Abstract
Ever wondered what would happen, if our own forces which are there to protect us from the infiltrators across the borders, start killing us. It would be a mess, right? Everyone would be shocked and the whole system would crash, the government would fall. Don’t worry, take a deep breath as it is not going to happen, but it happens in our body. Yes, you heard it right. The soldiers in our body i.e immune system, start attacking its own healthier cells. This is what an autoimmune disease is. So today, with the help of this article, we will try to know what foods are available at supermarkets which could reverse autoimmune diseases.
Introduction
An autoimmune disease is something in which our immune system perceives the body’s healthy cells as a threat and gets triggered and starts attacking it. It affects women more than men. Researchers claim that higher levels of hormones might be a reason for women being more susceptible to autoimmune disease. Celiac disease, Rheumatoid arthritis, Psoriasis are examples of autoimmune disorders. Some autoimmune disorders affect only one organ, while some attack the whole system. For example Type 1 Diabetes attacks only pancreas, whereas systemic lupus erythematosus affects the whole body.
Causes
The exact cause of the occurrence of the autoimmune disease is not known till now, but there are many factors which might play an important role in this which are as follows:
- Family history
- Gender: Females are more prone to autoimmune disease
- Race: Some races are more susceptible to autoimmune diseases like Caucasians are less prone than African-American to Lupus
- Chronic inflammation
Symptoms
Following are the symptoms that are common in early phases of an auto-immune disease
- Rashes
- Hairfall
- Fever which is not high but low grade
- Soreness in muscles
- Generalized weakness (Prolonged)
- Difficulty in concentrating
Something is to be noted down, that these are some symptoms which are common in auto-immune disease, and with time they could come and go on their own.
Treatment for Autoimmune Disease
Treatment is very limited in the allopathy for auto-immune diseases. They will just prescribe painkillers to the patients of rheumatoid arthritis.
Foods available in Supermarket which could reverse auto-immune diseases
- Honey: It is used from ancient time to the present for different purposes. Egyptians used honey for skin diseases as an external application. To heal a wound also, it was used at that time. One of the special features or properties of honey is it is anti-inflammatory. It reduces the inflammation running from a long time, hence lowers the chances of occurring for rheumatoid arthritis.
- Ginger: With the properties like anti-cancerous, anti-inflammatory, lowering blood sugars, it is a wonderful food item which could be very useful in fighting the auto-immune system. It has quercetin which has antioxidants properties.
- Turmeric: Latin name of turmeric is Curcuma longa. In Ayurveda it is of great importance when it comes to overcoming inflammation. It reduces the chances of auto-immune disorders by regulation of inflammatory reactions. It also protects the body with its antioxidants which are natural and safeguards from the free radicals.
- Apples: An apple a day keeps the doctor away. Yes this is right, but ever tried to know how? It is because of the presence of quercetin (a flavonoid) that helps in reducing the effects of chronic inflammation which is a main cause of autoimmune disease.
- Cauliflower: It contains glutathione which is an antioxidant that ameliorates the symptoms of autoimmune diseases. This is done by reducing the oxidative stress which is a result of the imbalance in antioxidants and free radicals.
- Limit the intake of processed food: The main motive behind limiting the consumption of processed food is that they are synthesized food items, they do not occur in nature. This includes refined sugars and processed cereals and breads e.g pizza which causes inflammation. Even our body tries to send a message to our brain, if we make an attempt to eat them daily. We will never get this message while we are eating homemade food. This proves that processed foods are not healthy for our body.
- Avoid gluten: We all know that one of the reasons for autoimmune disease is leaky gut, which occurs when there is an inflammatory response by intake of certain foods like pasta, noodles, potato chips, breads etc. These foods damage the good bacteria already residing in our gut, resulting in inflammation.
- Avoid animal products or limit them: We are aware of the fact that omega-6 fatty acids are essential fatty acids, that is body does not make them, but the reality check is that the foods that we are consuming nowadays meat, eggs, oils and other processed food are rich in omega-6 fatty acids. To balance this much of omega-6 fatty acids we also need omega-3 fatty acids, which is not there in our diet. This is where the problem starts, the roles of both of these fatty acids differ in the manner that omega-6 fatty acids initiate inflammatory immune response, whereas omega-3 fatty acids are responsible for anti-inflammatory cells production. This results in chronic inflammation which plays a key role in autoimmune disease.
Ayurvedic Point of view in Autoimmune Disease
According to the ayurvedic concepts, an autoimmune disorder or disease is an outcome of ama dosha. This is a sanskrit word which means “raw”, “unripe” or “uncooked”. So if we compare the characteristics of Ama, they are all and exactly opposite to the Agni. Agni which is required to maintain a good state of health. When this Agni is compromised because of excessive Ama, then only disease has an opportunity to knock at your door. So, consuming such foods which are not being eliminated completely or properly is an invitation to Ama in excess.
Some Tips to fight Autoimmune Disorders
- Daily exercise in routine is a natural healer in every kind of disease.
- We have to surround ourselves with positive energy, and here are the ways to do it. Meditation, charity, gratitude and prayer.
- Sleeping and eating time should be corrected
- Being lonely is not always a bad thing. Spend some time with your inner self, it will let you know the real stress triggering factors. A problem can be only solved, once you have a better idea of what the problem is.
Conclusion
When it comes to foods, we consider anything that could be easily available in the stores ready to eat as food. But, it is not the case, we need to start to differentiate between healthy and unhealthy foods. Doing so will not only keep you healthy but also save money as the processed foods are very expensive. If there is a strong determination of adapting a healthy lifestyle and healthy food, then it is possible to reverse the autoimmune disorders at least to some extent, if not completely.