Dietary risk factors for rheumatic diseases.

PURPOSE OF REVIEW: Recent scientific data illuminate the dietary link to rheumatic disorders. This review summarizes recently published articles on the dietary link to rheumatoid arthritis, gout, and osteoarthritis. RECENT
FINDINGS: A prospective study suggests that higher intakes of meat and total protein as well as lower intakes of fruit, vegetables, and vitamin C are associated with an increased risk of inflammatory polyarthritis or rheumatoid arthritis. Several studies suggest that the Mediterranean-type diet or its main components may have protective effects on the development or severity of rheumatoid arthritis. A recent prospective study investigated several purported dietary factors for gout and confirmed some of the long-standing suspicions (red meats, seafood, beer, and liquor), exonerated others (total protein, wine, and purine-rich vegetables), and also identified potentially new protective factors (dairy products). Recent double-blind, randomized, placebo-controlled studies suggest that antioxidant vitamins (vitamin E, vitamin C, beta-carotene, and retinol) do not halt the progression of symptomatic knee osteoarthritis, as was previously suggested.
SUMMARY: Because diet is an unavoidable universal exposure for people, even a small effect that can be achieved by dietary manipulation may produce a large impact on the population's health. As the evidence on the role of dietary factors in rheumatic disorders grows it becomes increasingly important for clinicians and investigators in the field of rheumatology to familiarize themselves with the relevant data and appropriately apply them to clinical and public health practice.