The Cause Of Autoimmune Diseases Like Rheumatoid Arthritis Could Be In Your Fridge

Exciting news from the University of Central Florida for those who are genetically predisposed to rheumatoid arthritis. Analyzing a strain of bacteria common among cows, called Mycobacterium avium subspecies paratuberculosis or MAP, a link has been made with rheumatoid arthritis. This finding has led researchers to warn their patient’s against the consumption of cow’s milk and beef, which can carry MAP bacteria. (1)

What Is Rheumatoid Arthritis?

A chronic autoimmune disease, patients with rheumatoid arthritis experience inflammation, swelling, and pain of the joints (hands and feet in particular). The immune system, which normally protects the body from bacteria and infection, mistakenly attacks the patient’s joints as threats to the body in cases of rheumatoid arthritis. Untreated, rheumatoid arthritis can destroy the joint, bone, and surrounding cartilage. (2)

Over 1.3 million people in the United States have rheumatoid arthritis and most of them are women. The onset of rheumatoid arthritis tends to occur between the ages of 30 and 60, especially among those with a family history of the condition. No true cause of this chronic disease has been located by researchers, but several genetic markers (i.e. TRAF1, C5, and PTPN22), tobacco smoke exposure, hormones, obesity, and emotional stress have been tied to rheumatoid arthritis onset in the past. (3)

Infection As A Trigger

Alongside other possible causes of rheumatoid arthritis, infection from bacteria and virus have also been suspected as triggers in the development of this disease. However, a study published in the journal of Frontiers in Cellular and Infection Microbiology in late 2015 opened the door to confirm this suspicion. The study found the genetic markers of rheumatoid arthritis, which are also the markers of type 1 diabetes and Chron’s disease, were especially sensitive to environmental exposures. (4)

UCF researchers, noting this study, jumped on the opportunity to connect rheumatoid arthritis to an actual infectious disease. Working as a team, infectious disease specialist Saleh Naser, rheumatologist (doctor specializing in arthritis) Dr. Shazia Bég, and doctoral candidate Robert Sharp obtained a grant to study MAP’s association with rheumatoid arthritis. Knowing MAP had been connected to Crohn’s disease with the same genetic predisposition as rheumatoid arthritis, the two concepts were easily hypothesized to be connected. (1)

Milk And Rheumatoid Arthritis – A Possible Cause?

Saleh Naser and his UCF team released in early 2018 that indeed, a link does exist between MAP and rheumatoid arthritis. Though more study is needed to better understand the relationship between these two entities, common food items are being viewed with greater caution as related to disease onset. With approximately half of U.S. cows having MAP, milk, beef, produce fertilized by cow manure, and other by-products from cows may carry a strain of the bacteria. As of yet, no recommendation has been made to cut these food items out of your diet, but future research in this field will likely focus on the detection and removal of MAP from food sources.

Researcher Dr. Shazia Bég told Frontier Science News, “We don’t know the cause of rheumatoid arthritis, so we’re excited that we have found this association, but there is still a long way to go. We need to find out why MAP is more predominant in these patients — whether it’s present because they have rheumatoid arthritis, or whether it caused rheumatoid arthritis in these patients. If we find that out, then we can target treatment toward the MAP bacteria.” (5)