| It's not widely known, but the results of numerous | | | | intestine (allowing potentially harmful bacterial antigens |
| clinical trials over the last 30 years have pointed to an | | | | into the blood stream) seems to be the key issue. |
| intriguing connection between rheumatoid arthritis and | | | | Darlington notes that 'RA patients untreated by |
| the intestines. As long ago as the 1940s, Charles de | | | | nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) have |
| Coti-Marsh in his pioneering research into the causes | | | | normal gastrointestinal permeability, but patients on |
| and treatment of arthritis declared 'the disease begins | | | | NSAIDs and perhaps also on disease modifying |
| in the bowel.' Nowadays there is increasing evidence | | | | antirheumatic drugs show increased permeability. Such |
| that he was right. | | | | increased permeability may allow food or bacterial |
| Unfortunately, the connection between arthritis and diet | | | | antigens to be absorbed in greater quantities than |
| has historically been downplayed, with nutrition never | | | | usual, overwhelming normal gut defences and, possibly |
| quite making the grade as an object of scientific study. | | | | producing symptoms of RA.' |
| More recently, however, the development of nutritional | | | | What that means is that dietary manipulation could, in |
| biochemistry. immunology and pharmacology, as well | | | | theory, reduce gastrointestinal permeability, with |
| as ever increasing scientific data on free-radical | | | | reduced absorption bacterial antigens - and perhaps |
| disease, antioxidants, prostaglandins, and flavonoids | | | | treat one of the causes of rheumatoid arthritis. Despite |
| have lifted the subject of nutrition out of the realm of | | | | these findings, and others like them, making dietary |
| anecdotal uncertainty into the province of credible | | | | changes in order to treat arthritis is considered to be |
| science. | | | | 'alternative', in other words unacceptable to the |
| In Joints and Arthritic Disease (2002), Dr Gail Darlington | | | | majority of the orthodox medical community. |
| references a number of research projects, for | | | | Does rheumatoid arthritis begin in the intestine? Quite |
| example a study by O'Farrelly which took small | | | | possibly - there is some evidence to support the |
| intestinal biopsies from 93 patients with rheumatic | | | | theory. However, 'alternative' theories rarely attract |
| arthritis (RA) and compared them to those of a control | | | | commercial interests, which is of course the prime |
| group. The conclusion was that the gut may play a | | | | source of research funding. It therefore remains to be |
| part in the immunopathogenesis of certain cases of | | | | seen whether complementary and alternative |
| RA. | | | | therapies will ever achieve the status of 'proven' as |
| The combination of the development of certain types | | | | required by Western science. |
| of gut flora and an increased permeability of the | | | | |