Nutrition In Autoimmune Diseases (Autoimmune Protocol)

If you think you're hearing more and more about autoimmune diseases , it's because the number of people suffering from them has increased in recent years, both nationally and globally. So far, more than 100,000 Bulgarians have been diagnosed with the chronic disease, and although genetic predisposition is responsible for nearly a third of cases, the environment, eating habits and lifestyle explain the other two-thirds. This means that we can have a positive effect on autoimmune diseases by making changes in our food choices and learning about how stress, lack of sleep and physical activity negatively affect our condition.

What is the Autoimmune Protocol?

The Autoimmune Protocol (AIP) is a specialized version of the Paleo diet that indicates which products should be avoided. According to the AIP, foods are divided into two groups: those that promote health and those that harm it.

Some foods are the obvious components of a good diet, as they contain a large amount of useful ingredients and very few or no elements that adversely affect the body. Good examples of these are offal (liver, brain), seafood and most vegetables. Other foods are understandably forbidden, as they have relatively low values ​​of useful components and a number of problematic ingredients. This group includes gluten-containing cereals, peanuts and soy products. But many foods fall into the gray indefinable part between the two extremes. This is the case with tomatoes, which contain both some very useful elements and others that can have a negative effect on the immune system.

AIP eliminates such foods, including ingredients that can adversely affect immunity or damage the intestinal microflora. The purpose of this diet is to supply the body with as many useful elements as possible, while eliminating any foods that can contribute to the development of autoimmune disease or interfere with healing processes.

Allowed foods:

• seafood and fish (at least 3 times a week);
• variety of vegetables and fruits (daily consumption);
• green vegetables;
• red, purple, blue, white vegetables and fruits;
• however, the fruit should be taken in limited quantities - between 10 grams and 40 grams of fructose per day; 
• cruciferous vegetables (broccoli, cauliflower, cabbage, kale, kale, zucchini, squash, etc.);
• mushrooms;
• herbs and spices (except black pepper);
• all types of meat, but of high quality (preferably from an organic farm where hormones and antibiotics are not used);
• unsaturated fats (coconut oil, avocado, salmon, olives);
• probiotic or fermented foods (fermented fruits and vegetables, kefir, kimchi, coconut yogurt);
• glycerin-rich foods (offal, bone broth).

Prohibited foods:

• cereals;
• beans and legumes;
• dairy products and eggs;
• nuts and seeds (including coffee, cocoa and spices derived from seeds);
• soy and soy products;
• alcohol;
• sweeteners and refined and processed sugar;
• vegetables from the Potato family - potatoes (sweet potatoes are allowed), tomatoes, eggplant, sweet and hot peppers, tomato, goji berry);
• emulsifiers, thickeners and stabilizers.