| Popis: |
Diet therapy for autoimmune diseases generally has been considered quackery; yet an overwhelming number of patients, namely those suffering from autoimmune rheumatic diseases, spend nearly one billion dollars annually on this and related unconventional therapies (1). Food and drink have had enormous psychological and even ritualistic importance in virtually all cultures. For no other reason, the potential role of specific foods and dietary therapies has swung in and out of medical fashion for centuries. Although in the past few years, an increasing number of wellconducted studies emerged reporting favorable results using dietary manipulation in animal models of autoimmune disorders, the grounds for its clinical application are still being paved. Notably, as its potential benefits are currently being investigated, the unrestrained use of dietary manipulation in a clinical setting is not invariably harmless. Following folk-belief, many patients will turn to fad diets when faced with chronic and long-term diseases. Besides substantial economic hardship, many of them may develop or aggravate nutritional deficiencies by limiting food intake to what is regarded as a “miracle food.” It is therefore time for the combined efforts of the scientific community—such as the establishment of the National Institutes of Health Office of Alternative Medicine—to objectively investigate these issues, pursuing ways to expand available health care resources while protecting our patients from unnecessary hazards. Herein, available evidence demonstrating the modulatory effects of diet in the natural history of selected autoimmune disorders is discussed. |
