Exploring functional foods and bioactive compounds in rheumatoid arthritis management: A nutrigenomic and AI-driven perspective

Systemic inflammation and gradual joint damage are the indications of rheumatoid arthritis (RA), a chronic inflammatory disease. While biologics and disease-modifying antirheumatic medications (DMARDs) continue to be the primary form of RA treatment, their long-term usage is often restricted because of their high cost and potential adverse effects. As a result, complementary approaches that integrate precision medicine-based nutritional interventions are gaining increasing scientific support. From a nutrigenomic and artificial intelligence approach, this review examines the function of bioactive substances and functional foods in the treatment of RA. Bioactive compounds (BCs) derived from cereals, legumes, fruits, vegetables, probiotics, and omega-3-rich foods, such as polyphenols, antioxidants, and essential fatty acids modulate immune response, oxidative stress, and inflammatory pathways involved in the pathophysiology of RA. However, genetic variants that impact nutrient absorption, metabolism, and bioavailability contribute to variability in clinical efficacy. Gene-nutrient interactions involving VDR, MTHFR, FADS, and HFE, which control vitamin D signalling, folate metabolism, fatty acid conversion, and iron homeostasis, respectively, are highlighted by nutrigenomic data. Predictive modelling of individual dietary responses to nutritional therapies is made possible by recent developments in Artificial intelligence (AI) and Machine learning (ML), which enable the combination of genetic, microbiome, and dietary data. Functional foods, nutrigenomics, and AI-driven analytics integrate to offer a potential foundation for creating individualised, long-term RA treatment plans.