How to eat to help autoimmune disease

Did you know that what we eat can potentially make a big difference in reducing the risk of autoimmune, as well as improving symptoms?

Many recent studies looking at diet, inflammation, and autoimmune disease have increasingly shown a link between a Western style diet, and higher risk of disease

While there are obviously many factors that affect autoimmune disease, and we ALWAYS recommend you see a doctor if you think you may have an autoimmune disease (plus follow their advice on treatment if you have one), diet can also be powerful to use alongside medical care.

Diet is thought to affect inflammation and autoimmune disease due to several different factors:

✔️Western diets high in processed foods, saturated fat, added sugar, and refined carbs, are know to increase the risk of obesity, in particular the risk of excess white adipose tissue (WAT).

This is a type of fat cell that is known to increase inflammation, as it releases inflammatory chemicals (CRP, TNF-alpha, IL6, leptin)

These chemicals affect the activity of a type of white blood cell called T regulatory cells (T-reg) - which play a key role in controlling the immune balance. Altered T reg cell activity can promote an overactive immune system, leading to a higher risk of autoimmune disease, and more severe symptoms.

✔️High salt diets are also known to promote autoimmune disease, again through altering the T-cell balance in our body

✔️Red meat contains a sugar called Neu5Gc, which can trigger an autoimmune response when it is absorbed into our body after eating red meat - this is why most anti inflammatory diets suggest avoiding or limiting red meat, in particular processed meat.

✔️The gut biome also plays a huge role in regulating immune function, and an altered gut microbiome biome is linked with higher rates of autoimmune disease, again via altered T cell balance (see our posts in gut health for more details).

Western diets tend to be low in fibre, and high in saturated fat and added fructose (a sweetener in soft drinks, saturated fat, and fruit juice) - all of which are known to damage the gut microbiome and promote the growth of ‘bad ‘bacteria (dysbiosis). When our gut biome contains more 'bad' bacteria, this can increase inflammatory markers (whereas more 'good' bacteria reduce them)

✔️Ultraprocessed foods (ie junk food and many fast foods), food high in saturated fat, and foods high in refined carbs (ie grains that have been processed to remove the fibre - which is most 'white' flours) all also alter gut wall permeability, allowing food antigens and bacterial byproducts to get into the blood, triggering inflammation ('leaky gut'). See our post in this in the gut health section for more details.

✔️Dietary emulsifiers have also been shown to significantly increase the risk of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD,) potentially due to their effect on gut wall permeability and gut biome. Emulsifiers are additives found in many processed foods, they stop oil/fat and water from seperating.

✔️Diets high in dairy, animal fat, and red meat have been shown to increase the risk of conditions such as psoriasis, IBD, MS and RA (and also worsen symptoms in people who have these diseases) ; while high plant fibre and omega 3 intake reduced the risk, and can help improve symptoms

✔️High sugar diets also cause AGEs, a compound that is highly inflammatory and is formed when high sugar foods are cooked at hot dry heats (such as commercial baking and fried foods). Foods high in added sugar also alter the metabolism of immune cell (through a process called the 'warburg effect'), which has an additional effect on promoting inflammation

So what is the best diet to reduce risk of autoimmune disease, and symptoms?

A diet high in plant based foods, fibre, and omega 3 ie Mediterranean style diet, along with reduced fat, red meat, refined carbs, and added sugar

The basis for this is that diets high in plants are

✔️very high in compounds called antioxidants and polyphenols (which reduce inflammatory markers and joint inflammation)

✔️low in saturated fats (linked to reduced inflammation)

✔️low in added sugar and refined carbs (which are highly inflammatory as per my previous posts)

✔️ linked with lower body weights (which reduces inflammatory cytokines)

✔️ high on fibre, which improves the gut microbiome, and reduces levels of inflammation

Plant focused whole food diets are also associated with a lower risk of metabolic disease (which has a link with inflammation, and is also a common cause of heart disease and stroke - the rates of both of these are much higher in people with autoimmune disease)

Many studies have shown that plant based diets are associated with reduced risk of various autoimmune disease, including rheumatoid arthritis, psoriasis, inflammatory bowel disease, autoimmune thyroid disease, and multiple sclerosis.

And since they help overall health (and taste great too), why not give them a try!!

Please note - if you have an autoimmune disease, especially if you are on immunosuppressive medications, we ALWAYS advise talking to your doctor prior to making any major dietary changes. While anti inflammatory diets are generally very safe to follow, it’s best to involve your health care providers in any dietary plans you make.