Your immune system is a network of specialized cells, proteins, tissues and organs that work together to protect you against infectious organisms and foreign substances.
Some of your immune cells are designed to recognize external threats. These cells don’t destroy invaders. They are like sentries on guard to sound the alert. Other cells respond to the call, engulfing, neutralizing and destroying pathogens that would make you sick.
Your immune system is so advanced it can “remember” pathogens you may have encountered decades ago… plus the exact defense to mount against each specific threat.
But the key to a healthy and effective immune system is the ability to recognize “self” from “non-self.” When your immune system can no longer differentiate between foreign invader… and your body’s own tissues (such as your colon, thyroid or brain) this is known as an autoimmune disorder.
And it can be incredibly debilitating…
Instead of attacking and destroying foreign invaders, specialized cells called T and B lymphocytes wage war on your own tissues and organs. This can lead to chronic pain and inflammation, brain fog and difficulty concentrating, insomnia, fatigue, numbness, tingling, and a plethora of digestive symptoms.
According to the National Institutes of Health, autoimmune disorders affect over 23 million people in the United States... with tens of millions more worldwide. And perhaps worst of all, many doctors and health organizations don’t understand the cause or the cure and leave their patients suffering and struggling for answers.
The good news is that, in many cases, autoimmune disease can be reversed. The cause (and the cure) often begin with the food on our plate. And one of the biggest offenders is a food many people eat every single day…
Grains: A Key Trigger for Autoimmune Disease
For most people, autoimmunity doesn’t develop because of a genetic predisposition. It happens when our diet and lifestyle choices change how our genes are expressed. In essence, our genes are the loaded gun… but our “lifestyle” is what pulls the trigger.
Poor sleep, stress, the health of our microbiome, the exercise we do (or don’t do), our exposure to chemicals, and the foods we eat can all play a role. And research shows that one of the biggest dietary factors for developing autoimmune illness is the consumption of grains.
Dr. Alessio Fasano of the University of Maryland discovered that a protein called zonulin in the lining of the gastrointestinal tract is a target for another protein found in gluten-containing grains (called gliadin).
As zonulin is activated by exposure to gliadin, it begins prying apart the tight junctions between cells in the lining of the gut. This allows harmful substances and undigested food particles to penetrate the intestinal wall and pass through into the bloodstream.
And you don’t have to have a genetic susceptibility for this to occur! It happens in those with Celiac disease and gluten sensitivity… as well as those without it.
And while grains that contain gluten are masters at damaging the integrity of the gut lining and contributing to the condition known as “leaky gut”, gluten-free grains like oats and corn can exert the same effect, thanks to a compound called prolamin!
In fact, prolamin is associated with a wide range of autoimmune and inflammatory symptoms, including Type-1 diabetes, skin rashes, joint and muscle inflammation and pancreatitis.
Go Grain Free for a Healthy Immune System & Disease-Free Life
Keeping your immune system healthy (or repairing a damaged one) begins with adopting an ancestral lifestyle. This means:
- Eliminating the immune-hampering foods your body is not primed to handle, including grains and possibly legumes and pasteurized dairy, as well as the common chemicals found in personal care products (such as triclosan).
- Optimizing vitamin D levels with consistent exposure to natural sunlight and a vitamin D3 supplement (cholecalciferol) during the winter months
- Optimizing omega-3 fatty acids with wild, low-contaminant seafood (wild salmon, sardines and mackerel) and / or a high quality fish oil supplement (we like Carlson's)
- Improving natural circadian rhythms by “powering down” electronic devices in the early evening and getting sunlight exposure in your eyes in the morning and daytime hours
- Engaging in functional movement including long walks, short sprints and lifting
- Enjoying Mother Nature’s immune-boosting superfoods including bone broth, bone marrow and organs, wild seafood, pastured-raised meats and raw, grass-fed dairy (if tolerated) along with organic vegetables, antioxidant-rich berries, herbs and spices.
- If you’re currently suffering autoimmune disease, consider the autoimmune protocol (AIP diet) or the low-lectin diet which further eliminate potentially offending and inflammatory foods.
