Unfortunately, autoimmune diseases are on the rise, affecting approximately 8% of Americans today. Some studies show these rates are rising by approximately 3-10% annually. This trend is alarming; unfortunately, we are left without clear answers as to why there is an increase. For those suffering from autoimmune diseases, the impact can be devastating from a physical, emotional, and financial aspect. Many treatments for autoimmune diseases can be costly and come with significant side effects and/or risks. There is more and more emerging evidence about the health and diversity of the gut microbiome and the role it plays in maintaining the health of our immune system.
Many patients are unaware that 70-80% of our immune cells are within the gut. Unfortunately, the human body, specifically the gut, is hit with toxins daily. The food in our standard American diet has many toxins that can affect the health of our gut and influence our microbiome. In addition to food, environmental toxins, stress, medications, infections, and illnesses all can contribute to injury of the gut lining and microbiome, which then influences our immune system. Injury to the gut through these potential insults can contribute to intestinal permeability (aka “leaky gut). Intestinal permeability is where the tight junctions between each cell of the intestinal lining become damaged, which can then cause contents and proteins within our intestine to leak into the body. The proteins in our foods, such as gluten, casein (dairy), and soy, just to name a few, can be potential triggers. This then alerts our immune system that there is a foreign invader, which causes our immune system to go into overdrive and become dysfunctional, thus attacking our body instead of protecting our body. This contributes to inflammation and the general symptoms associated with inflammation (fatigue, joint pains, muscle pains, headaches, skin rashes, brain fog).
This information can feel daunting and overwhelming and leaves you asking where to start when it comes to healing your immune system. The first place to start with restoring your immune system and improving your health is by working on improving the health of your gut. Food is the most influential factor affecting the health of the gut. Looking into a low-inflammatory diet, such as a Paleo-style diet or an Elimination diet, removes many of the problematic food groups that can trigger the immune system. This allows your body to have a chance to heal and repair, which it is designed by nature to do. These diets focus on whole foods. Whole food is a food that is in its natural state and has not been processed or had ingredients added to it. Examples of whole foods are meats, fruit, vegetables, nuts/ seeds, and eggs. You can work with your provider, dieticians, and health coaches to guide you on diet and lifestyle changes to help you work toward optimal health.
