What Is Rheumatoid Arthritis (RA)?

Rheumatoid arthritis is an immune system condition, or “autoimmune disorder,” that causes inflammation of the lining of the joints. It may also affect the skin, eyes, lungs, heart, blood, and nerves. Although RA symptoms can come and go, the disease can worsen over time and may never go away. Early, aggressive treatment is key to slowing or stopping it.

What Are the Symptoms?

Joint inflammation from RA comes with pain, warmth, and swelling. The inflammation is typically symmetrical, occurring on both sides of the body at the same time (such as the wrists, knees, or hands). Other symptoms of RA include joint stiffness, particularly in the morning or after periods of inactivity; ongoing fatigue, and low-grade fever. Symptoms typically develop gradually over years, but they can come on rapidly for some people.

Who Gets It?

It usually strikes between ages 30-60, but younger and older people can get it. About 1% of the U.S. population has the condition, which is two to three times more common in women than in men. You’re more likely to get it if you smoke or if you have a relative who has this disease.

What Causes It?

Scientists don’t know exactly why people get RA. Some people may have a genetic risk for it that gets triggered by a particular infection that experts haven’t yet identified.

How Does It Affect the Joints?

Inflammation of the lining of the joints can destroy cartilage and bone, deforming the affected joints. As the condition progresses, joints can become painful and not work as well.

What Does It Do to the Rest of the Body?

RA can affect organs and areas of the body other than the joints, including:

• Rheumatoid nodules (shown here): firm lumps under the skin and in internal organs 
• Sjogren's syndrome: inflammation and damage of the glands of the eyes and mouth; other parts of the body can also be affected
• Pleuritis: inflammation of the lining of the lungs
• Pericarditis: inflammation of the lining surrounding the heart
• Anemia: not enough healthy red blood cells
• Felty syndrome: not enough white blood cells. Also linked to ah enlarged spleen.
• Vasculitis: blood vessel inflammation, which can hamper blood supply to tissues

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Which Kinds of Juices Have the Most Vitamin C in Them?

Drinking more juice can be one of the quickest ways to up your vitamin C intake. You need plenty of vitamin C for optimal immune health, but it also helps wounds heal and neutralizes free radicals that scavenge through your body. While juice can be a part of your healthy diet, it shouldn't be your only source of vitamin C. You'll wind up drinking a lot of calories, while missing out on all of the fiber found in whole fruits and vegetables.

Citrus Juices

Citrus fruits are near the top of the list for vitamin C-rich foods. Eight ounces of fresh-squeezed orange juice has nearly 125 milligrams of vitamin C. Diluted frozen orange juice from concentrate has a little less -- about 95 milligrams per 8-ounce glass. Raw white or pink grapefruit juice each provide more than 90 milligrams of the vitamin in an 8-ounce serving. You'll get almost 55 milligrams of vitamin C from 8 ounces of sweetened tangerine juice.

Other Fruit Juices

If you're not a fan of citrus juices or looking for an alternative, you'll get plenty of vitamin C from just about any other type of fruit juice. An 8-ounce cup of cranberry juice cocktail contains 90 milligrams of vitamin C, unsweetened pineapple juice offers more than 25 milligrams for the same amount and 8 ounces of prune juice provides 10 milligrams of vitamin C.

Vegetable Juice

Don't forget about vegetable juices when heading down the juice isle. Blended vegetable juice cocktail has more than 65 milligrams of vitamin C in an 8-ounce serving. If you love tomato juice, you'll get lots of vitamin C from your morning beverage, as 8 ounces of tomato juice provides nearly 45 milligrams of the beneficial vitamin. You'll also get vitamin C from carrot juice, roughly 20 milligrams per 8 ounces.

Daily Requirement

Your daily vitamin C requirement varies depending on several factors. Men need more than women -- 90 milligrams versus 75 milligrams per day, respectively, according to the Office of Dietary Supplements. If you're pregnant, you'll have to get 85 milligrams each day and then increase your intake to 120 milligrams while breast-feeding. Smoking ups your vitamin C needs because free radicals build up in your system when you smoke. You'll need 35 milligrams above your daily recommendation if you smoke.

Other Considerations

Always opt for unsweetened varieties of fruit juice whenever possible to avoid ingesting unnecessary calories. If you're drinking a vegetable-based juice, make sure it is labeled "low-sodium," so you don't wind up drinking a big chunk of your daily sodium allotment. Leaving the pulp in your juice at home or purchasing unfiltered juice keeps some of the fiber in your beverage, but still not as much as you'd get from the whole piece of produce.

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Is 100 Percent Fruit Juice Healthy?

The average American consumes around 30.3 liters of fruit juice every year. You may think fruit juice is a healthy way to start your day or a convenient method of increasing your consumption of fruits, vegetables, vitamins and minerals. Even though it has some health benefits, 100 percent juice also has drawbacks you may wish to consider before pouring your next glass.

100 Percent Juice

Juice labeled "100 percent" is made purely from the juice of natural fruits. It has no additives, sweeteners or preservatives in it, according to nutritionist Katherine Zeratsky of the Mayo Clinic. The vitamin and mineral content is far higher in 100 percent juice than it is in sweetened juice or fruit juice cocktails, she adds.

Benefits

A high intake of fruits and vegetables is essential for optimal health. The U.S. Department of Agriculture recommends a minimum of 1 1/2 to 2 cups of fruit per day for women and 2 cups for men, and a cup of 100 percent fruit juice can count as one of your fruit servings. Juice can also be an excellent provider of vitamins and minerals, particularly vitamin C. The recommended dietary allowance for vitamin C for men is 90 milligrams and for women 75 milligrams daily. Three-quarters of a cup of orange juice provided 93 milligrams of vitamin C, while the same amount of grapefruit juice has 70 milligrams and tomato juice, 33 milligrams.

Sugar vs. Fiber

While 100 percent juice may be a convenient way to consume extra vitamins and minerals, it can be packed with sugar. Nutritionist Dr. Jonny Bowden recommends eliminating fruit juice from your diet entirely -- it's full of sugar and has none of the fiber that real fruit does. While whole fruit is a source of dietary fiber, fruit juice actually contains little to no fiber. A cup of apple juice, for instance, has 0.2 gram of fiber, while a whole apple contains 3.3 grams. One cup of orange juice has 0.5 gram of fiber while a cup of fresh raw orange has 4.3 grams. Drinking fruit juice before a meal may actually make you hungrier, too -- it not only adds calories, but can cause you to eat more calories in the following meal, according to Medline Plus.

Considerations

The most important aspect to consider when deciding whether to incorporate fruit juice into your diet is whether it fits into your recommended calorie intake. A half-cup of grape juice contains 80 calories; the same serving of apple juice has 60 calories, as does orange juice. If you wish to drink 100 percent juice and monitor your food intake accordingly to accommodate this, it can be a healthy way to increase your consumption of vitamins and minerals. However, juice can be extremely easy to over-consume, which may take you over your recommended daily calorie intake.

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