Vitamin D And Minerals That Help Rheumatoid Arthritis
Eating for rheumatoid arthritis
Can vitamins, minerals, and other nutritional supplements help ease pain and stiffness related to rheumatoid arthritis ?
Diet plays a part in many chronic conditions. When you have RA, failing to get proper nutrition might make your symptoms worse. Getting enough vitamins, minerals, and other nutrients might help relieve your symptoms and lower your risk of complications.
Keep reading to learn more about some of the vitamins, minerals, and supplements that may help you stay healthy with RA.
Should You Try Herbs Supplements And Vitamins
Before your rheumatoid arthritis prescription medication reaches your hands, its gone through medical research. Its also gone through clinical trials and its effectiveness and safety have been proven and approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration .
The FDA doesnt currently approve dietary supplements including herbs, minerals, and vitamins. But some people do report temporary relief from their RA symptoms when using some complementary therapies.
The complementary treatments covered in this guide shouldnt replace your current medications. Always talk to a doctor or pharmacist before trying any herbs, supplements, or vitamins. Some remedies can cause serious side effects or cause a dangerous interaction with your current medications.
Also be sure to check youre purchasing these products from reputable sources. Talk with your pharmacist or other healthcare provider about how to find high-quality products.
What Vitamins Are Best For Arthritis
Even with those arthritic pills that may be beneficial, there are a few factors to bear in mind. For one thing, they dont come without side effects and arent governed by the US Food and Drug Administration. That means youll have to conduct your own study to decide which are successful and which may interact with your other meds. To avoid potentially harmful drug interactions, always discuss supplements with your doctor before using them.
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Orthopedic Care In Ohio
If you are suffering from joint pain, the highly skilled and board-certified physicians at Spectrum Orthopaedics will work with you to develop a treatment plan that may include supplements, pain management, and other orthopedic and rehabilitation services.
Call the friendly staff at our North Canton office at 305-0838 or toll-free at 469-2663 to schedule your appointment, or use our online appointment request form. We look forward to serving you with comprehensive and compassionate orthopedic care.
Sunlight And Vitamin D
This is a tricky solution because you dont want to increase your risk of skin cancer. But if you expose your skin to sunlight for a brief period daily, a compound in your skin will convert ultraviolet B radiation into vitamin D. Even sitting by an open window for several minutes can boost your intake. People with darker skin tones wont burn as easily, but they also do not absorb as much vitamin D as people with lighter skin.
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Spend Some Time In The Sun
To increase your vitamin D levels, the Arthritis Foundation recommends getting 10 to 15 minutes of sunlight exposure every other day. Ultraviolet radiation from the sun helps your body produce its own vitamin D.
However, too much UV ray exposure can cause skin cancer. Dont spend too much time in the sun with your skin exposed.
Vitamins And Other Supplements For Joint Pain
A healthy diet can do wonders for many aspects of your well-being. Complementing your diet with supplements including vitamins can prevent colds and build strong bones. But many supplements can also help alleviate your joint pain.
Before you start taking any supplement, speak with your doctor to ensure that you are taking the right dosage and it doesnt interfere with any over-the-counter or prescription medication you currently use. Plus, too much of a good thing may be toxic to your system. Like with any medication, take supplements only as prescribed or directed.
Here are some key supplements you may want to consider adding to your health regimen to relieve joint pain.
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If You Take Vitamin A
Watch the amount of whatâs called preformed vitamin A. If youâre pregnant, doses over 10,000 IU a day can cause birth defects. High levels of both A and the usually safe beta-carotene may raise your chances of having lung cancer if youâre a smoker, and maybe even if youâre a former smoker.
Articles On Natural Remedies For Ra Pain
Medication and other forms of treatment play a major role in managing rheumatoid arthritis. Supplements arenât a treatment — they donât promise to cure or treat any condition, and they donât have to meet the same standards as medications. But if youâre looking into trying some in addition to your treatment plan, hereâs what you should know.
First, be sure you talk to your doctor before you begin using any supplement or herbal medication. They may interact with other drugs, supplements, or herbal medicines you are taking and cause serious side effects. They may also put you at a higher risk for certain conditions.
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Keep A Supplement Diary
If you keep a log, it can help you time out different supplements and keep track of how much you take every day. The National Institute of Healthâs Office of Dietary Supplements has a form called “My Dietary Supplement and Medicine Record” that you can print out and fill in. Bring it with you, along with your medication list, when you go to doctor visits.
What The Numbers Mean
Many of the terms you see on labels or supplement web sites can help you understand how much of the vitamin or mineral you should take. For example, here are some guidelines set up by the Institute of Medicine:
The RDA and the AI are the amounts of a vitamin or mineral you need to keep healthy and stay well-nourished. They’re tailored to women, men, and specific age groups.
The UL is the maximum amount of daily vitamins and minerals that you can safely take without risk of an overdose or serious side effects. For certain nutrients, the higher you go above the UL, the greater the chance you’ll have problems.
The DV is the only measurement you’ll find on food and supplement labels. That’s because space is limited, and there’s a need for one single reference number. That number is the amount of a vitamin or nutrient that you should get for top health from a diet of 2,000 calories a day. The DV is sometimes the same as the RDA.
Although the details may be different, remember that the RDA and DV are both set up to help you get the nutrients you need to prevent disease and avoid problems caused by lack of nutrition.
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If You Take Mineral Supplements
Large doses of minerals can compete with each other to be absorbed. Donât use calcium, zinc, or magnesium supplements at the same time. Also, these three minerals are easier on your tummy when you take them with food, so if your doctor recommends them, have them at different meals or snacks. Donât take any individual mineral at the same time as an MVM or an antioxidant vitamin formula, like one with beta-carotene and lycopene. Also see: What is silicon dioxide and how is it used in supplements?
Supplements And Vitamins For Arthritis
There are a large number of vitamins, minerals, and herbs that are thought to help people manage their arthritis symptoms, but some of them are not supported by science. Here, we take a closer look at supplements and vitamins thought to aid people with arthritis and whether there is research to support those claims.
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Glucosamine And Chondroitin Sulfate
Many supplement products aiming to treat arthritis contain both glucosamine and chondroitin sulfate. These substances are found naturally in human cartilage. Research regarding glucosamine and chondroitin sulfate supplements is mixed,14–16 and doctors opinions of them vary. Positive clinical studies suggest they may provide modest pain relief by helping to rebuild worn-out cartilage in your arthritic joints.
In general, if you take any supplement for 2 to 6 months and dont notice any relief from arthritis symptoms, check with your doctor for other options.
Opinions about the recommended doses for supplements can vary. Before starting a new one, talk to your doctor or pharmacist to make sure the supplements contents and the dosage is right for your condition and wont interact with any other medications and supplements you take. Some supplements can cause serious health problems if they are taken at high doses or combined with other supplements and medications.17
Also, keep in mind that supplements are not a quick fix for your arthritis pain. They may take effect graduallyover weeks or months–and provide only a modest decrease in pain. When you combine supplements with other treatments, such as an anti-inflammatory diet and exercise, there may be more significant pain relief.
What Are Vitamins A C And E
Vitamins A, C and E are essential nutrients which have antioxidant activity. Laboratory and animal studies have found some scientific basis for their use, but current evidence from studies on humans suggests that antioxidant vitamins arent effective in treating rheumatoid arthritis. Evidence from trials of the effectiveness of vitamin E in treating osteoarthritis provided mixed results. Results for early trials into the use of vitamin C in treating osteoarthritis are encouraging, but they need confirmation by larger trials.
- Family: Nutritional supplement
- Scientific name: Vitamin A , vitamin C and vitamin E
Vitamins are nutritional substances which you need in small amounts in your diet. Vitamins A and E are fat-soluble vitamins, meaning theyre stored in your bodys fat cells, but they need to have their levels topped up regularly. Vitamin C is a water-soluble vitamin. Your body stores all water-soluble vitamins except for vitamin B12 for only a brief period of several weeks to several months and then gets rid of them through the urine. This is why you need to take water-soluble vitamins daily.
Vitamins can be found in foods or can be produced in laboratories . You can buy vitamin capsules from high-street shops.
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Vitamin B Complex Trials For Rheumatoid Arthritis
In this trial, 43 participants with rheumatoid arthritis were randomly allocated to receive 5 mg vitamin B9 with or without 100 mg vitamin B6 once a day for 12 weeks.
- There was no reported difference in change in the disease activity score or number of painful or swollen joints.
- Those who received the Vitamin B9 and B6 combination demonstrated significantly greater reductions in some markers of inflammation.
- No side-effects were recorded.
A trial of low quality. Results of this trial were given a lower weighting when we came to our conclusion about the compound.
Vitamins Are Vital For Health And Arthritis But Multivitamins Can Sometimes Pose Health Risks
Multivitamins are a billion dollar industry. The general idea is that to be healthy, you need to have a healthy level of vitamins in your system. Current research also holds that vitamin deficiencies are contributing to the development of autoimmune diseases like arthritis. These include vitamins E, D and C.
The problem with multivitamins is that it is easy to overconsume them. Most multivitamins are already high enough so they may pose some serious health risks. Some multivitamins have 10 times the amount of nutrients that are actually needed and may potentially make your arthritis worse.
The Arthritis Foundation warns us of the following:
Certain vitamins such as B and C are water-soluble. If you take too much of them, your body simply flushes out the extra. Other vitamins including A, D, E, and K are fat-soluble. They arent good to consume in high doses because your body holds onto the excess. Minerals can be problematic in large doses, too. Too much iron can be toxic, causing symptoms like fatigue, joint pain, and depression. High-dose calcium supplements have been linked to an increased risk for heart disease as reported in a the National Institutes of Health-AARP diet and health study published in the JAMA Internal Medicine in 2013.
Multivitamins can also interfere with the medications we use. This is especially true when it comes to vitamin E with blood thinning medication and calcium with antibiotics.
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Low Vitamin D Levels Linked To Arthritis Pain And Other Disease
Studies continue to confirm that Vitamin D deficiency does, in fact, play a role in several chronic diseases and symptoms including:
- Arthritis
- Increased risk for heart disease
- Both Type 1 and Type 2 Diabetes
- Multiple Sclerosis
- Frequent infections
- Gastrointestinal issues
Low Vitamin D doesnt just affect the older population. Sedentary lifestyles and poor nutritional diets mean that many of us have a Vitamin D deficiency. In fact, 75% of American teens and adults dont get enough Vitamin D.
Recent studies from our countrys top athletes, NFL Players, correlated a significant number of muscle injuries in the lower limbs to a decreased level of vitamin D, suggesting that NFL prospects with low levels of Vitamin D are more likely to get serious muscle injuries. Weakened muscles cant protect your joints from injury. Joint injuries lead to osteoarthritis. Vitamin D may positively affect arthritis pain by affecting the joints directly or by interacting with the immune system.
Vitamin And Mineral Guide For Arthritis
Learn about key vitamins and minerals and which ones are especially important when you have arthritis.
Vitamins and minerals play a critical role in staying healthy, but getting enough of certain nutrients is even more important when you have arthritis. This guide provides thorough research of key vitamins and minerals to help you figure out what you may be missing. But remember: While some supplements may help arthritis symptoms, nothing can substitute doctor-prescribed medications, a healthy diet and exercise. Always talk to your doctor before adding a new supplement, vitamin or mineral to your regimen. Just because something is natural doesnt mean it cant cause side effects or interact with medications. For more tips on choosing safe supplements, read this article.
Calcium
What it does: Calcium is an essential mineral thatmaintains strong bones and teeth regulates muscle contractions transmits nerve impulses and helps release essential hormones and enzymes. It also helps prevent osteoporosis and fractures, which are higher risks among people with rheumatoid arthritis and those taking corticosteroids.
How much:Experts recommend 1,200 mg a day for healthy adults, but people with inflammatory arthritis may need more up to 1,500 mg for men and postmenopausal women. Recent research has debunked the claim that calcium supplements raise heart attack risk.
Too much:Tolerable upper limit = 2,500 mg.
Chromium
Too much:No tolerable upper limit has been determined.
Iron
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Taking Vitamins Or Minerals For Your Arthritis Although They’re Good For You You Can Have Too Many
Arthritis Today
When you have , you might be tempted to try anything that could help you feel better. Some people take vitamins and mineral supplements that have been touted for arthritis relief, like calcium, or vitamins C, D, and E. Yet it is possible to go overboard and get too much of these or other nutrients and that could be harmful.
Certain vitamins such as B and C are water-soluble. If you take too much of them, your body simply flushes out the extra. Other vitamins including A, D, E, and K are fat-soluble. They arent good to consume in high doses because your body holds onto the excess. Minerals can be problematic in large doses, too. Too much iron can be toxic, causing symptoms like fatigue, joint pain, and depression.
Multiple Risks
And there are other risks, too. Because supplements arent regulated by the FDA like medicines, you can never be entirely sure that whats promised on the label is delivered inside the container. There is also a risk of vitamins and minerals interfering with medicines people are taking, says Laura Gibofsky, MS, RD, CDN, a registered at Hospital for Special Surgery in New York. For example, vitamins E and K can increase your bleeding risk if youre already taking a blood thinning medication.
Ask Your Doctor
Watch the Fortified Foods, Too
Read the full story at arthritistoday.org.
Look For Quality Checks
Since the FDA doesnât regulate supplements, look for brands that have been âverifiedâ by one of the three companies that test supplements in the U.S.: Pharmacopeia, Consumer Lab, or NSF International. These testing organizations verify that whatâs on the label is in the bottle in the right amounts.
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Upping Your Vitamin D Intake Has Been Shown To Help With Symptoms Of Rheumatoid Arthritis
Vitamin D helps the body absorb calcium, which is essential for building strong bones. Too little of this vital nutrient can lead to having thin, soft and brittle bones, known as osteomalacia in adults and rickets in children.
Studies also have found that a lack of vitamin D is linked to rheumatoid arthritis, an autoimmune disease characterized by swollen, aching joints and numbness and tingling in the hands and feet.
In a study published in the Journal of Clinical Rheumatology, scientists found that vitamin D deficiency not only is highly prevalent in rheumatoid arthritis patients, but its also related to chronic pain and lower mental and physical quality of life scores. Another study revealed that a higher intake of vitamin D and omega-3 fatty acids may be associated with better treatment results in patients with early rheumatoid arthritis.
Health Benefits And Risks
The Arthritis Foundation states that some supplements may relieve pain, stiffness, and other symptoms of arthritis. It also suggests using supplements alongside arthritis drugs, not as a substitute. Medications are the only scientifically proven treatment to slow joint damage.
A 2020 review on rheumatoid arthritis indicates that some supplements may have beneficial effects. However, research into the impact of diet and dietary supplements on RA is limited.
Furthermore, the AF highlights the importance of consulting a doctor before taking any supplements for arthritis. Some supplements may interact with other medications or cause side effects.
It is also of note that there is little research into the effectiveness of supplements.
Some supplements have different benefits than others. In the sections below, we list supplements and their possible benefits.
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