Dietary therapy for arthritis.

Patients believe that dietary manipulation may help their arthritic symptoms, and because they have--until recently--not felt that their doctors were interested in diet, they have been vulnerable to commercial exploitation. In the past decade, scientific studies have shown that dietary manipulation may help at least a sub-group of rheumatoid patients. Mechanisms of improvement are understood incompletely, but many theories have been proposed. Further, careful studies are needed so that doctors may understand the subject and advise patients appropriately.