These foods raise the risk of lupus in women
By naturopath Margaret Jasinska
Systemic lupus erythematosus is one of the most common autoimmune diseases in women. New research published in the journal Arthritis Care & Research has found that a high intake of ultra processed foods increases the risk of lupus by more than 50 percent in women. Those women with positive anti–double-stranded DNA antibodies were at highest risk. These are antibodies that indicate connective tissue autoimmune disease either right now or in the future.
Only women were tested in this particular study, so men who eat ultra processed foods are likely also at risk of autoimmune disease.
Researchers assessed 204,175 women from two Nurses’ Health Study cohorts from 1984 to 2016. The study subjects completed food frequency questionnaires every 4 years for the duration of the research. Systemic lupus erythematosus cases were self reported and confirmed using the individuals’ medical records.
Daily intake of ultra processed foods was associated with a 56 percent increased risk of lupus. Sugar or artificially sweetened beverages were associated with a 45 percent increased risk for lupus. No significant interactions with body weight were observed in the association between ultra processed food intake and lupus.
Junk food raises the risk of autoimmune disease
Ultra processed food is the modern term for junk food. Interestingly the study found that junk food raises the risk of autoimmunity whether a person was overweight or not. It causes harm to health regardless. You can’t get away with eating junk food even if you are slim.
Junk food raises inflammation and harms your gut microbiome
Ultra processed food is almost always high in sugar, seed oils and artificial additives. These are known to be able to inflame your intestinal lining, causing a leaky gut. The refined carbohydrates in these foods feed the worst gut bugs. They increase the growth of Candida and other yeast, as well as bacteria including streptococcus, enterococcus, klebsiella and clostridia species. If these bad bugs reach high enough numbers, they can take over the gut microbiome and crowd out beneficial species.
If your gut lining is chronically inflamed, this will place an enormous strain on your immune system and liver. When we talk about leaky gut, it means intestinal wastes leak into the bloodstream and head straight to the liver. The toxicity overwhelms the liver and compromises its functions. That means the liver won’t be able to detoxify your body adequately.
Reducing the risk of autoimmune disease
Firstly it’s important to try and base your diet on natural whole foods. It’s best to cook your own meals most of the time, using foods that don’t have an ingredients list. Base your diet on animal protein, natural fats, vegetables, fruits, nuts and seeds. If you want a treat every so often, there are many additive free chocolate and snack food brands, or you could try making your own.
Fixing gut health problems may include herbal antimicrobials and diet changes (gluten and dairy free, low carbohydrate and low FODMAP diet). People with dysbiosis and small intestinal bacterial overgrowth usually don’t produce enough hydrochloric acid in their stomach and they do not produce enough digestive enzymes or bile. These can be taken in supplement form, and drinking some diluted apple cider vinegar before meals helps support stomach acid production.
It is very important not to get constipated, as this encourages the overgrowth of microbes in the intestines. Some people improve on a higher fibre diet, while others get worse. The fibre in Fibretone powder is gentle and non-irritating to the gut lining. It helps to prevent old faecal material from accumulating in the intestines. The composition of your gut bugs influences how often you go; people with excess methane production in their gut are prone to constipation, while those who over produce hydrogen are prone to diarrhoea.
It’s important to find ways to unwind, relax and handle stress in healthy ways. A lot of people use junk food as a way to dissipate emotional tension or as a distraction from problems that are causing stress. Getting enough sleep and doing some exercise most days should help. It may be necessary to speak to a counsellor or trusted friend. Magnesium helps our patients enormously. It is wonderful for reducing the symptoms of stress and promoting better sleep quality.
For more information about gut health and the immune system, see our book Healing Autoimmune Disease: A plan to help your immune system and reduce inflammation.
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