Conjugated Linoleic Acid (CLA)
★★★★☆
When I eat dairy products especially milk and ice cream, I notice my RA DOES act up. When I eat the dairy with one tablet of CLA, my RA DOES NOT seem to act up.
I have found a supporting study that relates my personal experience
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Milk has been anecdotally associated with an exacerbation of arthritic symptoms. A case study presented in the Arthritis and Rheumatism Journal found that some patients have an allergic response to milk that creates inflammation in the joints. Another study published in Arthritis Today magazine found that one compound in milk called conjugated linoleic acid actually reduced inflammation. Patients are advised to eliminate milk for one week to monitor symptom relief. In addition, milk and dairy products are rich sources of calcium and vitamin D which strengthen bones and prevent fractures and other bone concerns for those with osteoarthritis.
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For people whose RA acts up but may desire to eat dairy products, this may be something to experiment with.
As an aside, CLA also does wonders for body fat management but each person is different in when they will respond. It took me nearly 7 months and others respond more very quick.
CLA got removed from the diet when they stopped using grass fed animals.
Copper
| 5 star (1) | 25% | |
| 4 star (1) | 25% | |
| 1 star (1) | 25% | |
 (1) |
25% |
★★★★★
(Florida, Usa)
06/19/2010
years ago, when my grandma was alive i bought her one as a gift and she very much liked it not cause it looked like a bracelet but because she said it worked. At the time i thought she was being kind but my aunt, her care taker said she had commented that it did work! but be sure to inquire what hand it she be on, i heard it makes a difference! sorry, but i bought it at a mall, in a kiosk shop! good luck!
(Aristomenis, Greece)
03/06/2012
Copper bracelets are so simple to make, just go to your local electricity wholesalers and by some 6 or 8mm copper cable, strip off the cover and cut to the lenght of you wrist, you can either make as a single wrap or double or treble, it's your choice to help heal and as a fashion accessory, seal the ends with some solder, job done, enjoy. Good Luck
(Calgary, Alberta)
12/19/2012
My wife tried a copper bracelet, since she had seen her mum use one. The next day the hand with the bracelet on it was swollen and sore. I don't know what happened. The ACV & baking soda and the Magnesium Citrate work best for her. She also takes Potassium, Boron and juices daily. She also eliminated wheat and dairy from her diet. Copper? I can't even think of a reason for it doing anything. Maybe heavy metal poisoning?
(Calgary)
01/23/2013
★☆☆☆☆
WARNING!
Also it should perhaps be mentioned that serum copper levels are usually high in those with RA.
Check out Honkanen V, Konttinen YT, Sorsa T, Hukkanen M, Kemppinen P, Santavirta S, Saari H, Westermarck T: Serum zinc, copper and selenium in rheumatoid arthritis. J Trace Elem Electrolytes Health Dis 1991, 5:261-263.
Also, there has been some success in treating RA with drugs that LOWER copper in the blood. Look at, for example, http://www.medscape.com/viewarticle/510818
So giving copper to a RA patient who is already above normal in copper, is maybe worse than giving them calcium. I would say it is asking for trouble. Two months later the swelling in my wife's hand caused by a copper bracelet still hasn't come down.
Plus, if you really want to experiment with the possibility of destroying your health then just go to some hardware store and get some copper wire and wrap it around your wrists. It will only cost a dollar, instead of the 30 dollars or so for an expensive ornament. But I'd say, don't do that. Resist the temptation to look elegant. Take care of your health instead and don't even think of supplementing copper if you have RA. (Maybe osteo arthritis is different?)
(Roscommon)
10/31/2024
(Planet Earth)
01/13/2016
Copper is very conductive to electrical energy. The body is a walking bio-electrical transmitter and receiver. The copper will facilitate the flow of these electrical fields, focus or disperse them. Copper is also a mineral needed in cell biochemistry. Taste your blood, lick some copper note the similarity.
(Colorado, Usa)
10/19/2017
★★★★☆
Been wearing copper bracelets for years on both wrists, and yes they help, but I still have pain, in fact lately a lot of pain. so I am going to try Hydrogen peroxide and other dietary regimes, any suggestions?? thanks, Professor Sprouts
Hi Anne,
Humans need a balanced Copper/Zinc ratio. When copper level is high, zinc can help lower it and help to normalize the copper/zinc ratio by reducing the amount of copper your body absorbs as discussed here :
Here is a relevant quote from the article :
' Zinc reduces the amount of copper your body absorbs, and high doses of zinc can cause a copper deficiency. For that reason, many doctors recommend that you take 2 mg of copper along with a zinc supplement. '
People with Rheumatoid Arthritis often have low zinc levels as discussed here :
Here is a relevant quote from the study :
' Zinc levels in serum, erythrocytes and hair (in 74 patients with RA and 30 healthy individuals) were assessed by atomic absorption spectroscopy. The mean hair zinc content was significantly lower in RA patients as compared to healthy individuals (p < 0.001). '
Another study adds further confirmation to the idea that people with RA have low zinc levels as discussed here :
https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC7824316/
Here is a relevant quote from the above link :
' It has been known for decades that zinc decreases in the blood of RA patients. '
A decrease in zinc levels, which is typical in RA, can result in higher copper levels and according to the above link, that decreased level of zinc can also result in higher cadmium levels which can result in increased inflammation levels as well as act as a trigger for a specific form of nodular RA as mentioned in the following quote from the above link :
' Remarkably, cadmium exposure through inhalation is now recognized in the activation of macrophages to a pro-inflammatory state and suggested as a trigger of a specific form of nodular RA. '
Two other worthwhile supplements which can help to lower copper levels and promote overall health are Magnesium and Selenium as discussed here :
Here is a relevant article quote :
' Magnesium and selenium supplementation of diets resulted in increased apparent fecal losses of copper while no effect of manganese supplementation was found. '
Certain members of the B vitamin group, B3, B5 and B6 are also useful to help lower copper levels that are too high.
Too much zinc can create a copper deficiency.
This is information you can share with your doctor to help establish an adequate zinc supplementation dose which should be below 50 mg/day as well as an appropriate dose of selenium and magnesium if needed.
Good luck and please keep us posted on your progress!
Art
Cranberries
★★★★★
Cincinnati Lancet and Clinic, p. 280, Volume 29,1892
Dr.J. Hermann ( Wiener med. Presse, No. 26,1892) speaks very highly of cranberries in the treatment of rheumatism, both acute and chronic. This berry has long been employed in popular medicine as an anti-rheumatic remedy. The writer had a case of chronic rheumatism which had resisted the salicylates and all the ordinary remedies. The decoction of cranberries was given, and after a few weeks a striking improvement set in, to be followed by a complete recovery in two months. The remedy was also tried in nine other cases, of which six were acute and three chronic. All these had been treated in vain with the salicylates and the various preparations of iodine, as well as with warm baths. The berry was employed in the form of a decoction, thirty to sixty grammes ( 1 to 2 ounces) of the entire plant-leaves, stalk and root-to 180 grammes (6 ounces) of water. This is drunk in twenty-four hours. The duration of the treatment was from one to three months. Out of the nine patients seven were cured, while in two the remedy failed. In all the nine cases a slight diuretic effect was noticeable. It is advisable to continue the use of the decoction for some time after the disappearance of the symptoms, in order to prevent the appearance of relapses.
How I suggest to use this remedy: Cranberries have anti-inflammatory effects, thanks to their high amounts of antioxidants, especially anthocyanins and flavanols, which give cranberries their dark hue. “Antioxidants have been shown to reduce the risk of certain chronic diseases because they can help lower inflammation in our bodies, ”.
Take a handful of cranberries – 20-30 berries (frozen is OK and the way I use them) and place them into a blender. Add 8 oz. apple cider to blender. Optional but adds potency to the mixture are 1 tsp. Cinnamon, 1 tsp. Ginger powder, 1 tsp. Turmeric powder. Blend mixture til uniformed and drink as a smoothie daily before bedtime. Do this for 1 – 3 months
Dietary Changes
★★★★☆
Dietary Changes
★★★★☆
Dietary Changes
★★★★★
Dietary Changes
★★★★★
Dietary Changes
★★★★★
I still eat meat and fish, but I eliminated grains, dairy, nightshades, beans and nuts. My labs are much better and my anemia is almost gone. My hemoglobin had been an 8 while on the awful RA medicines. Now my hemoglobin is 11.4, it is almost normal. The RA medicines make me anemic. When I am taken off of them for awhile my anemia goes away.
Eat a vegetable salad for a week with some fish or chicken if in a flare and see if your inflammation comes down, it helped my pain levels come down.The juicing of vegetables and fruit is good because more nutrients get into the bloodstream. Eating 2 apples and 5 carrots would be ac hore, but juicing them insures a lot of vitamins and minerals to heal from RA.
I have healed some frozen joints doing this. I had joints that had no range of motion for over a year and then SLOWLY they became loose and started to move again, it is wonderful to see healing, when it felt like there was little hope.
(Fountain Inn, Sc)
09/13/2015
DMSO might help too...Google "60 Minutes Dr. Jacobs DMSO"....a three part series done by Sixty Minutes years ago on the benefits of DMSO. RA is one of the ones discussed.
Dietary Changes
★★★★☆
Dietary Changes
★★★★★
ACV worked for me for about 3 years and gave out. Auto immune diseases are due to bad gut flora which are highly adaptable like superbugs. The answer lies in the diet and not the bandaid solutions listed here to mask pain. For starters cut out white rice and bread and don't take antibiotics, your poisoning is at your grocery and your doctors' offices as revealed by Dr. Natasha Campbell-McBride who has determined the causes of autism and most chronic diseases are in the gut. This should be front page news and instead I have not seen a complete regimen anywhere to get healthy and had to develop my own. Good luck.
Dietary Changes
★★★★★
Dietary Changes
★★★★★
Dietary Changes
★★★★☆
Dietary Changes
★★★★★
The first thing i did was get rid of all salt sugar preservatives and bleached flour. Within 3 months, i was no longer taking pain killers and my medicine was less.
I continue the diet although i do eat some sugar lol but I don't eat preservatives.
I eat whole grains, beans, lentils, split peas, etc, and fruit and vegetable and a little meat. I stay away from bacon and cold cuts because of the preservatives. I do not have much joint pain now if ever i'm off most arthritis medicine and i no longer take pain killers at all.
Ya see, arthritis swells the joints and salt and preservatives swell the joints, so if you take them with the rheumatoid arthristis your kicking yourself in the butt and giving yourself added pain. The extra swelling causes irritation and sets the inflamation into motion, so it is very important not to eat any preservatives and little salt. Don't eliminate all salt completely. I don't use salt when i cook or eat, but if i have a craving for salt, i indulge it because i need the salt. If you want to use salt use kelp or sea salt. When you look at labels you will be amazed at the amount of salt in products. I do not eat store bread.
Dietary Changes, Apple Cider Vinegar, Herbs
★★★★★
And I tell you there is not just One remedy that will cure you. Please understand this is my story and my own theory!
Arthritis is caused by certain types of natural bacteria that is found in Meat! And it is due to the way we process our meats. No matter if it is beef, chicken or frog legs. These bacteria are found in the stomach linings of animals. Their digestive tracts. And since they are natural to the animal they can live in us but with complications. Pig meat contains so much uric acid, due to the pigs kidneys, and it seeps into all parts of their meat. Which is very bad for gout! These bacteria live in the linings of humans just like they do in animals. Our bodies attack the lining because it is trying to get rid of the bacteria. And they can travel deep to the bone and beyond because everything in our body has a lining of some sort. Getting rid of them is not easy. You can live with them but it will cause damage continually, no matter what. So you must get rid of the bacteria and eliminate the cause.
I no longer eat beef, pork, chicken, frog legs, etc. I do not consume dairy products. I do not drink soft drinks, caffeine or alcohol or acid drinks. I do not eat dark green veggies. I keep my consumption of yeast products to a very minimum. No prepackaged foods, no white sugar and I lowered my acidic protein count.
This all took time! Trust me, it was not easy. I was a meat and potatoes girl! You must create an environment where the bacteria can not live. Which means changing the PH of your body and keeping it that way. Easier said than done, however it can be done.
These are the things I used along the way.
ACV and honey with water-2 Tablespoons of ACV with 1 tablespoon of honey. Sometimes this caused me to have heartburn! But it did get rid of pimples on my face caused by too much acid in diet.
Black walnut leave tea- changes the PH and is great for uric acid build up from meats. 1-4 Tablespoons of B.W.L in a cup and pour boiling water on it, cover and steep for 20-30 minutes, strain and drink hot. If you have infection put 1 Teaspoon of Echinacea root powder with it.
Horsetail (Shavegrass) tea- It is rich in Silicon which repairs all parts of the body and aids the circulation. 2-3 Tablespoons of herb to a cup of boiling water (as above) and steep for 25 minutes, strain and drink hot.
Comfrey tea- A wonder herb that contains A,C,calcium,potassium,sulphur,copper,zinc and 18 amino acids. I use to put it with my black walnut tea. 1-2 teaspoons. All my teas are made the same. I use to boil them but not anymore. That was good for some things which would take too long to explain.
Corn silk tea- Rich in Vitamin K which every arthritic needs. Protects the kidneys and bladder due to all the acids, and is a mild diuretic. A handful of silks to a cup of tea. Steep for 30 minutes.
There are a few more but these were the best.
Today I use my juicer to make Celery and Cucumber juice to keep my body clean and keep the PH where it needs to be. 3-4 celery stalks and 1 cucumber. It makes a full glass of juice. Drink every morning. This flushes toxins from the body greatly.
I drink 3-5 cups of Miso a week. White or red miso that I get on line. This flushes a great deal of toxins, from cigarettes to radiation!
Watermelon- This is excellent way to flush acids from your body but it will flush all medications as well, just like cantaloupe so be aware of this. You may end of having to take more medication if you are on meds.
I eat some seafood and white fish, but no bottom feeding fish. I eat tofu in smoothies and sweeten them with real maple syrup. I use raw sugar without getting infections. I eat yellow, white and lite green veggies. I use a great deal of red bell pepper and eat a lot of homemade soups. I eat jasmine rice, potatoes,grits,eggs,cornbread and even homemade hot salsa occasionally. I eat organic blue chips and I am making my way to more and more raw foods with the help of Dr. Wigmores books. I used only raw foods for a week and I thought my energy would go through the roof! I am still working on that one! Change is a mental game!!
There is way too much information to put here but I think you get the picture of understanding. If I can help any of you in any way feel free to contact me. I will do my best to help in any way I can.
I hope this helps in some way.
(Thousand Oaks, Ca, Usa)
03/08/2010
Kudos to you Windy!
I too have suffered unbelievable physical pain for the last 4 years. I have gone through all sorts of paths but the one that was the clincher was when I started to juice daily back in early Oct of '09. I started because of reading about the mini beet protocol here on EC. That led me to a raw food journey and cutting out all dairy, pasta, bread and meat. Voila! No more pain and instantly, I might add. I am still eating lots of raw veggies (and even went to a fantastic rawfood festival here in LA yesterday meeting lots of people who recovered their health through this) Since Dec., I have slowly added back in homemade soups since I felt the need for something warming when it got cold ;) here. I have continued to not eat any dairy, pasta or bread. Have had only the smallest amount of meat but with no reaction in pain. Still, I have embraced the vegan way and am loving the way I feel. Lots of energy, feeling clean and oh! to not be in pain. Through the experience though, I have learned compassion for people in pain. I am 53 and up until this turn of events was in very good physical shape having been a dancer all my life so in all other respects was what I considered healthy. I really hope this info helps others.
Oh and Windy, you can watch Brian Clement speak who took over Ann Wigmore's work many years ago including her healing center. I learn so much from him. Watch him on youtube- there is a lot of footage of him giving very valuable advice, research, clinical results, etc. Since listening to him we have added in lots of sprouts and sea veggies to our diet.
Stay healthy everyone, Lisa
(Morison, Tn)
05/17/2010
★★★★★
To Phoenix,
Thank you for the interest. Let me say there is a place for everything at certain times, even a steak, if you have not been able to accomplish the protein intake required due to being unable to eat! There is a difference between a Cure and Managing your Arthritis. If you want to manage, you change your diet drastically. If you want to Cure the disease you must kill the bacteria or flush it out! It is the only way. A cure will be hard core and Great discipline will be needed. Most of us have to work up to this. We have to convince ourselves it works and it is worth it. Supplements contain so many buffers that prevent absorption, so if you need to take supplements for a while try to get pharmaceutical grade. I have a problem with my Thyroid which means I lose my appetite sometimes if my discipline falls away. We have to protect the body at all cost. Just because you do not have pain does not mean you have stopped the damage! The body's environment must be changed so that certain bacteria can not live there. This is the Cure. And it is easier said than done! Our own Enzymes can help us do this. Our problem is our bodies do not produce enough of these enzymes to do the trick, so we replace them with Raw Foods that give us this ability. Grain sprouts ground in a blender with some Tofu and Pear does this beautifully. Once a day, every day! This starts your body off right. You have the enzymes and the proper PH and the pear helps to adsorb everything. I am far from being Cured, however the way I look at life and Feel about life has helped my body cope. This change came from better nutrition, not from being pain free! When I need to I drink carrot juice or what ever. The dark green veggies are too acidic (they run Hot)and if your body gets to a point of being very sensitive you will be able to feel this. I have been so bad that I went to 98 lbs. due to not being able to eat. I am 5'8 and weigh 130-135 lbs. Coming back from that you Feel everything that goes into your body and what it does. I have tested the greens on occasion and I am convinced and do not have to prove it to my self anymore! I adore polebeans, but.... The whole world could use a good cleansing with celery and cucumber! The body must be cleansed and fed and in that order. Give your self the vitamins from food first then the minerals. Minerals at nite will help you sleep better. Starch at nite will do the same thing. Eat for digestion and absorption. A purist will kill themselves in the process. We live in a dirty world so the body must be able to fight and fight hard so we must put the things in our body that will allow our body to fight and to relax. Please make No mistake about it, this Disease can Kill you and it is not to be taken lightly as I did for so many years. It is what they do not tell you that you must come to understand. I did not believe them when they told me my RA would get worse and I would end up crippled. I try now to prove them wrong, that I can undo what has been done and only time will tell. Four years ago my hands started sweeping to the outside. Two years ago the last three fingers on both hands curled shut. Two years ago I had a good diet and today I have a better one, which includes raw foods and raw juices which has allowed the curled fingers to open 2 inches from my hand instead of being closed completely. My second finger on my right hand is more open than the rest so I must be doing something right and I am still pain free. I have Severe RA because of what I did not believe! I did construction, maintenance,and house cleaning for a living. I use to pick up a 4x8 sheet of plywood without problem and pick up a 5 gal. buckets of paint in each hand and run up ladders with them! I worked 10-16 hours a day and loved it. Now I have very little disk in my vertebra, I have no cushion in my wrist, fingers, elbows, knees, hips or ankles. They say I should not be upright, but I am. So if you have use of your limbs, be Grateful and do not do as I did in the past. Do better than I and be well and healthy. My heart goes out to all who suffer in any way. And I tell All of you, It does not have to be that way. Be strong and be Faithful to yourself. Find something to live for and push for, and find support when and if needed. I take 150mg of Indocin a day and my body is addicted to it. I have been on medication for 13 years due to slowing down from a herniated disk which took a year to heal because I refused to be put down. I have tried all the medications out there and now the Dr.s allow me to choose my medication. I know my body better than they do. Today I can get away with missing 3 days of meds before the the pain starts. Yesteryear I had to take my meds before I got out of bed to be able to get out of bed. For my severity I have made Great progress. I have worked with people recently diagnosed and had them pain free in a few short months including two vegans with RA! Their parents ate meat and so it contaminates the gene pool. Everything you put in your body affect your genes, cells, skin, attitude, etc.. I have very little swelling today and my goal is no swelling at all. Discipline is the hardest thing to Master, especially as we get older. Quality of life becomes an issue.
Your tongue against the roof of the mouth will work well for you because you have apparently made an agreement with your body that this is one way to tell you if the food is well for you. That is great. I stand as a medical Intuitive today. If I desire to know about my food all I have to do is ask internally and I get my answer. But not everyone can do this, although everyone Is capable of it. I use to help people obtain their own Intuitive Nature. I live a very modest life today on 30 acre's with a beautiful river running thru my property. It has helped me a great deal. I no longer party all the time. I quit drinking years back. This Disease has changed me a great deal. I am more even keel, not rushed, refuse to play the games of the world and speak my mind when needed! I find it very freeing! Stuffed Emotions will make you hurt and can and will Kill you. Take care of Mind, Body , and Soul! I want to Live...I want to Live the way I want to and this disease has taught me how to do just that. It is just too bad that I had to suffer so to understand and have my Will broken to that point. Iron makes Great Gold, so they say!!! And today I am not so Rusty inside!
I can only offer one more thing, BE THE LOVE THAT YOU ARE AND BE STRONG ABOUT IT. LET NO ONE, OR NO THING TAKE IT FROM YOU. Work with the flow of all things and you Will succeed.
With love from TN
Windy
p.s. I will check out Brian Clements today sometime. Thank you for the info.
(Chicago Ill)
09/14/2015
Hi Wendy,
Read your post twice, I was impressed to see the result and your dedication, I just turned 40 and since few years dealing with excess calcium in my body, Had great biopsy and came as fibroadenoma and after that a bone spur in my neck and now RA symptoms in my arms and toes and whole body hurts now and then but that is not bad, Hate to take any meds and now I'm sick and tired of pain and agony 24 hrs, please advice me a help me.
Thank you for the Answer
(Brockton, Ma)
05/04/2016
Interesting. I have had pain in feet, shoulders, now legs and knees and some arm pain and hands on an off. I just can't figure what it is. I'm juicing now carrots, canteloupe, ginger, apples and orange. I also take turmeric, d3, ACV pills still not much change. I could use some answers.
I'm 60 and been in great health all my life and only since last year has this pain started.
Looking for the right combination of herbs etc to fight this thing.
Thanks, Bill
(Tennessee)
05/04/2016
Dear Bill (Brockton, MA)
Wow, you are doing a lot of great things. It would be discouraging to not see progress with so many things you are doing.
I would consider trying milk kefir and nettle. Those are the two things that seemed to turn my daughter around when she was dealing with possible RA and asthma. She has neither now.
You say you were in great health until last year...what happened last year? Did you move or have some illness? I am just wondering if there was a trigger to this for you.
I am hoping others here will have some ideas for you.
(New Zealand)
10/28/2017
I suspect with excess calcium in the body that a simple solution is getting Vitamin D levels checked or 25OHD, as too little vitamin D will cause the parathyroid to be one hyperactive which causes calcium to be taken from bone into the blood increasing the chances of excess calcium in joints, kidney stones etc. Solution: get out in the sun more and take D3 during winter.
