Triggers for Auto Immunity
Did you know that lectins (sugar-binding plant proteins that attach to cell membranes) create leaky gut in people with autoimmune disease and worsen the disease.
In a recent paper, Dr Steven Gundry showed that 90 of 102 patients had complete remission of all biomarkers for autoimmune disease by removing lectins, and all within a six-month period. “The problem is that few people these days have fully functioning gut wall defence systems, thanks to the overuse of antibiotics, nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, proton pump inhibitors and poor diet.
Other common autoimmune diseases that fare better on a lectin-free diet are mixed connective tissue disease, fibromyalgia, Crohn’s disease, ulcerative colitis and micro colitis, Hashimoto’s thyroiditis and multiple sclerosis (MS).
If you have leaky gut from a disturbed microbiome and eat a lot of lectins, saturated fats may worsen your health by allowing lipopolysaccharides to piggyback on the fats through your intestinal wall.
People with autoimmune diseases typically have low vitamin D levels and may need higher than normal doses. Vitamin D is essential for stem cell proliferation in your gut, and until your gut barrier is healed, your absorption of vitamin D may be impaired. Vitamin D is essential for stem cell proliferation in this area. In most autoimmune diseases, the gut barrier is decimated; hence, these stem cells need additional help.
