Rheumatoid arthritis is a crippling disease that affects young and old alike. Although there is no cure for this autoimmune disorder, there are a variety of treatment options, ranging from medication, to natural remedies, to lifestyle changes. Read on to learn more about rheumatoid arthritis, including symptoms, treatment options, and more.

Juvenile rheumatoid arthritis is marked by pain, stiffness and swelling of joints, affecting those under 16 years of age. Fortunately, the problem has low occurrence, as only about 1 out of 10,000 children report the disease. It appears in one of three forms; pauciarticular (less than four joints affected), polyarticular (four or more joints affected), and systemic-onset (inflamed joints with high fever and rash).

Despite encouraging medical advance, diet therapy is still an appealing way to control juvenile rheumatoid arthritis. It is a promising solution for the young ones with the early diagnosis of the problem. Therapy is an effective diet plan which controls symptoms like inflammation and pain, besides, contributing to the overall wellness of the child.

Several diets hold the promise to relieve or prevent arthritic symptoms. The effective dietary approaches use fasting, vegan diets and elimination diets. The fasting diet comprises of periods of only juice and water. Vegan diet brings everything, except the animal derived products, while the elimination diet restricts foods supposed to cause joint inflammation and hyper active immune reaction. Vegan diet is designed to meet all the nutritional requirements of the child.

Particular foods and nutrients are really exceptional for treating rheumatoid arthritis. For instance, omega-3 fatty acids containing foods are helpful in reducing inflammation. They are involved in decreasing pro-inflammatory cytokine level. Different fish types including salmon, albacore tuna, lake trout, herring, sardines and mackerel are good sources of this helping agent. In addition, several plant-based sources such as flaxseed, flaxseed oil, walnuts and canola oil are good for it.

Mineral, vitamins and anti-oxidants play a significant role in controlling arthritis symptoms. Try to include fruits, vegetable and whole grain food in your diet. Intake of calcium-rich foods, such as low-fat dairy products improves bone health, making it stronger and resistant.

Put your child on the Mediterranean diet, having a low content of red meat and a high content of olive oil. Olive oil is good for inhibiting lymphocyte proliferation, natural killer cell activity, adhesion molecule expression on lymphocytes and the production of pro-inflammatory cytokines.

Some foods are strictly prohibited in juvenile rheumatoid arthritis. Citrus fruits, for example, generally aggravate the symptoms. Wheat and other rough grain products also may elicit severe allergic reaction in such patients enhancing the production of pro-inflammatory agents causing pain and swelling. Diet therapy is a mild, least risky but exceptionally effective way of treating juvenile rheumatoid arthritis.