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You may have heard the term autoimmune disease but what is it? According to Allergy and Immune Diseases in Australia, this category of disease is more common than cancer or heart disease and one of the top 10 killers of young females.¹ It’s one of the fastest growing chronic conditions in Australia yet there is no cure.. or is there? What Is An Autoimmune Disease? Your immune system is there to protect you against harmful invaders such as viruses and bad bacteria. It’s constantly scanning cells, deciding what’s normal (your own body cells) and what’s harmful. Your immune system contains antibodies that fight these invaders. Think of them as an army of health soldiers inside your body. Because there are so many cells to monitor, each soldier in the army is allocated a specific germ to target, and when it detects one the whole army attacks. But sometimes these soldiers make a mistake. When you have an autoimmune disease, your immune system overreacts to a foreign substance, begins to attack normal cells and causes systemic inflammation. There are over 80 different autoimmune diseases and these range from common to very rare diseases. Some of the more common ones are rheumatoid arthritis, multiple sclerosis, Parkinson’s, fibromyalgia, Crohn’s disease and lupus. What Can Conventional Medicine Do For You? Nothing unfortunately. The medical industry doesn’t have a clue what causes it nor do they know how to cure for it. The main aims of treatments for autoimmune diseases are to relieve symptoms, minimise organ and tissue damage and preserve organ function. They include an array of anti-inflammatory medications and immunosuppressive medications that merely treat the symptoms not the cause. These medications make your body more susceptible to infections and even cancers – one study found that autoimmune patients with the greatest exposure to immunosuppressive drugs had an almost five fold increase in cancer risk°. The FDA has even issued warnings on certain drugs because of increased cancer risk. But don’t worry, there is hope. What You Can Do About It Seeing as autoimmune diseases affect your immune system causing inflammation, it makes sense to eat anti-inflammatory foods that heal your gut. According to research published in the January 17 edition of Science, exposure to good bacteria of the GI tract (gut microbes) protects against autoimmune disease in mice. Include as many of these foods in your daily diet to help promote a healthy gut and reduce inflammation: Fermented food – naturopath Emma Sutherland suggests to optimise your gut health, add in some kimchi, kefir or kombucha to your diet. All these foods contain both pre and probiotics to help keep the right balance between good and bad bacteria in our gut. Omega 3 essential fatty acid – Foods high in omega 3 will help keep your inflammation low. Great sources of your essential fatty acids include chia seeds, flaxseeds, walnuts and salmon. High nutrient food - always include plenty of dark leafy greens. They’re good for absolutely everything! Probiotic supplement - this will support your gut with extra beneficial bacteria. Good oils – extra virgin olive oil contains a natural inflammatory agent. Spices – turmeric, garlic, ginger, cinnamon all have amazing anti-inflammatory properties. For more natural health tips visit our blog at: http://www.alkalife.com.au/blog
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