How To Address Autoimmune Conditions

September 05, 2024 10 min read

Disclaimer: This article is purely informational and makes no claims as to treatment or cure from any supplement or program BodyHealth may offer. If you or someone you know has an autoimmune condition, we recommend you see a doctor trained in functional medicine to help you locate the cause of the disease or condition and recommend a solution for it.

This is the third article in the Autoimmune series. This series continues in the Gut Health Series.

In the last two articles we covered what autoimmunity is and what causes it.

And in this article we’re going to talk about how to address it.

As we know from the first two articles, an autoimmune condition is when our immune system starts mistaking our own cells for foreign invaders (harmful bacteria, viruses, fungi, parasites and toxins) and so attacks our cells.

And this occurs, in many cases, due to compromised digestive tracts, where toxins are coming in and foreign invaders aren’t being killed off, but are allowed to thrive.

After some time of this, potentially many years, the lining of the intestine becomes degraded, allowing these invaders and toxins to be released into our body. Here they land on nerve cells, joints, glands, muscle tissue, etc., and in one way or another corrupt the protein tags on our cells, confusing our immune cells into thinking our own cells need to be destroyed.

This can cause destruction of cells, harm to our nervous system, joints, organs and glands, as well as raising an inflammatory response in the body, lowering energy levels, causing brain fog and slowing recovery.

So let’s see what we can do about this.

First, let’s look at the options available.

CURRENT AUTOIMMUNE TREATMENTS SUPPRESS THE IMMUNE SYSTEM

When we look at addressing some kind of physical condition, we can look at it from two different angles.

We can address the symptoms of a condition and work to suppress those symptoms without locating their cause or stopping the condition.

Or we can locate the root cause of the condition that is not only creating the condition, but keeping it created on a daily basis, and address that so that it is no longer being continually created.

This is an important point. These conditions are not just the result of something that happened in the past and are now there forever. They may have been triggered by something, but they are being made to continue since that point, causing them to gradually worsen.

So if we want the condition to be gone, we need to address it’s root cause and stop it's continued creation.

Unfortunately, most solutions being given now only address the symptoms. And they address them in a way that compromises our overall health.

You see, the way we know something is an autoimmune condition is by seeing which specific antibodies (immune cells) our body is producing.

If our body is attacking the cells of our liver, because the proteins on our liver cells have in some way been corrupted, then it’s doing so with very specific immune cells. And these can be measured.

Take Hashimoto’s. When we do a blood test we look for specific antibodies (immune cells) being produced against two of the proteins that are part of the thyroid gland.

When testing for this, “Normal” is under 25. But when someone has Hashimoto’s we’ll find them in the thousands. Production of these antibodies is raised to extreme levels.

Well, the solutions being given now, instead of locating the root cause of the problem and addressing that, are Advil or aspirin to lower inflammation, or steroids, or a whole new class of drugs that actually suppress the whole immune system.

But aside from not addressing what's causing the condition so it can be reversed, look at what this actually does.

Our immune system is responsible for spotting and eradicating foreign invaders, for helping our body recover from illness or injury, and for neutralizing and removing toxins. It’s even part of the recovery process in building muscle.

When we suppress our immune system, now we’re much more open to bacterial and viral infection.

Our ability to heal and recover from daily stressors is reduced.

Our energy levels are lower.

We’re at higher risk of cancer, as it’s our immune cells which locate and destroy cancer cells before they get out of hand.

Some of these drugs literally come with warnings that you could die of tuberculosis or cancer because they suppress immune function.

That's the trade off for taking medication to lower inflammation from autoimmune conditions.

Live with the inflammation or suppress the immune system setting yourself up for potentially worse conditions. Those are the options given.

And these medications can also have toxic effects in the body.

Now, sometimes the condition is so bad, life threatening, that someone actually does need to takes these.

But they should still at the same time be locating and addressing the root cause of the condition with the intent to stop or reverse it.

But that’s when it’s life threatening. If we take them when it’s not, then we can create conditions that make things worse than they already are.

So the important thing is finding what is causing this condition so we can reverse it.

If someone has an autoimmune condition, they should first see a doctor of functional medicine who can help determine exactly what they have, what is causing it, and what to do about it.

But there are key things to be done along with this that will not only greatly help, but are vital.

ADDRESSING AN AUTOIMMUNE CONDITION

When someone comes into a functional medical practice with Lyme disease, Rheumatoid Arthritis, Hashimoto’s, Fibromyalgia, or any other autoimmune condition, the first thing done is a full panel of tests: blood tests, hormone tests, antibodies tests, etc.

They need to know if their antibodies are high and what type of antibodies they are.

They need to know what bacterial infections are present, as they will be.

They need to know what kind of toxins the person has been exposed to or is currently being exposed to.

They need to know the state of their hormones and digestive system.

It’s a full investigation.

Once they know this, then they know what to do, and, depending on what it is (Lyme, Hashimoto’s, Lupus, etc), while there are going to be specific addresses to those conditions, there will also be overall addresses.

This is because, for example, while a tick bite, in the case of Lyme, may have triggered the condition, it was able to take root due to a multitude of factors that were already present and which stayed present.

If these factors are not also addressed then it will be much harder to address the problem.

So here are key things that need to be addressed with anyone who has an autoimmune condition as an overall address.

YOUR AUTOIMMUNE CHECKLIST

TOXINS:

First, we need to look at toxic load.

There may have been a heavy exposure (worked on a farm using glyphosate, or were exposed to toxic chemicals when very young, or received chemicals via toxic skin care products).

Or there may just be the normal exposure we all get today through our food, air and water. This may not be so bad for someone who grew up in the 60’s or 70’s, before it started getting very bad, but for someone who was born in the late 80’s, 90’s, or later, it can be quite bad and could trigger an early autoimmune condition.

So look for any toxic exposure in the environment and remove these. Then:

Get a reverse-osmosis water filter for your drinking water.

Eat only organic, grass-fed meats, and organic fruits and vegetables. No processed foods or sugars.

Check for mold in your house or apartment and, if it’s there, get it remedied.

Get off alcohol (this is not good for someone with an autoimmune condition).

If you work somewhere that exposes you to toxins, if your condition is bad, you’re going to need to find another place to work. If you don’t, the condition will not clear up.

Look for any toxic chemicals in your cleaning supplies at home: toiletries, deodorants, skin care products. The majority of those on the market today have some very toxic ingredients. Go to ewg.org to find non-toxic alternatives.

And, of course, you will need to do a detox to remove toxins from your body. This is necessary, but it will be a little bit later on as we need to address our gut first to ensure real detoxing can occur. Right now we just want to stop new toxins from entering.

GUT HEALTH:

Next we need to address the gut. We’ll have harmful bacteria in the small intestine (SIBO), and possibly in the stomach as well. We will very possibly have several different types of bacteria and possibly parasites and a fungal overgrowth (candida).

All of these contribute to this condition and worsen it by degrading the lining of our gut.

There are several things to do here to address this:

First, get off any processed sugars. These feed the harmful bacteria, viruses, parasites and fungi, and any address of these will fail if we continue consuming what feeds them.

Also, lower sugar levels in general. You will want to go onto a paleo-type diet for this.

At the same time, you will need to raise protein levels as this is necessary for repair and many people with autoimmune conditions are quite protein-deficient.

We need to address digestion. If digestion is weak, as it will be in this case, this is letting these harmful bacteria through so they can do their damage.

This means no acid neutralizers of acid blockers as these lower the amount of acid in your stomach, thus allowing foreign invaders through. (If currently taking any acid blockers, consult you physician about coming off of them.)

It also means no soda drinks or carbonated waters as these neutralize stomach acid as well.

Next is, with the help of your functional medical doctor, addressing the harmful bacteria, parasites and fungi that are present and removing these from your system.

And then there is repairing the damage done to the intestinal lining which is currently letting foreign invaders and toxins into your blood stream.

For this we need to do a Leaky Gut protocol to help repair the lining. Until it’s repaired these things can still get through.

Then we need to address the colon, where our microbiome (beneficial bacteria) is. These bacteria are vital for overall health and our immune system, and the above toxins and foreign invaders cause havoc here.

This is a lot, I know, however, if you’re interested in a full gut protocol that addresses this, we do have our Gut Health Series.

DIET:

Last is diet. This is both to ensure we’re getting the nutrition our bodies need to heal and operate, but also to ensure we’re not consuming things that are furthering our condition.

Lectins, as found in certain foods, can act in the same way on the lining of our intestine as harmful bacteria and toxins do. They can also, in some cases, act as a poison and can raise inflammation. Look for a list of foods high in lectins and remove these from your diet.

While many people have no trouble with gluten (found in grains such as wheat, rye and barley), more and more people today do, possibly due to it's association with glyphosate for the last 5 decades.

Gluten contains two proteins (gliadin and glutenin) that act to degrade the intestinal wall, contributing to Leaky Gut, and these should be removed from your diet.

Food sensitivities are another big one and will be different for everyone. While these should be properly tested for, you may already know some foods you are sensitive to. When we have a food sensitivity it can act as an autoimmune trigger, creating an immune response against it. Any foods you are sensitive to should be removed from your diet.

Make sure you’re getting plenty of high quality protein and fats — absolutely no trans fats.

This means staying away from processed foods which can contain adulterated fats that are harmful to our cells, and which are also very high in omega 6 fatty acids, which raise inflammation levels.

IN CLOSING:

Alright. I know that was a lot. But when we have an autoimmune condition we really do need to do all of the above.

Our body and our immune system is being overwhelmed. With every item we remove, we lower the amount of things that are triggering the autoimmune condition and keeping it going, and it can lessen.

Unfortunately, most individuals who have an autoimmune condition already had a compromised immune system to begin with. So while the above may seem overboard, it truly is needed to actually address and reverse the condition.

Beyond the above there will be other things that need to be addressed, which your functional medicine doctor will go over with you.

If there are hormonal deficiencies caused by the condition, but which are themselves furthering the overall problem, then hormone therapy may be needed until the condition is reversed.

With various autoimmune conditions there can be different, specific bacteria causing harm.

For instance, with Lyme we actually have several bacteria that came in with the original tick bite and some can take some time to fully kill off, and they have exact remedies.

When we look at reversing an autoimmune condition, we’re really trying to handle each one of these factors that are stimulating the condition and keeping it created.

We have specific antibodies (immune cells) that attack different parts of the body and these can be measured.

But as we address each of the above things, taking away that which is triggering the condition, these antibodies, which are the main things causing inflammation, start to decrease.

We can start seeing improvement in the first 2 months, or possibly 4 if the condition is very bad, and a full reversal in 6 to 9 months or possibly a year for many.

It takes time with this one and requires discipline and a real lifestyle change. But it can be done. It is done every day in clinics specializing in it.

And it's very much worth it for the life you get back.

So I hope this helps some.

We also have our Gut Health Guide, which you can see below. This is a very in-depth guide that jumps into every aspect of our gut and how to raise our gut health to optimal levels.

It's very illuminating.

And if you haven't already, make sure you join our PerfectAmino VIP Group, where you can ask all your health & fitness questions.

Index To The Gut Health Guide:

The Autoimmune Series:

The Gut Health Protocol:

Digestion: Acid Reflux, Bloating, Muscle, Fat Loss & More:

Leaky Gut: SIBO, Toxins, Glyphosate & Gluten:

The Microbiome: Stress, Recovery, Mood & Overall Health:

What Is Candida & How Do We Address It?

What Is Candida & How Do We Address It?

How Gut Health Affects Skin Health:

How Poor Gut Health Causes Poor Skin Health

Where To Go From Here:

The Gut Health Protocol: Where To Go From Here

*These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. These products are not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease.