The influence of alcohol on rheumatoid arthritis depends on many factors, patients should consult their doctor to avoid health risks.
Rheumatoid arthritis is an autoimmune disease in which the body's immune system mistakenly attacks the joints, causing inflammation.
Some studies suggest that small amounts of alcoholic beverages per week may benefit people with rheumatoid arthritis, reducing the risk of developing the disease. While other research shows that drinking alcohol can increase inflammation and make symptoms more severe. Immune cells are cytokines that are involved in inflammation, and excessive alcohol consumption can increase cytokines.
Currently, scientists have not been able to provide clear evidence about the impact of alcohol on rheumatoid arthritis. The influence of alcohol on joint pain and symptoms varies from person to person, depending on many factors such as the medication being used, gender, dosage and frequency of drinking, and type of beer and alcohol.
2018 study on Scandinavian Journal of Rheumatology looked at the impact of alcohol on joint erosion or narrowing of the joint space in the hands, wrists and feet of people with this condition. Researchers found that moderate alcohol consumption can also cause joint erosion in women with the disease, while the opposite is true in men.
However, other research indicates that light to moderate alcohol consumption can reduce cytokine levels, thereby reducing inflammation. 2014 study on Journal of Rheumatology showed that people with rheumatoid arthritis who drank small amounts of beer had better functional status than those who abstained completely. This effect was only noted with beer, not other alcoholic beverages.
This study also shows that drinking in moderation can reduce the risk of developing rheumatoid arthritis. Women in this study who drank 2-4 beers per week had a 31% lower risk of the disease than those who never drank beer.
The researchers still note that the benefit of moderate beer drinking on the risk of developing the disease is small, and warn that drinking too much could increase the risk of the disease or worsen symptoms. .
Drinking too much alcohol is not good for your health. Image: Ha Phuong
A 2019 study published in the journal Arthritis research and care looked at whether there was any association between alcohol consumption and rheumatoid arthritis symptoms. The researchers relied on a semi-annual survey of 17.000 patients.
In people with severe rheumatoid arthritis, data shows that they tend to stop drinking or never drink at all. On the other hand, people with mild illness tend to drink beer and wine regularly, possibly because they do not notice more serious symptoms.
According to the US National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA), moderate drinking is defined as no more than one drink (serving) per day for women and two drinks per day for men. One serving is calculated depending on the type of drink, equivalent to 350 ml of beer, 150 ml of wine, 44 ml of distilled alcohol.
Experts recommend that if you drink alcohol, people with rheumatoid arthritis can stop drinking for a while to monitor whether symptoms improve or not. In addition, this also depends on the impact of alcohol on the medication being treated. Patients should consult a doctor to avoid health risks.
Mr. Ngoc (Follow Very good health)
