The Conquest Diet

A healthy, balanced and varied diet, together with physical activity, helps in the management of arthritis. Our recommended diet for people with arthritis is the Conquest Diet.

We funded reviews by the Medical Research Council (2001) and the British Nutrition Foundation (2010) of the research done in this area. These studies identified various nutrients that are most helpful in reducing arthritic symptoms.

Several clinical studies have also found the Mediterranean style of eating is beneficial both for arthritis as well as heart health. This includes a high content of vegetables, fruits, olive oil, unrefined cereals, nuts, seeds and fish. We developed the Conquest Diet in 2011 to incorporate the findings of the reviews carried out by the Medical Research Council and the British Nutrition Foundation and to follow the Mediterranean style of eating.

1. Keep hydrated with water. Herbal infusions and some tea/coffee are fine to have.
2. Daily physical activity is a must!
3. Plenty of vegetables! Aim to make your plate as colourful as possible (same with fruit).
4. Use olive oil as a principal oil for cooking and salad dressing
5. Eat whole grains and limit refined grains/cereals
6. Low fat dairy provides a good source of calcium
7. Try adding some nuts and seeds daily
8. Choose white meat, oily fish, eggs, peas and beans. Variety is the key!
9. Enjoy small amounts of red meat. Ideally no processed meat.  Limit puddings and sweets.
10. Enjoy a small glass (125ml) of wine/day

There are always likely to be parts of a diet that work well for some people and not for others, so it is important to be able to get individual advice when following a diet. To help with this, members of the Association can ask questions of our registered dietitian. Remember the Arthritic Association is here to provide support every step of the way.