arthritis

Restoring the Temple – Foods and Arthritis

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Millions of people suffer from painful and swollen joints associated with arthritis. In the past, many doctors told arthritis patients that dietary changes would not help them. However, this conclusion was based on older research with diets that included dairy products, oil, poultry, or meat.1,2 New research shows that foods may be a more frequent contributor to arthritis than is commonly recognized. It is clear that, at least for some people, a healthier menu is the answer.

Different Types of Arthritis

Arthritis is actually a group of different diseases. Osteoarthritis is a gradual loss of cartilage and overgrowth of bone in the joints, especially the knees, hips, spine, and fingertips. Over 20 million Americans, mostly over age 45, suffer from osteoarthritis, which seems to be the result of accumulated wear and tear. Although it can cause painful episodes, it is characterized by only transient stiffness and does not cause major interference with the use of the hands.

Rheumatoid arthritis (RA), which affects over 2 million people, is a more aggressive form of the disease. It causes painful, inflamed joints, which sometimes become damaged.

Rheumatoid arthritis is one of medicine’s mysteries. There were no medical reports of the disease until the early 1800s. Some have suspected that a virus or bacterium may play a role, perhaps by setting off an autoimmune reaction. Genetics may also be a factor, in that it may influence susceptibility to the disease.

The Role of Diet

For years people have suspected that foods are an important factor in the development of rheumatoid arthritis. Many notice an improvement in their condition when they avoid dairy products, citrus fruits, tomatoes, eggplant, and certain other foods. . . .

A 1989 survey of over 1,000 arthritis patients revealed that the foods most commonly believed to worsen the condition were red meat, sugar, fats, salt, caffeine, and nightshade plants (e.g., tomatoes, eggplant).3 Once the offending food is eliminated completely, improvement usually comes within a few weeks. Dairy foods are one of the principle offenders, and the problem is the dairy protein, rather than the fat, so skim products are as much a problem as whole milk.4

An increasing volume of research shows that certain dietary changes do in fact help. For example, polyunsaturated oils and omega-3 supplements have a mild beneficial effect, and researchers have found that vegan diets are beneficial.5 One 2002 study looked at the influence of a very low-fat vegan diet on subjects with moderate-to-severe RA. After only four weeks on the diet, almost all measures of RA symptoms decreased significantly.6 The journal Rheumatology published a study that found a gluten-free vegan diet improved the signs and symptoms of RA.7 An uncooked vegan diet, rich in antioxidants and fiber, was shown in another study to decrease joint stiffness and pain in patients with RA.8 Some research studies have looked at fasting followed by a vegetarian or vegan diet. A review of multiple research studies concluded that this dietary treatment might be useful in the treatment of RA.9

Vegan diets dramatically reduce the overall amount of fat in the diet, and alter the composition of fats. This in turn can affect the immune processes that influence arthritis. The omega-3 fatty acids in vegetables may be a key factor, along with the near absence of saturated fat. The fact that patients also lose weight on a vegan diet contributes to the improvement.

In addition, vegetables are rich in antioxidants, which can neutralize free radicals. Oxygen free radicals attack many parts of the body and contribute to heart disease and cancer, and intensify the aging processes generally, including of the joints. Iron acts as a catalyst, encouraging the production of these dangerous molecules. Vitamins C and E, which are plentiful in a diet made of vegetables and grains, help neutralize free radicals. Meats supply an overload of iron, no vitamin C, and very little vitamin E, whereas vegetables contain more controlled amounts of iron, and generous quantities of antioxidant vitamins.

As well as being helpful in preventing arthritis, antioxidants may also have a role in reducing its symptoms. Some arthritis treatments, including non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, work at least in part by neutralizing free radicals. For the most part, however, vitamins and other antioxidants will be of more use in preventing damage before it occurs, rather than in treating an inflamed joint.10

A diet drawn from fruits, vegetables, grains, and beans therefore appears to be helpful in preventing and, in some cases, ameliorating arthritis. . . .

Pain-Safe Foods

Pain-safe foods virtually never contribute to arthritis or other painful conditions. These include

  • Brown rice
  • Cooked or dried fruits: cherries, cranberries, pears, prunes (but not citrus fruits, bananas, peaches or tomatoes)
  • Cooked green, yellow, and orange vegetables: artichokes, asparagus, broccoli, chard, collards, lettuce, spinach, string beans, summer or winter squash, sweet potatoes, tapioca, and taro (poi)
  • Water: plain water or carbonated forms, such as Perrier, are fine. Other beverages—even herbal teas—can be triggers.
  • Condiments: modest amounts of salt, maple syrup, and vanilla extract are usually well-tolerated. . . .

Avoid Major Arthritis Triggers

  • Dairy products*. . .
  • Meats**. . .
  • Eggs. . .
  • Coffee

*All dairy products should be avoided: skim or whole cow’s milk, goat’s milk, cheese, yogurt, etc.

**All meats should be avoided: beef, pork, chicken, turkey, fish, etc.

References

  1. Panush RS, Carter RL, Katz P, Kowsari B, Longley S, Finnie S. Diet therapy for rheumatoid arthritis. Arthritis and Rheumatism 1983;26:462-71.
  2. Lithell H, Bruce A, Gustafsson IB, et al. A fasting and vegetarian diet treatment trial on chronic inflammatory disorders. Acta Derm Venereol 1983;63:397-403.
  3. Sobel D. Arthritis: What Works. New York, St. Martin’s Press, 1989.
  4. Skoldstam L, Larsson L, Lindstrom FD. Effects of fasting and lactovegetarian diet on rheumatoid arthritis. Scand J Rheumatol 1979;8:249-55.
  5. Skoldstam L. Fasting and vegan diet in rheumatoid arthritis. Scand J Rheumatol 1986;15:219-23.
  6. McDougall J, Bruce B, Spiller G, Westerdahl J, McDougall M. Effects of a very low-fat, vegan diet in subjects with rheumatoid arthritis. J Altern Complement Med. 2002 Feb;8(1):71-5.
  7. Hafstrom I, Ringertz B, Spangberg A, von Zweigbergk L, Brannemark S, Nylander I, Ronnelid J, Laasonen L, Klareskog L. A vegan diet free of gluten improves the signs and symptoms of rheumatoid arthritis: the effects on arthritis correlate with a reduction in antibodies to food antigens. Rheumatology (Oxford). 2001 Oct;40(10):1175-9.
  8. Hanninen, Kaartinen K, Rauma AL, Nenonen M, Torronen R, Hakkinen AS, Adlercreutz H, Laakso J. Antioxidants in vegan diet and rheumatic disorders. Toxicology. 2000 Nov 30;155(1-3):45-53.
  9. Muller H, de Toledo FW, Resch KL. Fasting followed by vegetarian diet in patients with rheumatoid arthritis: a systematic review. Scand J Rheumatol. 2001;30(1):1-10.
  10. Merry P, Grootveld M, Lunec J, Blake DR. Oxidative damage to lipids within the inflamed human joint provides evidence of radical-mediated hypoxic-reperfusion injury. Am J Clin Nutr 1991;53:362S-9S.

©2007 Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine; all rights reserved. Reprinted by permission.

[Editor’s Note: Avoid foods that may cause an allergic reaction. Some people with arthritis cannot use nightshade vegetables such as potatoes, tomatoes, green peppers, and eggplant. Ellen White wrote: “Some persons cannot subsist upon the same foods upon which others can do well . . . .” Testimonies, vol. 2, 254.]

From Rebel to Redeemed

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“Therefore if any man [be] in Christ, [he is] a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new.” II Corinthians 5:17.

South Side (Jeremiah 1:5.)

I was the eighth and last child born, as some would say, out of season! Ophelia, my older sister, was the “last child,” or so they thought, for 12 years! Then I came, the last and fourth son of Daisy, who raised me single-handedly, with occasional help from my older sisters. My father was not a part of my life till I sought him out later in my adult years and put a closure to years of questions and bitterness.

The rough side of Chicago is what I called home, growing up on welfare, but this fact did not stop my young mind and heart from dreaming and aspiring. From an early age I showed potential to the makings of a professional basketball player, and my coaches drove me to passionate depths for this sport. This passion paid off in the form of a scholarship to one of the best private colleges in the state of Iowa.

Black and White (I Samuel 16:7.)

Prior to my college life, my interaction with the white population was minimal, and only out of necessity. I had read little on the slavery and subjugation of the black population, so my opinions and values were based on what was handed down to me by my people. The college that sponsored me was an all-white school, with only three black enrollments prior to my enrollment. Here I was again seemingly out of place; I say seemingly, because it would be realized later that it was part of a plan.

As is often the case, young people are formidable forces when energies are channeled right, and very destructive when the opposite is true. While attending this college, I began to take note of some obvious disturbing observations. This led me to a search that would have been disastrous had not intervention stepped in. My college years were years of an intense internal struggle. I was driven by a desire to excel, not I alone, but with my black kindred. Marxism, Socialism, Zaoism, Taoism, Confucianism, Black Panther(ism), Pan-Africanism and most every other -ism began to run my life.

At about this time, racial tension was rife in the air, and my passions were right there with it. I had two driving passions:

  1. to make it “big” in professional basketball, and
  2. to free the black population from the stigma that had followed it for hundreds of years. I saw issues through “black and white” glasses, black being right and white being wrong.

It begs to be mentioned that Christianity was coupled right along with the ills of the white man’s world. I saw it (Christianity) as a tool to subjugate and oppress the black man, conclusions I drew after reading writers who perpetuated this theorem.

Scouts were out as usual looking for draftees, and the NBA was not the only agency looking. The Vietnam War was brooding in the horizon, and some young patriots were needed. The former I gladly anticipated, but the army was not a part of my plans at that time. I was a young man with hot blood flowing through my arteries, ready to conquer it all. My health was good, apart from an irritating annoyance of some painful knees I had had from the age of 17. The pains intensified, and the doctors might as well have given me a death sentence when they told me that I was suffering from the number one crippling disease in America—arthritis! They also told me that there was no known cure. However devastating that unwelcome news was, I knew of one thing. I was determined to beat the pain, so I did all that I could to control the pain. I even used various nonprescription drugs so that I could play. The condition was so debilitating that I received the highest rejection from the army: four F. Through the pain and the struggle, I watched as, one by one, my dreams faded away to a land beyond my reach! With my pro basketball career prematurely halted, I slipped into depression for a time.

Absent God (Proverbs 22:6.)

A mother’s words and pleadings may appear forgotten for a season, but they have a way of showing up when needed the most. Raised in a Baptist home, my mother often talked about God and His power. All along, I actually believed that He existed, but He was not interested in the plight of black people. I picked up an old Bible and began to thumb through it. What began as a casual perusal led to some life-changing choices. Hope revived, and I started back on my other dream of elevating my down-trodden people—blacks. I sought to do this by establishing centers that would lift the black man socially, mentally and economically to a sense of independence and self-sufficiency. Once again my vision was black, for blacks, by blacks.

The word of God has power to change a person. As I continued to study it for answers to life’s problems, I surprisingly found out that man’s health questions have their answers in the same book! I was in for a spiritual as well as a physical journey. My battle with arthritis was about to find its answers—physical as well as spiritual arthritis, the calcification of the heart and joints.

Ballot, Bullet, Basketball, or Gospel (Romans 1:16.)

While listening to preachers is important and most assuredly needed, every individual must possess a “Berean spirit.” Up to this point, most of my values and beliefs were formed from mob and sometimes prejudiced mentalities. As I read the Bible for myself and had the Holy Spirit for its expositor, my ten-year battle with crippling arthritis came to an end by simply adhering to health principles taught in the word of God! I also came across overwhelming truths that really shook some wrong foundations that needed tearing down anyway.

God was no longer a white man’s God. One story in particular that left a deep softening and change of heart was that of Jesus and Barabbas, as found in the four gospels of the Bible. (See John 18:39, 40.) Briefly recounted, here was Jesus before a people for whom He had done nothing but good to elevate. His hands had daily fed, healed, soothed and touched even the untouchables, yet the cry that came out of their mouths at His time of need was not “Have mercy,” but “Crucify Him.” On the flip, here was Barabbas, a hardened criminal who thought to liberate by stealing, killing, and lying. He performed some of the most heinous crimes. His hands were stained with blood from all the evil done, and the response of, “Release him!” to the question, “Whom shall I release?” is enough to tear at the most calloused of hearts! To my now changing heart, this scenario is unfathomable.

I saw in these two men, both revolutionists, the thing that I was trying to bring about to my own society: a revolution. One sought it (revolution) through the language of love; the other through force. From this story, I gleaned one principle. Love is the only power that could bring about true change, heart change. Love is the revolutionary power that works at the heart. Man’s problem is not a skin problem but a sin problem. Love was and is the conquering force that brings about any lasting positive change. The Gospel, as Romans 1:16 states, is the power that changes the heart. It is not the ballot, the bullet or basketball, but the Gospel as it is in Jesus. That power changed my life.

A Home and a Divine Appointment (John 1:6.)

1977 rolled in, and with it more changes. It saw my lovely wife and me go through three American states, north to south, in our quest for what we thought God wanted us to do. This journey finally ended in the state of Tennessee.

In Huntsville, Alabama, a blueprint was laid down. A training school was in its beginning stages when a man, an ordinary man, came knocking on my door one day. He was interested in our home, which happened to be among some of the best homes in the city of Huntsville. His visits continued, and a friendship developed that led to a series of exciting changes.

What began as a business interest from one end turned out to be a divine appointment on the other end. God sent a man, Richard Bland, the founder and president of United Prison Ministries International (UPMI). Richard took me under his wing and gently but purposefully led me into the Seventh-day Adventist faith through the reading material he gave me and by watching his lifestyle. True are the inspired words that “a well-ordered life will have a powerful influence for good.” Spalding and Magan’s Unpublished Testimonies, 114. He became a father-figure to me, and showed me the love of God in the flesh.

Having been born into a Baptist home, educated in a Catholic school, ordained as a lay Lutheran minister, and having directed a Methodist community organization, a pattern can be observed here, a common thread. I had been searching after and for truth. The things I was studying and learning under Richard were truly strange, yet true. I could not argue with the truth as it stared me straight in the face. With this new awakening, tough decisions needed to be made. I knew what I was studying was the truth, and so I wanted to share these wonderful truths with my queen. I excitedly told her of what I was learning and embracing. LaVerne, who today is my bride of 36 years, did not share in my enthusiasm and what she termed “strange beliefs.”

Is This It? (Joshua 24:15.)

She had begun to mark the changes, and she was sure I was losing my mind, but when I announced to her that I was going to profess my faith by the sign of baptism, she put out an ultimatum. “If you go ahead with these crazy ideas, then I will divorce you!” Those words shook me to the core because I loved my wife, and so I sought the Lord in prayer, and He gave me courage to stand for Him. It is then that I knew that my heart and priorities had changed. With fear and trepidation I made my choice. For, you see, I knew that a marriage without God would fail. I had grown to love Jesus, and I wanted to do all that He asked of me.

I prayed earnestly for my wife, and the God who made the ear heard my strong supplications and brought about change in my wife’s heart! Praise God! One warm Alabama spring morning, my wife and I were buried in the watery grave and rose up new creatures in Christ. That was a glorious day. That was 31 years ago, and the journey grows sweeter with each new year. As I meditated on the love of God, it suddenly dawned on me that I had a debt that I owed. “Oh that men would praise the Lord for His goodness and for His wonderful works to the children of men!” Psalm 107:8. It was not the sin debt, because I could never pay for that one—Jesus did it for me—but a service debt. I’ll put it this way: “I owe, I owe, and off to the mission field I go.”

3 (Dis) Appointments to (His) Appointments (Romans 8:28.)

It’s been 20 years now. God has been with us in the mission field. He founded M.E.E.T. Ministry (1988) on what may have looked like a poor man with a passion to point others to the Helper, but in truth He established it on His shoulders, and for these many years He has steered it aright. My wife and I have been entrusted as stewards of M.E.E.T. Ministry (Missionary Education and Evangelistic Training) where many (young and old) have had encounters with the Gospel through the medical missionary training and work. What may have seemed to be disappointments earlier on in my life, crippling arthritis, premature ending of a professional basketball career, and nonstarter for black empowerment schools were really God’s appointments to lead me on to the path of truth and righteousness. Many more chapters could be written telling how He has led us, but for now, this, I pray, will suffice.

All my previous energies and passions, and that which I still have, have been channeled to loving and serving my Savior for over 30 years. I have traded a basketball for a Bible, and instead of going up and down a basketball court, God has allowed my wife and me the privilege of going up and down the earth’s court to spread the everlasting Gospel of Jesus Christ, and the retirement is out of this world. With the hymn writer [Fanny J. Crosby] I end with these words:

This is my story,

This is my song,

Praising my Savior …

Because of His Blessed Assurance!

Thomas Jackson is a Health Evangelist and Director of Missionary Education and Evangelistic Training (M.E.E.T.) Ministry in Huntingdon, Tennessee. He may be contacted by e-mail at: godsplan@meetministry.org or by telephone at: 731-986-3518.

Health – Far Reaching Consequences

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The food of which we partake has far-reaching consequences to our well-being. Depending on what goes into our bodies, we may have healing and increased good health or we may have a withering up and a tendency toward disease. We all daily have choices to make.

I know there are people who believe food has basically nothing to do with health. But there are some who may be interested in the following information which offers some insights into the effects of eating certain foods.

“Many of the elderly in the United States—and quite a few of the not so elderly—experience terrible pain in their joints. Their fingers may become twisted and swollen, and they may be unable even to button a coat without large doses of anti-inflammatory drugs such as aspirin. Many come to feel crippled and useless.

“By the age of 35, 35 percent of Americans have diagnosable arthritis in their knees. At least 85 percent of those over the age of 70 have it, and many have it severely. There are 180,000 people in the country today who are bedridden or confined to a wheelchair because of this disease.

“The official position of the Arthritis Foundation is that diet and arthritis are not related. But, astoundingly, there has been very little research done to justify this assertion. Up until now, virtually all arthritis research money has gone to test drugs.

“At Wayne State University Medical School, however, there were a few medical researchers willing to investigate the heresy that diet might have something to do with arthritis. They put six rheumatoid arthritis patients on a fat-free diet. The results were startling. In seven weeks, all of the subjects showed total disappearance of their symptoms. When fats were reintroduced into their diets, it took only three days for the symptoms to reappear.

“In 1981, the British Medical Journal reported another instance that suggests the Arthritis foundation’s conclusions might be premature. It involved a 38-year-old woman who for 11 years had been suffering from steadily worsening rheumatoid arthritis. Three weeks after doctors removed all dairy products from her diet she showed signs of improvement. In four months, her arthritic symptoms had completely disappeared. She remained free of symptoms until, in the interests of scientific curiosity, she once again ate some cheese and milk. The next day her joints were swollen, stiff, and painful. Fortunately, her symptoms again disappeared as she resumed her abstinence from dairy products.

“In parts of the world where the diets are low in fats and cholesterol and moderate in protein, and where the consumption of processed and junk foods is minimal, even old people who have done hard physical work their whole lives are essentially free of arthritis. This presents quite a contrast to United States, where so many are crippled by the disease that it is rare to find an older person who is not affected.

“One study found not a single case of rheumatoid arthritis in a rural black South African community of over 800 people who ate no meats or dairy products. Another study found that black South Africans who ate significant amounts of meat and other high-fat foods had almost four times the incidence of arthritis as those whose diet was very low in meat and fat. …

“Gouty arthritis is acknowledged even by the Arthritis Foundation as being diet related. In fact, gout is one of the most easily controlled of all diseases when proper dietary guidelines are followed.

“Gout occurs when uric acid in the body forms needle-like crystals that become deposited in a joint. When that happens, there is severe pain and swelling in a joint, often the big toe.

“Avoiding foods that are high in either purines or protein has been shown to be of enormous benefit to gouty arthritis sufferers. Shellfish, fish, poultry, beef, pork and legumes are all high in purines.

“Some people, particularly Filipinos, are especially susceptible to gout. But on a low-purine, low-protein diet, gout is almost nonexistent, even among those people most genetically disposed toward it. During World War II, when gout sufferers in occupied European countries were suddenly forced to consume fewer meats and dairy products, the incidence of gouty arthritis plummeted.

“There are many kinds of arthritis, including osteoarthritis, rheumatoid arthritis, gout … The connection with diet and gout is crystal clear, but far more work needs to be done … The evidence strongly suggests that diets very low in saturated fat, low in protein, high in fiber, and without any cholesterol would be best for the prevention of arthritis and as an important element in treatment.”

Excerpts from Diet for a New America, John Robbins, pages 267–269.

What you eat does make a difference on how your body reacts.

Spirit of Prophecy states: “The eating of flesh meats has made a poor quality of blood and flesh. Your systems are in a state of inflammation, prepared to take on disease. You are liable to acute attacks of disease, and to sudden death, because you do not possess the strength of constitution to rally and resist disease. …

“Meat eating deranges the system.” Healthful Living, 99. [Emphasis supplied.]

Colorful fruits and veggies – the darker or more brilliant the color, the more antioxidants it has. Good ones include blueberries, cherries, spinach, kale and broccoli. Beans are an excellent and inexpensive source of protein. Our Lord has given to us such a wide variety to choose from. Feed your body healthfully and you will have a healthful response.