Autoimmune Protocol (AIP): What Is It?

The autoimmune protocol (AIP) is a type of diet designed to relieve inflammation, pain, and many other clinical symptoms of autoimmune diseases. Like any health-promoting diet, AIP must first of all be varied and rich in nutrients.

AIP should supplement nutritional deficiencies that may make the symptoms of autoimmune disease become more severe.

What exactly is it about? In today’s article, we’ll tell you everything you need to know about the autoimmune protocol.

The AIP diet, also known as the autoimmune protocol diet, is a diet model that has gained considerable popularity in recent years. It is about excluding certain foods from your diet for several weeks in order to observe specific changes in your health. It helps to estimate which foods are harming us and which we can eat freely.

As stated in an article published in the journal  Inflammatory Bowel Diseases , the purpose of this diet is to help control inflammation in the body, reduce pain and other symptoms of autoimmune diseases.

Common symptoms of autoimmune diseases include ulcerative colitis, food intolerance, fatigue, and hair loss.

Do you want to know more? Read on!

Autoimmune protocol – what is the AIP diet?

The autoimmune protocol (AIP) is an elimination diet in which you give up certain types of food for several weeks. The patient’s task is to observe the changes taking place in his body.

This is especially true for autoimmune diseases such as psoriasis, rheumatoid arthritis, lupus, Hashimoto’s disease, and inflammatory bowel disease, among others.

These diseases have specific and distinctive symptoms that may vary from person to person. These include, but are not limited to, joint pain, severe fatigue, abdominal pain, diarrhea, nerve damage, and mental confusion.

Their origins are often unknown and include factors such as genes, lifestyle, past comorbidities, and environmental conditions. However, one hypothesis relates some of these diseases to damage to the intestinal barrier.

Basically, the AIP diet proposes to eliminate and replace some foods with nutrient-rich foods that help “repair” the intestinal membranes and promote the balance of probiotic bacteria.

This diet also suggests temporarily eliminating foods rich in gluten or lactose, as these often cause abnormal immune responses in extremely sensitive individuals.

Also read: How to prepare homemade oregano oil?

Autoimmune skin conditions are often associated with eating certain foods.

Autoimmune protocol – AIP diet phases

The autoimmune protocol (AIP) is somewhat similar to the popular paleo diet. In fact, some experts call AIP an extension of this eating style.

In the initial phase, AIP is somewhat more stringent and consists of two main phases.

Elimination phase

The first phase of the AIP diet involves the temporary elimination of food, supplements, and medications that may be related to inflammation of the gut or imbalance of the gut microbiota. This includes products that often cause allergies and adverse reactions in people.

For example:

• Seeds
• Legumes
• Peanuts
• Seeds
• Nightshade and cruciferous vegetables (cabbage, cauliflower, tomato, eggplant)
• Eggs
• Dairy, milk
• Vegetable oils
• Food additives, preservatives
• Refined sugars
• Coffee and strong tea
• Alcohol
• Tobacco and stimulants
• Processed foods, trans fats
• Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) such as ibuprofen, naproxen, diclofenac, and high-dose aspirin.

Of course, experts recommend eating fresh, nutrient-rich foods that are easily digestible in their place. Moreover, people following this diet should not neglect foods that are pickled or fermented, or containing probiotics.

It is also important to try to improve your lifestyle through relaxation techniques, exercise and better sleep quality.

Food reintroduction phase

As soon as patients notice an improvement in their autoimmune disease symptoms, the reintroduction phase begins. It consists in gradually adding previously avoided foods to the diet. Of course, this will depend on the person’s tolerance level.

This stage is aimed at identifying foods that may cause adverse symptoms and intestinal disorders. It is also intended to reintroduce those products that do not cause any symptoms to provide a more varied and complete diet.

Each food is introduced gradually, with an interval of 5 to 7 days between the introduction of the next one. This period of time is sufficient to determine if any of the symptoms reappear after consuming gluten or lactose, for example. You can include those foods that are well tolerated in your regular diet. The rest that the body cannot tolerate should be ignored.

Food Re-introduction Steps – Autoimmune Protocol

There are a few simple steps you need to follow to reintroduce a particular food into the AIP diet. It is important to do this under the guidance of a doctor or dietitian. In addition, products should be introduced one at a time to be able to assess which is harmful to us and causes inflammation.

In addition, this diet should only be introduced if we are not currently undergoing a lot of stress (e.g. during exams, problems at work). Lack of sleep and excess stress can distort the results of this experiment.

For example, when introducing dairy products, it’s best to start with options like plain yogurt, buttermilk, or kefir.

The steps are as follows:

• Select the food you want to reintroduce into your diet. Then consume it several times a day on your chosen test day. After that, avoid it altogether for the next 5 or 6 days.
• Then eat a small amount of the product again and wait about 15 minutes to check for reactions.
• If any symptoms occur, the test should be terminated and the patient should avoid the test product in the future. However, if no symptoms appear, the patient can try a larger portion and observe the effects for 2 or 3 hours after ingestion.
• When no symptoms are present, the sick person may eat a normal portion of the test product. Thereafter, it should be avoided again for 5 or 6 days before reintroducing the next food.
• Repeat the entire procedure with the next entered product.

Allowed and prohibited foods in the AIP diet

In order for the AIP diet to be successful, it is imperative that you follow the recommendations on allowed and prohibited foods. As such, keep in mind that there are many limitations. Therefore, it is best to seek the advice of a nutritionist or dietitian to avoid nutritional deficiencies.

Allowed food

• Most greens and vegetables
• High-quality fish and seafood with a high content of omega-3 fatty acids
• Fresh fruit, in moderate portions
• Fermented and probiotic foods (kombucha, kimchi, sauerkraut, pickled vegetables, and coconut kefir)
• Lean meat and beef liver
• Olive oil, coconut and avocado
• Herbs and spices that are not derived from seeds
• Natural sweeteners such as honey in moderate amounts
• Broth
• Green and herbal tea

Prohibited food

• Nightshade vegetables such as tomatoes, potatoes, peppers, and eggplants
• Grains (rice, wheat, oats, barley, rye and products thereof)
• Legumes
• Dairy
• Vegetable oils (except those listed above)
• Coffee
• Eggs
• Dried fruits and seeds
• Alcohol
• Food additives such as refined sugars and trans fats

Autoimmune Protocol – Does the AIP Diet Work?

To date, the scientific evidence on the AIP diet is fairly limited. However, some research suggests that it may reduce inflammation and the clinical symptoms of certain autoimmune diseases.

Let’s look at it in detail.

Autoimmune Protocol Diet and Permeable Gut

People with autoimmune diseases usually suffer from a permeable gut (leaky gut syndrome). According to research, there is a link between inflammation in the body and the permeability of the intestine. So the sick person may be suffering from an additional inflammatory disorder.

Consequently, scientific discoveries have shown that the AIP diet helps to alleviate leaky gut syndrome by reducing inflammation in the entire body and the symptoms associated with it. However, further in-depth research is needed.

Treatment of symptoms of autoimmune diseases

It should also be noted that this nutritional protocol may have positive results in combating the symptoms of autoimmune diseases such as irritable bowel syndrome and Hashimoto’s thyroiditis. According to studies, in some cases there is a reduction in inflammation by as much as 29–68%.

The AIP diet has been shown to be effective in diseases of the thyroid gland such as Hashimoto’s thyroiditis.

Autoimmune protocol AIP- disadvantages

The major disadvantage of the AIP diet is that it is a very restrictive eating pattern, especially in the elimination phase. This situation makes the supply of vitamins difficult and may not be appropriate for all patients. It is not recommended for people with a history of anemia or an eating disorder such as anorexia.

A person using this diet may experience episodes of anxiety or social isolation due to the implementation of stringent dietary restrictions. Without proper planning, this diet can also lead to nutritional deficiencies.

Also, there is no guarantee that this protocol will reduce inflammation and symptoms of autoimmune diseases. Despite this, many patients experience positive effects of its introduction.

Consultation with a nutritionist is the best option

At first glance, adopting the AIP diet seems simple enough. However, this is a rigorous protocol that should be taken very carefully as it can have significant dietary restrictions.

Therefore, let’s emphasize how important it is to consult a dietitian or doctor. This will help you get all the necessary information about this diet and possible complications. A specialist will help you determine if this diet is right for you and how to plan it accordingly. This way you will be able to avoid nutritional deficiencies and malnutrition.