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Diet and Nutrition

Diet's Effect on Spondylitis Symptoms

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In recent years, many specialized diets have gained popularity among some people with arthritis. To date, few of these claims have been substantiated by rigorously controlled studies. That said, some people find that certain foods trigger changes in symptoms – either for the better or the worse. If you find yourself noticing this type of pattern, try keeping a food diary for a few weeks to test if indeed what you eat makes a difference or if you have food sensitivities. There is, in fact, evidence that certain foods tend to be inflammatory in nature, while others can help manage inflammation.

Guidelines

Whether or not a person is affected by a chronic illness, there are some straightforward guidelines that, if followed, may lead to improved health and well-being for almost everyone:

  • Both calcium and alcohol affect the strength of the bones, and it is a well-known fact that people with spondylitis are already at higher risk for osteoporosis, a dangerous thinning of the bones that can lead to fractures. Following a diet with adequate amounts of calcium and vitamin D will help reduce the risk of osteoporosis. Consuming more than two alcoholic drinks per day increases a person's chances of developing weakened bones. In addition, alcohol mixed with certain medications can cause serious side effects to the gastrointestinal tract and major organs such as the liver and the kidneys.
  • It is important to find out from your doctor whether any medications that you take affect how your body uses what you eat. For instance, some medications cause a person to retain sodium, while others cause potassium loss. Methotrexate can lower folic acid levels, causing a variety of adverse symptoms that can be offset by taking additional supplements.

Experts agree on several basic guidelines to good nutrition, including:

  • Eat a variety of healthy foods rich in antioxidants, such as colorful vegetables and fruits.
  • Eat foods rich in omega 3 fatty acids, such as salmon, flax seeds, and certain nuts.
  • Use fat (especially saturated fat found in animal products), cholesterol, sugar, and salt in moderation.
  • Minimize processed foods, fried foods, and other products high in artificial ingredients and preservatives.
  • Drink 8 to 10 glasses of water a day.
  • Most people receive daily requirements of vitamins and minerals by eating a well-balanced diet, but others need to take vitamin supplements.

Avoid alcohol or foods that can interact with your medication. Talk with your doctor and/or pharmacist about potential interactions.

Maintaining a Healthy Weight

Besides the well-known medical problems individuals can develop as a result of weight gain (high blood pressure, diabetes, cancer, stroke, and heart disease), extra weight puts additional stress on joints and bones. For example, the corticosteroid prednisone causes weight gain to some degree in nearly all patients who take the medication and can lead to redistribution of body fat to places like the face, back of the neck, and abdomen.

On the other hand, underweight people can suffer from medical problems, ranging from chronic fatigue and anemia to lowered resistance to infection and clinical depression. Inflammation, certain medications, and depression associated with a chronic illness may lessen your appetite or upset your stomach, making it difficult for some people with spondylitis to maintain a healthy weight. This is especially true for those who have spondylitis with inflammatory bowel disease or Crohn’s disease who experience gastrointestinal problems on top of arthritis symptoms. Any severe weight loss to should be reported to your doctor. 

Medication and Diet

Be sure to talk to your doctor about whether the medications you take affect your diet and if a vitamin supplement would be useful in your situation.
  • Researchers have found that patients who take folic acid or folinic acid supplements along with the arthritis drug methotrexate are less likely to have a malfunctioning liver than those taking just methotrexate. As a result, patients taking folate supplements are able to continue their drug therapy for longer periods.
  • Popular arthritis drugs called nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) can damage the lining of the gut. Adding a cup of active-culture yogurt and a banana each day to the diet can help protect the digestive tract. Yogurt's bacteria helps maintain a healthy mix of microorganisms, while bananas have a type of starch that is digested by organisms in the gut to form a substance that helps protect the lining of the gut wall. Easily reap the benefits by combining the banana, yogurt, and a cup of orange juice for a quick and delicious smoothie!
  • If you are taking any medication, including over-the-counter medications, check with your pharmacist before drinking alcohol. Alcohol can intensify the effects of many medications, and can interact with others, making them ineffective. Such interactions also can lead to an increased risk of illness, injury, or death. Since the liver detoxifies (or metabolizes) alcohol, continued and excessive use of alcohol may damage the liver in various ways, including the eventual development of a potentially fatal condition of the liver called cirrhosis.
  • To further complicate things, the presence of alcohol impairs the absorption of essential nutrients because it can damage the lining of the small intestine and the stomach, where most nutrients are digested. Alcohol also requires some vitamins in its metabolism, and it interferes with the absorption and storage of some specific vitamins.

Anti-Inflammatory Eating

Nutritional information and over 50 recipes by accredited dieticians and nutritionists to help manage inflammation

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Diet, Nutrition, and Spondyloarthritis

Dietician Elena Philippou discusses how nutrition plays a role in managing spondyloarthritis symptoms.

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