Hey Gals ~ my brother is starting a somewhat vegetarian/vegan diet in hopes to help his arthritis. Is there any "truth" to helping it that you know of? And also where would he best get his protein from?

Thanks so much ~ Gary

Hi Gary – Fancy seeing you around these parts.

After reading The China Study I’m pretty well convinced that there are very few chronic diseases that wouldn’t be improved by switching to a whole foods plant based diet. Eating in this way can have an anti-inflammatory effect, so it makes sense that it could help arthritis. I’ve lent out my copy of The China Study so I can’t reference it right now, but I do believe there was mention of rheumatoid arthritis in the book’s discussion of autoimmune disease.

In any case, it’s a very common misconception that vegetarian diets are somehow inherently protein deficient. Well, like any other diet it’s only protein deficient if you make it so. I eat tofu, tempeh, seitan, and a variety of beans and legumes. There’s also TVP (textured vegetable protein, great for making “meat” sauce for spaghetti, sloppy joes, taco filling, etc.) and a wide variety of “mock meats” available (usually in the freezer section of the store). Whole grains can pack a lot more protein than you’d expect. A half cup serving of barley or quinoa has about 11 g of protein. Breads made with 100% whole wheat usually have around 4 or 5 g protein/slice. Spelt flour contains even more protein and other nutrients like B vitamins, and can be good for people with gluten allergies or sensitivity.

I think the food culture of the US is very protein obsessed. IMO, and from what research I’ve read, if you’re not a body builder and rapidly putting on muscle mass or maintaining a large amount of muscle, getting anywhere from 10 – 20% (depending on the individual) of your calories from protein will likely meet your body’s needs.

There’s a lot of information out there, and if your brother likes to cook this should be a pretty easy and enjoyable transition. Just out of curiosity, did you brother’s doctor tell him to try a vegetarian diet, or did he get the idea from elsewhere? In any case, I wish him luck and hope his arthritis improves soon!

You can't hide from me

Thanks for responding SHANANIGANS ~ My brother is trying out The Hallelujah Diet for his arthiritis. He is just starting it, I have looked it up on the web, but I posted before on 3FC (in diets I think) to see if anyone had tried it.

He was just saying yesterday that he was getting all the protein he needed from spinach and broccli...I was just a little concerned.

I am going to research the info you just gave me, and tell him about the rest of your suggestions and the TVP.

Thanks so much for helping out!

Could not have said it better myself.

Gary, as long as he's eating a diverse vegan diet (and not just 2 or 3 foods) AND meeting an appropriate amount of calories a day he should not have a protein deficiency.

Also, is he eating any cooked foods?

Hey JEN ~I am not exactly sure what he IS eating other than a lot of vegetables and tofu things. He said pretty much No dairy or any processed food, which IF he does it, will be quite incredible for my brother. I will keep you posted with questions as he goes through this.

As far as cooked foods, I know he is juicing, I am not sure if he is cooking his vegetables, the ones he brings to work are not. He is not eating any meat at all. He did say he broke down and had a fast food bean burrito yeaterday (guess that was cooked).

Thanks so much for helping me out...as you always do!