Want To Prevent Inflammation & Autoimmune Disease? Here's Where To Start

In the last four years of my private practice as an integrative medicine doctor, I have personally witnessed the rise of autoimmune conditions. It perplexed me to see so many young people being diagnosed with lupus, rheumatoid arthritis, Hashimoto's thyroiditis, psoriasis, celiac disease, and more! How is it possible that this younger generation has more of these problems than my older patients? I asked myself that question frequently, and it wasn’t until I started digging in deeper that I learned how closely connected gut health is to autoimmunity.

What's causing this steep rise? The rise of autoimmune-related diseases can be attributed to a lot of factors, including the use of pesticides, toxins in our air and water, overuse of medications, chronic viral infections, mold exposure, chronic stress, and genetics—but the most important factor in the standard American diet (SAD). High in fast foods, carbohydrates, and genetically modified ingredients and low in fiber, vegetables, and antioxidants, the SAD isn't doing us any favors when it comes to our weight, inflammation levels, or the health of our gut. And according to ayurveda and traditional Chinese medicine, inflammation always starts in the gut. In turn, autoimmune diseases start with inflammation.

When this repeatedly occurs over time, excessive toxin overload triggers an initiation of autoimmune disease. The ratio of microbiota is important as well as the type of bacteria residing in the gut, as some are beneficial and others are harmful. Beneficial gut bacteria act as a protective lining to the gut mucosa that keeps foreign substances from entering4 when they shouldn't. When there is a change in the composition of the amount of good bacteria versus pathogenic bad bacteria, this affects the immune regulation of the gut, making it harder2 to fight off infections and easier to develop5 an autoimmune condition.

Knowing all this, it won't come as a surprise to learn it's important to start with a healthy diet that will help heal the gut when dealing with an autoimmune disease or chronic inflammation. Eliminating foods that cause inflammation or trigger allergies or food sensitivities is also of the utmost importance. Ensure you're getting adequate levels of prebiotic foods and the probiotics found in miso, sauerkraut, kimchi, kefir, kombucha, and yogurts. Another great way to support gut health is to incorporate bone broth into your diet; the lysine, glycine, and collagen in bone broth all help repair the gut lining, which will improve the immune system over time.