It is estimated that collective spending by arthritis patients experimenting with unproven treatments, including diets, exceeds well over one million dollars annually. In 1989, Arthritis Care(ref 1) noted that greater than 50% of the Arthritis Care members who were surveyed, had invested in "unorthodox medicines, substances, or treatments (including diets), during the prior six months".
Since the 1930's researchers have been exploring the link between diet and arthritis. We continue to hear claims that special diets, foods and supplements may help to cure or alleviate symptoms of arthritis, but most claims are unproven. Many experts speculate that claims of nutritional remedies and cures with food or dietary supplements are related to the "placebo affect". The placebo effect is the patient’s perception of improved symptoms and well being, resulting from new therapy, regardless of evidence for actual physical improvement.
Because there is little scientific evidence confirming the benefits of modified diets for patients with arthritis, health care providers are apprehensive to recommend these types of dietary manipulations to their patients. Unfortunately, people with limited or no medical backgrounds have filled this void by advising patients about the benefits of diets and arthritis. The advice given is often questionable, expensive and can be dangerous.
Due to the lack of controlled studies and clinical trials, many investigators feel that we are still no closer to knowing whether food components cause or cure arthritis than we were seventy years ago. In reviewing the literature it becomes clear that there are few objective studies that examine the benefits of dietary manipulation and arthritis. This discussion will focus on diet and Rheumatoid Arthritis (RA) only since most of the available medical literature has focused on this type of arthritis.
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