The Stanford doctor explains how to ‘beat joint inflammation in eight weeks’ to reduce risk of arthritis (Image: Getty)
A professor specialising in rheumatology and immunology has revealed the ‘best’ anti-inflammatory diet that, according to research, can ‘reverse symptoms in eight weeks’. In a recent podcast episode with ZOE Health co-founder Jonathan Wolf, Dr Tamiko Katsumoto MD discussed how diets high in inflammatory foods, such as processed items, can increase the risk of arthritis.
She warns that the chronic health condition, which affects one in five people and causes pain and stiffness in joints, is now more commonly caused by poor nutrition than smoking. Dr Katsumoto, a Clinical Associate Professor in the Division of Immunology and Rheumatology at Stanford University, emphasised the role of inflammation in triggering various health issues.
She specialises in the impact of plant-rich diets on individual health and the immune system. During her conversation with Jonathan, she shared a diet that can reduce inflammation, improve mobility, and “shield you from the threat of this disease.”
The health expert also differentiated between osteoarthritis, wear and tear, and rheumatoid arthritis. Osteoarthritis (OA) and rheumatoid arthritis (RA) are two forms of arthritis that impact countless individuals. OA is a degenerative condition that progressively worsens, and RA is an autoimmune disease in which the immune system mistakenly attacks joint tissues.
While there is no cure for arthritis, certain treatments can help manage its symptoms and slow its progression, reports . These include dietary adjustments, lifestyle changes, and medications aimed at reducing inflammation, which is a key trigger for the disease.
A study titled ‘A multidisciplinary lifestyle program for rheumatoid arthritis: The Plants for Joints randomised controlled trial’ suggests that reversing negative lifestyle factors could lessen the incidence and severity of RA and its associated health issues.
Dr Katsumoto, an expert in bone, joint, and muscle health, emphasises that modern diets often aggravate arthritis, but adopting healthier eating habits can lower the risk of developing the condition. He also points out the most advantageous foods, lifestyle modifications, and supplements for maintaining joint health.
In a conversation with Jonathan, when asked whether experiencing early arthritis symptoms means “full-blown arthritis” is unavoidable, the Stanford professor responded: “Not necessarily.” Further inquiry into whether arthritis could be reversed with the right diet led Dr Katsumoto to say: “Yes.”
Reversing unhealthy lifestyle factors and making healthier diet choices could potentially reduce arthritis risks (Image: Getty)
Dr Katsumoto busted a common myth about arthritis, insisting: “I think the biggest myth is that there’s nothing you can do to change your arthritis course. I think there are actually a lot of things that we are all capable of doing through diet, lifestyle, etc, that can make a difference.”
Revealing encouraging findings to viewers, Jonathan highlighted study results showing rapid improvement with dietary changes: “Within eight weeks of changing your diet, [you can have] have a profound impact on your arthritis because it’s having this profound impact on inflammation.”
He sought further insights from Dr Katsumoto regarding the impact of diet on arthritis management: “You’re saying if you are living with arthritis and you were to make that sort of change in your diet, you think it can really change not only your symptoms but even potentially get you to a point where you say, ‘I don’t even need to take all the medication I’m taking today’.”
Jonathan also prompted Dr Katsumoto to discuss the role of food for joint health: “I understand that you’re also really interested in food as playing an important protective role. And that in particular [you’re] excited about a breakthrough new clinical trial that the team was telling me about actually earlier this week, which I think is called plants for joints. Could you tell me about that?”.
Inflammation can trigger a wide range of conditions, including arthritis, asthma, atherosclerosis, vision loss, cancer, and diabetes (Image: Getty)
The professor shared some fascinating insights, announcing: “This was a very exciting trial. I’m a huge fan of randomised controlled trials. I think this is our highest level of evidence. This is a group, our Dutch colleagues, they actually did two studies in parallel. They did one in rheumatoid arthritis and they did one in osteoarthritis.
“To clarify, it was a metabolic-associated osteoarthritis. So patients that tended to have metabolic syndrome were maybe overweight. So those patients with OA.”
In the conversation, Jonathan inquired: “So randomised controlled trials are basically the gold standard of scientific testing?” To which Dr Katsumoto responded: “Yes, they are helpful in that they minimise any confounding bias in terms of the fact that people are put into two different groups, there’s an equal chance of whatever intervention working or not, and comparing to a placebo provides a robust comparator.
“Basically what they did was they put them through a lifestyle intervention, and this is absolutely really thrilling to me because I’m a huge fan of the American College of Lifestyle Medicine. Just to quickly provide their six pillars of lifestyle medicine; diet is number one, in addition; exercise, stress reduction, social connections, sleep, and then finally avoidance of risky substances. So those are the six pillars of lifestyle medicine.”
Dr Katsumoto shared insights from the recent randomised controlled trial looking at the effects of lifestyle changes on joint disease. She detailed: “Essentially what this randomised controlled trial did was put these patients through either the active arm.
“They called it the plants for joints arm that underwent these six lifestyle interventions versus the placebo, which was essentially the standard of care. They ran them through this program for 16 weeks and what they found at the end of the study and even at eight weeks at the midpoint, they saw dramatic improvements in the patient’s joint disease.”
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Explaining the outcomes for those with rheumatoid arthritis, she said: “So for the rheumatoid arthritis patient, the endpoint they looked at is called DAS28. This is a disease activity score based on 28 different joints. So you measure swollen and tender joints. You measure the CRP inflammatory marker. You measure how the patient is feeling.”
Dr Katsumoto highlighted that the results were quite significant: “Based on that endpoint, which is a very robust endpoint, there was a very statistically highly significant difference in terms of the RA patients that underwent this lifestyle program. They looked more deeply to see what was the most likely thing driving this difference, and it was most likely diet. Of course, you can’t separate out, it was a full holistic intervention of multiple different domains.”
The key takeaway, according to Dr Katsumoto, is that diet “played a huge role” in these remarkable results, particularly anti-inflammatory foods. The American College of Rheumatology (ACR) also supports the Mediterranean diet (MD) as an anti-inflammatory eating pattern suitable for people with arthritis.
What is the ‘best’ diet for anti-inflammatory foods?
The leading Stanford professor hailed the Blue Zone diet as the ultimate anti-inflammatory plan, which might significantly lower the risk of developing arthritis. The Blue Zone diet is inspired by the world’s longest-living individuals’ nutritional habits and lifestyle choices.
This regime emphasises plant-based food sources, including fish, grains, seeds, nuts, pulses, beans, and lentils, while reducing consumption of dairy and meat. Discussing the top vegetables for fighting inflammation, the professor advocated for cruciferous veggies.
She said: “Cruciferous vegetables. These are things like broccoli, and kale, and cauliflower, and these really kind of the deep leafy greens… And they’re so important. I really think food is medicine. And these are incredibly important in terms of helping our liver detoxify.”
Addressing the challenges posed by our increasingly polluted environment, she pointed out that such nutritionally rich foods could aid in eliminating harmful toxins and endocrine disruptors from the body — factors not widely discussed but crucial for patient health. Regarding meat consumption, longevity studies suggest that those who live the longest tend to limit their intake significantly.
Dr Katsumoto advised moderation with animal products, remarking: “If you look at the blue zones, they say that the majority of blue zones end up eating meat less than five times a month. So really, that comes down to maybe once a week. Meat should be considered a treat.”
She elaborated on her dietary preferences, expressing a particular fondness for certain superfoods. “Another food type that I love a lot are things like chia seeds and flax seeds. I think chia seeds are the perfect food.
“They’re high in fibre, high in omega-3, and high in protein. They’ve just got so many great components that I add them to my smoothies. I just try to incorporate them wherever I can. I get a big bottle of them and add them wherever I can.”
When it comes to fish, she advocates for the consumption of oily varieties to combat inflammation, but advises caution. She detailed: “So we know omega-3 fatty acids are incredibly anti-inflammatory.
“That being said, I also encourage my patients to not go too heavy on fish, to eat the smaller fish, so not so much the tuna and the swordfish, you know, things that are much larger and can end up bio accumulating things like heavy metals and toxins.”
She recommends opting for wild-caught fish over farmed and suggests using resources for guidance. “Try to go for the wild-caught instead of the farmed… I tend to also recommend my patients to check out the Monterey Bay Aquarium’s resource called seafoodwatch.org.
“Seafood Watch has a lot of examples where what’s sustainably caught and which ones are thought to be healthier. We have to be thinking about pollutants. Our oceans are not the cleanest, so we have to be thinking about that as well.”
What is the ‘best’ plate of anti-inflammatory food?
Revealing her blueprint for a perfectly balanced meal, a health expert highlighted: “So half of the plate focuses on high-quality vegetables and some fruits. Then, a quarter of the plate is proteins, preferably plant proteins or lean proteins, but things like beans and lentils. I’m a big fan of tofu.”
She also endorsed refined grains, allocating them the last quarter of the plate. “So, whole wheat and whole things like quinoa. And some of these ancient grains are really good, like farro and bulgur and millet.”
The Blue Zone diet is mostly plant-based food (Image: Getty)
What is inflammation and arthritis?
Fundamentally, inflammation is how the body responds to injury or infection, noticeable by symptoms such as swelling, redness, and discomfort. When it occurs in the joints due to an overactive immune system, it could manifest as inflammatory arthritis. This condition arises when the body mistakenly attacks its own joint tissues, causing pain and potential damage.
The National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences notes: “Acute inflammation combats infection and stimulates tissue repair and regeneration. When it fails to improve quickly, it can turn chronic and lead to disease. Inflammation resolution failure is increasingly recognised as leading to cancer development.”
Inflammation is a known trigger for various diseases, including the potential to cause DNA damage which can increase cancer risks. Additionally, it plays a role in autoimmune conditions like rheumatoid arthritis and lupus when the body incorrectly attacks its own tissues.
The NHS outlines the widespread impact of arthritis on people of all ages, stating: “Arthritis is a common condition that causes pain and inflammation in a joint. In the UK, millions of people have arthritis or other, similar conditions that affect the joints. Arthritis affects people of all ages, including children.”
Symptoms:
- Pain, swelling, and stiffness in joints
- Redness and inflammation of joints
- Limited movement
- Tiredness and fever
Causes:
- Ageing
- Injuries that damage a joint
- Certain health conditions
- Genetic factors
- Environmental factors, such as infection with certain viruses and bacteria
While there’s no cure for arthritis, numerous treatments exist to manage the symptoms and slow down its progression. These therapeutic options range from medications and physiotherapy to surgery and lifestyle changes.
Highlighting the treatment routes, the NHS points out: “Osteoarthritis treatments include lifestyle changes, medicines and surgery. Treatment for rheumatoid arthritis aims to slow the condition’s progress and minimise joint inflammation. This helps prevent joint damage. Treatments include medicine, physiotherapy and surgery.”
Despite the challenges of living with arthritis, many individuals still lead dynamic and fulfilling lives. Education about the condition and effective symptom management are key to maintaining an active lifestyle despite the diagnosis.
If you’re worried about your bone, muscle or joint health, it’s advisable to consult a doctor. To stay healthy and minimise the risk of chronic diseases, it’s recommended to exercise regularly, limit alcohol consumption, quit smoking, maintain a healthy weight, avoid processed foods, eat a balanced diet, ensure adequate sleep and drink plenty of water.
for people in the UK with arthritis, plus their families and friends. They have a you can call for further information and support on 0800 5200 520, Monday to Friday, 9am to 6pm. The helpline is closed from 12pm on the last Friday of every month for training. You can also near where you live.