The Autoimmune Protocol Diet

The Autoimmune Protocol (AIP) diet is a dietary approach designed for individuals with autoimmune conditions, symptoms, or inflammation (1). The goal is to undergo a period of restriction, focusing on eating anti-inflammatory foods, and then reintroduce foods over time to determine if specific foods are inflammatory triggers for that person. Sometimes, the causes of an autoimmune condition are unknown; however, certain lifestyles can trigger uncomfortable “flare-ups” for these individuals. The goal of the AIP diet is to determine if certain foods are a trigger. If so, this person may be able to live a more comfortable life if they learn how to avoid these inflammatory triggers. It is always best to consult a medical provider before making any changes to your diet or disease management process. 

What is an Autoimmune Condition?

An autoimmune condition is one in which the immune system is not functioning as it is designed to. When the immune system is functioning normally, it protects the body from sickness and other foreign cells, and fights sicknesses once we have them. When someone has an autoimmune condition, their immune system mistakenly fights their healthy cells instead (2). This can happen in any part of the body, the joints, bones, and others. When the immune system attacks these healthy cells, the location in the body that is being attacked can be damaged or compromised. For example, if someone has an autoimmune condition in their eyes, whether consistently or in flare-ups, this person can have uncomfortable dry eyes, changed vision, or something else. 

In some cases, food can be a trigger for these autoimmune reactions, and the goal of the AIP diet is to find these triggers. 

Three Phases of the Autoimmune Protocol Diet

1. Elimination: Phase one is the hardest. It includes eliminating many foods from our standard diet. The eliminated foods include grains/gluten, dairy, nightshade vegetables (tomatoes, peppers, regular potatoes, etc), eggs, coffee, alcohol, soy, nuts and seeds, sugars, and processed foods (3). 

The goal is to remove all of these foods from your diet strictly for six to nine weeks, until there is a significant improvement in your autoimmune symptoms.

2. Reintroduction: This phase is a slow process. The goal is to reintroduce foods one at a time and learn if there are autoimmune symptoms that follow. The general guideline is to introduce one food every five to seven days while tracking your symptoms. If a food triggers an autoimmune response, then you know what to avoid as you return to a more regular diet. 

3. Maintenance: Now that you have a catalog of foods that trigger autoimmune symptoms, you have a host of foods you can eat. Now you start to feel a sense of normalcy again in your day-to-day life. The maintenance phase is all about focusing on the foods that help keep your autoimmune symptoms at bay. 

Foods allowed during the AIP elimination phase (1)

• Fruits and vegetables: apples, mangos, berries(strawberries, blueberries, etc), sweet potatoes, cucumbers, cauliflower.
• Meats: Beef, chicken and other poultry, seafood, and more. Avoid overly processed meat. 
• Natural sweeteners: Maple syrup and honey are a sweet-tooth's saving grace in the elimination phase of this diet. 
• Spices and oils: Many spices we use in our day-to-day have multiple ingredients in them; be sure to check the ingredient list before using them while cooking. Some staple spices in the AIP diet include garlic and salt. Pure olive oil and coconut oil are also allowed on this diet. 
• This list is not comprehensive, and there are many recipes and guides to be found online.

Tips and Tricks

Journaling- In this diet process, there are many factors to keep track of, and it can be confusing, especially when getting started. Journaling from the very beginning is the best way to keep track of your symptoms, what meals you are eating, and what foods you are reintroducing. This will make it much easier to communicate with your healthcare team as well.

Accountability Partner- The elimination phase of this diet can feel extremely restrictive. Having a family member, significant other, or close friend who will cut out one, some, or all (elimination phase) foods with you can make all the difference in maintaining a strict diet for six to nine weeks. Maybe your best friend will go without ice cream with you during the hot summer days. 

Planning meals, snacks, and grocery lists ahead of time- Starting a new diet program can be daunting. It may feel like there is a long list of foods that you cannot eat and changes you need to make. In order to focus more on the foods you can eat, planning your week of what snacks and meals you’d like to eat can make grocery shopping less stressful and leave your belly feeling full. Take a little bit of time to research what you would like to eat for the week and write a list. 

Encouragement

Having an autoimmune condition alone can bring on a lot of challenges to a person, and adding a restrictive diet on top of that can feel intimidating. If you and your healthcare team think that this diet may help mitigate your symptoms, the uncomfortable six to nine weeks may lead to a more comfortable life.

Conclusion 

For a person with an autoimmune condition or other inflammatory symptoms, the autoimmune protocol diet may provide some benefits. For some, autoimmune symptoms can be triggered by food; the AIP diet is designed to use an elimination phase and reintroduction phase of food to discover if any foods trigger these symptoms. If any specific food triggers autoimmune symptoms, eliminating that food from their regular diet can lead to a more comfortable life for that person with fewer autoimmune and inflammatory symptoms. 

If you think that this diet may be right for you, consult your primary care physician, rheumatologist, or dietician before attempting.

Resources:

^{1. The Cleveland Clinic: https://health.clevelandclinic.org/aip-diet-autoimmune-protocol-diet} 

^{2. The National Library of Medicine: https://www.niehs.nih.gov/health/topics/conditions/autoimmune} 

^{3. The National Library of Medicine: https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC5647120/}