Plant-based eating reduces complaints of osteoarthritis and rheumatism

Switching to a predominantly vegan diet appears to have a beneficial effect on inflamed joints and pain in osteoarthritis and the autoimmune disease rheumatoid arthritis (rheumatism). This was demonstrated by Dutch researcher Wendy Walrabenstein, who had a group of patients follow a specific lifestyle program for 4 months.

There have been indications for some time that diet and lifestyle can indeed influence the symptoms of rheumatism. Dutch dietitian Wendy Walrabenstein started a large-scale study at Amsterdam UMC into ‘Plants for joints’ following a remarkable discovery in the medical journal The Lancet. He stated that fasting followed by a plant-based diet could reduce rheumatic complaints. Walrabenstein wanted to determine whether this research could be repeated and confirmed and, together with other researchers, developed a comprehensive lifestyle program that, in addition to plant-based nutrition, also included exercise, sleep, stress management and relaxation.

Cooking workshops

Lifestyle interventions are usually much more difficult to prove scientifically than the effects of medicines because many other factors can of course play a role. To map the impact of plant-based eating as accurately as possible, 77 people with rheumatoid arthritis and 66 people with osteoarthritis of the knee and/or hips were selected. Their average age was 60 years and all were (significantly) overweight. All participants were randomly divided into an intervention group that followed the program and a control group that simply continued to eat as before. A lot of attention was paid to the first group to guide and motivate them in their lifestyle change. There were 10 group meetings for cooking workshops, and initiations and information about exercise, relaxation and better sleep. They also received recipes, a meal plan, a fitness tracker to track their exercise and those who wanted could count on extra individual guidance. A mutual WhatsApp group in which they could mutually encourage each other was also encouraged. During the entire study, all data was continuously recorded for everyone, such as inflammation values, pain complaints, blood values, weight, fat mass, eating and exercise behavior.

Less inflammation and pain

That program produced excellent results in the intervention group. In the participants with rheumatism, the number of swollen and painful joints decreased, while fewer stiff joints and pain were recorded in the people with osteoarthritis. One of the most striking results was the weight loss of an average of 4.3 kilos after 16 weeks. Their fat mass and waist size had also shrunk significantly and even more striking: their blood sugar and cholesterol levels had also improved.

Intestinal bacteria

According to researcher Wendy Walrabenstein, the research suggests that plants, rich in fiber, ensure a favorable composition of the intestinal microbiome. This is the collection of intestinal bacteria that are responsible for our digestion and many other body processes such as the immune system and inflammation levels. Eating a lot of fiber can change the composition, causing more bacteria to grow that have an anti-inflammatory effect. This means that less inflammation occurs in rheumatic complaints. The participants in the ‘Plants for joints’ group also ate twice as much fiber as the people in the control group, who made no changes to their diet.

The big advantage here is that you do not have to follow the plant-based diet perfectly to get results, according to the researcher. Even those who eat 80% plant-based already experience health benefits.

Weight loss

However, the study also received some critical reservations. For example, the Health and Science website explained that part of the health results can be explained by the weight loss among the participants. By losing an average of almost 5 kilos, certain joint complaints in overweight people will certainly decrease and their blood sugar and cholesterol levels will also improve. But that weight loss was of course partly the result of the switch to a plant-based diet.

Source:

How the Plants for Joints multidisciplinary lifestyle intervention achieved its effects: a mixed methods process evaluation
Carlijn A. Wagenaar, Alie Toonstra, Wendy Walrabenstein, et al.
BMC Public Health, 2024