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benefits of anti-inflammatory diet for autoimmune disease

6 Benefits of the Anti-Inflammatory Diet for Autoimmune Disease

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Autoimmune diseases, which affect up to 50 million Americans, are on the rise[1][2].
The symptoms of autoimmune diseases vary but usually involve damage to tissues and altered organ function.
Autoimmune disorders occur between two and ten times more often in women and are a leading cause of death in young and middle-aged women in the US[3][4].
In this article, you’ll learn the symptoms and causes of autoimmune diseases, how your diet can influence your risk, and why the anti-inflammatory diet is a fantastic choice to reduce your risk or improve existing symptoms of autoimmunity.

What is Autoimmune Disease?

Autoimmune disorders are a broad group of disorders where your body attacks itself by mistake.
Normally, your immune system knows the difference between healthy, normal cells and infected cells or foreign bodies. But if you have an autoimmune disease, your immune system mistakes your normal cells for unhealthy cells and tries to destroy them. As a result, your body damages itself.
There are over 80 known autoimmune diseases. The most common ones include rheumatoid arthritis, multiple sclerosis, chronic Lyme disease, lupus, Crohn’s disease, psoriasis, and type 1 diabetes.
Symptoms of Autoimmune Disorders
While the symptoms of autoimmunity vary depending on the disorder and the tissues it attacks, autoimmune reactions always involve inflammation and tissue damage.
Here are the most common symptoms of autoimmune disease:
  • Inflammation and swelling
  • Aching muscles or joints
  • Digestive issues and abdominal pain
  • Fatigue
  • Low-grade fever
  • Swollen glands
  • Rash
  • Flare-ups (symptoms that come and go)
If you notice these symptoms, visit your doctor to discuss them and follow up with the appropriate tests.
Causes of Autoimmune Disease
While autoimmune disorders can run in families, scientists think that environmental conditions, not genes, play the biggest role in causing autoimmune disease.
Here are the most likely suspects behind the current increase in autoimmunity:
  • Inflammatory diets high in sugar can double the risk of some autoimmune disorders[5][6].
  • Vaccines can increase the risk of lupus and other autoimmune disorders in vulnerable people[7][8][9][10][11].
  • Poor sleep and irregular sleep schedules can raise your risk of autoimmune disease, or make it more severe[12][13][14].
  • Environmental toxins like air pollution, pesticides, and microplastics heighten your risk of developing an autoimmune disease[15].
  • Low vitamin D and insufficient sunlight are risk factors for autoimmune disorders[16][17][18].
The good news is that you can reduce your risk of autoimmune disease by focusing on these factors. And if you already suffer from an autoimmune disorder, you can still take steps to decrease the severity of your symptoms.

How Your Diet Influences Autoimmune Disorders

Diet is a major factor behind the rise of autoimmune disorders[19].
The food you eat has an enormous impact on your health and wellness. Your body relies on your diet to produce energy, repair and rebuild your cells, and obtain essential nutrients.
More people are eating processed, packaged food or dining at restaurants than ever before. Generally, these foods lead to higher levels of inflammation, which increases the risk or severity of the autoimmune disease.
Here’s what an unhealthy, inflammatory diet looks like:
  • Low in fruits and vegetables
  • High in omega-6 fatty acids
  • Low in omega-3 fatty acids
  • Includes grains, sugars, and other processed carbohydrates
Ultra-processed foods that are high in carbohydrates and low in fiber increase inflammation, lead to unhealthy gut bacteria and damage your gut, all of which raise your risk of autoimmune disorders[20].
An improper balance of omega-6 to omega-3 fatty acids leads to inflammation and increases your risk of disease[21][22].
Sugar also heightens your risk of autoimmune problems[23].

What is the Anti-Inflammatory Diet?

Basically, the anti-inflammatory diet is the opposite of the inflammatory diet outlined in the previous section. It’s high in whole food proteins, healthy fats (including omega-3 fatty acids), fruits, vegetables, and fiber.
Avoid the following inflammatory foods to reduce inflammation in your body and lower your risk of autoimmune disorders[24][25]:
  • Processed and packaged foods
  • Sugars, especially fructose and high-fructose corn syrup
  • Trans fats
  • Vegetable oils and other processed refined oils (canola oil, soybean oil)
  • Dairy
  • Grains
  • Legumes
  • Seeds
Instead, you can replace inflammatory trigger foods with healthy whole foods. Here are the staple foods you can eat instead to reduce your inflammation:
  • Whole-food protein sources like grass-fed beef
  • Fatty fish and shellfish for omega-3 fatty acids
  • Healthy fats like extra virgin olive oil and extra virgin coconut oil
  • Leafy green vegetables for fiber and phytonutrients
Research shows you can dramatically decrease your risk of autoimmune disorders by replacing inflammatory “Western diet” foods with healthier choices[26][27][28].

6 Ways the Anti-Inflammatory Diet Can Help With Autoimmune Disease

#1: Reduces Inflammation and Pain
Inflammation and pain are common features of all autoimmune disorders. When your immune system attacks your body, swelling and inflammation occur as your body tries to heal from the flare-up. Inflammation is also a risk factor for developing autoimmune disease[29][30][31][32][33][34].
That’s why the anti-inflammatory diet so effective at preventing autoimmune disease or reducing the symptoms of existing autoimmune disorders. For example, in rheumatoid arthritis, spinach and blueberries can improve symptoms, while sugary drinks and desserts worsen them[35].
#2: Eliminates Allergens and Problem Foods
If you have a food allergy or food sensitivity, trigger foods can activate your immune system. As a result, foods like dairy or grains can increase your risk of developing an autoimmune disorder or cause flare-ups if you already suffer from one[36].
However, the anti-inflammatory diet eliminates common allergens and problem foods and replaces them with functional foods that enable your body to heal.
If you have an undiagnosed food allergy or sensitivity, you’ll begin to feel better within a week of trying the anti-inflammatory diet. And if you already have an autoimmune disease, the anti-inflammatory diet can prevent flare-ups and allow your body to recover.
#3: Boosts Beneficial Bacteria
Your gut microbiome contains trillions of bacteria. These bacteria shape your immune response, affect your body’s ability to absorb nutrients, and influence your risk of autoimmune disorders.
Research shows that people with autoimmune disease have unhealthy gut bacteria[37]. As a result, their bodies have altered immune responses and higher inflammation levels[38].
Unhealthy processed foods, sugar, and grains enable harmful bacteria to grow in your gut[39]. That’s a major reason why eating an inflammatory diet increases your risk of autoimmune disorders[40].
But the anti-inflammatory diet can enhance your microbiome by starving bad bacteria and feeding good bacteria with dietary fiber.
You can also use homemade probiotic fermented foods or probiotic supplements to boost your beneficial bacteria population and suppress autoimmunity[41].
#4: Improves Gut Integrity
Over time, inflammatory foods can damage your gut lining. In addition to stomach pain and inflammation, this can allow undigested food and bad bacteria to enter your bloodstream.
When you have a “leaky gut,” your immune system perceives the food and bacteria entering your bloodstream as hostile[42]. The result is that your body may attack itself, and autoimmune flare-ups can occur.
According to research, glucose, sodium, gluten, and chemical additives in processed food can harm your intestinal lining and lead to leaky gut[43].
However, because the anti-inflammatory diet focuses on healthy, whole foods and excludes harmful additives, it can help reverse these issues and heal your gut lining.
#5: Increases Insulin Sensitivity
Insulin is one of your body’s most important hormones. When you eat carbohydrates, your body uses insulin to store energy.
But when you eat too many carbs or too much sugar, your body releases large amounts of insulin. Eventually, your cells become resistant to the effects of insulin.
Research links insulin resistance to a heightened risk of autoimmune disorders and worsening of autoimmune symptoms[44][45][46][47].
Eating anti-inflammatory foods that offer healthy fats, fiber, and phytonutrients can increase your insulin sensitivity[48][49][50][51][52].
By increasing your insulin sensitivity you can reduce your risk of autoimmune disease and lessen your symptoms[53].
#6: Provides Adequate Nutrition for Healing
Studies show that people with autoimmune disease have lower levels of zinc, copper,  selenium, iodine, iron, vitamin B, magnesium, potassium, and chromium [54][55][56][57][58]. Zinc deficiency alone can raise your risk of autoimmune disease[59][60].
A diet abundant in selenium, calcium, omega-3 fatty acids, and vitamins A, D, and E can reduce inflammation in your body and enable you to heal[61].
The anti-inflammatory diet is rich in nutrient-dense foods. By eating the proper macronutrients and sufficient micronutrients, you can prevent autoimmune disease or improve existing autoimmunity symptoms[62].

The Takeaway

Autoimmune diseases are complex, and they can be challenging to understand, prevent, or treat. Although it may seem daunting, the evidence clearly shows you can take action to decrease your risk or reduce your symptoms.
The most important steps are eating an anti-inflammatory diet, getting adequate sleep, avoiding environmental toxins, and ensuring your vitamin D levels are sufficient.
The anti-inflammatory diet is useful for preventing or managing autoimmune disorders because it lowers inflammation, eliminates problem foods, enhances your gut health, and gives your body the nutrition you need to heal.
autoimmune disease

The 6 Best Ways to Reduce Your Risk of Autoimmune Disorders

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The 6 Best Ways to Reduce Your Risk of Autoimmune Disorders

Autoimmune disorders affect up to 50 million Americans, and their prevalence is increasing[1][2].
Women have a much greater likelihood of autoimmune disorders than men. Most autoimmune diseases occur two to ten times more often in women. Autoimmune diseases are one of the leading causes of death in young and middle-aged women in the US[3][4].
In this article, you’ll learn how your immune system works, causes and warning signs of autoimmunity, and steps you can take today to reduce your risk of autoimmune disease.

What are Autoimmune Disorders?

Autoimmune disorders are a group of disorders where your body attacks normal, healthy cells by mistake.
Your immune system is a specialized network of cells and organs. The following eight components defend your body from viruses, bacteria, cancer cells, and foreign substances:
  • The thymus gland
  • Immune hormones
  • Antibodies
  • White blood cells
  • Bone marrow
  • Spleen
  • Lymphatic system
  • The immune complement system
For people without autoimmune disease, their immune system distinguishes between healthy, normal cells and infected cells or foreign invaders. But if you have autoimmune disease, cells called regulatory T cells fail to keep your immune system in check. As a result, damage occurs to your body.
In addition to tissue damage, autoimmune disorders can also result in other harmful effects. These effects include abnormal organ growth and altered organ function.
There are over 80 known autoimmune diseases. Here are some of the most common examples:
  • Rheumatoid Arthritis
  • Fibromyalgia
  • Multiple Sclerosis
  • Chronic Lyme Disease
  • Lupus
  • Crohn’s Disease
  • Inflammatory Bowel Disease
  • Psoriasis
  • Type 1 Diabetes
While some autoimmune diseases are rare, others, like rheumatoid arthritis, are common. Autoimmune diseases are the leading cause of disability in Americans.

Signs of Autoimmune Disorders

The signs and symptoms of autoimmunity can vary depending on the disorder and the tissues it targets. Regardless, autoimmune reactions always involve inflammation and tissue damage as your body attacks its own cells, tissues, and organs due to malfunctions in your immune system.
Additionally, it’s possible to experience autoimmune issues prior to full-blown autoimmune disease. Here’s what to look for:
  • Inflammation
  • Joint pain, stiffness, or swelling
  • Muscle aches
  • Abdominal pain
  • Digestive issues
  • Fatigue
  • Low-grade fever
  • Swollen glands
  • Rash
  • Malaise
  • Symptoms that come and go (flare-ups)
The most likely areas of your body to be affected by autoimmune disease are your blood vessels, connective tissues, joints, muscles, skin, red blood cells, and endocrine glands like your thyroid or pancreas.
Autoimmune disease can develop in progressive stages. Therefore, it’s critical that you pay attention to these signs, even if you don’t currently have a diagnosed autoimmune disorder. Early intervention may allow you to prevent or even cure autoimmune disorders before they worsen[5].
If you experience these symptoms, ask your doctor to assess them and follow up with the appropriate tests.
Unfortunately, there isn’t a single, specific test to diagnose autoimmune disease. However, a combination of your medical history and lab work may allow your doctor to rule out or identify the presence of autoimmune disorders.

Causes of Autoimmune Disease

Autoimmune disease can vary in its manifestation, but there may be some common factors behind the current rise in autoimmunity.
While autoimmune disorders can run in families, scientists think that environmental conditions, not genetics, play the biggest role in causing autoimmune disease.
Read on to learn about the most likely culprits.

Inflammatory Diet and Autoimmune Disease

An inflammatory diet is low in fruits and vegetables but high in omega-6 fatty acids, grains sugars, and other processed and refined carbohydrates. When you eat an inflammatory diet your risk of autoimmunity, obesity, heart disease, cancer, and other serious health problems that involve inflammation goes up.
In adults, consuming more than two sweetened beverages per day doubles the risk of autoimmune diabetes, and each additional seven-ounce serving increased the odds an additional 15%[6].
In a study of young children, scientists found low-fiber, high-sugar, ultra-processed foods that are ready to heat in the package increase inflammation, allow unhealthy gut bacteria to multiply, and may lead to “leaky gut,” increasing the risk of autoimmune disorders[7].

Sterile Childhood Environments and Autoimmune Disease

According to the “hygiene hypothesis,” there may be such a thing as a home that’s too clean, especially for children. Because many parents are concerned about infections, they use disinfectants and other antibacterial cleaners. Unfortunately, these products may increase the lifetime risk of allergies, asthma, and other autoimmune disorders in children.
Early life infections with some bacteria, viruses, and parasites can prevent autoimmune disease later in life[8]. Additionally, children may also receive important gut bacteria from their environment, which are absent in sterilized homes and day cares[9].
In infants, the first year of life is a critical period for immune system development. A 2014 study found that young children who were exposed to certain household allergens and microbes within their first year were less likely to develop allergies, asthma, and wheezing, but not when they were instead exposed after the first year[10].

Vaccines and Autoimmune Disease

Vaccination is a controversial subject, but there is evidence that exposure to some vaccines heightens the risk of autoimmune disorders like lupus[11].
Vaccines work by “tricking” the immune system into believing it has an infection. To this end, doctors administer vaccines in hopes of preventing future infections by familiarizing the immune system. But in effect, some vaccines may accidentally induce autoimmunity by overstimulating the immune response[12][13].
Along with vaccines themselves, some scientists think vaccine adjuvant ingredients like aluminum and mercury may also induce autoimmune disorders in certain people[14].
Patients with prior autoimmune reactions to vaccines, a medical history of autoimmune disorders, a history of allergic reactions, or a family history of autoimmune disease are at higher risk of vaccination-induced autoimmune reactions[15].

Mitochondrial Damage and Autoimmune Disease

Your body contains over 100 quadrillion mitochondria, tiny organelles found in most of your body’s cells. Consequently, mitochondria, which resemble bacteria, are responsible for producing the energy your cells and organs need to function correctly.
Mitochondria are very sensitive to oxidative stress, inflammation, and environmental disruption. Thus, when your mitochondria are damaged, the cells they fuel do not work properly.
In view of recent research findings, scientists now think that mitochondrial damage caused by inflammation also contributes to the development of autoimmune disorders[16]. Because mitochondria play a role in controlling the function of immune cells, damaged mitochondria can allow a harmful increase in immune function, resulting in autoimmunity[17].

Disrupted Circadian Rhythms and Autoimmune Disease

Your circadian rhythms are your body’s natural daily rhythms. They control what time you wake up, when your body produces hormones, the time you get hungry, and when you feel sleepy.
Along with other critical processes in your body, they also play a role in your immune function[18]. As a result, irregular circadian rhythms and poor sleep can increase your risk of autoimmune disease, and result in more severe symptoms in existing autoimmune disorders[18].
Sleep apnea, a common sleep disorder, heightens the risk of autoimmune disease by 91%[19]. Moreover, other sleep disorders can raise the risk of autoimmune disorders like rheumatoid arthritis, lupus, and Type 1 Diabetes by as much as 47%[20][21].

Air Pollution, Pesticides, Toxins and Autoimmune Disease

According to one study of twins, the genetic predisposition to autoimmune disorders explains less than 24% of autoimmune disease cases. That means environmental factors play a significant role in the majority of cases[22].
Exposure to environmental triggers like air pollutants, pesticides, microplastics, and other toxins markedly raises your risk of developing autoimmune disorders[22].

Low Vitamin D, Insufficient Sunlight and Autoimmune Disease

Research shows autoimmune diseases are more likely to occur in late fall, winter, and early spring, when sunlight is lowest[23]. Existing autoimmune disorders are also more severe at those times.
Because your body makes vitamin D from the ultraviolet portion of the natural sunlight spectrum, your vitamin D levels are lowest during those times of year[24]. Vitamin D deficiency is a risk factor for autoimmune disease.
Multiple sclerosis, lupus, psoriasis, and rheumatoid arthritis all follow seasonal patterns. They’re also more likely to occur in people who receive less sunlight throughout the year, or live in higher latitudes[25].

6 Ways to Prevent Autoimmune Disorders

#1: Avoid These Toxins

Air pollution, uranium, lead mercury, cadmium, synthetic estrogens including hormonal birth control, agricultural or residential pesticides, and excessive alcohol use all increase your risk of developing an autoimmune disease[26][27][28].
Epidemiological studies show that exposure to urban air pollution or agricultural pesticides can double your risk of autoimmune disorders like lupus and rheumatoid arthritis[29][30][31]. Therefore, if you live in an urban area or a rural area around farms that use pesticides, your best option for preventing autoimmune disease may be to move to a different location.
Scientists have also found that using cosmetic products like lipstick and nail polish can increase your risk of developing autoimmune disease[32]. If you use cosmetic products, consider switching to natural options without eosin, phthalates, and halogenated chemicals.

#2: Eat an Anti-Inflammatory Diet

You can reduce your risk of autoimmune disease by eating an anti-inflammatory diet[33][34].
An anti-inflammatory diet excludes trans fats, omega-6 fatty acids, sugars, and grains. On the other hand, it contains plenty of whole food protein sources, fruits and vegetables, and healthy fats like extra virgin olive oil and omega-3 fatty acids from fatty fish.
While eating sugars, grains, and omega-6 fatty acids increases inflammation in your body and raises your risk of autoimmune disorders, functional foods like extra virgin olive oil, omega-3 fatty acids, and leafy green vegetables reduce inflammation and lower your risk of autoimmunity[35][36][37][38][39][40].
Turmeric, spicy foods, chocolate, and red wine in moderation also reduce your risk of autoimmune disorders[41].

#3: Maintain a Healthy Weight

Being overweight or obese raises your risk of developing autoimmune disorders like rheumatoid arthritis, multiple sclerosis, psoriasis, and inflammatory bowel disease. However, you can lower your risk by losing weight if needed and maintaining a healthy weight[42][43][44][45][46][47].
In addition to eating an anti-inflammatory diet, research shows that calorie restriction and intermittent fasting can reduce inflammation in your body. Cutting calories and fasting can help prevent autoimmune issues like arthritis, multiple sclerosis, and Type 1 Diabetes[48].
If you want to lose weight and reduce your risk of autoimmunity, focus on eating healthy foods all the time, engaging in regular physical activity, and fasting for 12-16 hours a few times a week.

#4: Focus on Gut Health

Published research shows that there’s a link between your gut microbes and the development of autoimmune diseases like Type 1 Diabetes, rheumatoid arthritis, lupus, and multiple sclerosis[49][50].
You can improve your gut health by avoiding grains and sugars, eating plenty of dietary fiber from fruits and vegetables, and taking prebiotic and probiotic supplements.
Additionally, some studies show that having a pet or sharing a bed with someone else can enhance your microbiome and reduce your risk of autoimmune disease[51][52][53].

#5: Quit Smoking

Smoking doubles your risk of multiple sclerosis and raises your risk of other autoimmune diseases like lupus, rheumatoid arthritis, and autoimmune thyroid disease by causing inflammation in your body, altering your immune function, and damaging your DNA[54][55][56][57].
But the good news is that there are now a wide range of smoking cessation aids available that can improve your odds of stopping permanently. If you want to quit smoking, you can try nicotine patches, nicotine gum, counseling, free smartphone apps, support groups, or hypnotism.

#6: Get Enough Sleep

Being sleep-deprived, sleeping on an inconsistent schedule, or getting poor-quality sleep all raise your risk of developing autoimmune disease[58][59][60].
But you can enhance your sleep quality and lower your risk of autoimmunity by getting seven to nine hours of sleep each night, avoiding screen-time two to three hours before bed, sleeping in a cool, dark bedroom, and maintaining consistent sleep and wake times.

The Takeaway

Autoimmune disorders currently affect about 50 million Americans and are becoming more common, but you can significantly reduce your risk by avoiding environmental toxins, eating an anti-inflammatory diet, maintaining a healthy weight, and getting enough sleep at night.
Your lifestyle and environment, not your genes, are the main determining factors in your risk of autoimmune disease.
Because autoimmune diseases appear to develop in progressive stages, you should speak to your doctor for testing if you experience symptoms like inflammation, joint pain, fatigue, low-grade fever, rash, or flare-up symptoms that come and go.
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