Rheumatoid Arthritis Support Group
Rheumatoid arthritis is a chronic, inflammatory, multisystem, autoimmune disorder. It is a disabling and painful condition which can lead to substantial loss of mobility due to pain and joint destruction. The disease is also systemic in that it often also affects many extra-articular tissues throughout the body including the skin, blood vessels, heart, lungs, and...
So I've been reading various posts here and one thing that I see a lot is thephrase leaky gut. Which some seem to believe is the cause of their RA. Yet after doing some basic research from valid websites that aaren't into profit making. I honestly don't know what to think. Is this the right answer? I mean if it were that simple wouldn't that have been the first thing they woukd have looked at in the past when medical technologies were at its most basiv? Obvioisly the issue is far moee complex than just one factor. I am very careful about what I eat certain fooda I avoid and I jave for yhree years. Yet this issue hasn't gotten better it has gotten worse. I believe diet plays a role in it just as it does with everything else. But its not as simple, I think people who claimed to be cured might have been lulled into a fall sense of security, they've managed to go into remission but that doesn't mean tomorrow they wake up I a flare from hell.
"leaky gut" - hummmm ... seems to me that if it were a "player" with all the research (Mayo Clinic, Johns Hopkins, Arthritis Foundation, etc.) that we would find more info in a scientific sense, but like you, I have found next to none on reputable sites. I have close ties to UCLA and some old dear friends are involved in research at Johns Hopkins and having talked with them over coffee, I think they would have mentioned it.
My DO and I have discussed "leaky gut" and she was aware of some study in the Scandinavian countries but apparently nothing that she felt strongly enough for me to pursue.
You are right - this IS some complex "stuff" and we are each victimized by our own DNA and chemical makeup.
What works for me may not work for the next, but we have to share. That sharing brings out questions for our dr's and helps them understand our unique needs.
Diet could be part of the solution. Life style another. Hereditary issues a 3rd. It's almost never ending, at least for me.
A suggestion might be to not give up looking for that tidbit of information that will spark a conversation with your dr that after their thinking thru their "medicine bag" will give you relief, if even for a brief time.
Enjoy what you can, don't overdo and rest when you need to.
Be well
Bluedogs2
But the foods that cause my flares may not be the same as the ones that cause nonightshade's or caveman's. It's an individual allergy and according to my Allergist - a allergic reaction that's highly unusual.
So while there are critics, there are also success stories to be found. It's up to each individual to search for their own magic bullet to control their symptoms.