The Causes of Autoimmune Diseases

An autoimmune disease is caused by your immune system turning against you but there are also underlying causes for an autoimmune disease. One of them is a leaky stomach.

The stomach is the gateway to health. It houses over 80% of your immune system and if you have an unhealthy stomach you have an unhealthy immune system. Thanks to research we now know that if you have an autoimmune disease it may that your stomach has become leaky. This means that the tight junctions that usually hold your stomach lining together have become loose allowing undigested food particles, microbes, toxins and more escape your stomach entering your bloodstream.

All of these particles are recognized as foreign invaders by your immune system, causing it to send an alert. The continual strain in your immune system eventually causes it to go haywire and ends up attacking your own tissues by mistake.

Another cause is gluten. Gluten contributes in the developing of an autoimmune disease in three ways. First, it is the primary cause of a leaky stomach since gluten triggers the release of zonulin in your intestines, a chemical that tells your stomach lining to “open up”. Second it is highly inflammatory so it stresses your immunes system and third, Gluten has a similar chemical structure to some of your body’s tissues (specifically your thyroid), which can lead to molecular mimicry. That is when your body attacks your tissues mistaking them for gluten.

There are also toxins. Toxin mold and heavy metals such as mercury are two major toxins. Mycotoxins are very volatile compounds produced by toxic molds that go crazy on the immune system. We are exposed to heavy metals like mercury in different ways: mercury amalgam fillings in teeth, fish consumption, and the environment. The fourth cause is infections. Scientists have long suspected that infections from bacteria, viruses, and other toxins were likely to blame for the development of autoimmunity. And last but not least, stress. Stress disrupts immune function through several distinct pathways. Stress is the body’s response to a threat–a wound, injury, or infection. Chronic stress (the kind we face in this day and age) leads to long term inflammation that never really shuts off, creating autoimmune disease.

We know that autoimmune diseases are caused by food or toxins, what kind of foods cause an autoimmune disease? One of the first cause of an autoimmune disease is gluten. Gluten is a protein made up of the peptides gliadin and glutenin and it is found in many grains such as wheat, semolina, spelt, kamut, rye, and barley. Gluten gives bread its airy and fluffy texture and dough its sticky texture. It’s also used as a stabilizing agent in many processed foods, such as salad dressings and mayonnaise. It’s in almost everything from beauty products to packaged foods to medications and supplements.

But there is also the danger of dairy products. Dairy causes inflammation in a huge percentage of the population, either due to lactose intolerance or casein and whey sensitivities. Not to mention, it’s typically full of hormones and antibiotics.

Processed foods are also very toxic.

The Standard American Diet (“S.A.D.”) is filled with processed foods loaded with hydrogenated oils, high fructose corn syrup, artificial sweeteners, trans fats, refined grains and sodium chloride (processed white table salt). S.A.D. foods promote obesity, metabolic syndrome, cardiovascular disease and susceptibility to autoimmune disorders.

There are many more foods that damage our immune system such as, eggs, nuts, sugar, white table salt, etc. But the ones I mentioned first are the most important because they are the most dangerous. Let’s start with gluten.

It’s important to mention though, that the gluten we eat today is not the same as the gluten our ancestors ate. Over 100 years ago, scientists began to develop new, hybridized forms of wheat with higher proportions of gluten protein to produce bigger, fluffier breads and pastries. They also figured out a way to deaminate gluten, which allows it to be dissolved into liquids and other products that didn’t previously contain gluten. That is why nowadays gluten can be found in anything from meat substitutes, to toothpastes.