Autoimmune Paleo Diet | U.S. News

Autoimmune paleo, or AIP, is a hybrid diet. It combines aspects of elimination diets used to reduce disease-triggering foods with the paleo diet – the popular plan for meat lovers.

In particular, autoimmune paleo is meant to ease symptoms of autoimmune disorders, in which your immune system mistakenly attacks the body itself, instead of attacking outside invaders such as bacteria and viruses.

Autoimmune symptoms are wide-ranging and vary by specific conditions. Flare-ups of fatigue, brain fog, migraines and chronic headaches, pain, skin rashes, muscle and joint aches, digestive problems, weakness, weight-loss resistance and sleep problems are among the many possible symptoms of autoimmune diseases.

Cutting out foods that tend to cause or worsen symptoms is a hallmark of elimination diets. Core paleo principles include concentrating on caveman-era foods like meat, poultry, fish, fruits and veggies while avoiding foods like dairy, refined sugar, grains and legumes that came after.

Autoimmune paleo builds on paleo by further concentrating on foods thought to ease inflammation and resulting autoimmune symptoms. Liver and other organ meats, grass-fed beef and other lean meats, bone broth and seafood are AIP staples, along with certain veggies and fruits. Yogurt and other fermented foods, and oils such as avocado, coconut and olive oils are also advised.

On the other hand, the autoimmune protocol eliminates foods thought to exacerbate inflammation and related symptoms for at least a month. Nightshade veggies like eggplant, peppers, potatoes and tomatoes, grains, dairy, eggs, legumes, seeds and nuts, alcohol, food additives and artificial sugars are avoided. During this time, you keep a food journal and also track your overall health and symptoms.

Certain healthy foods, like nuts and seeds, are initially eliminated on the autoimmune paleo protocol. That’s because people with autoimmune diseases commonly develop food intolerances to nuts and seeds, and so they have to be ruled out (or identified) as triggers when they’re gradually reintroduced.

In the reintroduction phases, you gradually reintroduce the restricted foods, one by one. If your particular autoimmune symptoms flare up with a certain food, this suggests it’s an individual trigger that you should keep avoiding. By identifying specific food groups or foods that seem to trigger flares, you can adapt the diet to meet your own needs.

You might lose weight on the autoimmune paleo diet, although it’s not a given. The top diet priority is to pinpoint triggering foods to reduce autoimmune symptoms. But there is some crossover because many eliminated foods on AIP – like dairy items, alcoholic beverages and food additives – can also contribute to weight gain. So there can be a weight-loss ‘bonus.’

It depends on which changes an individual is making, says Camila Martin, a registered dietitian at UW Health in Madison, Wisconsin. “If we’re not eating cakes or cookies, or highly processed grains, then it could result in some weight loss,” she says. “But if we’re replacing our nuts and seeds – which can fill us up and sustain our energy levels so that we have enough energy to go exercise – that’s where we might actually see the opposite and we might gain weight.”

Sarah Ballantyne, founder of the Paleo Mom website, has been influential in developing the autoimmune protocol/autoimmune paleo diet. Ballantyne, with an extensive background in medical research, has written books including “The Paleo Approach: Reverse Autoimmune Disease and Heal Your Body” and “The Healing Cookbook.”

According to Ballantyne’s website, the paleo autoimmune protocol addresses four key areas affecting chronic and autoimmune diseases: nutritional deficiencies, gut health, hormone regulation and immune system regulation.

Health research focused specifically on autoimmune paleo is limited so far, but there are more studies on related aspects like paleo health effects, or of other diets considered to have anti-inflammatory effects, like the Mediterranean diet or DASH. A (non-paleo) anti-inflammatory diet is being looked at for its potential to help people with rheumatoid arthritis, an autoimmune condition.

It’s unclear whether autoimmune paleo promotes heart health. Although more research is available on the paleo diet in general, results on heart health have been mixed.

Small studies suggest that following a paleo diet may help improve glucose tolerance and insulin sensitivity (indicators of prediabetes) or improve glucose control in people with Type 2 diabetes.

One theory is that autoimmune paleo helps correct ‘leaky gut.’ According to this explanation, imbalances in your gut bacteria make it easier for inflammation triggers in the environment to cross the gut wall and reach other parts of your body. By eating recommended foods, you help restore the gut’s gatekeeper function and protect the body from harmful germs and allergens. Research is needed to confirm a leaky gut connection.

By cutting out certain types of food, you lose out on their proven health benefits. For Martin, the strict elimination of beans, legumes, whole grains, low-fat dairy, eggs and nightshade vegetables stand out as autoimmune paleo red flags.

Although highly processed foods like refined grains, primarily white flour, may have negative health repercussions, Martin notes, whole grains are much different. “We know a ton of research has been done on the benefits of whole grains,” she says. “Whole grains, with the fiber they contain, are really great for the gut microbiome, and really great for the anti-inflammatory process and just general healthy eating.”

Without careful replacement, you could miss out on key nutrients when doing autoimmune paleo by eliminating foods like these:

“When people are being highly restrictive in their diet, they have challenges meeting many of their micronutrients, and vitamins and minerals,” Martin says.

On the other hand, eliminating unhealthy foods can be an autoimmune paleo positive. “If implementing this diet means people are replacing the scones and doughnuts they have every morning, or maybe the pizza they have every night for dinner, with a lean protein, a piece of salmon, some fruits and vegetables – excellent,” Martin says. However, she adds, “If we’re taking out things like nuts, seeds and legumes and replacing them with organic bacon, we’re really significantly increasing the saturated fat that’s in their diet.”

Instead of tackling any elimination diet on your own, seek support from experts. Consult with a doctor for autoimmune issues and work with a clinical dietitian for help in removing potential food triggers from your diet without sacrificing important nutrients.

People with eating disorders such as orthorexia – which involves an overly intense focus on eating in a healthy way – might not do well on elimination diets including autoimmune paleo.

In general, diets that eliminate entire food categories can potentially increase the risk of vitamin, mineral and other nutritional deficiencies. Eating more meat can contribute to cardiovascular disease.

You’ll embrace certain foods for their nutrient-rich, anti-inflammatory benefits while avoiding other foods with inflammatory or triggering effects.

Let your health care provider know you’re considering autoimmune paleo (or any restrictive diet) in advance, to find out if it’s safe for you. If possible, work with a dietitian to make the healthiest food choices.

Before heading out to the butcher, deli and produce sections of your grocery store, put together an autoimmune paleo food list. Have a blank journal ready to track everything you eat and symptoms you experience throughout elimination and reintroduction phases.

Take advantage of the many supports and available information on AIP before you begin, and as you continue, to make the most of your efforts.