Food allergies, or what some allergists may categorize as food sensitivities, may be a culprit in joint pain, especially with rheumatoid arthritis. In the journal of the american medical association, Charles Lucas, M.D., and Lawrence Power, M.D., of the Detroit medical center, state that arthritis is multifactorial, but they have linked the role of food allergies with rheumatoid arthritis in their studies.

And Jonathon Wright, M.D., contends that osteoarthritis has a relationship with allergies, particularly with the nightshade family (potatoes, peppers, eggplants, and tomatoes) of foods. Solanine, a naturally occurring toxin in the nightshade foods, may be the contrbuting factor in some sensitive individuals. In solanine sensitive individuals, solanine penetrates the immune barrier and is toxic. The nightshade foods are a source of a saponic irritant chemical that can cause red blood cell destruction. Whether or not your arthritis may be aggravated by allergies is certainly worth investigating with the help of your health professional. Theron Randolf, M.D., considered the pioneer in enviromental medicine, believes in the link between arthritis and allergies, and has worked with numerous arthritis patients by helping them detect and eliminate allergens from their diets. But why do foods aggravate arthritis?

One reason why foods may cause inflammation is that incomplete digestion of proteins in foods allow large molecules of protein parts to pass from the bowel through the intestinal wall into the blood stream. When these large molecules, which are peptides and amino acids, are in the blood stream, the body may react to them as if they were foreign invaders and create antibody reactions– immune reactions. This is now referred to as leaky gut syndrome or intestinal permeability. This condition allows inflammatory blood cells to migrate into arthritic joints and inflammation results.

Detection and elimination of foods that may be creating allergic arthritic reactions can be difficult, so work with a health professional experienced in this area.

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