A study of 1,388 women with hand arthritis, average age [of] 61, showed that they had higher levels in their colons of the bacteria Bilophila and Desulfovibrio that try to invade their colon cells, as well as a lower level of the genus Roseburia that do not invade colon cells (Arthritis Rheumatol, March 2021).
An anti-inflammatory lifestyle has been shown to help grow healthful bacteria in your colon, which can help to treat rheumatoid arthritis (J. Rheumatol, 2008;35(8):1477-9). If you have rheumatoid arthritis or any other type of arthritis, anti-inflammatory lifestyle habits should be an important part of your treatment program. For many years, exercise has been recommended as part of the treatment for rheumatoid arthritis, and a recent summary of studies confirms that vigorous exercise is beneficial (Arthritis & Rheumatology, April 2019). An anti-inflammatory diet high in plants and low in meat and sugar (Rheum Dis, 2017;76(8):1357-64), and weight control (Arthritis Res Ther, 2015;17:86), also reduce symptoms of rheumatoid arthritis.
