This diet was created by Dr. Alan Ebringer, a London rheumatologist and researcher who believes that klebsiella bacteria in the gut of people with AS are involved in triggering the disease process via a complex immune response.

In 1996, in a paper supporting his theory, Dr. Ebringer published the chart of one of the patients that he had been following over a period of time. The patient’s sedimentation rate (ESR) showed a clear decline from 1983 to 1995, during which time he had followed the special diet. It is important to note that although ESR is sometimes used as a measure of disease activity in patients with arthritis, it is recognized that ESR levels in AS are not necessarily indicative of how well a patient feels. Dr. Ebringer believes that the lowering of said patient’s ESR level demonstrated the success of the diet.

Other studies have failed to duplicate the results of Ebringer’s research into how a low starch diet influenced the growth of klebsiella in the gut and have found that the diet has little or no effect on symptoms.

Some swear by it, but others have not had a favorable outcome. It continues to be a very hotly debated topic.

As always, one should consult their physician before trying the diet. The diet is as follows:

REDUCE THE FOLLOWING:

• Bread and Bread Products
• Rice
• Potatoes

INCREASE THE FOLLOWING:

• Meat
• Fish
• Milk and Milk Products
• Eggs
• Vegetables
• Fruits

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