Researchers are studying how what people with rheumatoid arthritis eat, combined with their gut health and life circumstances, might affect their disease symptoms. This study will look at 96 adults with rheumatoid arthritis across Arizona to understand connections between diet quality, the bacteria in their digestive system, and how active their disease is. By examining these relationships, scientists hope to find new ways to help people with this painful joint condition feel better and manage their symptoms more effectively, even when current treatments aren’t working as well as hoped.

The Quick Take

  • What they studied: Whether eating healthier foods and having a healthier gut might help reduce pain and inflammation in people with rheumatoid arthritis
  • Who participated: 96 adults with rheumatoid arthritis living in Arizona, recruited from doctor’s offices, community events, and online
  • Key finding: This study is still collecting data (80 people recruited so far) and hasn’t analyzed results yet, but researchers believe they’ll find that diet quality, gut bacteria health, and disease activity are connected
  • What it means for you: If the results confirm the hypothesis, it could suggest that improving your diet and gut health might be a helpful addition to standard arthritis treatments, though more research would be needed before making major changes

The Research Details

This is a cross-sectional study, which means researchers are taking a snapshot in time of 96 people with rheumatoid arthritis and measuring multiple things about them all at once. They’re collecting information about each person’s life circumstances (stress, sleep, mood, social support), what they eat, the health of their digestive system, and how active their arthritis is. The study uses several different measurement tools: a food questionnaire asking about eating habits over the past 6 months, a detailed 24-hour diet recall to see what people ate recently, stool samples to examine gut bacteria, and blood tests to measure inflammation markers. This approach allows researchers to see if patterns exist between these different factors without trying to prove one causes another.

Understanding how multiple factors work together—like diet, stress, sleep, and gut health—is important because rheumatoid arthritis is complicated. Many people don’t get better even with medication, so finding additional ways to help is crucial. By looking at all these connections at once, researchers can identify which factors seem most important and design better treatment strategies in the future.

This study is well-designed with approval from a university ethics board and uses established, validated measurement tools that other researchers trust. However, it’s important to note that this is a descriptive study taking a snapshot in time, not a study that proves diet changes will improve arthritis. The results won’t be available until fall 2026, and data analysis hasn’t started yet. The study size of 96 people is reasonable for this type of research but relatively small, so results may not apply to everyone with rheumatoid arthritis.

What the Results Show

Results are not yet available. As of December 2025, 80 of the planned 96 participants have been recruited. The researchers have not yet analyzed the data. When complete, the study will examine whether people with better diet quality tend to have healthier gut bacteria and less active disease. The researchers predict they will find that life circumstances (like stress and sleep) affect what people eat, which then affects their gut health, which finally affects how much their arthritis flares up. This chain of connections could explain why some people do better with their arthritis than others.

The study will also look at how specific life factors—like stress levels, sleep quality, mood, and social support—connect to diet choices and disease activity. Understanding these connections could help doctors give more complete advice to patients beyond just medication.

Previous research has suggested that diet and gut health matter for rheumatoid arthritis, but most studies haven’t looked at how life circumstances, diet, gut bacteria, and disease activity all connect together. This study is unique because it examines all these factors at the same time, which could provide a more complete picture than previous research.

This study takes a snapshot at one point in time, so it can’t prove that changing diet actually improves arthritis—only that connections might exist. The study includes only people from Arizona, so results might not apply to people in other regions with different backgrounds. Additionally, the study size of 96 people is relatively small, which means results should be confirmed with larger studies before making major recommendations. The study also relies on people remembering what they ate, which can be inaccurate.

The Bottom Line

Wait for the complete results before making major dietary changes specifically for arthritis management. However, eating a healthy diet is generally good for everyone and may be worth discussing with your rheumatology doctor. If you have rheumatoid arthritis, continue taking your prescribed medications as directed while this research develops. Once results are published in fall 2026, discuss them with your healthcare provider to see if dietary changes might help your specific situation.

People with rheumatoid arthritis should pay attention to these findings when they’re published, especially those whose symptoms aren’t well-controlled with current medications. Healthcare providers treating rheumatoid arthritis should follow this research as it may inform future treatment recommendations. People without rheumatoid arthritis can benefit from the general principle that diet and gut health are important for overall wellness.

Results won’t be available until fall 2026. Even after publication, it typically takes several years of additional research before new dietary recommendations become standard medical practice. If dietary changes do help, benefits would likely develop gradually over weeks to months, not immediately.

Want to Apply This Research?

  • Track daily diet quality using a simple scoring system (rate meals 1-5 for healthiness), combined with weekly arthritis symptom severity ratings (pain level, joint swelling, fatigue) to see if personal patterns emerge between diet and symptoms
  • Start a food and symptom journal where you log what you eat each day and rate your arthritis symptoms. Over time, you may notice which foods seem to make symptoms better or worse for your body specifically
  • Use the app to track diet quality scores and disease activity measures weekly for at least 8-12 weeks to identify personal patterns. Share trends with your rheumatology provider to inform discussions about dietary modifications as a complementary approach to medication

This study is still in progress and results are not yet available. The findings described here are based on the study protocol and hypothesis, not actual results. This information is for educational purposes only and should not replace medical advice from your healthcare provider. Do not make changes to your arthritis treatment or diet without consulting your rheumatology doctor first. If you have rheumatoid arthritis, continue taking all prescribed medications as directed. Always work with your healthcare team before starting new dietary approaches, especially if you take medications that interact with food or supplements.