Arthritis Articles

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This page contains medical journal articles and/or doctors' commentaries on the role of mineral deficiencies and other factors in illness, and the value of minerals, vitamins, and a proper diet for healthy living.

Arthritis Articles...

Wheat, Gluten and Rheumatoid Arthritis

Investigators describe the case of a patient with a two-year history of adult dermatomyositis. This is a relatively rare form of rheumatoid arthritis that has many skin symptoms. The patient had malabsorption and had celiac disease.

Their observation raises the question of an association between dermatomyositis and celiac disease as part of a continuum, suggesting that celiac disease may be included within the spectrum of the gastrointestinal manifestations of dermatomyositis and polymyositis.

Clin Exp Rheumatol. 2001 Mar-Apr;19(2):201-3

DR. MERCOLA'S COMMENT:
(©Copyright 1997-2002 Dr. Joseph Mercola. All Rights Reserved. Web site: http://www.mercola.com. Newsletters are based upon the opinions of Dr. Mercola. They are not intended to replace a one-on-one relationship with a qualified health care professional and they are not intended as medical advice. They are intended as a sharing of knowledge and information from the research and experience of Dr. Mercola and his community. Dr. Mercola encourages you to make your own health care decisions based upon your research and in partnership with a qualified health care professional.)

This is a very interesting case report that strongly suggests a correlation between the consumption of gluten (wheat, rye, barley, oats and spelt) and rheumatoid arthritis.

This clearly is not universally true for all patients with RA, but I have seen a substantial percentage of the over 2,000 patients I have treated for RA improve quite dramatically once they stopped eating gluten. I have seen many go into complete remission by doing this. Although stopping gluten is very difficult to do, it is certainly a reasonable approach to consider for such a devastating illness. Generally improvement is noted in a week or two.

Celiac disease, a form of wheat allergy, doubles your risk of death. The risks are particularly severe if you are diagnosed late in the disease or do not adhere to a strict diet free of gluten, a protein found in wheat and other grains.

Celiac disease, also known as celiac sprue or 'gluten intolerance' is a genetic disorder that causes bowel disorders, diarrhea or weight loss because of an insensitivity to gluten. It affects approximately one in 30 people. Patients often develop cancers of the intestines, which is thought to lead to a higher death rate.

Among 1,072 patients diagnosed with celiac disease in Italy from 1962 to 1994, researchers found 53 deaths, compared with an expected 26 deaths in the general population. The leading cause of death was non-Hodgkin's lymphoma.

Relatives of patients with celiac disease did not have a higher than average risk of death, nor did patients who lived three years following diagnosis.

According to the authors, "Prompt and strict dietary treatment decreases mortality in celiac patients."

The Lancet, August 4, 2001; 358: 356-361

Arthritis More Widespread Than Thought: New survey shows one in three American adults has joint pain.
By Adam Marcus, HealthScoutNews Reporter

THURSDAY, Oct. 24 (HealthScoutNews) – One in three American adults has arthritis or chronic joint discomfort, says a new report that finds the incidence of these ailments has been vastly underestimated in the past.

The report, from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), found that nearly 70 million people said they had joint woes last year. Experts had believed the number was closer to 43 million, and that included not only adults but children, too. "This new national estimate is much larger than before," says Dr. Chad Helmick, a CDC joint expert and a co-author of the study. "There are a lot of people out there who are telling us they have chronic joint symptoms" or the full-blown inflammatory disease. Based on the survey, about 22 million people have been diagnosed with arthritis; 21 million have recurrent joint symptoms, such as pain and stiffness; and more than 26 million have both chronic symptoms and a diagnosis of arthritis.

Arthritis is the nation's leading source of disability, causing substantial limitations in between 7 million and 8 million people.The latest study doesn't change that number, Helmick says. But, he adds, people with joint symptoms shouldn't ignore the pain and stiffness, since these symptoms can be treated. Many drug therapies are available for arthritis, but lifestyle changes such as exercise and losing weight also can improve the condition.

"The numbers are staggering," says Tino Mantella, president and chief executive officer of the Arthritis Foundation. "We need more people to take action" and seek treatment for their joint troubles. "They are compromising their lifestyle and in many cases unnecessarily." The survey included more than 212,000 men and women in all 50 states and Washington, D.C., who were asked if they'd ever been diagnosed with arthritis or if they'd had chronic joint symptoms during the past 12 months. To meet the definition of chronic symptoms, participants had to have stiffness, pain, or swelling around a joint for most of the days of the month. As expected, women were more likely than men to have joint problems, and the incidence of these ailments rose with age. Whites and blacks reported them more often than Hispanics and other ethnic groups. Being overweight, not completing high school, and being physically inactive increased the chances of arthritis and chronic joint symptoms.The national average for the prevalence of arthritis was just above 33 percent, but the numbers varied widely throughout the country. West Virginia had the highest proportion, at 42.6 percent; Hawaii had the lowest, at 17.8 percent.

Helmick says the epidemic of obesity tracks a recent rise in joint problems. The aging population is also affecting the demographics of the disease, since arthritis is more common in the elderly. As Americans live and work longer, more will be struggling on the job with the debilitating affects of arthritis, he adds.

It's always big news when a clinical study shows that Americans are worse off than expected. This is no news to those in [minerals]. The average American is deficient in at least 14 minerals. How can we hope to decrease the number of Americans with chronic illness when the majority of them use drugs, eat only processed foods, and exercise less each year... we can't. But, you can do something yourself.

*We have found that the silver (kill pathogens in joint area), Flex and Osteo-Joint combination is an extremely effective therapy for helping with pain and also for rebuilding the problematic area. Give these products a try- you will be amazed!

Essense-of-Life, LLC is NOT ASSOCIATED in any way with the Eniva Corporation, Rainbow Minerals, Wolf Clinic or Nutrition 2000. (...more)

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ARTHRITIS ARTICLES