There is no one diet or eating pattern that helps autoimmune diseases, which makes the nutrition part so great and so frustrating. While there are plenty of eating patterns that can lower inflammation, the trick is to find the one that suits you best. Here’s an overview of some of these diets and how they work to lower inflammation.
Mediterranean Diet
The Mediterranean diet is probably the most studied diet across the board. This eating pattern emphasizes plants, including a variety of fruits, vegetables and whole grains. Seafood is the main protein, with a modest intake of other animal proteins like chicken. Dairy, red meat and alcohol are also eaten occasionally. Extra virgin olive oil is the main source of fat, along with nuts and seeds.
This dietary pattern has been shown to lower cardiovascular disease risk, which is an inflammatory disease. In terms of autoimmune diseases, it can lower inflammation across the board, making it a suitable option for a variety of different conditions. In specific studies, it may be protective for several different diseases, including thyroid diseases, rheumatoid arthritis, and inflammatory bowel disease.
Autoimmune Protocol
The autoimmune protocol (AIP) is an elimination diet where common inflammatory foods are removed in order to restore the integrity of the intestinal lining and rebalance the gut microbiome. It’s similar to the paleolithic diet but a bit stricter in terms of what foods are allowed. Additionally, a modified version now exists for people with either milder or not active autoimmune diseases, or for those who find the original version too difficult to stick with.
AIP has a few small studies backing its effectiveness, specifically in the inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) and Hashimoto’s population. Anecdotally, this elimination diet has worked for a variety of different autoimmune conditions. The key with this diet is to not stay in the elimination phase for more than 3 months at the very most. Even though this diet is a very nutrient dense way of eating, I’ve seen many people not do this diet right and end up with nutritional issues.
Wahls Protocol
Wahls Protocol is another eating pattern that was designed for multiple sclerosis, but can also work well as an anti-inflammatory eating pattern. The diet was designed by Dr. Terry Wahls, an MS patient who was determined to turn her disease around. This diet is similar to the paleo diet, but emphasizes certain vegetable groups (leafy greens, sulfur containing, and colorful), organ meat, seaweed and fermented foods. It consists of 3 different levels:
- Level 1: Wahls Diet: Gluten and dairy free, and 3 cups of vegetables from each group per day.
- Level 2: Wahls Paleo: Same as level 1 but removes all grains. Beans and potatoes are limited to 2 servings per week. Adds in seaweed and fermented foods.
- Level 3: Wahls Paleo Plus: This is more of a ketogenic eating pattern that eliminates all potatoes, beans and legumes. Fruit is limited to 1 serving per day. Intermittent fasting is introduced and only 2 meals per day are allowed. Vegetables drop to 6 cups per day.
This diet has had success within the MS population, and more research is needed for other autoimmune diseases.
Ketogenic
The ketogenic diet is a high fat, low carb diet with the goal of switching the body’s main fuel source from glucose to ketones. For many years it has been used to improve seizure related conditions. Recently this diet has been studied for other neurodegenerative diseases, including MS and Alzheimer’s disease. While there is limited research on this diet for most autoimmune diseases, it has shown some promise for MS.
Specific Carbohydrate Diet
The specific carbohydrate diet (SCD) is a diet that restricts certain carbohydrates that are hard to digest. It has been used within the pediatric IBD population with success. This diet is based on the belief that people with digestive disorders have trouble digesting certain carbohydrates. Those undigested carbohydrates ferment in the intestines, allowing bacteria to feed on them. This can cause an overgrowth of bacteria that causes more irritation and inflammation within the gastrointestinal tract.
This diet is restrictive, so compliance is an issue for many people who try it.
Clearly, there are plenty of anti-inflammatory eating patterns to choose from. If you are struggling to find what works best for you, please contact me. Together we will create a personalized nutrition roadmap to help you on your healing journey. For more tips and tricks on living gracefully with your autoimmune disease, follow me on Instagram, Facebook and YouTube.
