Unraveling Autoimmune Diseases: The Crucial Role of Nutrition and Lifestyle

The Rising Prevalence of Autoimmune Diseases

Autoimmune (AI) diseases are increasingly becoming a common health concern, with an estimated 41 million Americans showing a positive ANA – a sign of autoimmune activity. In these situations, the immune system goes haywire, attacking the body’s own tissues, causing an inflammatory condition.

Interestingly, women seem to be more susceptible to AI diseases than men, with 85% of those suffering from multiple autoimmune diseases being female. Furthermore, the incidence of such conditions is increasing annually by 3.7-7.1%, depending on the specific disease.

Decoding The Causes of Autoimmune Diseases

The exact cause of AI diseases remains a mystery. However, several factors, including hormonal changes, environmental toxins, dietary habits, stress, trauma, physical activity levels, infections, and other potential influences, have been linked to these conditions.

One intriguing area of research is the role of epigenetic changes in genes associated with immunity and inflammation. Epigenetics explores how environmental factors can affect gene expression without altering the underlying genetic code.

The Gut Connection

The gut’s health is of paramount importance in managing autoimmune conditions. Often, individuals may experience gut dysfunction without realizing it, which can manifest as typical symptoms like pain, bloating, heartburn, diarrhea, constipation, or a combination of these. More surprisingly, gut dysfunction can also lead to brain fog, joint pain, depression, anxiety, and chronic diseases.

The Power of Functional Labs

Healthcare has made significant strides in recent years, particularly in the realm of functional labs. These labs provide crucial insights into how the body functions and why. They offer information on gut function, the microbiome, liver detoxification processes, and the presence of toxic substances such as mold, heavy metals, and environmental toxicants.

Functional labs also help detect inflammatory markers, assess micronutrient deficiencies, delve into hormone production and detoxification, and examine how neurotransmitters may be affected by these factors. They can even explore our epigenome to understand better the foods and nutrients that may be most beneficial for our health.