RA and gluten free

[Philip_Sail]

I’m finding non-evidenced research online about gluten-free diets being useful for lowering inflammation in RA. Does anyone on here follow a gluten-free diet and see a marked benefit?

[allanah]

I've messaged kiki on here, shes an expert !

[Hidden]

Hi Phil

I've been gluten free for about 6 years not made any difference to my RA but there is quite a bit of scientific evidence out there saying if you have an autoimmune disease then removing all potential allergens from your diet temporarily can help. Check out The Autoimmune Protocol by Dr Sarah Ballantyne. You can read online and if you think its for you buy her book which is about £20 on Amazon. She's a doctor who got an AI disease. All the science is in there plus all the food lists and recipes. I followed the diet for 4 years with much success.

Kiki dee

[AgedCrone]

Try it & see if it helps you,

There is no proven clinical evidence...but some people feel it helps their RA.

I have been diagnosed 20+ years, & have always eaten what I enjoy......I’m doing fine on a Biologic & the odd painkiller.

So...nothing to lose in trying.....but don’t expect miracles overnight!

[Brushwork]

I tried completely gluten free, it didn't help. I now eat only small amounts of wholegrain. I have cut all animal products, was vegetarian anyway, and no sugar. I guess for someone who has been very strong positive RA for over 20 years - I am doing ok. RA seems to be winning but not dramatically, my joints are relatively ok with only a few swollen and giving pain and virtually no meds at the moment, but this is temporary - I am waiting to start the next drug and hoping I don't react badly to it.

I hasten to add that this is just me and just my way. I don't condone or recommend anything. Just answering your questions with thoughts about my own experiences.

All in all, I think a healthy. clean diet and exercise are an essential part of a treatment plan.

[stbernhard]

I went gluten free for three months and it made no noticeable change, but I am in remission so who knows? On the positive side, I learnt how to make a tasty gluten free bread, delicious flat breads with all sorts of GF flours and still make them quite often. Go for it, you never know what you might discover.

[Maeve31 in reply to stbernhard]

Hi stbernhard,

My daughter is gf and I've struggled to find in the shops, or make, a nice gf bread for her.

Any chance you'd post your recipe for your nice gf bread please?

Thanks, Maeve

[stbernhard in reply to Maeve31]

Hello Mave, I use Dove's Farm gluten free brown bread flour. Only it seems impossible to get it anywhere right now. Any bread flour or yeast really. The recipe is : Slightly roast sunflower seeds, three - four hands full-, and keep them warm. 450 grams GF brown bread flour in a bowl. Add a tsp of yeast and mix. In a separate bowl add a tsp of sea salt, 35 ml olive oil ( a good glug) and 400ml of quite warm water. Add the flour and sunflower seeds and mix very well. It's not a cake, so you can't over do the stirring. Pour the mixture into a lined two pound loaf tin and leave to rise. This happens very fast (about 20 minutes). When the mixture has risen so that it's just about to overflow, put the tin in a 210 Degrees Celsius preheated oven for about 45 to 50 minutes. That gives the bread a good crust. I make this regularly for my daughter. She cuts off thin slices and toasts them. The toasting adds a bit more flavour.

For the flat breads I use anything I can get hold of. At the moment it's mainly Gram flour, Rice flour and Buckwheat (which is not a wheat). Two heaped tbsp mixed with whatever herbs or spices I fancy. Add water to give you a semi liquid paste and pour onto a hot griddle pan and turn down the heat quite low. It takes about 7-10 minutes on either side to ensure it's cooked right through and slightly crispy.

Experiment, have fun with it. I still find new combinations even after two years. Let me know if you come up with a !must try! result. Thanks.

[Maeve31 in reply to stbernhard]

Thanks so much. I'll enjoy experimenting 😁

[AgedCrone in reply to Maeve31]

M&S do a delicious gf Apple Pie...I bought it because it looked good & when I saw it was gf when I got it home I thought it would go straight in the bin....but as I said I was lovely.

[Maeve31 in reply to AgedCrone]

That's great to know because so many gf foods are tasteless and exactly as you said, go straight in the bin

Thanks

[stbernhard in reply to Maeve31]

Hello Maeve, I completely forgotsomething yesterday. After 45-50 minutes, you take the bread out of the loaf tin and put it back in upside down for another 15 -20 minutes at 180 DGC to give the sides an bottom a thicker crust. Experiment, you might like it with less of crust. Good luck.

[Maeve31 in reply to stbernhard]

I like a crust, adds to the taste i think!

Thanks

[Fruitandnutcase]

I’ve been totally GF for about seven years. I’m not sure how much it helps my inflammatory arthritis but the last rheum I saw sent a letter to my GP saying I was in remission so it’s not getting worse.

I do my own home fingerpick blood tests and my CRP is really low now, I started originally because I had autoimmune thyroid disease and in that time my thyroid antibodies have plummeted - it could just have been their time to reduce but I put it down to being gluten free. I’d say it has massively helped my IBS too. I wouldn’t go back to eating gluten now.

[Hessie5 in reply to Fruitandnutcase]

Hi - hope you are well. Would you share what kit you use to do your blood test please. Hard to do now with the Covid situ? Thanks, Hessie ☺️

[medway-lady]

I think this is so funny it crops up again and again, and I'm Celiac it has made no difference at all to me. But it may have an impact if the person is overweight and the elimination of gluten in cakes, biscuits bread etc causes a weight loss then the reduction in pressure on joints may have an impact. I think it could also have a placebo effect.

If you believe you could be Celiac then ask your GP for a blood test and you MUST be eating gluten for the test to work then its a camera down into tummy. But you'd usually be having symptoms anyway. If you thinking of going GF then be aware it can be expensive as whilst GF bread is now widely available like GF cake etc its more than twice the price of normal and doesn't taste anything like as nice.

I'm sitting here with swollen hands and and a sore shoulder yet haven't eaten gluten for at least 10 years and I'm very careful.. Personally I believe a diet should contain all the food groups and GF bread does contain a lot more sugar too. I long for a crusty baguette filled with ham and salad as a GF sandwich is just not the same and GF rolls except for M&S are generally vile.

I'dd as well I have Hashimoto's Disease (A.I. Thyroid ) again I take the meds as its not controllable by diet in fact its dangerous to not take the medication as it can cause a coma and death and is the reason people who have Thyroxine are Prescription Fee Exempt.

[Rashford20]

There is so much conflicting data on nutrition and inflammation. Some studies have actually shown a meat only diet reduces inflammation more than any other. I think the fact that the ‘experts’ can’t agree on anything makes it unlikely that there is going to be a huge difference. Everyone seems to agree on reducing refined sugar though.

[RAexperiences in reply to Rashford20]

Hi

I tried keto for a while (tons of animal fats) and I was a mess. Made my RA much worse.

[StormySeas]

I follow a GF diet as I have coeliac disease and I still have all the symptoms of RA.

Do you think you might have coeliac disease? If you do, you must have a test before you give up gluten.

If you don't have any coeliac symptoms and want to give up gluten just to see if it makes a difference I'd go carefully. Giving up gluten is tricky. It's in virtually all processed savoury food and you will have to spend you entire life reading labels in the supermarket. You won't be able to drink beer. There are lots of vitamins in wheat, barley and oats that are needed for a healthy body and functioning immune system, B vits and calcium for a start.

Coeliacs usually have the help of a dietician after they find out they have to give up gluten. I think it's much more important to have a healthy diet with lots of fresh fruit, whole grains and veg - think mediterranean, than it is to give up whole food groups, unless it's refined sugar. There is evidence doing this has a positive effect on inflammation.