Autoimmune and diet......how big is that link?

Allergies, blood and immune system
1

If you wash your clothes with a washing powder that your skin doesnt like much you will itch and come out in a rash maybe and then stop using it.

What about a similar effect with food in your body? Once digested and broken down, is transported through the blood to every part and organ of the body, immediately effecting the immune system and throwing it into disarray, this happens multiple times per day, that itching going through your blood so to speak. Your body deals with this ona regular basis until on day is too much and just cracks as in immune system goes haywire.

What i am trying to say here, anyone with the sysmptoms of auto immune disease, diagnosed or not, put under the umbrella of ME, try keeping a food diary, try a plant diet maybe.......maybe not the answer to everyone but would try removing dairy and graisn for a start and how you feel? good luck everyone

2

That's a good start. A food journal.mstart out with elimination only eat a few food then slowlupy add foods.

my skin is itchy this time of year. The cold weather dries it out so I am constantly adding moisturizer with no offending additives or laural sulfate is a big on for me. Using soaps that are natural I use glycerine ans baby laundry soaps very gentle. 

Hope pe you can figure out what is the cause. Sometime OTC meds or prescription meds can makes the skin itch. If your on ant meds check online for side effects.

stay away from sugar and carbs has also helped me. Can you see a allergist have u tried allergy meds?

good luck 

3

If only it were that simple. Diet does help how you feel in general yes of course. But I have auto immune disease and diet does not get rid of it. Certainly eases symptoms and you don't really have to cut anything out. Just be very balanced in terms of salt sugar fats and not eating processed foods. Isn't that the same for the whole population? There arr many sensible measures we can take to feel a whole lot better. Sadly it won't get rid of an auto immune disease.

4

Hi, the trouble is no one knows or can answer many of the auto immune diseases that are around. I guess i am just looking from a pragmatic and scientific perspective as in if diet can help, therefore there is a relationship, how deep that relationship is and could it really be a possible cause am just asking, is like the chicken or the egg paradox. If you are constantly challenging your immune system due to diet or the chemcials in food, the immune system might get to a stage where it doesnt know when to stay on or off and what to attack, this is from a personal perspective as i know what diet plays in my life and health

5

I understand where you are coming from in a way. I can see why people make a connection between food and disease. And I definitely think our diet impacts how well or otherwise we feel.

But I think that genetics is a science also. I see a specialists who...amongst other things...has looked at my genetic profile and how that affects me. It is his feeling, which I share, that things like diet etc can affect my quality if life but not 'cure' me. There is no cure for me. I was sick from day 1 of my existence.

That may sound fatalistic. But my acceptance of my situation, good treatment and staying as active as I can and not overdoing meds along with trying to eat well and stay active means I live a very normal life. I run my own business and have a good social life these days. When disease was at its worst, I worked but stayed home otherwise for 2 years. I am now in as happy and healthy ( barring a few issues which may or my not be related) as I think I can be.

The problem with trying to ascribe lifestyle choices to illness is it makes people feel they are guilty of not trying hard enough to help themselves. People with long term health condiderations often don't have the wherewithall to be so organised about eating plans and so on. When I was so ill I could barely get put of bed managing a bit if toast and tinned soup was about all I could do of a day. Feeling better now....totally different. My diet us good...I cycle everywhere I can. I take these issues seriously. But changing my diet and cutting out all of the things everyone says is bad for us....that made me feel 10 times worse and liver function went mad. Potssium was low. Vit d was low. I felt totally awful. These kind of diets are not always what we all need and can be detrimental.

6

Hi Margret, the last last thing i would ever want is to make anyone with a type of immune disorder to feel that they are not trying hard enough or guilty, it is a journey that only the ones effected really understand. How frustrating is it to move over to a really healthy diet, put all that effort and cost in and feel 10 times worse, just doesnt make sense althohgh fact that there is such a reaction that have felty myself again does go to substantiate the relationship between diet and autoimmune, however complicated.

i have a huge amount of emapthy and understanding for what u say.

7

I am so sure you didn't want to have that impact and that you do empathise so was not being critical. 

I think the problem, as I see it, with people giving advice on diet etc is that they don't know fully what they are dealing with. 

For example, I was told so many times by people (still am) take 'echinecea for your immune system'. It is good for building up immunity. Same with garlic. Well before I was diagnosed with Behcet's disease I did try this to really bad effect. 

As I have an auto immune disease which affects my central nervous system....and because I have an over active immune system already....both make me quite ill. My immune system doesn't need to be boosted any more. In fact I need my immune system to be suppressed. 

People who don't understand what is wrong with you make suggestions - with great intentions, not out of badness - about what is good for you. But in fact, my specialist knows better than anyone else what is right or wrong for me. That is why they offer nutritional support and advice to patients. I think I would strongly refute any connection between developing auto immune disease and diet. I think it is a genetic issue. You are wrong to say no one understands the cause of it. Speak to them at Cambridge where they are researching the genetic background of auto immune disease. They understand so much now about the genetic profile 

The relationship between diet and ai disorders is a general one. Not a causal one. Diet can ease symptoms and help to repair damage. Avacados are brilliant for combating inflammation and so make me feel great. Same thing with oily fish. These are great balancing foods. There is a definite link with diet and feeling better. There I totally agree with you. I don't think anyone would dispute that. I have gi issues from Behcet's. Diet improves that. But proper medication for my condition banishes it completely....I haven't had one reaction to food in 3 years! That's not down to diet. That is because the underlying condition is controlled. 

 

8

Hi,

I strongly agree with Margaret...IF ONLY diet could cure my multiple, serious autoimmune diseases...

It is shameful to hold out false, unrealistic hope.

9

In many clinical studies there has been a link between the gut and auto immune diseases. 

Hyperpermeability is the name given to a very common disorder in which the cells lining the intestines become “leaky” due to inflammation.

There is a wide range of foods to eliminate from ones diet. Starting with eating only eating fresh foods and vegetables. Cooking your own foods. Olive oil, red palm oil and cocunut oils all very good for immune system.

I rarely eat out or I always end up with a tummy ache and other unfashionable issues. I had a long history of IBS and was long gone after I eliminated boxed foods, prepared foods ond restaurant foods,dairy was ok for me except eggs. No carbs sugars or artificial sugars. Drink lots of water helps flush out the system. Also probiotics and prebiotics so help balance our gut. 

I make a lot lot of smoothis easy and delicious all natural fresh foods. I add protein powder for energy. I use coconut water, blueberries antioxidant, keifer a ferminted drink and yogurt. Ferminted foods & drinks are very helpful for the gut which many clinical studies show help they help the immune system.

I have a few auto immune diseases arthritis 3 different types, & psoriasis. Eating better has helped and many foods are also anti imflamatory. 

 As for actual treatment, meds are prescribed to slow down the damage to joints caused by psoriatic arthritis. And two shinny hip joints and one knee joint helps. Modern medicne gave me mobility & a better quality of life.

At the same time I have to include heriditary genes. I have a few of those causing many of the auto immune diseases I cope with today. 

Boy do I feel for my gram & mom. When I was a child there was just the attitude in the medical community well they are old and that's why this or that illness has reared its ugly head. No longer is that the case. 

There is is a lot of good advice in these posts. It's great that we all can share  our experiences. And learning on our own that some foods are reactive in our bodies and cause more issues especially as we age. 

So yes starting with a journal can help you identify the foods that are better for you or that cause problems. Ask your doctor for a diatician for your special needs. If we all ate a diabetic diet which is how we should eat anyway it's not really a "Diet" it's really a healthy way to feed our bodies.

Many different diagnosis respond differently to foods, Chrons or celiac disease another part of the autoimmune puzzle.

Sometimes we have to be our own advocate and study and search for answers as well as depending on good medical advice.

10

Yes as you say in your reply to me....the inflammation in the bowel is already there then it becomes sensitive. That is my point. The inflammatory response causes the gut and bowel to become sensitive. Three years of controlling inflammation and no gut problems and no bowel problem.