovery, I found I could drastically reduce my joint pain and the solution for me was a revelation. I found that my RA was greatly exacerbated by wheat/gluten/oats/barley/rye and other seeds/grains (or perhaps something that manufacturers add to some of those foodstuffs).

Now I am not saying that you also have the same food sensitivity. I am not saying that YOU may be gluten-sensitive but you may have one or more food sensitivities and if you can avoid those foodstuffs, you may find your RA pain (and your quality of life) will be vastly improved.

As RA patients get older, between 3.5% and 10% are diagnosed with celiac disease and vice versa. There is a higher risk of developing full-blown celiac disease as you get older (50+). Finding out you have a food intolerance now may help to improve your pain, lower the dose of drugs necessary (and organ damage) and decrease inflammation and joint damage.

I have a 'scientific' theory for what I have discovered (it seems I am not the first to discover it - it's just that most doctors don't seem to be aware of it and they don't tell you!) which I will also share with you.

But for now please look at the list below. If you have been diagnosed with RA or any auto-immune disease and can answer 'Yes' to one or more of these questions, you may greatly benefit from a change of diet (I explain more in the article 'The Theory' - it's all free - this is not a sales pitch!)...

Your checklist

1. Is there any history of celiac (coelaic) disease in any member of your (blood-related) family?
2. Is there any history of Type I Diabetes or other AI diseases in any member of your (blood-related) family?
3. Do you have any food allergies/sensitivities?
4. Do your RA symptoms improve if you fast or skip meals for a few days or when you go on holiday and change your diet?
5. Do certain foods seems to cause you heartburn, stomach discomfort or gut problems (diarrhea or constipation) - even if it causes only a very mild reaction.
6. Do you have 'flare-ups' for no apparent reason?
7. Do you have bad mornings and good/better mornings (or good days/bad days)?
8. Do you get migraines (but not caused by any medication you may be taking)?
9. Do you get persistent skin rashes (small blistering) which can vary in severity over several weeks?

If you have answered 'Yes' to one or more of these questions then you may greatly benefit by simply changing your diet for a few months to see if your RA symptoms improve.

Please do NOT dismiss the idea as rubbish (though I won't blame you for thinking it, because up to 7 years ago, quite frankly, I would have thought this was rubbish too).

Since making the discovery that foods containing grains and seeds were causing most of my joint pain (in my particular case), I have read a lot of the published scientific literature and read a few books (some which I would have disregarded as 'cranky' before) and I think I can make some sort of scientific and logical sense of it all which I will explain to you in the other pages.

Note that I was never a 'believer' in 'special diets' or 'supplements' or 'super foods' or 'gluten-free' fads. I accidentally discovered that eating loads of bread made my RA ten times worse the next day and only after that discovery did I then experiment on myself by carefully controlling my diet and reading the scientific papers, etc. to try to work out why on earth this was affecting me so drastically. I may have had 'mild' celiac disease all my life and I may have been able to greatly reduce the pain, inflammation and damage 60 years ago, had I only known!

The Mediterranean Diet

Many RA patients have reported an improvement when on holiday and consuming a Mediterranean diet. However, when they return home, their previous symptoms return. 'Scientific' trials have been attempted to determine if some people will improve when placed on a 'Mediterranean diet' (whatever that is!). However, these trials have proved inconclusive at best.

Now since these patients have an autoimmune disease and their immune system is being triggered to attack their own cells or tissues, ask yourself this question - 'Would their symptoms improve because they are eating 'healthier' food' OR 'Would their symptoms improve because they are not consuming the food or substance which triggers or exacerbates their immune system'?

Food sensitivities

RA is an auto-immune disease. This mean that your immune system is 'wonky' (it's a technical term!). So you may have food allergies or sensitivities. For instance, I found that apples and coffee caused me to get really bad migraines (apples within an hour of consumption but coffee could take several weeks to affect me). I gave up both apples (which are in many other products such as fruit juices, jellies, jams, pectin, etc.) and coffee and I have not had a migraine in 40 years! There have been occasional slip-ups however, a recent Hello Fresh food box delivery failed to mention that it contained a sauce which had 'fruit pectin' as an ingredient - after getting a migraine and then ringing them to enquire, it turned out it was made from apples!

Your immune system may be triggered by other foods and you may find that Phase 1 of the AIP diet (read on to find out what that is) also has the side effect of not causing headaches or may reduce skin rashes or other symptoms.

You can read my explanation on the 'The Theory' page.