What is an Autoimmune Condition?

An autoimmune condition is where the immune system is triggered to attack the body’s own tissues, which leads to damage that can often be permanent. Autoimmune conditions can be stopped in their tracks, which will prevent further damage occurring and sometimes, the initial damage can be healed.

There are many different autoimmune conditions that affect very different areas of the body. Sjorgen’s disease affects the eyes, Coeliac and Crohn’s disease affects the gut lining, rheumatoid arthritis affects the joints, Lupus affect the entire body and Hashimoto’s disease affects the thyroid. There are many other autoimmune conditions and they are thought to be a very unestimated contributor to poor health and in a much greater proportion of the population than previously thought.

Those with an autoimmune condition tend to have more than one, in fact, they can often have several.

 

The Link Between Digestive Health and Autoimmue Conditions

It’s now understood that many autoimmune conditions are triggered by food sensitivities. Partially digested food particles travel through the gut lining, into the bloodstream. These are detected by the immune system as a foreign body and, therefore, the immune system attacks. Many food particles are very similar in structure to our own tissues and this means that our own body can end up being attacked by the immune system too.

So why are these food particles causing a problem? Food particles are supposed to travel through the gut lining into the bloodstream, however, what happens here is the gut lining is unhealthy and inflamed. This allows larger food particles to pass through. It’s these larger particles that are causing the problem. This is known as leaky gut or intestinal permeability.

 

What to do now

Leaky gut, which leads to and triggers autoimmune conditions can be overcome. Firstly, you need to establish what food(s) are causing the problem. This can be done using a food diary, elimination diet or intolerance testing. Secondly, the problem food should be temporarily removed. Whilst the problem foods are absent, the gut lining should be healing using a gut healing protocol. Finally, the problem foods can be reintroduced gradually. This should all be done, whilst taking into account what may have caused the unhealthy gut lining in the first place, by looking at other areas of health too.

This the exact process that I go through with my clients who have autoimmune conditions and/ or food intolerance.
I’m a registered nutritional therapist and life coach and I specialise in digestive health conditions. To find out more about working with me click here.