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.
Factors that spur autoimmune disease flare-ups include stress, diet, drugs, pregnancy, changes in microbial populations, and seasonality [1, 2]. During a flare-up in autoimmune diseases, such as arthritis or lupus, a person's immune system attacks the body, leading to signs and symptoms.
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.
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.
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.
Previous studies have shown that viral thymus infections, such as those caused by roseoloviruses, can interrupt the maturation and selection of T-cells and, as a result, lead to autoimmunity.
Summary. People with lupus should avoid certain supplements, including echinacea, spirulina, and vitamin E. These supplements may increase the immune system response and trigger lupus symptoms. It is also helpful to avoid excess sun exposure, salt, and alfalfa sprouts, which may also make symptoms worse.
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 it's theorized that persistent stress (such as worry about finances, mental or physical health, or interpersonal relationships) could lead to chronic disease such as high blood pressure or autoimmune disease. What causes stress for a person is highly individual. A common example is having to speak in public.
Abstain from Eggs
To a healthy person, pastured eggs can be good. To a person with autoimmune, they can cause havoc that probably wouldn't happen in a healthy person. Eggs can allow proteins (usually lysozyme, from the egg white) to cross the gut barrier where they don't belong and contribute to molecular mimicry.
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.
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.
As far as controllable factors, it seems that cow's milk is, by far, the food most commonly linked to autoimmune disease. I suggest to my patients that they avoid cow's milk products in all their forms.
You Have Frequent Infections
Having more than four ear infections in one year. Developing pneumonia twice during a one-year period. Suffering from chronic sinusitis or more than three episodes of bacterial sinusitis in a year. Needing more than two courses of antibiotics a year.
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.
Take it easy. Don't try to do too much. If you get tired, take a nap or do something restful like reading, listening to music, meditating, or a creative activity. Schedule rest breaks throughout the day if that helps.