Anti-inflammatory diet

[EveW]

Hi, has anyone had success with sticking to the anti-inflammatory diet ? I have just been reading the rlscure.com site and it is all about RLS being caused by inflammation, and it gives loads of supplements/herbs to take and then foods to avoid. An ideas whether it is worth while trying? Thanks

[Hidden]

I've gone vegan, (had already been gluten free) and have got my RLS under control. Animal products are inflammatory.

[EveW in reply to Hidden]

How long did it take for you to see a result, and do you take any other herbs/supplements to help decrease the inflammatory responses? Have you also given up caffeine and alcohol? Thanks

[Hidden in reply to EveW]

I think it took 2 - 3 weeks but I honestly can't remember - it could have taken 1 it could have taken 4!. I take a variety of vitamins and supplements some of which are anti-inflammatory:

Magnesium

Co. Q10

Vits B, C, and D

Evening Primrose Oil

Gluten is inflammatory so I had the double whammy of being free of that and animal free.

I would also use cannabis, (primarily for RLS but also for pain), although naturally am using less since the RLS is no longer bothering me,

I rarely drink alcohol as it throws my legs completely mad so only tend to do it very occasionally. I drink decaf coffee which does have some caffeine in it as they cannot remove it all and occasionally I have an ordinary cup of coffee, less so no I'm dairy free.

I have to say things are great. OK so I don't get milkshakes and steaks but feel better for it and to have the RLS quiet, well I'd live on water and dust if it took it. It may be that it has taken all of the above to make a good effect.

[EveW in reply to Hidden]

Thankyou for your reply Raffs; very helpful.

[2everett in reply to Hidden]

That’s great news. I came across an old post of yours recently and things seemed pretty desperate for you at that time. What a difference in your posts these days. I went vegan for 8 months and felt fantastic but then my bones began aching. Apparently vegans should take B12. These days I just use a little meat to add flavour to my batch cooking. ie one lamb chop in lentils plus herbs and spices. I get 6 dinners from one chop. Sounds crazy but still tastes great.

[Madlegs1 in reply to 2everett]

That's a good point about vegan and iron. The best way to help iron intake is B12 1000 mcgm as sublingual spray. I use " Better You" B12 oral spray boost. A month supply cost about £10 . I'm getting blood taken for iron overload ( high ferritin ) and get low HGB -( get very debilitated) as a consequence - so need to up the iron.--( can I say that ironically?)

Good sources of vegan iron are dried fruits - raisins prunes etc and almonds. Nsaids can obstruct the uptake of iron.

[Graham3196 in reply to Madlegs1]

What is a Nsaid? What is your ferriten level?

[Madlegs1 in reply to Graham3196]

Non

Steroidal

Anti

Inflammatory

Drug.

eg - ibuprofen , dyfene etc.

My ferritin level is now about 250 - it has come down from 1400 over the last year- due to phlebotomy. (thank you for the interest)😊

Iron is a huge and complex subject and along with magnesium, incredibly important for the human body.

Ferritin is the stored iron , hgb ( haemoglobin ) is the available iron within the blood- for red blood cells. Too much ferritin gets stored in various organs , causing inflammation - liver/ cirrhosis , joints/ arthritis and so on in any part of the body. Deadly.

If you have North European (especially Irish ) heritage, one should get ferritin level checked by the time one is 35 for the lads. - 45 for the ladies .

All clear??

As mud -sez u.

😎

[Madlegs1 in reply to 2everett]

That's a good point about vegan and iron. The best way to help iron intake is B12 1000 mcgm as sublingual spray. I use " Better You" B12 oral spray boost. A month supply cost about £10 . I'm getting blood taken for iron overload ( high ferritin ) and get low HGB -( get very debilitated) as a consequence - so need to up the iron.--( can I say that ironically?)

Good sources of vegan iron are dried fruits - raisins prunes etc and almonds. Nsaids can obstruct the uptake of iron.

[Hidden in reply to 2everett]

Oh yeah, I've been deep in the trenches with RLS! If I wasn't a husband and father I know I would have killed myself at one stage - I was desperate to say the least. Thank God for this site and the dedication of the posters here.

I take a multi B vir along with gentle Iron. I get what you do with the chop - I would like to introduce meat again but at the moment I am going to stick to my guns on the vegan side of things and will enjoy my quiet body, the only problem is I didn't do this 40 years ago

[Madlegs1]

I tried to follow the link but it required log in and no facility to register.

However - we have been saying here for yonks that the first thing to look at is food triggers - salt , sugars , rising agents , alcohol artificial colours and so on ad nauseum.

Some members have gone vegan with happy results - but that's not for all to embrace.

Primary rls still has to be explained.

And why do anti inflammatory drugs have no effect on rls?

My last question would be- is the site selling any product?

If it works for you - then that's brilliant.

Good luck.

[EveW in reply to Madlegs1]

Thank you Madlegs. I read through the info on the site and it seemed to make sense (but then a lot of this stuff does !) , but I have to admit I got a bit overwhelmed by all the anti -inflammatory supplements that they recommend to start and maintain the healing process. And as I have tried a number off different things - as we all have - before embarking on (yet) another possible treatment I thought I would see if anyone else has had any success.

No, the site does not appear to be selling anything - whenever supplements are mentioned, there are no brands given, also all the info is referenced to scientific papers.

So much of the different advice is contradictory, sigh !, so as you say, whatever works is the way to go - and it is just amazing how varied our RLS is re response to different things.

[2everett in reply to Madlegs1]

Try ‘rlcure.com’

No ‘s’. They are Not selling anything. Mentions ‘primary’

[2everett]

I think it’s ‘rlcure.com’

I put the ‘s’ in and couldn’t get it.

Yes I believe my diet is mostly anti/inflammatory.

[2everett]

Hi

I’ve checked my B12 it’s same as yours. I’ve started putting it under my tongue. I don’t take any medication. Dr prescribed me Roprinole about four years ago. I read notes in pack. It’s prescribed for Parkinson’s. I googled Parkinson’s found a post on lack of minerals in our food due to degradation of soil through overuse and pesticides. I decided to change my diet instead of taking medication. I have a lot less RLS now.

Please check out my post on Vegus Nerve’ on You Tube’. I think it might also prove to be helpful. I’ve spent the evening deep breathing and chanting. I do feel a bit calmer.

[Hidden]

I am sure its just reducing triggers that has helped. But as madlegs has said Primary RLS genetic is of course down to genes so thats a different story. I dont like the fact that website says its a cure. There is no cure. Just treatments that help.

[Graham3196]

Hi

There seems to be a definite relationship between diet and RLS in some cases. Trying vegan is a good idea in view of Raffs happy experience. Its always possible that other diets might suit your particular circumstances and body better or easier. Perhaps consider trying a FODMAP exclusion diet which is designed to find out if there is a limited number of foods that you need to avoid. I started out gluten free and gained a huge amount. I then went low FODMAP as well and have had had great success. I am currently low FODMAP, no caffiene, no lactose, very small amount of alcohol and excluding a couple of extra vegetables because they contain the wrong sort of naturally occurring chemicals - a bit of the low chemical diet. I am also limiting the amount of sugar I eat but that's not for restless legs. Very slowly I am adding a few things back into the diet. I can have a little bit of lactose. On special occasions I celebrate by going "off-diet" and doing whatever I want and I don't get punished for just one meal.

It sounds a bit extreme, but so does vegan. The hope is that you will identify just a few food triggers that you have to avoid. If you're like me then when you get to that stage you will be so used to the diet that you won't care. You will have learned to enjoy eating rice cakes and matured cheese!

Its cheap and it has changed my life so I am now a bit evangelical about it and probably bore many people. I wish it worked for everyone.

Another approach might be to try vegan for 5 weeks and if it works try adding back other foods until RLS returns. If vegan doesn't work for you then try other diets.

If you want some advice about the diet and sources of information let me know.

Cheers Graham

[EveW in reply to Graham3196]

Hi Graham , thankyou for the info. I have definitely noticed that I am sensitive to the fodmaps, in that certain foods worsen my RLS - garlic, inulin, honey. I also suspect lentils and beans. So I follow the diet to a moderate extent - no gluten, lactose, wheat, rye, barley, legumes and I avoid the fodmap fruits and veg. I also eat no processed food and very little sugar. I do have tea and coffee and some alcohol, as these do not appear to make things worse. So, I think in my case, fodmaps is not the total answer, but definitely a contributor to the RLS. So regarding the anti--inflammatory or vegan diets, my concern is that if you don't eat any animal-derived protein, and if you cant eat the legumes (peas, beans, lentils) due to the fodmaps, how do you get your protein ? This is an example of not being able to just keep adding in different approaches as some contradict each other. Any advice would be welcome Graham. Thankyou

[Graham3196 in reply to EveW]

Hi Eve

I am sorry to say that I have frequently wondered how I could survive if I had a philosophical reason to be a vegan. I think a vegan on a FOODMAP-Low Chem - vegan diet would be hungry and unhealthy.

Perhaps it would be worthwhile reading about the Low Chemical diet from the Royal Prince Alfred Hospital in Sydney Australia. You might be able to identify a few foods that have protein but low chemicals and so produce a small reaction I rely on meat, fish and eggs. I think there might be some nuts that are allowable by all three disciplines but I am not sure.

I can only wish you luck

Graham

[EveW in reply to Graham3196]

Hi Graham, I have decided to stick with the fodmaps as my main approach with an eye to decreasing the anti-inflammatory foods as much as possible without actually being vegan, and see how it goes, i.e. much less animal protein, but not removed completely. Another clash is between the adrenal cocktail and the anti-inflammatory approach which advises against too much salt! Trying to find the right path which suits our individual RLS is most certainly a full commitment! Thankyou

[Eryl]

I've adjusted my diet with other gols in mind, but now realise that most of the changes I've made match up to the anti inflammatory diet. I'm taking vit B12 because I heard that the reason the Mediterranean diet was so good to guard against heart disease, was mainly because of the levels of B12 and especially the ratio of B12 to B6. I've reduced my gluten intake substantially because I read that it affects the gut action and how nutrients are absorbed. Following the change, I have noticed more regular bowel movements and better sleep. Then I noticed a pattern in occurrence of rls, that It mostly followed high carbohydrate intake, so I avoid sugar and sweetened foods especially from lunchtime onwards. Before lunch and in early afternoon I'm usually more active so the body uses up the resulting blood sugar so it never reaches a high enough level to be a problem.

[EveW]

Thanks everyone

[Muftah36]

presently on antinflammatory diet and taking anti Parkinson drugs plus supplements .I thought there was initially improvement but it seems it was short lived . Wondering if anyone has any help from Essential Oils . I dont know how much more of this i can take ! Any ideas how long it takes diet to kick in, or if oils work?

[1018MD]

Did you try it?

I've been keto for a few months and noticed my symptoms have subsided only to return when I eat/drink off plan.