6 diet tips for healing from autoimmune disease (2025)

FAQs

6 diet tips for healing from autoimmune disease? ›

However, some research has suggested that eating foods like fruits, fish, and whole grains may benefit people with autoimmune conditions. Although there are common threads to so-called autoimmune disease diets—for example, most include anti-inflammatory foods—specific dietary changes must be tailored to the person.

However, some research has suggested that eating foods like fruits, fish, and whole grains may benefit people with autoimmune conditions. Although there are common threads to so-called autoimmune disease diets—for example, most include anti-inflammatory foods—specific dietary changes must be tailored to the person.

Avoid things that increase inflammation, such as sugar, trans-fat, alcohol, and smoking. Focus on things that decrease inflammation, like regular low-intensity exercise and foods such as coconut oil, avocados, olives, vegetables, herbs, salmon and sardines.

Avoid high doses of vitamin C, beta carotene, cat's claw, echinacea and ginseng, among others. Why add fuel to the fire? Doing so may cause you to slip out of remission and into more misery. I'll share some tips in the space provided, but there are so many other nutrients.

On a basic level, autoimmune disease occurs because the body's natural defenses — the immune system — attack the body's own healthy tissue. Researchers have several ideas about why this happens. When the body senses danger from a virus or infection, the immune system kicks into gear and attacks it.

Eggs: You may want to avoid eggs and any foods that contain them. Dairy: People with autoimmune diseases may want to stop drinking or eating any type of animal milk, such as cow's, sheep's, and goat's milk, and foods that derive from them, such as cheese, butter, cream, and dairy-based protein powders and supplements.

There's no perfect drink for people with autoimmune diseases. However, polyphenol-rich dry red wine and clear liquors mixed with soda waters or lower sugar swaps, like some green juices, are your friends. Hard kombuchas with no added sugar also go down easy and support your gut with probiotics.

Protection against autoimmune diseases

Comparatively, within the acquired immune system, the caffeine content within coffee potentially suppresses the proliferation of Th1 and Th2 cells. As a result, coffee can reduce the damage caused by the release of cytokines due to overactive T- and B-cells.

Are bananas ok for autoimmune? ›

Examples of foods you can eat while on the AIP diet include: Vegetables that aren't nightshade vegetables like cucumbers, spinach, sweet potatoes and zucchini. Fresh fruits like apples, oranges, mangos, strawberries, bananas and blueberries.

The worst foods for autoimmune disease include foods high in sugar, red meat, dairy, gluten, and nightshade vegetables.

Other good whole-grain cereal choices include oatmeal and cream of wheat. Scientists believe that a low diversity of gut bacteria can contribute to some autoimmune diseases like Crohn's and rheumatoid arthritis. Fortunately, we can improve our microbiome with better food choices.

Tobacco, alcohol, coffee, oils, food additives, refined and processed sugars, and certain medications, such as non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) should also be avoided ( 1 ). Examples of NSAIDs include ibuprofen, naproxen, diclofenac, and high dose aspirin.

Consider exercises like walking on the treadmill, yoga, Pilates, weight training, low-impact circuit training and swimming. Add in cardio and aerobics which fit your ability levels such as rowing, stationary bike or outdoor cycling, step climbing, elliptical and dance.

Common ones include lupus, rheumatoid arthritis, Crohn's disease and ulcerative colitis. Autoimmune diseases can affect many types of tissues and nearly any organ in your body. They may cause a variety of symptoms including pain, tiredness (fatigue), rashes, nausea, headaches, dizziness and more.

Asherson's syndrome is a rare autoimmune disorder. Autoimmune disorders are caused when the body natural defenses (antibodies, lymphocytes, etc.) against invading organisms suddenly begin to attack perfectly healthy tissue.

Some are well known, such as type 1 diabetes, multiple sclerosis, lupus, and rheumatoid arthritis, while others are rare and difficult to diagnose. With unusual autoimmune diseases, patients may suffer years before getting a proper diagnosis. Most of these diseases have no cure.