Relief for Crippling Rheumatoid Arthritis

By Milton G. Crane, M.D. of Weimar Institute

The exact cause of rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is not clear. For years doctors have sought for some focus of infection such as bad teeth, infected tonsils, etc., with little success.

Although most physicians downgrade the role of diet as a causative factor in RA, the evidence that diet is an important factor is too strong to be denied. Rheumatoid arthritis is rare in societies where plant products are the main foods. When natives in Africa move where they adopt the Western type diet, RA becomes as common and severe as it is in Western civilizations.

Current evidence indicates that rheumatoid arthritis is caused by some kind of germ or amoeba in a person on a faulty diet. The causative organism or else the body defenses, in the process of trying to kill the germs, make an immune chemical complex that damages the joints. The faulty diet in some way interferes with the immune system in its effort to kill the germ.

White blood cells, particularly the polymorphonuclear (polys) and lymphocytes, are our main defense against germs or foreign proteins such as polypeptides, mold residues, milk proteins, or other large food proteins (called "macromolecules") that may enter the body from the food.

T-lymphocytes have several important functions. They work as "killer," or helpers, or as suppressor cells. B-lymphocytes make five or more immune globulins, antibodies, which are present in the body fluids to combine with the foreign protein or germ. These can then be removed by the polys and by other means. Polys migrate to some of these foreign proteins by chemotaxis, engulf the foreign substance and digests them. In simple words the T-lymphocytes can kill germs, tell the B-lymphocytes to make an antibody trap for the germ, and then tell the B-lymphocytes when they have made enough traps. T-lymphocytes also tell the polys to engulf and digest the germ, trap transmitters, leukotrienes, made from essential oils from our food. The importance of using the natural produce as a source of fats [and other nutrients] can be seen from the diagram below.

The relative availability of these plant fats influences the production of the leukotrienes because they go into the cell membranes where this chemical process is performed. In a review article evidence was presented which showed that the chemistry of cell membranes of mast cells, peripheral lymphocytes, and splenocytes regulate and modify the production of prostaglandins, and leukotrienes which are the communicators of the T-lymphocytes, B-lymphocytes, and granulocytes among other members of the immune system.

What we take into our bodies enter the picture in several ways. The type of fat that we eat determines how well the T-lymphocytes get their defense message across to the B-lymphocytes and polys. T-lymphocytes are destroyed by certain viruses (as in AIDS disease), by x-ray irradiation, cortisol, aspirin, and smog. They are weakened by rancid oil, free radicals, cholesterol, and certain macromolecules. Sugar in the diet blinds the polys so that they cannot see the germ-antibody complex. The milk proteins and other macromolecules clog up the immune system.

Now we, can begin to see why patients with RA may have remission of their disease on a low fat, high fiber vegan diet, and why some patients respond dramatically to the elimination of milk and eggs and certain other foods from the diet.

We can strengthen our immune defense system by eating, in so far as possible, only a suitable variety of fresh plant products. These should be simply prepared without spices and without oil or grease of any kind. We do not want to inflame the stomach with spices or interfere with the digestion of protein by the presence of anything oily or greasy. Since certain macromolecules such as residues of mold or yeast, meat, milk or eggs can enter by way of the intestines and upset the immune system, we avoid these in rheumatoid arthritis. We would avoid all other foods such as wheat that are known to aggravate an allergy in a particular person.

The diet would include any food known to be tolerated from the following list. Fresh fruit especially the ones like citrus with high vitamin C; Green leafy vegetables, concentrate on turnip greens, mustard, collards, cabbage, and comfrey; Yellow vegetables, such as carrots or squash; Legumes, such as beans, peas, lentils, or garbanzos; Two or three whole grain cereals that are tolerated. It may be wise to avoid yeast rising breads. Nuts such as non-rancid almonds, filberts, cashews, pecans or walnuts.

Adequate water by mouth and hydrotherapy are very helpful. The joints should be rested when inflamed, but once the pain and swelling subsides on the proper diet, gradual, progressive, exercise can be helpful. Remember, though, it may take time for the tissues to repair, and some joints may have been destroyed beyond repair. Treat them wisely. The healing rays of the sun are important. Avoid all known poisons such as tea, coffee, alcohol, and tobacco. Trust in a loving God to help you deal with the stresses of life and give you the desire and power to put into use all these natural remedies.

There is much to learn, but available evidence points to cell membrane chemistry as of great importance in the immune system. At least we know how to get the best source of fatty acids. If we go second hand to the animals, we get an arachidonic acid type of fat in predominance. If we go to the fish, we get an eicosapentanoic type of fat in predominance. If we go to processed oils, the products from omega-6 fats will predominate. If we go to the plants, the body can select a pathway that goes through either arachidonic acid or eicosapentanoic acid, or else go through pathways entirely different, starting from the 18C:2 w6 or 18C:3 w3 source chemicals.

We have found that a total vegetarian diet of natural produce as grown corrects the blood pressure of hypertensives to normal in 80% of men and 52% of women in three weeks. It alleviates the pain in 80% of patients with diabetic neuropathy in 17 days. One third of the adult onset diabetics have normal control of the fasting blood sugar in three weeks. The majority of the patients with rheumatoid arthritis have relief of arthritis.

Copyright © 2002 Milton G. Crane, M.D., Weimar Institute, Weimar, CA 95736. All rights Reserved.