An autoimmune disease is a condition in which the body’s immune system inappropriately attacks its own tissue. Examples include Hashimoto’s Thyroiditis (autoimmune thyroiditis), Lupus, Rheumatoid Arthritis, and Multiple Sclerosis to name a few. While each individual autoimmune condition is comparatively rare, autoimmunity in the aggregate affects a substantial number of people. Additionally, it is likely that many people have subclinical autoimmunity (for example, a positive ANA test) without an overt rheumatological diagnosis.
From a bioenergetic perspective, autoimmunity represents a substantial problem. The autoimmunity will create a state of chronic inflammation, which can be thought of as an energetic demand because energy is required to “put out the ongoing fire.” Additionally, autoimmunity may directly affect components of energy supply, such as directly affected mitochondrial function or affecting another secondary component (e.g., Hashimoto’s Thyroiditis causing primary hypothyroidism). Thus, it is easy to see how autoimmunity will cause chronic stress on the system and ultimately, metabolic dysfunction.
In conventional medicine, the treatment of autoimmunity is to block a component of the immune system which serves to “calm down” the immune system overactivation. For acute symptoms or flares, prednisone might be used to calm down the autoimmunity systemically. For chronic symptoms, biologic medications have become the mainstay of treatment.
What are the Functional Causes of Autoimmunity?
- Gastrointestinal dysfunction (i.e., leaky gut syndrome, gastrointestinal dysbiosis)
- Food sensitivities
- Oxidative stress
- Energy/stress imbalance
- Detoxification dysfunction (e.g., mold-related illness)
- Chronic Stealth Microbial Invaders
Food Sensitivities Are an Important Cause of Autoimmunity
For some people, identification and elimination of food sensitivities can have a profound impact on the pathology and symptoms related to autoimmunity. It is thought that food sensitivities (often caused by leaky gut) subsequently cross-react with the individual’s tissue (molecular mimicry) and it is through this mechanism the autoimmune conditions develop.
There are numerous anecdotes on social media, for example, of people who state their autoimmune condition completely resolved with adoption of a restrictive diet (e.g., carnivore diet). In our opinion, the most common food sensitivity is wheat/gluten and much of the success attributed to diets such as carnivore, Paleo, or so-called “autoimmune diets” is due simply to the restriction of wheat. The problem with these diets is that much of the time, they end up being low-carbohydrate and therefore stressful and anti-metabolic in the long-term. However, as a matter of principle, we would generally recommend people with overt autoimmunity consume a normal-carb Paleo diet, which restricts wheat and dairy but is aggressive with fruits and roots in order to maintain normal macronutrient ratios.
Vibrant America offers a test called the “Wheat Zoomer” which gives a detailed look at the degree to which an individual is sensitive to wheat.
Additionally, it may be helpful for some people to take a food sensitivity test in order to identify other, less common food sensitivities. We have seen in some cases elimination of less common food sensitivities having a profound impact on autoimmunity as well.
Minimizing Oxidative Stress (Optimizing the Battery) is an Important Component of Managing Autoimmunity
Accumulation of free radical damage of the target tissue or organ is part of the pathogenesis of autoimmunity. Therefore, it makes sense to optimize systemic markers of oxidative stress in patients with autoimmune conditions. As but one example, curcumin supplementation via its antioxidant and anti-inflammatory actions seems to be effective against a variety of autoimmune conditions.
Consider Testing for Chronic Stealth Microbial Invaders (CSMI)
It is often observed by Functional Medicine practitioners that autoimmune conditions may be preceded by a nebulous, febrile illness. We hypothesize that in some situations, the patient may actually have been infected with Lyme Disease or other tick-borne or stealth infection. Subsequently, either there is cross-reactivity with the infectious organism itself and the patient’s own tissue or that the increased immunological activity in general triggers the autoimmunity via a different mechanism. Either way, it may be prudent to test for Lyme or other CSMIs, as treatment may help to alleviate the underlying autoimmunity.
Consider Bioidentical Hormone Replacement Therapy (bHRT)
It is also observed that if a woman who has an autoimmune condition becomes pregnant, it is frequently the case that her autoimmune condition recedes or even completely resolves during the pregnancy and generally returns sometime after delivery. It is likely that the increased hormones during pregnancy (particularly progesterone) have an immuno-stabilizing effect. Additionally, because the autoimmune condition is increasing the energy demand of the system and creating an environment of chronic stress activation, patients with autoimmune conditions will be more likely to develop adrenal fatigue and burnout of the anti-stress hormone system. Thus, in order to protect the metabolic function, it may make sense to be more aggressive with bioidentical hormone replacement in patients with autoimmune conditions.
For those interested in learning more about the connection between immune system dysfunction and other functional imbalances in more detail, consider reading the relevant sections in our manual.