Arthritis vitamin

Vitamin E helps fight against rheumatoid arthritis; it is found in cold-pressed virgin oils of corn, wheat germ, soybean, cottonseed, sunflower, Olivia, peanut, and sesame. Cereals, oil fruits (almonds, hazelnuts, sunflower seeds, walnuts, peanuts), avocados, raspberries, blackberries, collard greens, dandelions, asparagus, fennel, peppers, and spinach.
Rheumatoid arthritis is a disease that affects 60% of women between the ages of 20 and 45. This condition causes chronic inflammation of the joints, causes pain, stiffness, loss of joint function, and loss of quality of life for those who suffer from it.
The treatment varies according to the patient, and different studies have proven that using vitamins helps control the disease's effects.
For this reason, experts advise increasing vitamin E intake for those who suffer from it since they have a high antioxidant power, which also helps slow down the consequences of aging.
Specialists warn that the increased consumption of this vitamin should not replace conventional arthritis treatments. Still, it can complement it because it helps patients reduce their anti-inflammatories consumption.

Among its beneficial properties, it stands out that it helps in the excellent oxygenation of all tissues, protects other vitamins such as complex B and C, opposes the formation of thrombi, favors the formation of good cholesterol, helps to lower high blood pressure, protects the body from the harmful effects of pollutants, improves the defense capacity against infections, increases physical resistance and prevents fatigue. But, on the other hand, according to experts, when we have a vitamin E deficiency, we can suffer arteriosclerosis, heart attacks, gastric ulcers, and even cancer.

The vitamins and minerals that are most common in the daily life of a patient with rheumatoid arthritis. In recent years, the growing food industry has strengthened its products, adding nutrients such as antioxidant vitamins A, C, and E; energy-producing B vitamins and bone-building calcium and vitamin D. If the diet meets most mineral and vitamin requirements, supplementation is not necessary, although a multivitamin does not hurt if it is required. Talking with your doctor or nutritionist about your specific needs is essential.

Does vitamin D play a role in the development of rheumatoid arthritis?

People who have rheumatoid arthritis, a painful disease caused by inflammation, often have a low serum level of vitamin D. This vitamin has beneficial immunomodulatory effects, so supplementation, even with low doses, could reduce the dose of conventional treatment of rheumatoid arthritis and, consequently, also its secondary effects. A very recent trial supports this hypothesis.

In the synovial joints of humans, there is a very thin layer of tissue between the joint capsule and the cavity called the synovium or synovial membrane. The synovium secretes synovial fluid to lubricate and protect the joint in healthy people. However, rheumatoid arthritis (RA) causes inflammation of the synovium, which eventually destroys the surrounding bone and cartilage, causing immobility and severe pain. This condition has various risk factors: genetic, environmental (alcohol intake and smoking), and dietary.

The active form of vitamin D, 1,25-dihydroxy vitamin D, has potent antiproliferative, antibacterial, and anti-inflammatory properties. In a new review, Jeffrey et al. examined the potential use of vitamin D in treating and preventing rheumatoid arthritis (1). People get vitamin D through food sources or exposure to ultraviolet rays. In the body, it is converted to the metabolically active form by cytochrome P450 enzymes.

The first link between RA and vitamin D status was established by discovering that lymphocytes from rheumatoid arthritis patients produced specific receptors for 1,25-dihydroxy vitamin D. 1,25-dihydroxy.
Vitamin D has many potential anti-inflammatory actions, including innate antibacterial responses (in neutrophils and monocytes), effects on dendritic cell antigen presentation, and modulation of T and B cell phenotype and function. In addition, vitamin D has been shown to correct TH17 cell imbalance and TREG during RA. It also maintains an inverse relationship with the serum level of the inflammatory interleukins IL-23 and IL-17, common in RA patients. Likewise, it has been shown that 1,25-dihydroxy vitamin D can reduce the accumulation of senescent T cells in RA patients due to their lower capacity to express telomerase. Telomerase deficiency is believed to have the potential as a preclinical marker of RA. Therefore, vitamin D may reduce the risk of RA onset and delay its progression by increasing telomerase activity.

The data linking a low vitamin D level to the risk of developing RA need to be clarified. However, patients with early RA are often severely deficient in serum vitamin D (˂ ten ng/mL).

In a very recent study (2), a high dose of vitamin D (60,000 IU per week for the first six weeks and then 60,000 IU per month) was administered for three months to a cohort of RA patients (n= 73) with a mean age of 49 years. The patients were already being treated with disease-modifying antirheumatic drugs (DMARDs). They had a low serum vitamin D level (˂ 20 ng/mL) and a disease activity index in 28 joints with C-reactive protein ( DAS28-CRP) of more than 2.6. After the intervention, the mean serum vitamin D level had increased almost 6-fold, reaching 57.2 ng/mL. A significant improvement in the joints’ state was also observed since the average DAS28-CRP decreased from 3.68 (baseline value) to 3.08 (value obtained at the end of the intervention).

Although much work remains to be done in this area, it is clear that vitamin D can benefit RA patients through its immunomodulatory effects. Supplementation with low doses of vitamin D in RA patients would allow the number of conventional drugs to be reduced, with the consequent reduction in the side effects that these entail.