The autoimmune protocol is a special type of diet recommended for people with autoimmune diseases. It eliminates products that can cause inflammation and silences the immune system. It should be used under the supervision of a dietitian, because due to its restrictive nature, it can lead to nutritional deficiencies.
Autoimmune Protocol (AIP)is a modification of the paleo diet that aims to induceremissionof patients with autoimmune diseases. Since autoimmune disease is a state in which the body is in constant struggle,a proper dieteliminating potentiallypro-inflammatoryproducts helps silence the body and bring it closer to homeostasis.
Immune protocol - is diet alone enough?
It should be emphasized that it is not possible to use this diet, or any other diet or medication, to heal a patient of a disease in which the bodyattacks its own tissues.
The immune protocol can be used in the case of various autoimmune diseases, e.g. Hashimoto's, RA, systemic lupus, however, it should be adjustedindividually to each patient , because in each of these there are other diseasesdeficienciesand the person may react badly (e.g. allergically) to some of the products on the recommended list.
Autoimmune protocol - who shouldn't use it?
Due to the fact that the autoimmune protocol is very restricativeandit eliminates a large amount of food , it should not be used by malnourished people ,emaciatedorhaving inappropriate relationships with food(bulimia, anorexia).The entire protocol should take 90 days.
After this time, you can start enteringproducts from the banned list . However, you introduce them slowly, one at a time, observing how your body responds to them. If he reacts badly (e.g. they cause abdominal pain, rash), then the food is withdrawn and the attempt is made again for a long time.
Autoimmune protocol - products allowed on a diet
Meat, fish
Good quality protein is recommended in diets wherethe body shouldregenerate and regain strength to function properly . The best source of such protein is meat. It should come from organic farming and be free ofantibiotics(for this reason, eating chicken during AIP is questionable).
A good source of protein for people on the autoimmune protocol are fish and offal such as: liver, heart, kidneys. In addition, lean beef and pork are recommended, as well as lamb.
Fat
Omega-3 fatty acids, which have a stronganti-inflammatory effect , are part of the immune protocol that is of particular importance. The sources of this type of acid in the diet are:oily fish(e.g. salmon, mackerel) or fish oil.
An equally important type of fat are unsaturated fatty acids from the omega-9 group, which can be found in avocado oil or olive oil. The following are also acceptable for AIP:animal fate.g. lard,tallow .
Pickled products
Due to the fact thatfermented productshave a positive effect on the intestinal microbiome, AIP recommends the consumption of pickled cucumbers, sauerkraut, pickled carrots, pickled beets, water kefir.
Herbs and spices
Improving digestion is extremely important for better absorptionnutrients , therefore many herbs and spices such as cinnamon, basil, tarragon, garlic, ginger, cloves are introduced into the AIP, dill, coriander, turmeric, marjoram, bay leaves, mint, rosemary, parsley, chamomile, Kłodawa s alt, Himalayan s alt, sea s alt, chives, sage, thyme, lemongrass.
Fruits
The fruits recommended in the immune protocol are: pineapple, avocado, watermelon, blueberry, banana, peach, fig, lemon, grapefruit, pomegranate, guava, pear, blackberry, apple, kiwi, cantaloupe, mandarin, raspberry, lime, apricot, mango, coconut, nectarine, orange, papaya, strawberry, plum, cherry, grape.
Vegetables and mushrooms
You can eat such products as: chard, broccoli, sweet potato, swede, bok choi, beetroot, Brussels sprouts, onion, pumpkin, sugar snap peas, green beans, kale, mushrooms, cabbage, cauliflower , fennel, artichoke, parsnips, cucumber, rhubarb, leek, watercress, radish, arugula, lettuce, shallots, celery, spinach, asparagus.
Autoimmune protocol - foods and ingredients prohibited in the diet
Gluten
Nutritional productswith gluten are the first to be found on the listtruly forbiddenin diseasesautoimmune diseases and this does not only apply to celiac disease or the accompanyinggluten sensitivityconfirmed by tests.
Autoimmune protocol excludesgluten grainsfrom the diet, as gluten binds to the CXCR3 receptor present onenterocytes(villi absorption cells), causing the activation ofzonulin(the protein responsible for intestinal leakage).
Whenthe intestinal membranebecomes unsealed, then it becomes permeable to e.g. larger food proteins or antigens, which in turn irritate the body, causing inflammation.
As gluten consumed frequently weakens the immune system, it may lead to the development of moreautoimmune diseases(e.g. celiac disease may start with Hashimoto's). Gluten is also excluded for another reason - by binding to the CXCR3 receptor, it attracts Th1 lymphocytes and promotes the maturation of other cells of this type.
People with autoimmune diseases already have an advantage of Th1 (for comparison - in allergy sufferers Th2 is predominant), so eating gluten only increases the amount of these excess lymphocytes.
Nightshade vegetables
Although vegetables are generally indicated in diets, AIP excludesnightshade vegetablessuch as: potatoes, tomatoes, eggplant, peppers. They contain natural substances calledglycoalkaloids , which protect plants against insects, and which unfortunately have an adverse effect on the intestinal mucosa. Due to the fact that glycoalkaloids damage the intestines a little, they prevent the body from going intoremission.
Dairy
Exclusion from the dietof dairy productsis motivated by many reasons. First of all, that the proteins found in milk can causean attack on the body's own tissues . For example, casein is molecularly similar in structure to collagen, which means that people who are hypersensitive to milk proteins or who have leaky gut letting in of this protein may start to produce antibodies to collagen, their own tissues.
This type of action is noticed in collagenosis, for example in rheumatoid arthritis or systemic lupus. In addition, milk may have a negative effect on people who have problems withmethylation(responsible, for example, for silencing unfavorable genes), because casein also disturbs methylation, whichweakens the functioning of the body .
Many people are also simply allergic to cow's milk proteins, which causesintestinal irritationand constant stimulate the immune system . So if the goal is to maintain the body's relative homeostasis, giving up milk is a beneficial move.
Nuts
Nuts recommended by nutritionists have not found a place in the autoimmune protocol. They were excluded due to the possibility of havingmycotoxins , which are formed when the nuts are not stored properly. In addition, they arehard to digestand contain too much pro-inflammatoryomega-6 fatty acids .
Eggs
Eggs are another product that is on the AIP banned list. This is because many people areintolerant toand are unaware of it. Therefore, by eating eggs, which are a product that is often allergenic (especially chicken protein), people with autoimmune diseases cause their body to be in a constant state of struggle and instead of calming down, it shows undesirable over-reactivity. To find out about an allergy or intolerance to eggs, it is worth performing the appropriatetests in the IgA and IgG class.
Legumes
Due to the fact that legumes (e.g. beans, peas) containlectins , i.e.glycoproteins having an adverse effect on the human bodywere excluded from the autoimmune protocol. Lectins are glycoproteins that can:
- destroy enterocytes of the duodenal and intestinal epithelium;
- reduce the activity of proteolytic enzymes that facilitate protein breakdown;
- clump red blood cells;
- lead to unfavorable changes in the intestinal microflora;
- disrupt insulin secretion and synthesis.
From a dietary point of view, they arean undesirable part of the diet of people with autoimmune diseases .
Sugar and sweeteners
Due to its pro-inflammatory effect, sugar is excluded from the diet. Sweeteners are also eliminated, which adversely affectinsulin metabolism .
Drugs
The autoimmune protocol cares about properfood digestion and assimilation , therefore people on AIP are not advised to take non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs such as Ibuprom or Proton Pump Inhibitors type of Omeprazole, because they causea change in the pH in the stomach , which affectsworse disintegration of food , especially proteins.
These groups of drugs also adversely affect the intestinal microbiome, which translates intoworse absorption of nutrients .
Autoimmune protocol - what are the benefits of using it?
Although the protocolautoimmune will not cure autoimmune disease, but it cansupport the body in regenerationandbring the patient into remission .
A properly selected diet,free of inflammatory ingredients , also allowsto calm down the immune systemandimprove the absorption of drugs .
In the case of Hashimoto's, in whichthyroid failureaffectsweakening of the functions and activities of the whole body , AIP may improve e.g. hormone production , whether to improvebone he alth .