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| Like most American physicians, Fuhrman knew it was "preposterous" to think that anything as simple as diet might help arthritis. Still, he was willing to experiment. The patient went on a medically supervised fast and her arthritis disappeared. Such dramatic improvements with fasting are so common that many researchers recommend short-term fasting for rapid pain relief and temporary remission of nearly all arthritic conditions. |
| After her supervised fast, Dr. Fuhrman's patient became a vegetarian. Fuhrman reported that five months later she was still on the vegetarian diet and free of symptoms. |
| The advantage of experimenting with one's diet is that it's easy and inexpensive. If going without cer-tain foods will reduce inflammation and pain, the out-come is often apparent within days. Everyone's systemand illnessis different. The connections between diet and inflammatory illness are so well-established that anyone can explore them and expect at least partial relief. |
| Some people with arthritis are sensitive to members of the nightshade family, which includes tomatoes, potatoes, eggplant, peppers and tobacco. These plants contain solanine, a chemical that inhibits an enzyme which is active in muscle and joint movement. The nightshade elimination diet is controversial, but most arthritis researchers agree that at least some peoplefrom one in three to one in tenare affected by these plants. |
| Bell peppers and chili peppers, whether red, yel- |
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