Can a good diet be especially helpful in arthritis? The answer is both yes and no. No special foods or diets can cure arthritis or make it go away. However, by helping you deal with other related problems (such as over-weight) and helping you feel more fit and energetic proper nutrition can help you cope better with arthritis.

Over the years many books and articles have been published proclaiming a wide variety of special diets and food supplements and vitamins as arthritis cures. If you or someone close to you has arthritis, you have undoubtedly read or heard about some of these claims.

Responsible scientists have made many careful studies designed to find out whether there is any link between diet and arthritis. These medical experts have found little scientific evidence that any food or diet causes arthritis or that any special diet or food or vitamin can cure it. Gout is an exception. It is the only form of arthritis in which diet may be a factor.

In all forms of arthritis, the most helpful diet is a normal diet that is nourishing and well balanced. Good nutrition is important to good health for everyone. For someone who has arthritis, good meals and nutritious food are even more important to help the body cope with the stresses of this long-term disease.

Your physician and health team will help you with personal diet concerns such as maintaining proper weight and making adjustments in your diet to counteract the possible side effects of some medications.

You can help yourself a great deal if you eat a varied, nourishing diet. On the following pages are some suggestions that may make it easier for you to plan a good diet you need.