By- Chandru Nayar Health, Fitness, Nutrition Consultant Runner Up Mr Asia 1997

Views expressed in this article are of the author.

In Arthritis, joints, muscles, tendons, and ligaments are involved in degenerative changes, causing swelling of tendons and joints, dryness of joints, pain, stiffness and deterioration of the joint bone. Sometimes allergies are involved.

Rheumatoid arthritis is an example where the body is fighting with itself. It usually appears in the form of a joint stiffness or vague pain in the joints. The patient also feels tired and weak. Later on the joints swell and become tender. This is actually a case of autoimmune condition. In fact the body's own immune system starts attacking itself. It attacks the body's own tissues.

The cause of this with relation to nutrition is possibly genetic factors and life style. One major reason could also be low levels of antioxidants. Biological healing with nutrients requires more time than with drugs, which manage the symptoms better. The drugs only mask or suppress the symptoms while allowing the degeneration of the tissues and cells to continue. The right biological treatments, including a change in life style would rebuild our body, which would take more time but it would take us to a healthier future.

One of the most important steps is to take what we call a Hindu fast. This involves not eating any form of grain or meats for a period of at least 4 weeks. During this therapeutic fast , only vegetables such as carrots, beet, celery, potatoes, herbal tea, vegetable soup and buttermilk is taken. The only grain that should be eaten is cooked oats mixed with a tablespoon of honey. After the fasting period, food should be introduced one by one every day so as to eliminate any allergic symptoms. Actually fasting decreases the absorption of allergic food components. Whenever acute worsening of rheumatoid arthritis occurs a three-day fast is recommended. After the fast the monitoring of the introduced food should be such that if a certain food worsens the condition, it should be eliminated from the diet. A vegetarian diet should be followed. In the vegetarian diet tomatoes, eggplants should be avoided.

A return to good health never comes in the drug form. Controlling your food and living a better lifestyle will always strengthen your immune system. The immune complexes circulating in your bloodstream are often deposited in your body tissues. That means working on a better digestion so that they are eliminated. Animal fats which includes milk and milk products should be avoided. Only skimmed milk and buttermilk should be taken. Some of the acids in animal fats form inflammatory compounds.

Antioxidants such as Vitamin E, Vitamin C, Beta-carotene and selenium should be taken regularly. To further boost antioxidant levels in rheumatoid arthritis I strongly recommend Spirulina, which is now available in India. One of the best compounds to be known as helpful in rheumatoid arthritis is Curazyme, which is a combination of the yellow pigment found in Turmeric and the anti-inflammatory enzyme found in pineapple. Red chilly paste when applied to the skin blocks the transmission of pain. It also helps to reduce inflammation.

Essential fatty acids are necessary to produce secretions that help to lubricate our joints. They are also required to build and deposit bone material. They also strengthen immune cells. Actually EFA's slow down stomach emptying time and allow more time for digestion of foods. Digestive enzymes and ginger will help arthritics, at least partly because they promote good digestion. One of the most important essential fatty acids is Flax seed oil. It is not available in India. But Flax seed is available in India. It is called ALSI. It can be ground in a mixer and a tablespoon of this flax seed meal should be eaten everyday.

Bee-sting therapy is well known in the use of rheumatoid arthritis and other inflammatory and autoimmune disorders. It is also known as apitherapy or bee-venom therapy. Bee-venom is a mixture of powerful bio-active compounds, some of which have strong anti-inflammatory effects.