What is an Autoimmune Disease?
Autoimmune diseases occur when an overactive immune system mistakenly attacks the body’s own healthy tissues. More than 80 conditions have been identified as autoimmune diseases. Some of the most common include multiple sclerosis (MS), rheumatoid arthritis, lupus, eczema, psoriasis, and thyroid diseases such as Hashimoto’s and Graves’ disease.
Why Does the Immune System Attack Its Own Healthy Cells?
Approximately 80% of our immune cells are located just beneath the intestines. When the tight junctions on the intestinal lining become loosened, a condition known as Leaky Gut Syndrome develops. As a result, bacteria, viruses, undigested food particles, and toxins can leak into the bloodstream. The immune system perceives these substances as foreign invaders and mounts a response. Up to this point, the reaction is normal. However, when this situation becomes chronic, the immune system is constantly activated, becomes confused, and can no longer mount an appropriate immune response. Like a train that has gone off the rails, it starts attacking healthy cells, leading to autoimmune and chronic diseases.
What Causes Leaky Gut Syndrome?
- Processed foods
- Imbalanced omega-3/omega-6 ratio
- Gluten
- Harmful saturated fats
- Sugar and artificial sweeteners
- Meat and dairy products from conventionally raised animals
- Micronutrient deficiencies
- Chronic stress
- Poor sleep quality
Why Are Our Guts So Important?
In recent years, the connection between the gut and many diseases has become a significant focus of research. I’d like to explain why this is the case using some statistics:
The intestinal barrier covers an area of about 400 m² — roughly the size of two tennis courts. The microbiota consists of a collection of unique species (such as microorganisms, viruses, and fungi) that live in harmony with humans. About 95% of all microorganisms in our body reside in the gut.
Moreover, the genes in the microbiome are 150 times more numerous than those in the human genome. This means our bodies contain far more bacterial cells and genes than human ones. This raises important questions: “Could problems in the gut affect us more than our own genes? Could many diseases be related to gut microbiota?” In recent years, scientists have been working hard to find answers to these questions.
How Can We Protect Gut Health?
To protect the intestinal epithelium, it is crucial to eliminate the factors that contribute to leaky gut syndrome. To repair damaged intestinal lining, we must remove triggering foods from our diets and follow an elimination diet.
What is an Elimination Diet?
An elimination diet involves temporarily removing foods and toxins that the body may perceive as allergens, with the goals of:
- Resetting the confused immune system
- Calming an immune response that mistakenly targets the body’s own tissues
- Repairing the gut lining
In autoimmune conditions, it is advisable to eliminate trigger foods such as gluten (wheat, barley, rye), dairy products (cheese, yogurt, milk, kefir, butter), sugar, and in some cases legumes and nightshade vegetables (tomatoes, potatoes, eggplant, peppers). A personalized elimination diet, supported by healing supplements such as olive oil and bone broth, can be effective in repairing the intestinal epithelium. Additionally, reducing the daily toxic load we are exposed to can significantly support this healing process.
Dyt. Asena PERÇİN BAHADIR
Functional Medicine Dietitian
