| The question I would like to bring to your | | | | each day were 33% more likely to develop RA |
| attention today is can vitamins help to fight | | | | than women who got more. So how much is |
| Rheumatoid Arthritis (RA). I decided to do some | | | | enough Vitamin D. The Food and Nutrition Board |
| studying on the subject and what I found was | | | | of the Institute of Medicine says that older |
| some interesting facts that helped me support | | | | women should consume 400 to 600 IU per day in |
| this idea. Let me start out by telling you a little | | | | order to have an adequate Vitamin D intake. |
| more about RA. More than a million people in the | | | | Vitamin C can also be linked to lowering RA risks. |
| United States have RA. RA typically develops | | | | In another study, researchers looked at the link |
| between the ages of 25 and 50. RA is a chronic | | | | between fruit and vegetable and dietary |
| inflammatory disease of the joints that affects an | | | | antioxidant intake and the development of |
| estimated 1.3 million Americans. | | | | inflammatory arthritis and rheumatoid arthritis in a |
| The disease occurs when the body's immune | | | | group of 23,000 men and women who entered a |
| system mistakenly attacks the thin membrane | | | | large cancer study in the U.K. between 1993 and |
| that lines the joints. The results can be joint | | | | 1997. As a part of that study, the participants |
| damage, ongoing pain, inflammation, loss function | | | | kept track of what they ate in a weekly food |
| and disability. The joints most commonly affected | | | | diary. |
| by RA are those of the hands, feet, wrists, | | | | Between 1993 and 2001, 73 people developed |
| knees, elbows, and ankles. In RA, the primary site | | | | inflammatory arthritis affecting two or more |
| of the attack is in the thin layer of tissue that is | | | | painfully swollen joints for at least a month, and |
| around the joints. | | | | 40% of them met the criteria for having RA. |
| Studies have shown that those Americans with | | | | Compared with those who did not develop the |
| RA have vitamins deficiencies. The most common | | | | disease, researchers found that those with |
| vitamin deficiencies in RA is folic acid, Vitamin C, | | | | arthritis ate fewer fruits and vegetables. |
| Vitamin D, Vitamin B6, Vitamin B12, Vitamin E, | | | | Specifically, people who ate the least amount of |
| Calcium, Magnesium, Zinc, and Selenium. Food of | | | | fruits and vegetables had double the risk of |
| course is the preferred source for getting the | | | | developing inflammatory arthritis. |
| vitamins and minerals. Vitamin Supplements will | | | | The study also showed that people who got less |
| work in getting the vitamins and minerals that you | | | | than 40 mg of Vitamin C from fruits and |
| don't receive from food. I would like to discuss | | | | vegetables had four times the risk of developing |
| with you two particular vitamins that studies have | | | | inflammatory arthritis. In the United States, the |
| shown to help fight RA. | | | | recommended dietary allowance for men is 90mg |
| Research has made a case that Vitamin D helps | | | | of Vitamin C a day and for women is 75mg. Now |
| protect older women against RA. Recent Studies | | | | by taking a look at just those two certain |
| has also linked deficiencies of Vitamin D to other | | | | vitamins, I find that vitamins do have added |
| disorders such as certain cancers, heart disease, | | | | benefits in fighting RA. The vitamins do this by |
| and diabetes. General population studies indicate | | | | fighting the free radicals (unstable molecules that |
| that about one in three people are Vitamin D | | | | cause damage to cells) associated with the |
| deficient especially during the winter months. The | | | | development of the disease. |
| easiest way to make sure you are getting the | | | | Now to get the benefits of all vitamins, it would |
| proper amount of Vitamin D is through Vitamin | | | | your best option to take a multi-vitamin. I would |
| Supplements. | | | | also like to say that the best multi-vitamin is a |
| Another Study used data from the Iowa's | | | | liquid vitamin instead of the standard capsule/pill. |
| Women Health Study, which followed almost | | | | Not only will you get the full benefits of the |
| 30,000 women, aged 55 to 69, for 11 years. Over | | | | vitamins but the liquid vitamin will work faster |
| the course of those 11 years, the women | | | | because it will absorb into your body quicker. |
| involved were questioned about their eating habits, | | | | I know a 74 yr old lady that has been taking a |
| their use of nutritional supplements and other | | | | liquid vitamin for the past 6 months and says that |
| health related issues. | | | | it has definitely helped to fight her RA. She takes |
| During the test, 152 of the women developed RA. | | | | 2 oz of this vitamin a day. This liquid vitamin has |
| The investigators found that women whose diets | | | | 410mg of Vitamin C per ounce, 1107 IU of |
| were highest in Vitamin D had the lowest | | | | Vitamin D3 per ounce and many more essential |
| incidence of RA. Women who got less than 200 | | | | vitamins and minerals. |
| International Units (IU) of Vitamin D in their diets | | | | |