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Writer's pictureBrittany Murray

Sustainable Anti-Inflammatory Diets for Autoimmune Disease and Planetary Health

Updated: Nov 3

2024 Autoimmune Community Summit Session Recap


There are so many diets out there and people telling us that a diet will cure our disease. At the recent Autoimmune Community Summit, Dr. Tamiko Katsumoto, Clinical Associate Professor in the Division of Immunology and Rheumatology at Stanford University talks about how food drives inflammation, the benefits of an anti-inflammatory diet and how diet impacts the health of the planet.


Plants Can Help

In a study called Plants for Joints, researchers tested the effect of a plant based diet on arthritis symptoms. This study demonstrated that a plant based diet can improve disease symptoms.


Why does diet matter? 

In a study of the blue zones, in the five areas of the world with the most centenarians, they have a 95% plant based diet, showing a direct tie to the benefits of a plant based diet on longevity and health. In comparison to the blue zones, the Standard American Diet (SAD) is high in processed foods, high in animal products and highly inflammatory. If we are eating inflammatory foods, that can contribute to systemic chronic inflammation which can lead to chronic diseases. Some foods to look out for are the ultra-processed foods like emulsifiers, artificial sweeteners, and food colorings. These foods can upset the microbiome and cause gut epithelium to become leaky allowing toxins and bacteria to leak into the body. This has been coined as leaky gut syndrome which is believed to cause chronic inflammation leading to autoimmune disease. 


As if a leaky gut and autoimmune disease isn’t enough of a reason to consider more plant based foods, Dr. Tamiko gives us more. A whole-food plant based diet can decrease mortality, decrease the risk of cardiovascular disease, cancer and diabetes and improve weight loss, migraine symptoms and glycemic control. 


What does diet have to do with planetary health? 

Animal agriculture takes a lot of Earth’s resources including almost 50% of Earth's surface and 90% of the Amazon deforestation. You can decrease your greenhouse gas footprint by 85% if you eat a vegan diet.


So a plant based diet can make you live longer, healthier and reduce your carbon foot. If you are ready to try it, check out the resources below.


Resources:

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