Olive Oil and Nuts in Rheumatoid Arthritis Disease Activity
De Vito R, Fiori F, Ferraroni M, Cavalli S, Caporali R, Ingegnoli F, Parpinel M, Edefonti V · Nutrients · 2023 February 15
DOI 10.3390/nu15040963
Objective
To investigate the relationship between consumption of olive oil and nuts and disease activity among patients with rheumatoid arthritis, including differences according to disease severity and duration.
Conclusions
Higher consumption of olive oil and nuts was associated with lower rheumatoid arthritis disease activity, particularly among patients with more severe or long-standing disease, with the most consistent favorable effects observed for olive oil.
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Insights
Higher consumption of olive oil and nuts, particularly in severe or long-duration cases, tends to favorably impact rheumatoid arthritis disease activity.
This research was based on a cross-sectional study of 365 participants from Italy, predominately female and with a median age of 58.46 years. The focus was on their consumption of two types of foods: olive oil and nuts, both of which are vegetable sources of fatty acids. The amount consumed was grouped into tertiles. The study assessed rheumatoid arthritis disease activity using tools such as the Disease Activity Score on 28 joints based on C-reactive protein and the Simplified Disease Activity Index. Linear and logistic regression methods were utilized, while also taking into account several other variables possibly influencing the outcome. This process included carrying out stratified analyses based on disease severity or duration.
The consumption of both olive oil and nuts indicated a beneficial effect on disease activity. This impact was found to be particularly significant in the case of olive oil, showing a stronger effect on more severe or long-lasting forms of rheumatoid arthritis. The more severe and long-lasting the rheumatoid arthritis, the more significant the impact of consuming these foods was. This suggests that those with more severe cases of rheumatoid arthritis may benefit most from higher consumption of olive oil, olives, and nuts.
