Rheumatoid Arthritis & Gluten Free Diets

Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is an autoimmune disease that causes a painful chronic inflammation of the joints, tissues and other organs in the body. There is no cure, but many people find relief from symptoms and even improvement in their condition when they switch to a gluten-free vegan diet.

What to Avoid

• Eliminate all animal products including beef, pork, poultry, fish dairy products and eggs, as well as grains that contain gluten such as wheat, oats, rye and barley. You may also need to keep a food diary to see if other foods cause a flare-up of your symptoms, with common culprits being corn and legumes. If a diet that restrictive sounds harsh, it may help to note that a study conducted by Johan Frostegard at the Karolinska University Hospital in Stockholm found that patients on a gluten-free vegan diet lost weight and had lower levels of total cholesterol and low-density lipoprotein (the artery-clogging type of cholesterol), as well as higher levels of natural antibodies that counteract damaging compounds in the body that cause symptoms of RA. This is especially important since RA patients have a higher risk of coronary heart disease and more incidents of silent, unrecognized heart attacks and sudden cardiac arrest. (References 2) At the very least, start with the gluten-free portion of the diet, which may be enough, as gluten is frequently linked to RA. If that proves not to help very much, you'll need to cut out the animal products, too.

Foods You Can Eat

• Make a special effort to get enough protein, calcium, iron and vitamins in your diet, which is extra difficult when cutting out gluten and animal products. For protein, include nuts, seeds, legumes, tofu and soy or almond milk. For calcium, consume calcium-enriched tofu, unshelled sesame seeds in the form of sesame milk and calcium-fortified juices or rice milk. For vitamins and minerals, eat plenty of fruit and vegetables, including lots of dark-green leafy vegetables. Healthy fats are also important, such as olive oil and flaxseed oil. Grain substitutes can be used to make baked goods, pasta and pancakes, and many stores now carry gluten-free and vegan items. These are often made from amaranth, buckwheat, millet, sorghum, quinoa, corn, rice, soy flour, bean flour and nut meal. Egg replacer products are also available from many health food stores. Aim for a balance of 10 percent plant protein, 60 percent carbohydrates and 30 percent fat in your daily diet.

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Is Vodka Sauce Okay for Gluten-free Diets?

Gluten-free diets have become more common in recent years due to the rise in awareness about celiac disease. A gluten-free diet prohibits foods with the protein gluten, including wheat, barley and rye. Gluten is often included in foods as an additive for thickening, even if the food is not a traditional wheat product, like bread or pasta. It is vital to always read labels, but most prepared vodka sauces do not contain gluten.

Vodka Sauce Ingredients

• Vodka sauce is simply a marinara, or tomato, sauce blended with cream and vodka. A typical recipe for vodka sauce includes 4 cups of prepared marinara, 1 cup of vodka and 1/2 cup of heavy cream, plus grated Parmesan cheese for thickening, per 1 lb. of pasta. It is always wise to inspect the label of your marinara sauce, but it should include little more than tomatoes and seasoning. With Parmesan cheese to thicken it, vodka sauce is safe for gluten-free diets.

Prepared Vodka Sauces

• Most national brands of prepared pasta sauces offer a gluten-free vodka sauce, including Bertolli, Classico, Emeril's and Rao's Homemade. Newman's Own contains nonfat dried milk, which is gluten-free in its own right, but there is a risk of cross-contamination in the factory. Its presence in the sauce is miniscule, but may still cause a reaction.

• Pitfall: Pasta

• Although vodka sauce is safe for gluten-free diets, the pasta over which it is served is not. The semolina or wheat flour used to make pasta is highly glutenous. Look for a pasta product labeled "gluten-free," or use an alternative like rice, quinoa, polenta or spaghetti squash.

More on Gluten-free Diets

• Gluten hides in many foods that do not appear to be wheat or grain products. People with celiac disease and those who avoid gluten for other health reasons should avoid foods that contain the following: barley, bulgur, durham, farina, graham flour, kamut, matzo meal, rye, semolina, spelt, triticale and wheat. Other possible contaminants from the factory are not listed in the ingredients, but should appear under the label "allergens." Reading labels is the best measure for avoiding hidden gluten.

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What Ice Creams Are Approved for Gluten-free Diets?

Celiacs, or people who cannot tolerate gluten, can find it hard to find foods that suit their health needs. Ice cream is naturally gluten-free, but many modern brands process it in such a way that gluten is introduced into the product. However, several brands offer delicious gluten-free options any celiac can enjoy.

Baskin-Robbins

• Baskin-Robbins is one ice cream company that lists all allergen information in front of each ice cream container. The company also list ice creams that do not contain wheat, but does not point out ice creams with barley, rye or oats, so these ingredients must be determined on a case-by-case basis. Baskin-Robbins' general rule of thumb is that celiacs can eat most of their ice creams but no products in a cone or sandwich because those things contain gluten.

TCBY (The Country's Best Yogurt)

• TCBY also has a list of items prepared without gluten. Many of its ice creams are gluten-free. The only risk with an ice cream parlor like this is cross-contamination, so be sure your server washes off the ice cream scoop before serving you to avoid accidentally putting traces of gluten in your food.

• Trader Joe's

• Trader Joe's has a "No Gluten Ingredients List," and page 4 of this guide declares the ice cream products that are safe for celiacs to eat. Trader Joe's offers a wide selection of frozen desserts, so any celiac should be able to find something he enjoys.

Skinny Cow

• For the celiac interested in maintaining a healthy lifestyle and watching her weight, Skinny Cow ice cream is a smart decision. Look up the list of gluten-free Skinny Cow products online, find some you like and enjoy your healthy dessert.

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