How plant-based diets can help manage auto-immune diseases?

by Elloww Team

A growing body of data suggests that healthy plant-based diets can help to manage certain common autoimmune diseases. In many cases, autoimmune patients report that their disease symptoms have significantly reduced or completely disappeared after cutting out dairy and meat. Let's take a closer look at the autoimmune diseases that could be managed via a plant-based diet.

Rheumatoid arthritis

According to the scientific Frontiers in Nutrition, a vegan diet can help to alleviate rheumatoid arthritis symptoms. The journal states that studies have shown the dietary fibre found in plant-based food can increase bacterial diversity, improve the composition of gut bacteria and reduce swelling and inflammation in the joints. Some of the foods that trigger symptoms in rheumatoid arthritis patients vary from person to person, but a plant-based diet eliminates the most common triggers. More research is required in this area, but the data collected so far has shown positive results.


Hashimoto disease

Hashimoto disease, or autoimmune thyroiditis, is an autoimmune disorder that targets the thyroid as though it were a virus, which can lead to a reduction in hormone production and thyroid function. In order to maintain a functional, healthy thyroid, there are a number of nutrients that patients are advised to consume regularly. These include zinc, selenium and iodine, which can all be found in plant-based foods.


Lupus

Lupus is a lifelong autoimmune disorder in which the immune system destroys healthy tissue. Symptoms include swelling and inflammation, as well as organ, skin and joint damage. Bestselling author, Dr Brooke Goldner, claimed that her lupus diagnosis was actually reversed after she adopted a plant-based diet. Robyn Lawley, an Australian model and writer, has also claimed that her plant-based diet was the reason that she no longer requires medication to control the symptoms of her lupus. Patients with lupus are advised to avoid eating dairy and animal products that could cause inflammation.


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