Dietary recommendations of the French Society for Rheumatology for patients with chronic inflammatory rheumatic diseases

Abstract

This article presents the 1st set of dietary recommendations of the French Society for Rheumatology for patients suffering from chronic inflammatory rheumatic diseases (IRD) made by a working group consisting of 12 rheumatology experts, 3 physician nutrition specialists, 1 internal medicine specialist, 1 registered dietician and 3 representatives from patient associations. This group relied on a systematic literature review and on expert opinions, while taking into consideration not only the joint effects of diet in IRD but also the extra-articular ones. Eight general principles and nine recommendations were established. The general principles emphasize that nutritional advice is not a substitute for pharmacological treatment of IRD and that it is an integral part of the patients’ overall care, which could help the patient actively participate in their care. The recommendations propose supporting weight loss in subjects who are overweight or obese, a Mediterranean-type diet and supplementation in polyunsaturated fatty acids, mainly omega-3. Conversely, gluten-free diets (in the absence of celiac disease), vegetarian/vegan diets, fasting and elimination of dairy products should not be proposed. Supplementation with vitamins or trace elements is not indicated for controlling chronic IRD activity, while the use of probiotics or spices is not recommended given the limited or disparate data.