By using food as medicine, autoimmune protocol (AIP) followers are able to reduce troublesome
symptoms and heal underlying imbalances by decreasing inflammation and healing gut dysfunction.
The diet focuses on a nutrient-dense intake and eliminates inflammatory and allergenic foods to
support the body in cooling down the immune system (which is what’s going awry).
The take home point about AIP is that if you have an autoimmune issue, you most likely have a
poorly functioning digestive tract. Because your gut is not in the best shape, byproducts of all of the
things passing through your intestines are leaking through your gut barrier into your blood stream,
causing your immune system to respond. This concept is fundamental to understanding why the AIP
works in decreasing inflammation and immune system stimulation.
How To Follow The Autoimmune Protocol
There are very specific rules to follow to use AIP. At first, the list of foods that aren’t permitted foods
can feel overwhelming, but let’s break it down.
Start with basic paleo principles
No gluten, no grains, no legumes, no dairy, no sugar, and no alcohol. You’ve got that down
already. Glutenis inflammatory for the gut and should be removed from the diet of anyone with
autoimmune disorders. Grains and legumes are removed to avoid anti-nutrients like phytic acid and
inflammatory lectins. Sugarand alcohol are removed because they are highly inflammatory and do not
bring any nutritional value or healing properties to the table.
Avoid nightshade vegetables
Vegetables such as peppers, eggplant, and tomatoes have been found to be particularly
inflammatory, causing joint pain, skin irritation, and gut discomfort.
Avoid eggs
Eggs are eliminated because the proteins and enzymes in eggs (and in the white in particular) are
able to work their way through the gut lining during the digestion process. Although this can occur in
healthy people as well, in those with autoimmune conditions, the egg particulate matter gets through
the barrier of the gut lining easily and infiltrates the blood stream, causing immune system stimulation
and reactivity.
Avoid all nuts and seeds
Nuts and seeds are high in anti-nutrients such as lectins and phytates. They are one of the most
allergenic types of foods and can cause sensitivities in people struggling with autoimmunity.
Additionally, the ratio of omega-3 to omega-6 fatty acids is suboptimal in most nuts and seeds. In fact,
nuts contain a high amount of omega-6 fatty acids, which are pro-inflammatory.
Keep fruit to a minimum
Try to keep fruit to one to two servings per day. This keeps blood sugar levels stable and also helps
you avoid taking in too much fructose, which can be irritating for the gut.