Autoimmune Disease

Most people with an autoimmune disease are told there is no known cause, and there is no known cure, and you must live with the condition for the rest of your life. Why?

Yes, genetics plays a role, but I think genes determine how your body reacts when exposed to these certain causes rather than the main cause. According to a study published by NIH, “genetic predisposition accounts for approximately thirty percent of all autoimmune diseases. The rest, 70 percent, are due to environmental factors, including toxic chemicals, dietary components, gut dysbiosis, and infections.”

I’ll say it again, genetic predisposition accounts for 30%. That just means you’re more likely to have an autoimmune disorder when something goes wrong. The other 70% of people with autoimmune disorders are 100% from other controllable factors, and the 30% can still control the controllables and drastically lower their chance of developing autoimmunity.

Whether you have Crohn’s, rheumatoid arthritis, lupus, psoriasis, vitiligo, multiple sclerosis, Hashimoto’s, or any of the other 140+ autoimmune diseases, my goal is to discuss the most common causes and what can be done to help naturally so you don’t need to shut down your immune system.

Known Causes of Autoimmune Diseases:

• Infections – virus, bacteria, fungus, and parasites
• Food allergies – gluten, dairy, nightshades, soy, corn, and coffee/chocolate are what I see most commonly.
• Heavy metals – aluminum, mercury, arsenic, nickel, copper, etc.
• Medications – antibiotics, NSAIDs, medications for heart conditions, anti-seizure medications, cancer immunotherapy drugs, psychiatric drugs, etc.
• Environmental toxins – BPAs, asbestos, smoke, and workplace exposures to certain chemicals.

As the saying goes, genetics load the gun, environment pulls the trigger. You may be predisposed to autoimmunity, but that doesn’t mean you need to live with it forever like many people are told.

Is the Body Really Attacking Itself?

We are also told that autoimmunity is when the body “attacks itself” because it is “confused.” Maybe we are the confused ones, and the body is trying to address a problem that is actually there. It is also known that in type 3 hypersensitivity responses immune complexes are deposited into the joints, skin, kidneys, or other tissues. An immune complex is when an antibody attaches to a foreign object (antigen). Immune complexes are deposited into tissues when the body can’t break down these immune complexes fast enough. The body then must “clean up” the immune complexes by breaking down the cells they are stored in. This leads to conditions such as lupus, rheumatoid arthritis, or glomerulonephritis.

Hopefully you’re starting to get the point. The immune system didn’t just wake up one day and decide to attack you, there is a real problem somewhere that needs to be addressed. If you don’t it is very likely you will develop more autoimmune diseases in the future. This is a very common problem since your immune system then becomes hypersensitive to pathogens and foreign objects.

What Can I Do for My Autoimmune Disease?

You can begin by eating high-quality whole food, exercising more consistently if you aren’t, and making sure you are sleeping better. This goes a very long way! Try an elimination diet for a couple weeks to see if you get improvements in any symptoms by removing common allergens. As far as chronic infections go, that is one that, in my opinion, is so much easier to work with a good Applied Kinesiologist that can test specifically which herb or combination of herbs will help you the most. There are so many herbs and at times you need a combination of two to get rid of the current infection.

There are over 140 autoimmune diseases known at this time. Lucky for us the rules are generally the same, if you correct what is driving the problem, the problem goes away. Of course there can be nuances, but by helping the body heal and removing the irritant causing a hyperactive immune system, autoimmune conditions can “go into remission” for good, since conventional wisdom says they can’t be cured.

Questions, comments, want me to discuss a specific disease or condition? Drop a comment below, I would love to hear from you!