How the Paleo Diet May Help Treat 5 Autoimmune Conditions
Still, some research supports the idea of using paleo to treat autoimmune conditions.
Here’s what you should know about paleo and its potential benefits for five well-known autoimmune conditions.
1. IBD
An estimated 3.1 million people have IBD in the United States. (3) One study found that an AIP diet can “improve clinical responses in (IBD).” The researchers monitored 18 adults with IBD who went through a six-week elimination diet followed by a five-week “maintenance phase.” At the end of the study, an endoscopy was performed on the people participating. While the study found significant improvement in some people’s symptoms after they went on the diet, two of the participants who hadileal strictures— a common complication ofCrohn’s disease— before the study began experienced worsening symptoms.
The study authors cautioned that people need to keep in mind that each individual’s condition is different and that this kind of treatment requires “counseling and close follow-up.”
“Dietary change can be an important adjunct to IBD therapy, not only to achieve remission, but perhaps [to] improve the durability of response and remission,” the authors wrote. (4)
But Kennedy says more research would be needed to confirm this notion. “There is some research to suggest that [paleo]may help with IBD, but more and larger studies are needed before the true effects can be determined,” says Kennedy, adding that those studies would also need to be long term.
2. Skin Conditions Like Psoriasis and Eczema
Some paleo proponents cite the diet’s ability to curb inflammation as playing a big role in improving chronic skin conditions like psoriasis and eczema.
Kennedy notes that, as with IBD, current studies are limited. “Again, more research is needed,” she stresses, reiterating that a standard elimination diet is still the most recommended approach for helping with skin conditions such aseczemaorpsoriasis.In a 2017 survey of psoriasis patients, nearly 70 percent reported a favorable response to the paleo diet.
