Pizza is one of the favorite dishes of many people around the world, and as many think that it falls into the “junk food” category, they find out that this is not the case. If made with fresh ingredients, like the Italians do, pizza can improve the symptoms of rheumatoid arthritis, a study shows.
Rheumatoid arthritis is an autoimmune disease that occurs when the immune system attacks healthy cells producing inflammation and swelling, says NHS.
It is a long-term condition that causes joint pain, and currently, there is no cure for it. It needs to be diagnosed and treated early to prevent long-term joint damage.
Scientists in Italy, the place of origin of this dish, discovered that if you eat at least half a pizza once a week you can reduce the pain caused by the disease by up to 80%.
Experts claim that this is due to its anti-inflammatory properties that certain ingredients have. These beneficial effects come from mozzarella, olive oil and tomato sauce.
For this study, which was published in Nutrients, experts analyzed pizza consumption in the diet of 365 participants with rheumatoid arthritis, aged 18 to 65.
Participants who ate half a pizza more than once a week reported a reduction in pain compared to participants who ate pizza twice a month.
Steroids and physiotherapy are the main forms of treatment for this condition. According to the NHS there is no evidence to suggest that certain dietary changes can improve rheumatoid arthritis.
The NHS recommends that rheumatoid arthritis patients follow the Mediterranean diet, which is an anti-inflammatory diet because it includes fruit, vegetables, legumes, nuts, grains, fish and unsaturated fats such as olive oil.
Studies suggest that a colorful diet can also reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease, cancer and other health problems.
Rheumatoid arthritis: signs and symptoms
Arthritis symptoms can differ depending on the type of arthritis you have and can affect patients of any age. It is important to see a doctor when:
you have joint pain, tenderness, joint stiffness joint inflammation movement restrictions red and warm skin around the affected joints
2023-08-10 14:05:19
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