Vegan and Plant Based Diets for Rheumatoid Arthritis – Do they work? – Medical Doctor Explains

vegan plant-based diets for rheumatoid arthritis do they actually work and what’s the best way to maximize your results in this video we’ll be breaking down everything that you need to know about vegan and plant-based diets for rheumatoid arthritis and how they compare to other dietary approaches we’ll discuss common mistakes key foods to prioritize and what to avoid and how you can monitor your progress so stick around [Music] hi I’m Dr tano Dossi a surgeon dedicated to reducing inflammation caused by gut microbiome imbalances i myself struggled with digestive dysfunction and autoimmune inflammation in my early 20s and successfully put together a methodology that works not only in me but also my patients my method is called the mind gut immunity approach and has resulted in thousands of successes over the years if you or someone you know struggles with rheumatoid arthritis and wants to rid themselves of inflammation for good check out our website mgic clinic.com and schedule a discovery call with me i’ll walk you through some very practical steps for rheumatoid arthritis recovery and how you can achieve lasting results in just 6 weeks or less on the website we also have multitudes of free resources on how you can eliminate rheumatoid arthritis naturally so check out the link in the description below to get started also before I forget like and subscribe to receive more content such as this all right let’s jump in and here’s a 2019 review exploring the potential of plant-based diets in managing rheumatoid arthritis emphasizing their role in reducing inflammation and improving symptoms and here’s a 2023 study that looks at plant-based lifestyle programs that reduce inflammation in RA patient most rheumatologists will tell you that diet doesn’t matter for rheumatoid arthritis so how do we know what truly works as I mentioned in my other video called Ideal Diet for Rheumatoid Arthritis I advocate for a customized phytonutrient-based diet plan tailored to each person’s specific needs i use four criteria to evaluate whether a diet will work for rheumatoid arthritis or not and by the way they don’t have to necessarily be vegan or plant-based to recap the four criteria are phytonutrients macronutrient requirements microbiome specificity and food sensitivity if you need a detailed explanation of each of these criteria check out that other ideal diet video for rheumatoid arthritis but for now let me give you a quick overview let’s first look at plant-based diets and how they compare to other dietary options like the phyto diet which I recommend for rheumatoid arthritis my other videos you might recall the concept of complex proteins complex proteins can provoke an immune response worsening rheumatoid arthritis symptoms we eat protein in our diets it can come from a variety of sources both plant and animal a protein is basically a bunch of amino acids connected together when the protein enters our digestive system enzymes in our intestine break up these into individual components called amino acids which then get absorbed these intestinal enzymes are called proteasis and the reason this is relevant is sometimes the proteasis don’t get the job done and we’re left with large particles of protein that linger in our intestines and bloodstream for long periods of time why does this happen while certain types of protein are hard to break down also there may not be enough protease to break down the proteins as you already know the gut is just one big giant immune organ so these incompletely digested proteins register as a foreign threat and generate an immune response basically the body thinks it’s under attack by these large undigested proteins so then it secretes a bunch of immune chemicals which cause inflammation and that can be a problem next you also have the arachidonic acid pathway which is directly related to the consumption of animal-based cholesterol all animal cells have a membrane wall that contains fats and cholesterol which convert into arachidonic acid and cytoines in our bodies and generate inflammation do all animal-derived products contain arachidonic acid no just meat and fat containing dairy products next you have the arachidonic acid pathway which is directly related to the consumption of animal-based cholesterol you can also have problems with saturated fat causing a rheumatoid arthritis inflammation this is why vegan diets sometimes help with rheumatoid arthritis they remove these inflammatory foods from the equation and that said vegan and plant-based diets have their limitations which I’ll dive into in just a bit the vegan diet for rheumatoid arthritis revolves around plant-based foods often featuring higher fiber and carbohydrate content compared to fats and proteins while lacto or oval vegetarian variations exist our focus here will be on fully plant-based diets this diet includes substitutes for animal-based foods such as vegan meats cheeses butter alternatives and many of these substitutes are made from cashew soy or coconut oil to replicate the taste and the texture of traditional animal-based products examples include Beyond Meat Impossible Meat Dia cheese and plant-based milk alternatives like soy or coconut milk the goal of this diet is to avoid the inflammatory triggers commonly found in meat and dairy products however there’s a catch do you recall the four criteria we discussed earlier let’s evaluate how well this diet meets those standards over time let’s dive into the first criteria phytonutrients phytons are micronutrients sourced from plant-based superfoods these nutrients are packed with antioxidants and anti-inflammatory properties which can help individuals with rheumatoid arthritis by reducing inflammation in joints and throughout the body here’s a 2022 study about natural compounds used in RA treatment like flavonoids polyphenols alkaloids glycosides and turppins and its action and mechanism and here’s a 2021 study that investigated the effectiveness of antioxidants found in food supplements in reducing oxidative stress in patients with rheumatoid arthritis phytonutrients are categorized into essential groups such as polyphenols tarpen diocyanates fiber resistant starches omega fats and alkaloids these compounds play a critical role in reducing inflammation and supporting overall immune health when following a vegan or plant-based diet for rheumatoid arthritis it’s possible to consume the large amount of phytonutrients but this requires careful food choices for example if your diet is heavily processed foods like flour sugar or fake meats and cheeses these items lack beneficial phytonutrients and contain additives that will worsen inflammation however a balanced vegan diet that includes resistant starches fiber omega oils and a variety of herbs and whole vegetables can provide the phytonutrients necessary to help heal rheumatoid arthritis now let’s talk about macronutrient requirements the vegan and plant-based diets for rheumatoid arthritis are often inadequate when it comes to fulfilling macronutrient needs macronutrients include carbohydrates fats and proteins i have a calculator on my website you can enter in your height your weight and activity level to determine your macronutrient requirements in general a diet that gets half of its calories from fat is normally a good thing for rheumatoid arthritis although I don’t particularly like the saturated fats and meats and certain plant-based foods because as I said before saturated fats are associated with inflammatory processes i also don’t like animal-based cholesterol meat which can lead to an increase in arachidonic acid levels in the body and I describe both of these pathways of rheumatoid arthritis inflammation in my other videos on my channel so if you need a refresher feel free to check it out and look at those videos when I design my diets for clients they’re generally lower in carbs for obvious reasons most of the fats come from omega plant-based sources so these problems are totally avoided i also ensure that there’s at least 100 grams of protein each day which can be challenging if you’re relying solely on plant-based food option you’ll likely incorporate protein shakes made with plant-based protein sources if you’re going to follow that methodology additionally vegan diets for rheumatoid aroxitis can often fail to balance these micronutrients such as carbs fats and proteins but they can also neglect fiber tracking which is a vital component for gut microbiome optimization so let’s look at gut microbiome specifically let’s revisit this equation bad bacteria and fungus thrive on carbs leading to inflammation vegan diets for rheumatoid are often higher in carbs and some of these carbs are problematic so do vegan diets lead to healthier bacteria the answer is a clear no and I know this might sound controversial because there are plenty of claims on YouTube and Reddit suggesting that vegan diets improve gut microbiome diversity but let me give you a practical perspective i’ve reviewed hundreds if not thousands of stool studies over my career most of the time people following vegan diets for rheumatoid arthritis do not select for good bacteria in their intestines through their diets the nature of rheumatoid arthritis involves inflammation triggered by a dysfunctional gut microbiome at the start of our program we use patented probiotics from Japan to recalibrate the gut microbiome and eliminate harmful bacteria but then how do we support the growth of good bacteria after that it’s not by avoiding carbs it’s by selecting the right ratios and quantities of phytonutrients and this is where the manga immunity method shines for rheumatoid arthritis we design our rheumatoid arthritis diets to promote specific strains of beneficial bacteria which form a protective bofilm and eliminate harmful bacteria and fungi over time this reduces prone inflammatory cytoines like TNF alpha and interlucan 6 in the body the biggest issue with the vegan diet for rheumatoid arthritis is that it doesn’t address the root problem you often end up feeding bad bacteria non- selectively because there’s no focus on resistant starches or fiber vegan diets also allow for plant-based sugars carbs and chemicals which can exacerbate RA symptoms i’ve seen people improve slightly or for a short period of time only to face significant challenges later on because the RA diet itself doesn’t resolve gut microbiome dysfunction but with the right principles a plant-based diet can work for rheumatoid arthritis and this is where phytonutrients come in a phyto diet tackles the root microbiome problems associated with rheumatoid arthritis and this approach enables a long-term dietary flexibility including cheat meals without adverse effects i typically teach my clients how to incorporate cheat meals during the second or third month of the program because by then they’ve resolved most of their gut issues sustainably and their joints are feeling good while the vegan diets can help during a flare up for rheumatoid arthritis it’s not a viable long-term strategy compared to the customized phyto diets that we create for our clients let’s dive into the final criteria food sensitivities food sensitivities are a key consideration when treating rheumatoid arthritis in my talks I review the four main types of food sensitivity tests available skin prick test the IG blood test the IGG4 blood test and the newer mediator release blood test for more details check out my video on food sensitivity testing for rheumatoid arthritis regarding the vegan diets many plant-based foods can still cause sensitivities some of the most common include processed foods sugars sugar alcohols dyes chemicals and even whole food proteins like beans lentils and peas over the years I’ve observed these repeatedly show up on sensitivity tests this indicates that the likelihood of being sensitive to one or more vegan or plant-based foods it’s pretty high and that’s why a vegan and plant-based approach to rheumatoid arthritis can be risky it limits your food choices and may result in additional sensitivity all right that’s my talk in the comments below share with me your experience about vegan diets and what’s worked for you and what hasn’t for rheumatoid arthritis i would love to hear about your journey as you know I’ve had great success using the mind gut immuting method in my clients and I strongly advocate for customized phyto diets and focused gut microbiome recalibration to achieve lasting results if you found this video helpful don’t forget to like and subscribe for more content such as this as always this is Dr john Dosser with the Manga Muni Clinic and I’ll see you next time [Music]