Why gut health is essential for autoimmune healing
Diet plays a huge role in triggering and maintaining autoimmune disease symptoms because the immune system is affected by food and 2/3rd of our immune system is located in the gut. All food that passes through our gut will talk to our immune system.
Gut dysbiosis, an imbalance in the naturally occurring population of bacteria and other microorganisms (microbione) in the GI tract, has been closely associated with several autoimmune diseases suggesting that maintaining a healthy gut microbiome benefit autoimmune health.
Resistant starch commonly found in bananas, plantains, legumes and wholegrains has been found to positively affect the gut microbiome of people with lupus. Whereas ultrprocessed foods (UPF) such as soft drinks, refined sweet foods, salty snacks and processed meats have been found to promote gut dysbiosis. The reason these foods are so detrimental are that they produce inflammation which can trigger an abnormal autoimmune response.
Immune tolerance, where our immune systems are supposed to see their own cells and just ignore them, with autoimmune disease, overtime due to chronic inflammation, our body starts to react to its own cells. That’s where the body can attack its own organs, tissues, and joints. One way to combat this inflammation is to consume more anti-inflammatory foods. Research has shown that fruit and vegetables are associated with anti-inflammatory properties and there’s evidence that a vegan diet rich in fruit, veg and wholegrains reduces inflammation.
A plant-based diet may also reduce fatigue, often associated with autoimmune diseases. A 2004 study showed that 24 people with rhumatoid arthritis (RA) following a low-fat vegan diet for 4 weeks saw significant reduction in all their RA symptoms except morning stiffness.
A study in Jan 2022 researched 400 patients with Lupus and found that those who ate more plant based food while limiting processed foods and animal products reported improvements in disease symtptoms.
