Nutrition
Dietary management of rheumatoid arthritis
Green-cabbage
In this new chapter, we will be discussing how we can manage rheumatoid arthritis with our diet.
Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is an autoimmune inflammatory disease of the joints. Autoimmune means that the body’s disease fighting system attacks the person’s own body cells.
The main cause is unknown. Rogue molecules cause the cartilage to break down, and the result is throbbing, warm, stiff, and swollen joints. Over time, it even exceeds the joints and damage the bones.
Rheumatoid arthritis is more common in women and has several features that makes it different from other kinds of arthritis. For example, a person with rheumatoid arthritis may feel tired, have occasional fevers, and generally not feel well. And unlike osteoarthritis, pain and stiffness is worse in the morning while pain and swelling of osteoarthritis is worse in the evening.
Management is mostly pain medications and immunosuppressant but the role of diet cannot be over looked.
Foods to include
Anthocyanin rich foods such as; red grapes, cranberries, cherries and cabbage.
Copper rich foods such as; crab, mushroom, spinach, and beans.
Omega-3 fatty acid rich foods such as; salmon, flaxseed, anchovies, and sardines.
Vitamin E rich foods such as; almonds, avocado, red bell peppers, and peanut butter.
Foods to avoid
Red meat such as; beef, mutton, and chevon.
Gluten containing products such as; wheat.
Refined carbohydrates and processed foods such as; pastries, certain cereals, and white rice.
Lifestyle modification
Modifying our lifestyle from a predominantly sedentary lifestyle to incorporating exercises like going for walks, jogging, and riding bicycles, as well as avoiding late-night high-calorie meals, excessive alcohol intake, and cigarette smoking will serve to prolong our healthy life and prevent rheumatoid arthritis from being our burden.
In conclusion, rheumatoid arthritis can be difficult to cope with psychologically, due to its autoimmune nature. But let us always remain steadfast with the simple ways of managing it; a balanced diet rich in anti-inflammatory nutrients, alongside regular exercise and healthy lifestyle choices, will help manage symptoms and reduce the impact of rheumatoid arthritis.
The writer Dr Bernice Korkor Asare is the CEO of Holistic Health Consult
“Your diet your health, your health your wealth”
E-mail: holistichealthconsultgh@gmail.com
Soya beans is a highly nutritious plant-based food with several health benefits:
-Rich source of protein
-Contains all nine essential amino acids, making it a complete protein.
-Helpful for vegetarians and vegans as an alternative to animal protein.
-Supports muscle growth and repair.
– Heart Health
-Helps lower cholesterol levels
-Contains healthy unsaturated fats and fibre that support cardiovascular health
-Can be part of a heart-friendly diet
-Bone health
-Provides calcium (in fortified soy products), magnesium, and protein
-Soy isoflavones may help maintain bone density, especially in postmenopausal women
– May help manage menopausal symptoms
-Contains natural compounds called isoflavones (phytoestrogens)
-Some women experience reduced hot flashes and other menopausal symptoms with soy consumption
-Supports weight management
-High protein and fibre content can increase fullness and reduce hunger
-May help with maintaining a healthy weight
-Good for blood sugar control
-Has a low glycemic index
-Protein and fibre can help stabilise blood sugar levels
Ghana has nutrition policies. Ghana has nutrition targets. Ghana has nutrition programmes spread across multiple ministries and dozens of implementing partners.
What Ghana does not have is a single, empowered body responsible for leading, coordinating, and holding all this together. That is the gap a National Nutrition Council would fill, and stakeholders are calling for one now.
The case for a council
At a stakeholder engagement convened under the Nourish Ghana project in 2025, participants proposed the establishment of a National Nutrition Council to provide effective leadership and a governance framework for addressing malnutrition in Ghana. The meeting, which brought together policymakers, development partners, civil society organisations, and the media, highlighted a fundamental problem: nutrition responsibilities are fragmented across various ministries. Without a dedicated coordination body, efforts are duplicated, accountability is diffuse, and nutrition consistently loses out when budgets are tight.
The proposal echoes a model used in several countries that have made the fastest progress against malnutrition. Nigeria’s National Council on Nutrition, for example, recently pledged $107 million at the 2025 N4G Summit, a level of coordinated ambition that Ghana has struggled to match.
Ghana does have existing coordination structures worth acknowledging. The Scaling Up Nutrition Cross-Sectoral Planning Group (CSPG), established in 2012, was set up to harmonise planning, implementation, and monitoring of nutrition actions across sectors. It has produced real gains. But the challenge has been institutionalising those gains beyond project cycles, and analysts have called for an elevated national coordination body with presidential oversight to ensure genuine cross-sector accountability. A National Nutrition Council would go further, providing the dedicated financing and convening authority that the CSPG, as currently structured, does not have.
What a Council would do
A National Nutrition Council would provide political oversight and coordination across all sectors involved in nutrition, health, agriculture, education, social protection, and finance. It would track Ghana’s nutrition commitments, hold ministries accountable for delivery, and ensure that nutrition budgets are protected and spent effectively. Most importantly, it would give nutrition a permanent seat at the table where national development decisions are made.
The Time Is Now
Ghana made 10 commitments at the 2025 N4G Paris Summit. Translating those commitments into results requires a governance structure that does not currently exist. Establishing a National Nutrition Council is not a bureaucratic exercise. It is the institutional foundation without which Ghana’s nutrition ambitions will remain promises on paper. Leaders must act on this proposal without delay.
Feature article by Women, Media and Change under its Nourish Ghana: Advocating for Increased Leadership to Combat Malnutrition project
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