Heart diseases, carcinoma, chronic pulmonary diseases, Alzheimer's disease, pneumonia and influenza are all linked with this enzyme that is produced by our body.1 This enzyme is called 5-lipoxygenase or 5-LOX for short, which, when generated by the body in excessive amounts, gives rise to a whole cascade of dangerous inflammatory reactions.

Ironically enough, it was this systemic inflammatory reaction caused by 5-lipoxygenase that protected our ancestors from infective diseases. Since these diseases are being increasingly eliminated, the anti-inflammatory reaction of 5-lipoxygenase has not only become unnecessary, but also deadly.^2-5 Scientists have been familiar with this enzyme for some time due to its role in occurrence of arthritis, asthma and Crohn’s disease, which is why the pharmaceutical industry aims to develop a safe drug to alleviate the effect of 5-lipoxygenase.  However, the currently available “5-LOX inhibitors” are not safe enough to be taken without medical supervision.^6,7  Luckily, there are various foodstuffs and plants that effectively prevent the effect of 5-lipoxygenase. 

Read more: This Enzyme is Linked With 7 out of 10 Most Common Causes of Death

Who came up with the idea that we are supposed to drink orange juice at breakfast? And why, if oatmeal is so good for us, do we eat that only in the morning as well? Apologies to the Palinites, but nutritionists are starting to realize that you and I like our oatmeal and OJ before we start the day because we evolved to like it that way—because enjoying the two together is healthier than eating each of them alone.

Read more: The Most Powerful Food Combinations

Women who drink one or more sugar-sweetened sodas a day are significantly more likely to develop rheumatoid arthritis (RA) than those who drink less than one soda month or none, according to a recent study published in The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition. The risk appears to be even higher for older women.

Rheumatoid arthritis is a systemic, autoimmune disease that causes inflammation leading to joint pain and damage, fatigue and other symptoms. It's believed to result from a combination of genetic and environmental factors, possibly including diet.

Because many studies have shown that sugar-sweetened soda is linked to obesity as well as type 2 diabetes and heart disease – all of which are more common in people with RA – the researchers wondered whether sugary beverages might play a role in the development of rheumatoid arthritis, too.

Read more: Sugary Sodas May Raise RA Risk

Ring in the New Year with these healthy lifestyle changes and say hello to less pain in 2015.

The start of a new year is always a great time to think about making positive lifestyle changes — including those that can help you better manage your arthritis.

If you can make them part of your everyday life, these simple steps can be very effective in reducing joint pain, and they'll boost your overall health as a bonus.

They may even make it possible to cut back on your arthritis medication.

Here are the resolutions that will give the most bang for your buck.

Read more: 6 New Year’s Resolutions for People With Arthritis

Vitamin D deficiency and autoimmune disorders.

A study has linked vitamin D deficiency with an increased risk for cancer and autoimmune diseases, such as rheumatoid arthritis MS, and lupus. Researchers found, through mapping vitamin D receptors binding throughout the human genome, that vitamin D deficiency is a major environmental factor in increasing the risk of developing these disorders.

Read more: 8 facts about Vitamin D and Rheumatoid Arthritis

Millions of us have tried to lose weight with a diet in the past year

However, seeing as so many try and fail, are diets in fact a flawed concept? Mintel estimates the diet industry will be worth more than £1.9billion by 2017. There are diet apps, books, online plans, supermarket ranges and home delivery services, all enticing us with promises of weight loss.

Yet despite the popularity of the countless eating plans on the market, in 2007, researchers at the University of California, Los Angeles concluded dieting actually makes you gain weight. People on diets typically lost five to ten per cent of their starting weight in the first six months – but up to two thirds regained more weight than they had lost within five years.

We asked four industry experts to thrash it out in our big diet debate:

Read more: Are diets a waste of time?