The Autoimmune Protocol Diet Foods to avoid include grains, legumes, dairy, processed foods, refined sugars, industrial seed oils, eggs, nuts, seeds, nightshade vegetables, gum, alternative sweeteners, emulsifiers, and food thickeners, said Romano.
The Bottom Line. While most foods that are eliminated in the first phase of the AIP diet are already not Paleo, there are a few extra foods you'll want to avoid—like nightshades, eggs, and bananas. Remember, the elimination phase is only temporary!
Use nutrients such as fish oil, vitamin C, vitamin D, and probiotics to help calm your immune response naturally. Exercise regularly — it's a natural anti-inflammatory. Practice deep relaxation like yoga, deep breathing, biofeedback, or massage, because stress worsens the immune response.
But to a person with an autoimmune disease, eggs (especially egg whites) may cause issues. In addition, egg whites have a high incidence of allergy-related symptoms. Although this is mainly about egg whites, egg yolks can also be a common food sensitivity so they too are on the elimination phase of the AIP Diet.
Dairy: People with autoimmune disease sometimes react negatively to lactose, a natural sugar in dairy, and have fewer symptoms when dairy is limited. Foods highest in lactose include cow's milk, cream and ice cream, and soft cheeses like spreadable cheese, Brie, Camembert, mozzarella and cottage cheese.
Cow's milk alternatives
Coconut milk is the best non-dairy milk alternative. It is AIP-friendly. Oat, hemp seed, almond, flaxseed, and cashew milks are not AIP-compliant because they come from nuts and seeds. Still, they are a better option than cow's milk to heal your gut and reduce symptoms.
Products made with cow's milk can trigger inflammation. Some anecdotal evidence suggests that eliminating dairy products may reverse some autoimmune conditions. Focus on Healthy Plant Foods. You should incorporate a variety of clean foods like green leafy vegetables, berries, and nuts.
Are eggs an anti-inflammatory food? Yes. Eggs are a source of vitamin D, which has anti-inflammatory effects. 10 They're also a good source of protein and B vitamins.
Some of the foods to avoid that are known to affect the immune system in people with autoimmune diseases include: Nightshade vegetables like potatoes, tomatoes, peppers, eggplants. Grains like wheat, rice, oats, rye, barley, and foods made from grains such as breakfast cereals, bread, pasta.
When it comes to foods that can help you manage your autoimmune disease, all berries make the list. Adding blueberries to oatmeal or topping your next spinach salad with strawberries will provide your body with important prebiotic fiber and act as an antioxidant.
The exact cause of autoimmune disorders is unknown. One theory is that some microorganisms (such as bacteria or viruses) or drugs may trigger changes that confuse the immune system. This may happen more often in people who have genes that make them more prone to autoimmune disorders.
Anti-inflammatory Effects
Honey contains antioxidants, which can protect the body from inflammation. Inflammation can lead to a variety of health issues, including heart disease, cancer, and autoimmune disorders.
Antioxidants help the body clear out free radicals (atoms in the body that are unstable and can damage cells). They are also high in a compounds called flavonoids, which may have anti-inflammatory benefits. Drinking lemon juice daily may benefit you if you have arthritis or another auto-immune disease.
Avoid high doses of vitamin C, beta carotene, cat's claw, echinacea and ginseng, among others. Why add fuel to the fire? Doing so may cause you to slip out of remission and into more misery.
To this end, these studies have found that coffee intake can reduce the risk of Rheumatoid arthritis, autoimmune thyroid disease, diabetes, multiple sclerosis, psoriasis, autoimmune liver disease, inflammatory bowel disease, and systemic lupus erythematosus.
Whether you're dealing with the difficulty of autoimmune disease, seeking to reduce future onset, or simply looking to maintain nutrient balance, increasing magnesium in your diet is recommended by nutritionists.
Autoimmune disease happens when the body's natural defense system can't tell the difference between your own cells and foreign cells, causing the body to mistakenly attack normal cells.
Green tea is an excellent source of polyphenols which are great for reducing inflammation as well as autoimmune response. Research shows that drinking green tea regularly can have significant benefits for people with rheumatoid arthritis, and autoimmune disease.