Managing rheumatoid arthritis on a plant-based diet
By Roveena Gata-Aura, CNHC Registered Nutritional Therapy Practitioner and BANT Registered Nutritionist
Prior to being diagnosed with rheumatoid arthritis (RA), I had an active lifestyle, attending gym and functional fitness classes, socialising with friends and family, attending live music events and travelling. Around 2010, I began noticing inflammation in my hands and joints and was eventually diagnosed with RA, which was very unexpected. I, like many people, associated “arthritis” with older people, so the diagnosis did not make sense at the time. I quickly learnt that RA, a systemic autoimmune condition, predominantly affects women; affects 1% of the population and can occur at any age.
‘the general symptoms from RA and side-effects from the medications were debilitating both emotionally and physically’.
I was swiftly prescribed high strength anti-inflammatory and disease-modifying anti-rheumatic medications (DMARDs) to help with managing the pain and to reduce the risk of joint damage. I also had to have regular blood tests and eye tests due to the medications I was on. My prognosis was a lifetime of medication with the expectation that the medication would prevent the development of any extreme joint deformity and minimise the risk of RA spreading to other organs in my body. I was in my early 30’s and devastated with this news.
Unfortunately, the general symptoms from the RA and side-effects from the medications were debilitating both emotionally and physically. I had to take each day at a time, due to my symptoms presenting differently each day. Symptoms included chronic pain, fatigue, joint inflammation, and digestive issues. I was working in healthcare in a demanding role and my condition was not physically noticeable to those around me which can be one of the challenges and isolating problems often associated with an invisible illness. However, despite my diagnosis and symptoms, I tried to maintain the same active lifestyle which presented its own challenges.
At the time of my initial diagnosis, I began noticing my symptoms worsening with certain foods (particularly nightshades). Despite NICE (National Institute for Health and Care Excellent) guidelines encouraging a Mediterranean-style diet for RA, I recall clearly having a conversation with my Rheumatologist who informed me that the evidence for nutrition and RA was completely anecdotal, and the only dietary advice he recommended was to consider removing tomatoes from my diet. That led me on a personal health journey to study and explore how I could better support my condition through nutrition in 2017. I eventually completed my post-graduate degree in evidenced-based nutrition science in 2020.
My ultimate goal was to eventually come off the medication and manage my condition through diet and lifestyle. I knew it was ambitious and unlikely to be straightforward or quick. Whilst I had initially focused on a Mediterranean-style diet, overtime I began adopting a more whole food plant-based (WFPB) approach following a conversation I had had with Clint Paddison in 2018, who runs the Paddison Programme. However, due to doubts around my own self-compliance and the dietary evidence I was researching for RA, I was still not ready to commit fully to a WFBP diet. My blood test results and symptoms were showing progressively noticeable improvements but I was still not close to achieving complete remission.
‘Within the last 12 months, I have managed to come off all medications by working alongside my RA specialists and currently remain medication and symptom-free.’
It was an impromptu but timely conversation with a plant-based friend in December 2021, that eventually convinced me to attempt Veganuary 2022. I completed my first month successfully and it turned out to be much easier than I originally thought it would be. At the end of January, I coincidently had an appointment with my Rheumatologist to discuss my recent blood test results and in all honesty, I had never expected such drastic changes in my blood work. He reported that my inflammatory markers were ‘impressive and that of a normal person’. I have not looked back since. Within the last 12 months, I have managed to come off the DMARDs altogether by working alongside my RA specialists and currently remain medication and symptom-free.
The most significant changes I have noticed since coming off the medications is that I am no longer experiencing the regular RA symptoms and the side-effects from the medications I was taking. I am continuing to live an active lifestyle and can now enjoy all types of nightshades too without experiencing any of the previously associated inflammatory side-effects.
A typical day of food might look like this.
Breakfast: porridge oats with cacao and unflavoured protein powder together with almond milk, blueberries and soaked chia or linseeds
Lunch: Rocket salad with butter beans, tomatoes, paprika humous, avocado, shredded carrot and mooli and sliced red onion topped with an olive oil and apple cider vinegar dressing.
Dinner: Spicy tofu satay curry with spinach, broccoli and mushrooms with quinoa
Snacks: prunes with walnuts or a protein bar
It is important to note that whilst an autoimmune condition cannot be cured, I am trying to ensure that my condition remains in remission for as long as possible, by focusing on my personalised dietary and lifestyle needs.
My lived experience and extensive evidence-based nutrition training has highlighted the importance of personalised nutrition and lifestyle interventions to be included in the wider holistic discussion (alongside medication) when working with those who have a chronic or long-term health diagnosis. It has also meant that as a CNHC Registered Nutritional Therapy Practitioner and BANT Registered Nutritionist, I am now in a position to work with, and help others like myself.
More information on what I do can be found at: www.meditrition.co.uk or Instagram: @meditrition
August 2023
