Autoimmune Disease
What is autoimmune disease?
Our immune system is incredibly important to us, helping protect our bodies from infections and disease. Protecting us from foreign threats, whether a toxin, bacteria, or virus, it is designed to defend our bodies and initiate an immune response when unwanted components are detected and pose a potential threat to the overall wellbeing of our bodies. When a threat is recognised by our immune system, antibodies and white blood cells are produced to fight it off.
When we have autoimmune disease, this system doesn’t work quite as it’s meant to, our immune system becomes activated and reacts to our own cells. Our immune system ends up unable to tell the difference between self and non-self proteins, it mistakes our own cells for harmful invaders. Our immune system then attacks our own healthy cells, tissues and organs. What cells our immune system targets dictates the autoimmune disease we get diagnosed with based on the different areas in our body that are affected.
Around 5-10% of the population has autoimmune disease, around 80% of those with autoimmune disease are women. Many people with one autoimmune disease end up with more than one, around 25% of people with autoimmune disease have three or more, this is called multiple autoimmune syndrome.
Types of autoimmune disease
There are over 80 different autoimmune diseases, some are far more common than others. Some of the most common autoimmune diseases include psoriatic arthritis, rheumatoid arthritis, psoriasis, connective tissue diseases like lupus and Sjogren's syndrome, type 1 diabetes, multiple sclerosis, autoimmune thyroid diseases like Grave’s disease and Hashimoto’s, celiac disease and inflammatory bowel diseases like Chron’s disease and ulcerative colitis.
With other conditions being autoimmune related but not fully classified as autoimmune disease like chronic fatigue syndrome, endometriosis, fibromyalgia and eczema.
What contributes to autoimmune disease?
Genes: certain genes can impact immune response and predispose us to developing autoimmune disease. Environmental factors can cause the activation or inactivation of genes, not everyone with these specific genes will develop autoimmune disease, but the likelihood of it occurring can be higher.
Smoking and environmental toxins: Cigarettes, air pollutants, organic solvents and other toxins have been associated with the development of autoimmune disease.
Certain medications can have a negative impact on immune system function. Antibiotics and other medications can have negative impacts on gut health, also impacting our immune system.
Infections: Certain bacterial, or viral infections can influence our immune system, such as Epstein Barr virus, Covid and Group A streptococcus, these can influence gene expression and our immune systems response.
Poor gut health: Increased intestinal permeability (leaky gut) and dysbiosis can influence autoimmune disease severity, with evidence showing an altered gut microbiome and compromised gut barrier integrity may also contribute to the development of autoimmune disease.
Traditional treatment for autoimmune disease
Many different approaches are traditionally used to manage autoimmune disease symptoms including using anti-inflammatory drugs, corticosteroids, pain killers, immunosuppressant drugs, high dose immunosuppressants, treatment for deficiencies (like insulin for diabetes), surgery (for things like bowel blockages in Chron’s disease) and physical therapy to encourage mobility.
These can make a profound difference for many people struggling with autoimmune disease, and for some this is the best option for them based on where they are at on their health journey, their circumstances, and their own personal preference.
How diet and lifestyle can help us reduce autoimmune disease symptoms
With many factors that can influence the development, severity and progression of autoimmune disease, from the foods we eat, our gut microbiome and antibiotic use, movement, sleep, stress, environmental chemical and toxin exposure, there are often things that we can address in our daily lives and how we are living to help us support our gut health and reduce symptoms from autoimmune disease.
Some basics for supporting our health that may reduce autoimmune disease symptoms
Eating a nutrient dense wholefoods diet with minimal processed foods, sugar and alcohol. Including a variety of plant foods, containing gut supporting fibre, polyphenols, antioxidants, anti-inflammatory compounds, vitamins and minerals beneficial for our gut and overall health.
Understanding and addressing potential food intolerance’s and sensitivities. If we are eating foods that we can’t tolerate, these foods can cause damage to our gut microbiome and gut barrier, which can contribute to autoimmune disease and other unpleasant symptoms. Beyond the well-known things that have a negative impact on our gut health like processed foods, their emulsifiers and other additives, sugar and alcohol, what foods may cause sensitivities depends on each individual person and how their body reacts to different foods. Supporting our gut to heal over time can help us reduce sensitivities and improve our body's ability to tolerate a wider range of foods. Some food sensitivities have the potential to improve, and other foods may need to be permanently avoided to support the health of our gut and manage symptoms.
Addressing environmental exposure to chemicals or toxins that can cause negative effects for our body. Some of these include potential mold toxicity, heavy metals, and endocrine disrupting chemicals like plastics, some pesticides and some chemicals in beauty products.
Sleep: getting enough good quality sleep can make a huge difference to the way we feel, our mood, as well as support our gut health, reduce inflammation and support our immune system.
Stress: Chronic stress can negatively influence our gut microbiome and intestinal permeability. If dealing with high levels of ongoing stress, implementing habits and strategies to reduce or support us during stressful times can help our bodies better manage our autoimmune disease. If we can find ways to reduce stressors or strategies to help us cope with them better using things like getting enough good quality sleep, regular movement, meditation, mindfulness, journaling, nervous system regulation and counseling, are just some of the ways we do this to support our stress, inflammation, and our gut health.
Movement: Regular movement and exercise has an anti-inflammatory effect and positively influences our gut microbiome. Having great benefits for the body and brain, we just need to be mindful of excess high intensity exercise which can cause increased intestinal permeability.
Many things can be contributors to the development of autoimmune disease as well as severity of symptoms. It can be hard to narrow down the most impactful things for each person. Generally having a holistic view and addressing the many areas that may be influencing autoimmune disease can reduce potential contributing factors and give an indication of which are the most impactful for managing each person's health and wellbeing best.
It can seem overwhelming to address all these areas and can be helpful to just take things slowly and improve things overtime. It would be nearly impossible to address every possible contributing factor at once and have the changes we make be consistent and sustainable. Overall improving our health and wellbeing, addressing chronic inflammation and gut health, can have a huge impact on our ability to manage autoimmune disease symptoms and improving our quality of life.
References
Increased Intestinal Permeability: An Avenue for the Development of Autoimmune Disease? https://doi.org/10.1007/s12403-023-00578-5
Exposure to Environmental Toxins and Autoimmune Conditions. PMID: 34377090
Autoimmune Disorders. https://www.betterhealth.vic.gov.au/health/conditionsandtreatments/autoimmune-disorders
Understanding autoimmune disease. https://www.autoimmuneinstitute.org/understanding-autoimmune-disease/
