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What is AIP Diet?
The autoimmune diet is a dietary program for those with autoimmune diseases that aims to reduce inflammation while also nourishing the body. The AIP diet, which stands for Autoimmune Protocol, is supposed to help people with autoimmune diseases reduce inflammation and repair their bodies.
For about 30 days, it eliminates inflammatory foods, gastrointestinal irritants, and immune stimulants. Foods are reintroduced one by one after the exclusion phase in an autoimmune diet to test if the body has healed and can accept them again.
At first glance, psoriasis, multiple sclerosis, rheumatoid arthritis, inflammatory bowel disease, and Hashimoto’s hypothyroidism appear to be unconnected. They have distinct effects on different regions of the body. They do, however, have one thing in common: they’re all autoimmune disorders. When a person has an autoimmune disease, their immune system attacks their bodily components. An autoimmune disease can affect any portion of the body, or multiple sections at once.
There are over 80 different forms of autoimmune diseases. Here are some more examples:
- Type 1 diabetes
- Lupus
- Guillain-Barre syndrome is a neurological condition that affects people (affects nerves in the legs, arms, and upper body)
- Sjogren’s syndrome (affects the eyes and mouth)
There is no consensus among doctors about what causes autoimmune illness. However, there is a common thread running across all of these illnesses: intestinal permeability. Your intestines’ walls naturally allow nutrients from food to pass throughout, allowing them to be absorbed by your body. However, in persons with high intestinal permeability, the intestinal wall enables more hazardous substances to enter the body, triggering an immunological response.
The food you eat in an autoimmune diet has a significant impact on your gut’s health. If you have an autoimmune disease, making dietary modifications could help you feel better. An autoimmune diet is highly recommended.
Working of Autoimmune Diet
Over the last 30 years, autoimmune and other inflammatory illnesses have become more prevalent. A compromised intestinal epithelial lining has been referred to as “leaky gut.” Small particles of undigested food, poisons, and bacteria enter the circulation when this inner lining is compromised and becomes permeable or “leaky,” causing inflammation. Because the digestive tract houses a big portion of our immune system, promoting good gut health can help alleviate symptoms.
The AIP diet is thought to function by removing pro-inflammatory foods while also providing the body with plenty of nutrient-dense foods. The purpose of this method is to repair any damage to the mucous membrane of the intestines, sometimes known as “leaky gut.” When your intestine lining is fragile, it admits in larger molecules, poisons, and germs than it should. This is known as leaky gut syndrome.
Gluten is a source of worry for a lot of people. Gluten contains proteins that can expand your pores and open up your intestinal wall. When your gut lining becomes more porous, it can no longer keep out undesirable elements, allowing poisons and other microorganisms to enter your bloodstream and cause a slew of problems.
Food industrialization has had a negative impact on our stomachs and overall health, according to proponents of leaky gut awareness. Aip diet connect everything back to how humans initially evolved to eat. Bread and grains were in short supply, and when they were ingested, it was through sourdough [ fermentation] processes that broke down the grains and made them simpler to digest.
Read More:
1. Paleo Diet
Antiquity of AIP Diet
Dr. Loren Cordain, a biologist, developed the AIP diet after noticing that numerous foods allowed on the Paleo diet, such as nuts, seeds, dairy products, eggs, and nightshade vegetables, could provoke symptoms in people with autoimmune diseases.
In his book “The Paleo Solution,” published in 2010, former research scientist and health expert Robb Wolf described the AIP diet as a 30-day diet in which particular items are excluded and then gradually brought back into the diet to measure tolerance. Dr. Sarah Ballantyne began writing about the AIP diet on her website, The Paleo Mom, shortly after. She is now regarded as one of the foremost authorities on the autoimmune protocol.
What are the Phases of AIP Diet?
The diet is divided into two parts: the “elimination phase,” which is the most restricted part of the diet and is also known as the AIP diet. This phase of autoimmune diet should be followed for 30-90 days, though some people may be able to go longer. The reintroduction phase is the next step. You can reintegrate foods one at a time throughout this phase of the programme to see whether you have any sensitivity.
PHASE 1 of Aip diet:- The first phase is the elimination phase, which is designed to put a stop to the most prevalent causes of inflammation. Nightshades, grains, legumes, dairy, eggs, refined sugar and sugar substitutes, chemical additives, processed vegetable oils, high-fructose corn syrup, nightshades, nuts, seeds, coffee, and alcohol are all prohibited.
All animal proteins (except eggs), all vegetables (excluding nightshades), modest amounts of fruit, healthy fats, and grain-free baking flours are still fine.” It’s true that the elimination phase can be intimidating, but it doesn’t have to be completed all at once.” You can cut grains one week, eliminate eggs the next, and so forth. Many individuals find it beneficial to jump right in, while others prefer to take things slowly. It’s critical to figure out what’s best for you.”
PHASE 2 of Aip diet :- After a month of sticking to phase one, it’s time to move on to step two, the reintroduction phase, which involves gradually reintroducing the foods that were removed during phase one. Because some foods are more inflammatory for some persons than others, this is done in small steps. Foods should be reintroduced one at a time. If you reintroduce one meal and have no symptoms after a week of regular consumption, that’s fantastic! That implies you can continue to eat it as part of your AIP diet.
AIP diet provides you with the information you need to understand how your body reacts to different foods. It doesn’t mean you have to fully avoid the items you’ve discovered unless you’re allergic; it just gives you the information you need to make better decisions. If you know dairy makes it difficult for you to sleep, for example, you may choose to eliminate it in your weekly diet but bear the repercussions during the holidays.
PHASE 3 of Aip diet:- The maintenance phase is the final step of the AIP diet. You may have fun preparing new meals with everything you feel good about eating now that you’ve recognized which foods make you feel acceptable and which foods make you feel not-so-great. “This comprises foods high in protein, fibre, vitamins, minerals, and phyto-nutrients—all of which are healthy food choices for anybody, not just persons with autoimmune diseases,” The items that were accepted during the Reintroduction Phase are reintroduced into the diet during the Maintenance Phase.
7 Health Benefits of the AIP Diet
The AIP diet is intended to assist people with autoimmune illnesses reduce inflammation, discomfort, and other complications. As a result, persons with autoimmune disorders including lupus, IBD, celiac disease, or rheumatoid arthritis may benefit from it. Although autoimmune disorders are incurable, their conditions can be treated. Unlike some other therapeutic diets that discourage or discourage reintroductions, the AIP diet emphasizes and encourages the return of tolerated foods to achieve balanced variety.
Some other benefits of autoimmune diet are listed below:-
1. Helps restore the integrity of the intestines– The immunologically mediated diet is, first and foremost, a healing diet designed to restore gut integrity and reduce inflammation in order to alleviate symptoms. This can make a huge impact in terms of increasing quality of life for people with autoimmune diseases.
Leaky gut syndrome is a disorder in which toxins and bacteria can flow through the intestine’s walls, causing symptoms such as inflammation, digestive problems, and food allergies. Intestinal permeability can be increased by extensive inflammation, increasing the likelihood of leaky gut syndrome, according to studies.
2. Promotes the Growth of Beneficial Gut Bacteria:– According to research, your diet can have a major impact on the beneficial bacteria in your gut, which could affect the intensity of your symptoms if you have an autoimmune condition. Gut bacteria play an important role in almost every aspect of health, from immune function to weight management and beyond. The AIP diet can not only help with autoimmune symptoms, but it can also improve your overall health by improving the quality of your gut bacteria.
3. Assists you in learning more about your own body:- The AIP diet can also assist you in learning more about your body and how your diet affects your health. It could also assist you in learning how to maintain a nutritious diet over time and determining which foods are best for you to meet your nutritional demands and improve your health.
4. Identifies foods that cause symptoms to appear– Similarly, the AIP diet can assist you in determining which foods may cause you to experience symptoms. Although it might be a difficult diet to stick to at first, learning which items to eliminate from your diet can be quite beneficial and can give you some idea what is causing your symptoms. Knowing which meals can help or hinder your symptoms can also make meal planning easier in the long run.
5. Nutrient-dense, nutritionally – dense foodstuff:– The AIP diet encourages nutrient-dense, minimally processed, anti-inflammatory foods like vegetables. We can gain benefit from include more of these nutritious foods in our diets, whether or not we have an autoimmune condition. More healthful foods in your diet can help you avoid chronic disease, lower your risk of nutritional deficiencies, and improve your general health.
6. Can Aid In the Reduction Of Inflammation:- One of the most important advantages of the AIP diet is its capacity to reduce inflammation, which is crucial for lowering autoimmune symptoms and improving overall health. Whenever it comes to inflammation, eliminating a few key foods from the diet and replacing them with nutrient-dense whole foods can have a big impact.
7. May Help to Reduce Symptoms of Autoimmune Diseases:– While data on the effectiveness of this therapeutic diet in treating autoimmune disorders is limited, many people have stated that following the AIP diet has improved their mood and reduced common autoimmune symptoms including exhaustion, chronic pain, and brain fog. Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) is a group of autoimmune disorders that refers to inflammation in the digestive tract and symptoms such as swelling, stomach discomfort, and constipation.
Foods to Eat and Foods to Avoid on an AIP Diet
Foods to Consume
- Fish
- Poultry
- Red meat[ unprocessed
- Fruits[ 2-4 servings]
- Sweeteners – Date sugar, maple syrup, maple sugar, molasses, evaporated cane juice, and coconut sugar are all acceptable substitutes.
- Fats that are good for you (avocado, olive oil, coconut oil, animal fats, etc.)
- Baking flours that are grain-free
- Organ meats, bone broth.
Foods to Avoid
- Artificial sweeteners and sweeteners other than honey are sorted separately .
- Fats/Oils
- Processed Meat
- Wheat/Gluten
- Corn, oats & rice
- Dried Legumes/Beans
- Dairy , nuts ,seeds
- Cocoa, coffee, alcohol
Dietary Changes that can lift your Health Status while following Autoimmune diet
- Remove all highly processed or refined items from your diet.
- Remove all extra sweeteners.
- Increase your intake of plant-based foods.
- Get enough protein, as well as healthy fats and oils.
- Add extra fermented foods to the mix.
Risks and Side Effects of Autoimmune Diet
Certain components may have various effects on different people, but the goal of this diet is to learn how specific meals may affect you and your conditions. If you’ve tried the Autoimmune diet and are still having unpleasant side effects like exhaustion, joint discomfort, or swelling, speak with your doctor or dietician to determine if there are any other lifestyle adjustments you should make to alleviate your symptoms.
Common side effects which have been observed by introducing autoimmune diet are listed below:-
1. Low blood glucose level:- Low blood sugar and adrenal exhaustion may develop if you don’t eat enough or often enough on this diet. Until your blood sugar levels settle, you may need to eat a few of bits of food per hour (in addition to frequent little meals). Sometimes during elimination phase of Aip diet blood glucose level drops suddenly .one must have consulted health professional before trying it out. autoimmune, or persistent inflammation.
2. Food intolerance is on the rise :- When gut damage is severe and inflammation is strong, you may acquire new food sensitivities during reintroduction phase of autoimmune diet. When the diet is restricted enough, this is quite aggravating. To control inflammation and mend the stomach, you’ll need to put in a lot of effort.
3. Opioid withdrawals-Opioids are morphine-like substances that relieve pain and induce euphoria in the body. Dairy and gluten produce opioids in certain people, who get addicted to them. For a few weeks, during elimination phase of Aip diet withdrawal symptoms can be observed that can be severe, including despair, irritability, lethargy, and agitation.
4. Unbalanced neurotransmitters in the brain:- The brain neurotransmitters serotonin and dopamine are affected by a high-carbohydrate diet. Going cold turkey on a low-carbohydrate diet might result in temporary mood, behavior, and personality changes. If this happens, gradually reduce your carbohydrate intake.
5. Anxiety and insomnia:- With very reduced carbohydrate consumption, some persons have unresolvable sleeplessness and anxiety. If these symptoms linger, try eating a carbohydrate-rich diet that allows you to sleep while also preventing your blood sugar from rising too high.
6. Plant fiber is difficult to work with:- The AIP diet emphasizes eating a lot of vegetables. A rapid rush of fibre might be overpowering for those with weakened gastrointestinal function. Gut healing can help you move to a high-fiber diet more easily.
7. Death of yeast and bacteria:– Suddenly eliminating carbs, gluten, and dairy can result in an unpleasant yeast and bacteria die-off. The body’s inability to eliminate the die-ff is characterized by poor liver detoxification and congestion. Supporting elimination pathways can help.
Autoimmune Diet Food Lists for Beginners
Here on AIP diet, the quality of the food you eat is equally as important as the types of food you eat. Another of the core ideas of the AIP diet is to consume foods that are as close to nature as possible, which is based on several paleo principles. Grass-fed, wild-caught, pasture-raised, organic, and non-GMO food sources all meet high quality criteria. Although it is ideal to consume only the finest quality foods, due to resources and availability, this is not always achievable in some cultures.
Autoimmune Diet Sample Recipes
1. Lemon Asparagus Chicken Skillet
Ingredients:-
- Chicken breast
- Asparagus
- Garlic
- Green onion
- Salt, and pepper
- Chicken broth,
- Coconut aminos
- Arrowroot starch
- Lemon juice
This one-pan chicken skillet with lemon and asparagus is a quick weeknight supper or meal prep option. It’s Whole30-friendly, Paleo-friendly, AIP-friendly, and gluten-free.
Instructions:-
STEP 1:- Cooking of chicken: Season the chicken with salt and pepper and place it in the skillet. Cook till the chicken reaches a temperature of 165 degrees Fahrenheit on the inside.
STEP 2:– Cook and prepare the asparagus by chopping off the thick white base and then slicing the asparagus in half again. If necessary, add more oil to the pan and sauté the asparagus for 5-7 minutes, or until tender and slightly crisped, seasoning with salt and pepper. Remove from the equation.
STEP 3:- To make the sauce, mix the chicken and asparagus: Stir in the broth, lemon juice, coconut aminos, and arrowroot starch for 2-3 minutes, or until the sauce thickens slightly. Return the chicken and asparagus to the pan and reheat for another 2 minutes.
2. Sweet Potato Chicken Poppers
Ingredients:-
- Ground Chicken
- Sweet Potato
- Coconut flour
- Garlic powder
- Onion powder
- Green onion
Instructions:-
STEP 1 :- Preheat the oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit and prepare a baking sheet with parchment paper that has been gently oiled.
STEP 2:- In a large mixing dish, thoroughly combine all of the elements.
STEP 3 :- Pour the mixture on the baking sheet and roll it into small, slightly flattened poppers approximately one inch in diameter (you’ll have about 20-25 poppers).
STEP 4 :- Preheat the oven to 250°F and bake for 25-28 minutes, flipping halfway through. If desired, fry further in a pan or under the broiler for 1-2 minutes to crisp more. When the chicken is fully cooked, remove it from the oven.
STEP 5 :- Leave to cool before serving with a sauce of your choice! Feel free to use a different sauce that meets your needs, such as a clean buffalo sauce or a ranch dipping.
Conclusion
The Autoimmune diet is an elimination diet meant to help people with autoimmune diseases manage their symptoms. Many foods that can induce inflammation and leaky gut are restricted in the initial phase of the diet. Foods are then gradually reintroduced and tolerance is tested. The Autoimmune diet is a tougher version of the Paleo diet, and several items that are accepted on the Paleo diet, such as nuts, seeds, eggs, and dairy products, are not permitted on the Autoimmune diet.
The autoimmune protocol is not for everyone, but it is one to explore if you have an autoimmune condition and are seeking an eating plan to help you manage your pain and inflammation. Mealtime should never be a source of anxiety or misery. For different people, the route to that point may seem different. The most essential thing to remember is that there is no one-size-fits-all approach to eating; the key is to figure out what’s best for you.
Although this diet may help improve symptoms in those with autoimmune diseases, it should be used in conjunction with other healthy lifestyle changes to have the best effects. Before introducing Aip diet into your daily life do consult your doctor/dietitian/health professionals. As it has been already discussed above that autoimmune diet has side effects too. So it’s better to have enough knowledge about the autoimmune diet which has been discussed properly in this article.
FAQ
1. Why are eggs harmful to people with autoimmune diseases?
They can produce chaos in a person with autoimmune disease that would not occur in a healthy individual. Eggs can help molecular mimicry by allowing proteins (typically lysozyme from the egg white) to enter the gut barrier where they don’t belong.
2. Is onion anti-inflammatory?
Quercetin is an anti-inflammatory antioxidant found in onions, shallots, leeks, and scallions that helps to reduce the effects of inflammatory substances in the body. When garlic or onions are chopped or crushed, an enzyme is released that produces allicin, which breaks down to make sulfenic acid, an anti-inflammatory chemical.
3. How can I tell if my autoimmune diet is effective?
For many of those who are suffering from autoimmune disease symptoms such as fatigue, muscle and joint pain, bloating, gas, rashes, hair loss, and overall body pains, a diminution in these symptoms can be a clear indication that Autoimmune diet is working.
4. How long does the autoimmune diet bring to work?
The duration of the autoimmune diet ‘s elimination phase varies, but it’s usually kept until a person notices a considerable reduction in symptoms. Most people stay in this phase for 30–90 days on average, however some people see results as soon as the first three weeks.
5. Is it true that autoimmune diets work?
There isn’t enough research to say whether the Autoimmune diet can help persons with autoimmune diseases or reduce inflammation. However, some research suggests that some meals may aggravate symptoms. Highly processed foods, as well as those containing unhealthy fats, added sugar, or extra salt, fall into this category.
The most useful information emerges during the reintroduction process. The procedure of gradually reintroducing each meal back into the diet allows the patient to determine whether any particular food is causing symptoms to flare up.
