Food related symptom aggravation in joint diseases: Observations from a secondary care Ayurveda arthritis center

Abstract

Background: Food is generally being thought to have a connection with joint diseases. Ayurvedic literature has references to supports this, however, any conclusive research to support this idea is not yet available in the published literature. This study aim at observing any real association of food- and joint-related symptom intensity in people suffering with joint diseases. Materials and Methods: This is a cross-sectional, observational study where the respondents suffering with joint diseases, visiting a secondary care Ayurveda arthritis center, were asked to self-report if they identified any dietary association with the change in intensity of their joint-related symptoms. Results: Fifty-four patients (6.1% of 885 screened) have self-reported the association of 68 food items with increase in joint pain, swelling, and stiffness. 35 of 54 respondents (64.81%) had the Ayurveda diagnosis of Amavata (~rheumatoid arthritis). Highest joint symptom-related sensitivity was reported with food and drink items like curd 41 (75.9%), cold water 42 (77.8%), cold drink 38 (70.4%), ice-cream 35 (64.8), rice 33 (61.1%), and lemon 27 (50%). Conclusion: Food is found to have a definitive association with joint-related symptoms in a sub-population suffering with joint diseases. The study suggests that enquiry about food and its association with joint symptoms should be the part of routine enquiry in Ayurvedic rheumatology. Furthermore, such patients who are found to have a food-related symptom aggravation are needed to be treated differentially considering the food and disease association in mind.