I think you know after reading my blog for some time I have a sneaking suspicion (based on real science) diet is one of the key factors for “Health As It Ought To Be.”

Check out some of the articles I’ve written by searching “Standard American Diet” in the search bar or click here to read an article on diet.

I firmly believe what you eat affects how you feel. It can even determine your total health.

Fortunately, new studies are confirming this to be true every single day.

Like a study conducted by researcher Dr. Bing Lu, an assistant professor of medicine at Brigham and Women’s Hospital and Harvard Medical School in Boston, where he and his team made the first ever discovery between rheumatoid arthritis and diet.

Rheumatoid arthritis is an auto-immune disease whose exact causes are yet to be determined. It afflicts women at a greater rate than men and causes severe swelling and pain in the joints and can eventually lead to deformity.

Until this study there was very little evidence to support the idea that diet in any way contributed to the formation of this debilitating condition.

But, as you might guess, there’s some seriously good news concerning the relationship between the two.

Any guesses as to what they found?

I won’t keep you in suspense.

Lu and his team determined after studying some 94,000 women ranging in age from 25 to 42 that those who ate a Standard American Diet (SAV) were more likely to develop rheumatoid arthritis. The SAV consists of processed foods, processed meats, red meat, high-fat dairy products, sugar and sweets, fried foods and refined grains.

Lu tracked these women for 20 years (1991-2011), having them report on their diet every 4 years. At the conclusion of the period, 351 women had developed rheumatoid arthritis.

Those who ate a “healthier diet” consisting of fruits, vegetables, legumes, whole grains, poultry and fish were less likely to develop the condition.

Now, of course, this research doesn’t yet establish a direct cause and effect relationship, but it definitely provides some significant clues about diet and rheumatoid arthritis.

And their study isn’t the only one to observe this correlation.

Another study done by the same research team was able to make a similar observation. “In the other study, the same research team analyzed other data from the women’s study and found that following the Dietary Guidelines for Americans can lower the risk of developing rheumatoid arthritis. Those guidelines are intended to help people make informed food choices and be physically active to maintain a healthy weight and reduce their risk of chronic disease.“

And while this research needs further review and ultimately has to be subjected to peer review, it’s still of note and confirms what I’ve found to be true about auto-immune diseases and diet.

That’s probably why the evidence is being presented at the American College of Rheumatology’s annual meeting in San Francisco.

I feel it’s safe to say that when you treat your body like a fancy car and look to only put in the best gasoline and the best motor oil, you’re going to get the kind of performance out of it you want and deserve.

At the end of the day, eating clean and eating health definitely lessens your chances of becoming sick from conditions caused exclusively by diet.