Allergies and autoimmune-related diseases have become a common problem. Treat and fight them using these 5 foods!
Believe it or not, almost 50 million Americans have an autoimmune disease. This happens when your immune system stops recognizing healthy cells, rejects them and acts as if they are harmful for your body.
That means that these diseases attack the healthy cells, including some other body tissues. There’s actually no absolute cure for these diseases, only treatments and methods that can reduce symptoms.
Actually, there are even 80 different kinds of this disease. Most of them are transmitted genetically; however, your diet and lifestyle can also trigger these diseases.
Additionally, if your diet is the cause for an autoimmune disease, there are some ways you could get symptoms relief and you’re about to find out how.
But first, let’s say a few words about allergies as well. Allergies, the same as autoimmune diseases, develop when your immune system starts acting weird, or more precisely, reacts to different allergens.
5 foods that fight allergies and autoimmune diseases
Vitamin K2
Vitamin K2 deficiency is symbolic for people from the Western culture, practicing Western diet. This vitamin inhibits a gene that various inflammatory mediators control. It is the pro-inflammatory gene in the brain and spinal cord immune systems. If you’re facing this problem, you should consume foods rich in vitamin K2 but combine it with fat-soluble A and D vitamins. The best suggestion is grass-fed oil and soybeans.
Vitamin A
Rheumatoid arthritis and type 1 diabetes are usually caused by vitamin A deficiency. What you should eat in this case is animal products, fish, and veggies that contain carotenes, such as sweet potatoes and carrots. This vitamin will help in sending a message to the immune system to calm down.
Micronutrients
Zinc, magnesium and selenium deficiency can cause many health problems, especially autoimmune diseases. The chronic inflammation is due to the lack of these nutrients absorption. They are vital for healthy thyroid hormone production, so start eating more seeds and nuts; Brazil nuts in particular.
Iron
Iron is essential for your body. The lack of it causes autoimmune diseases, as well as many other diseases. Iron deficiency damages the gut lining because usually iron gets absorbed in the intestines. This gut damage then leads to preconditions of autoimmune diseases. Grass-fed beef and, of course, spinach are the best iron sources.
Vitamin D
Vitamin is vital for immunological and metabolic pathways; for example Th17 cells that have anti-inflammatory properties. When you have an autoimmune disease, these cells have no control and vitamin D plays a crucial part in dampening their response. Food rich in vitamin D is of course of animal origin, so meat and dairy. Also, it would be better for you to spend some time in the sun as the sun is the number 1 natural source of vitamin D.
In addition, here’s some advice on lifestyle changes that you should make to treat allergies and autoimmune diseases.
- Stay away from foods that trigger your health problem
- Use herbs and natural remedies instead of pills
- Make a thorough test to check the nutrients in your body
- Check whether you have problems with absorption or not