The paleo autoimmune diet is modified to boost the immune system and gut lining in autoimmune sufferers. The autoimmune disease appears when the body’s immune system attacks mistakenly by its cells and causes systemic inflammation. Autoimmune diseases in the United States drive more than 20 million people.
Symptoms of autoimmune disease can vary, such as;
- Joint pain
- Skin rashes
- Brain fog
- Fatigue
The autoimmune paleo diet is an autoimmune protocol diet that helps heal the immune system and digestive tract lining. It eliminates the potential dietary triggers that cause inflammation and other autoimmune reactions.
The autoimmune protocol (AIP) diet requires at least 30 days to eliminate dairy, gluten, legumes, nuts, grains, pseudo-grains, seeds, vegetables, eggs, oils, alcohol, added sugar, food additives, and NSAIDs (Ibuprofen). The AIPs diet allows the following foods to eat;
- Organ Meat
- Fish
- Vegetables except for nightshade vegetables
- Sweet potatoes
- Fruits in small quantity
- Coconut milk
- Avocado, coconut, and olive oil
- Fermented foods (dairy-free)
- Honey in small quantity
- Fresh non-seed herbals
- Green tea
- Bone broth
- Vinegar
- Arrowroot starch and grass-fed gelatin
Foods that AIPs do not allow to eat;
- All grains
- Dairy products
- Eggs
- Nuts
- Seeds
- Legumes
- Beans
- Nightshade vegetables
- All sugars
- Butter and ghee
- Herbs derived from the seed
- Food additives
- Alcohol
- chocolate
Autoimmune paleo diet:
Some recipes can be used to fill the bill of restricted diet are;
Easy wild salmon salad:
Exclude tomatoes and add black pepper to make the taste AIP-friendly.
Bison burgers:
Skip the sprinkling of black pepper.
Add a tomato slice on top and add fresh cucumber or onion (optional).
Green detox smoothie:
Swap parsley with healthy plant-based protein for collagen peptides.
Replace the almond butter with avocado or coconut butter.
Autoimmune paleo diet work:
The autoimmune paleo diet helps reduce inflammation, promote healing, and lessen the autoimmune symptoms in the long term. After the elimination phase, those foods are again re-used and retested for a tolerance test if any reaction occurs. Autoimmune paleo protocol highlights the way of life and priorities such as adequate sleep, reduction of stress, and regular physical activity because these factors directly affect the immune system. Promoting these self-care practices is suitable for achieving sound health and wellness. The success of the autoimmune protocol diet was gained by the thousands of people (successful stories) who use this diet and reverse the autoimmune disease. Researchers found that more than 70% of people achieved the goal after six weeks by following the autoimmune paleo diet protocol.
You must manage the active and progressive symptoms if you seem diagnosed with an autoimmune disease. AIP is a good or best option for you to treat autoimmune diseases. However, if you are not willing to follow a highly restricted diet and take the risk of eating disorders like having food aversions, in that case, you will not get any benefit from an autoimmune paleo diet.
If the AIP diet works:
Thirty days is the minimum time to follow the diet; it’s good to wait, see or check the results to improve autoimmune conditions. Once you see the improvement, you reintroduce the foods safely and gradually following a formal schedule. The significant and critical goal of the AIP diet is to uncover the triggers that cause autoimmune disease and helps in healing the condition. Reduction in the following symptoms of autoimmune disease highlights the significant benefit of the AIP diet;
- Muscle and joint pain
- Fatigue
- Bloating
- Gas
- Rashes
- Hair loss
- Body aches
Moreover, doctors can conduct a physical exam to check the reduction in overall physical symptoms.
Effectiveness of the AIP diet:
- AIP diet is very effective for those with autoimmune diseases and tried other dietary changes.
- The elimination diet is perfect for checking or identifying dietary triggers.
- The AIP diet should be an elimination diet that analyzes all potential foods for the reactive population.
- The autoimmune protocol can lower inflammation and symptoms through a personalized diet.
Autoimmune paleo diet for RA:
There is no specific diet that is especially proven for rheumatoid arthritis. Some people experience the strict paleo diet, and their painful joints get better. The AIP diet gives you a flood of nutrients and reduces worsened conditions. Firstly, if you are serious about changing your diet, talk to your doctor—because RA medications make it harder to get complete nutrition. Don’t make it worse. Diet affects the composition or structure of the gut microbiome and produces a metabolite (an environmental factor). A dysbiosis gut microbiota is linked with the development of rheumatoid arthritis (RA). The cause of dysbiosis gut microbiota and its effect on rheumatoid arthritis disease is still unknown. The AIPs diet can significantly lower inflammation.
Basics of Paleo diet:
Two million years ago, the paleo diet was based on what early people ate in the Paleolithic era. People ate what they hunted and gathered. The Paleo-friendly foods are;
- Fermented vegetables and fruits
- Eggs
- Fish
- Seafood
- Fruits and veggies
- Organ meat
- Nuts
- Seeds
While Paleo-unfriendly foods are;
- Dairy products
- Grains (corn, wheat, pasta)
- Refined or processed foods (sugar, soda, pizza, packed or canned foods)
- Vegetable oil
Paleo autoimmune protocol for RA:
A heavy diet such as processed meat, refined grains, fried foods, and sugars increases the risk of rheumatoid arthritis. People who take a diet filled with veggies, fruits, and lean protein are less likely to have rheumatoid arthritis. But AIP works on the theory that certain foods can cause disruption in the gut and cause inflammation. By following the paleo diet with the AIP protocol, you must stop eating the following foods;
- Alcohol
- Eggs
- Fruit juices
- Sweeteners
- Nuts
- Nightshade veggies such as eggplant, potatoes, tomatoes, peppers, etc.
- Seed base spices like fennel, sesame seeds, and others
- Cocoa and coffee seeds
If you start feeling recovered after 3-4 weeks, you get back these foods. But stop eating these foods if you see any of the following reactions;
- RA comes back and becomes worse
- Stomach problems
- Heartburn
- Bowel changes
- Intestinal distress
- Feeling tired or low energy
- Headaches
- Dizziness
- Runny nose
- Noticeable skin changes like rashes and acne
Manage the other following tips by applying the AIP;
- Lifestyle modification
- Get enough sleep
- Manage stress
- Regular exercising
- Staying physically active
The AIP protocol diet doesn’t seem suitable for the long term as it may not contain various foods enriched with calcium, fiber, and vitamins.
References:
- https://www.parsleyhealth.com/blog/autoimmune-paleo-diet-aip-heals-immune-system/ retrieved on April 01, 2022.
- https://www.webmd.com/rheumatoid-arthritis/paleo-autoimmune-protocol retrieved on April 01, 2022.
- https://www.everydayhealth.com/rheumatoid-arthritis/autoimmune-protocol-diet-aip-diet-ra/ retrieved on April 01, 2022.
- https://www.healthline.com/health/paleo-autoimmune-protocol retrieved on April 01, 2022.
