Shape Magazine’s February issue has a tiny article, a paragraph really, about a University of Minnesota study linking gum disease and rheumatoid arthritis (February 2010, page 81).  The study found that people with gum disease are three times as likely to develop RA.

While Shape may not seem like the most reputable source for medical information, the study was also reported at WebMD with a little more of the details.  You can check out that article by clicking here.

Neither the Shape or the WebMD piece give any indication that RA or inflammation is reversible, but none-the-less.  Brushing often, flossing daily and rinsing are always a good idea.

And who knows?  Maybe curing gum disease and preventing future dental problems can lower inflammation in the body.  What’s the worst thing that can happen? Cleaner teeth.

Do you think it’s possible for a person to hit a sort of medical bad luck quota?

So far this year, I’ve sprained an ankle–with a torn ligament, had a questionable mole removed, and racked up a fair share of pre-deductible medical expenses for my RA.  Basically, I’m klutz with bad luck to boot.

Every little medical bump in the road, I think to myself, “Really? Now, what?”

It’s a crummy mindset for sure. But when you’re feeling down, there’s always a reason to stay there.

Point is, I want to be healthy!

Always a frustrating situation.  The meds I’m on compromise my immune system. So if I happen to get sick, it sticks with me longer than it would for others.  If I get a cold sore, I have to go off one of my RA meds or the damn thing will never clear up.

It’s a constant balancing act.  Medicine versus health.  Oh, what an odd series of compromises we make in one lifetime.

What the heck is a nightshade?

The first time I heard the term I had no idea what the person was talking about.

“Nightshade,” she said, “Like tomatoes and eggplant? …They cause swelling.”

“Great, more dietary restrictions,” I thought.  Growing up in a non-Kosher observant Jewish household, I have pretty strong reactions to people telling me what I can and can’t eat… Until they can offer me some sort of empirically deduced proof anyway…

So, who is this masked vegetable anyway?

Nightshades are in the Solanaceae family and are widely used for food, spices and even medicine. Some of my favorite foods are nightshades.  Potatoes, peppers and tomatoes are all in this family.

What’d the potato ever do to you?

The reason these plants aren’t good for us Chronically inclined folks is that they contain Alkaloids, which can be toxic.  Alkaloids from nightshades have been linked to poor joint health, as well as the state of a person’s nervous system.  Basically, alkaloids cause a raised level of inflammation in the body — inflammation is bad for joints but also many other systems — and they can also cause calcium deposits to build up in your joints.  In short, alkaloids are bad for Chronics.

Where do you find Nightshades?

Nightshades are everywhere.  Here’s a short list of common ones:

• Potatoes (not sweet ones)
• Tomatoes
• Peppers (hot and sweet, including paprika, cayenne and bell peppers)
• Eggplant
• Gogi berries
• Paprika
• Tobacco (shocking, nicotine is an alkaloid)
• Petunia (yes, the flower)
• Tomatillos and tamarillos

And even if you decide to cut out all of these foods from your diet, you may not be in the clear.  Processed foods often contain these foods in modified or nondescript forms.  For example, modified food starch is usually made from potatoes. If a processed item has “spices” on the ingredients list, it’s probably packing pepper or paprika (also pepper).  Also, some of the most popular sauces and soups are tomato based–marinara, salsa, chili.   I can’t imagine a world without Mexican food, but it’s chock full of those nasty little, delicious nightshades.

So what’s a nightshade-loving Chronic to do?

According to the Jour­nal of Neu­ro­log­i­cal and Ortho­pe­dic Med­ical Surgery, “Of the 52% rigidly on the diet [with­out night­shades], 94% reported com­plete or sub­stan­tial relief of arthri­tis…” That’s an incredible number, but this Mexican-food-loving Chronic will be the first to admit that it’s not an easy get.  But we do the best we can with the information we have.  So for now, cut what you can, and see if it helps!

Resources:

• Hub Pages, “Nightshades”: http://hubpages.com/hub/nightshades
• Nightshade Free, “Where have you found nightshades?”: http://www.nightshadefree.com/where-have-you-found-nightshades/

The photo above is from passer-by’s Flickr stream.  Good stuff, and not all food shots.

Chronics have to reevaluate who they are in the context of their disease.  It goes back to my first post here, about illness narratives.  Unlike having a cold, the illness story for a chronic becomes part of the life time picture, part of how you view yourself.  Maybe not all the time, but you do have to acknowledge the illness in order to treat it.

The trouble is, if you believe in the Law of Attraction, actively thinking about your disease may be holding you back from your back.

Summarizing the Law of Attraction pretty simply, Maharishi says, “Whatever we put our attention on will grow stronger in our life.”

So how do you balance taking care of yourself and the law of the attraction?

Focus on the positive.  Taking care of yourself is a positive thing.  Attracting health is a positive thing.  When your mind starts to wander towards the negatives, the things you don’t like about your condition, your treatment, try to come back to something positive, like attracting health or perspective.

Image from PaperMonster Stencil Graffiti Artist blog.  Apparently the image is also available as a shirt.