The Modified AIP (AIP stands for Autoimmune Protocol) is an elimination diet that targets inflammation. It is a fan favorite within the autoimmune space because of its effectiveness. Additionally, the modified version is much easier to stick with than the original, or Core, AIP. However, is this elimination diet for you?
The History of AIP
Before I jump into the suitability of the Modified AIP diet, let’s first talk about what this is. The Autoimmune Protocol (AIP) began around 2011 when a few functional medicine practitioners started experimenting with the relationship between diet and autoimmune disease. However, it wasn’t until 2014 when AIP really took off. Sarah Ballantyne released her New York Times Bestselling book The Paleo Approach, and by 2016 the concept of using an elimination diet to improve autoimmune disease symptoms started showing up in medical offices worldwide. In 2017 and 2018, the first formal research studies on the effectiveness of AIP began and showed that the diet did in fact improve quality of life and lowered disease activity. Since then, a handful of more research studies have begun and have either been published or are currently under review. Lastly, in 2024, the Modified AIP version arrived. This new version made this diet a lot more easier to manage while still getting great results.
What is Modified AIP?
The Autoimmune Protocol’s overall goal is to use nutrient dense food to improve gut health and lower inflammation. The elimination diet removes the common inflammatory foods and includes nutrient dense foods. This combination supports the immune and digestive system by providing the body with key nutrients. Modified AIP came to be because of the widespread use of Core AIP. Practitioners using Core found that most clients didn’t need the strict version of AIP and could include a variety of other foods without compromising results. What is the difference?
Core AIP
Core AIP removes all gluten, dairy, grains and pseudo grains, corn, soy, legumes, eggs, nuts, seeds, nightshades, alcohol, processed vegetable oils, processed food chemicals, artificial and non-nutritive sweeteners.
Modified AIP
Modified AIP allows pseudo grains like quinoa, amaranth, buckwheat and chia, legumes (except soy), seeds, and ghee. So, as you can see, the modified version relaxes the restrictions and makes it easier for people to survive this elimination diet on a tight budget.
Who Should Try the Modified Version?
There are a few key criteria for choosing Core over Modified AIP. For one, if someone has inflammatory bowel disease, they may do better on the Core version. Second, if someone has a very serious or active disease, core might be a better choice. Lastly, if there are any barriers to cooking, accessing food or support, Modified AIP will be the best choice. For everyone else, I think it really depends. I always opt for the least restrictive option. I typically recommend starting with Modified (unless you meet the criteria above) and if that doesn’t help, switching to Core.
What is the Best Way to Start the Modified AIP Diet?
There are two options for starting any elimination diet: cold turkey or the step down approach. Cold turkey sounds exactly what it is, stopping all eliminated foods at the same time. On the other hand, the step down approach slowly removes foods until you hit the baseline, or elimination phase. It truly doesn’t matter which one you go with, but it should be the one you will be most successful with.
Once you reach the baseline, the elimination phase should last a minimum of 30 days, and a maximum of 3 months. If you haven’t seen improvements by the end of 3 months, your disease is not responding to food and/or other food sensitivities may need to be addressed.
To learn more about Modified AIP, feel free to check out my free Modified AIP Guide. I also use this elimination diet in my Foundations program, which is a 4 week program to help kickstart your anti-inflammatory journey. If you are interested in getting more support while doing any version of the Autoimmune Protocol, contact me to set up a free call. You can also follow me on Instagram, Facebook and YouTube where I post more tips and education on an anti-inflammatory lifestyle.
Photo by Nadine Primeau on Unsplash
