TACKLE IMMUNE CONDITIONS WITH DIET

STUDIES show a targeted dietary approach can protect organs from friendly fire from your immune system, as well as from the medicines used to treat autoimmune diseases.

Research suggests avoiding meat and sugar can be beneficial. But adopting specific diets can be a helpful option. Here are some examples… RHEUMATOID ARTHRITIS

A RAW vegan diet that includes sprouted plants, which produce beneficial enzymes during sprouting, has been shown to help calm an overactive immune system. It

is not known exactly how this works, but this diet includes fermented foods that contain beneficial bacteria such as Lactobacillus.

A large study in Finland suggested that it improves the symptoms of rheumatoid arthritis by triggering changes in gut bacteria that help reduce inflammation. MULTIPLE SCLEROSIS (MS)

A PLANT-BASED diet could help patients with MS avoid a flareup of symptoms or a relapse.

In a big Italian study, the group eating a diet high in vegetables but low in protein

had a three-fold reduction in relapse of MS, and reported less disability compared to people consuming a typical Western diet.

The beneficial diet consisted of fruit and vegetables, nuts, whole grains, and olive oil — and a low intake of fish, poultry, eggs, and dairy.

The participants ate little sugar or salt, and consumed no alcohol, red meat, or saturated animal fats. Results showed the participants who stuck with the Western diet reported an increase in disability over 12 months.