Reader, Traditionally trained doctors don't know what to make of rheumatoid arthritis (RA).
Many will tell you this autoimmune disease is hereditary. It isn't.
All of them will say its effects are irreversible. That's not true either.
Sadly, most doctors still don't understand the link between autoimmune diseases like RA and our toxic Western diet.1
The common thread between all autoimmune diseases is inflammation.
Today, almost all people on the planet are inflamed thanks to a modern diet that includes inflammation-friendly ingredients like refined sugars, grains, and processed carbohydrates.
And now, there is proof that these toxic foods are inflaming your joints by damaging your gums.
Let me explain…
Recent research from the Netherlands connected the early stages of RA with high levels of two different kinds of oral bacteria – Prevotella and Veillonella.
These pro-inflammatory bacteria are the prime culprits that cause gum disease and tooth decay.2,3
You see, changes in your mouth's microbiome have a profound effect on the microbial makeup of your gut.
As you know, 80% of your immune system lives in your gut.
These changes in the oral microbiome trigger your gut microbiome to launch an inflammatory immune response by forming protein antibodies.
These antibodies attack the bones and joints of RA patients.
Big Pharma's solution is to treat you with immunosuppressive drugs such as Humira, Remicade, and Enbrel.
These "biologics" work by weakening your immune system. This greatly increases your risk of developing serious infections like pneumonia, urinary tract infections, and the flu.
You're also likely to get a prescription for corticosteroids.
But these anti-inflammatories also come with a long list of side effects. This includes a significantly higher risk of blood clots, bone fractures, cartilage loss, nerve damage, and osteoporosis.4,5
At the Sears Institute, we don't prescribe these drugs. I don't believe in attacking your immune system even further.
Instead, I help my patients heal inflammation with hyperbaric oxygen therapy (HBOT). Fight RA By Banishing Inflammation HBOT is simply breathing in 100% oxygen under higher pressure than we normally do. And it works by healing inflammation.
Let me explain…
When your immune system functions properly, inflammation is your body's response to injuries and infections. Normally, your immune response is quick and your body goes back to normal.
But, with autoimmune diseases, the inflammation never goes away. It becomes the new normal.
These inflamed areas block the flow of oxygen. That slows down the healing process.
However, HBOT saturates your body's fluids and tissues with oxygen. It floods your cells with it. And the high pressure in the HBOT chamber also stimulates the growth of new capillaries to restore circulation.
That's just what you need to fight an autoimmune disease like RA.
In a recent study published in the Journal of Clinical Rheumatology, 10 RA patients received 30 HBOT treatments over a period of six to 10 weeks.
Follow-up tests at the 3- and 6-month period confirmed considerably less severity of symptoms, lower C-reactive protein (a marker for inflammation), and a "significant decrease in pain."6
A second study determined that HBOT therapy in RA patients resulted in "decreased joint pain, increased activity level, improvement in sleeping patterns and possibly a decreased need for standard rheumatologic medications, effectively reducing or avoiding the effects of immunosuppression [drugs]."7
I've successfully used HBOT therapy at the Sears Institute for Anti-Aging Medicine for years. 2 More Ways To Ease RA Pain And Protect Your Gums To further extinguish the pain and protect your joints, here's what I recommend: - Discover the anti-arthritis effects of K2. Vitamin K2 can improve both arthritis and gum health by activating osteocalcin. This protein is crucial for bone and tooth health and reduces inflammation in RA patients.
A recent study in the European Journal of Pharmacology proves vitamin K2 is effective in treating RA.8 Doctors gave one group of RA patients 100 mcg of vitamin K2 every day in addition to their RA medications. Another group just received drugs.
After three months, the K2 group had significantly lower inflammation and other signs of RA. They also had higher levels of osteocalcin. And unlike the drugs, there were no toxic side effects of the vitamin.
Sadly, the modern Western diet is deficient in vitamin K2. But you can get plenty of K2 by eating primal foods like our ancestors did. Good choices include grass-fed meats and organ meats, egg yolks, grass-fed whole milk, and traditionally cultured cheeses like Gouda and Brie.
Vitamin K2 supplements come in several different forms called menaquinones. Look for MK-7. That's the form used in the most recent RA study. It is much more bioactive and stays active longer, so it has time to build up in your blood.
Take 45 to 90 mcg of vitamin K2 per day. And it's fat-soluble, so take it with a meal to improve absorption.
- Supplement with curcumin. I call curcumin the "Golden Miracle." It has more than 615 health benefits, supported by almost 7,000 studies.
But it's best known as a powerful anti-inflammatory. In fact, studies show it reduces arthritis joint pain by 60% and joint swelling by 73%. Another clinical trial found it was more effective than prescription strength NSAID.
Curcumin also has antibacterial properties. These help to reduce the growth of harmful bacteria – including P. gingivalis – that cause gum disease. Studies have shown that curcumin can decrease gum bleeding and inflammation, as well as eliminate plaque in people with periodontal disease.9,10
Look for a supplement that contains piperine. This black pepper extract boosts absorbency by 2,000%.
I recommend taking between 500 and 1,000 mg twice a day.
To Your Good Health, 
Al Sears, MD, CNS
References: - Rashid T, et al. "The link between ankylosing spondylitis, Crohn's disease, Klebsiella, and starch consumption." Clin Dev Immunol. 2013; 2013: 872632.
- Kroese JM, et al. "Differences in the oral microbiome in patients with early rheumatoid arthritis and individuals at risk of rheumatoid arthritis compared to healthy individuals." Arthritis Rheumatol. 2021 Nov;73(11):1986-1993.
- Kronzer VL and Davis JM. "Etiologies of rheumatoid arthritis: update on mucosal, genetic, and cellular pathogenesis." Curr Rheumatol Rep. 2021 Mar 1;23(4):21.
- Waljee AK, et al. "Short term use of oral corticosteroids and related harms among adults in the United States: population-based cohort study." BMJ 2017; 357:j1415
- Kompel A, et al. "Intra-articular corticosteroid injections in the hip and knee: perhaps not as safe as we thought?" Radiology. 2019 Dec;293(3):656-663.
- Sit M, et al. ""The effects of hyperbaric oxygen on rheumatoid arthritis: a pilot study." J Clin Rheumatol. 2021 Dec 1;27(8):e462-e468.
- Slade J, et al. "Pain improvement in rheumatoid arthritis with hyperbaric oxygen: report of three cases." Undersea Hyperb Med. 2016 Jul-Aug;43(4):467-472.
- Abdel-Rahman M, et al. "Menaquinone-7 as a novel pharmacological therapy in the treatment of rheumatoid arthritis: A clinical study." Eur J Pharmacol. 2015;761:273–278.
- Asteriou E, et al. "Curcumin for the management of periodontitis and early acpa-positive rheumatoid arthritis: Killing two birds with one stone." Nutrients.2018 Jul 16;10(7):908.
- Bhatia M, et al. "Novel therapeutic approach for the treatment of periodontitis by curcumin." J Clin Diagn Res. 2014 Dec 5;8(12):ZC65–ZC69.
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