Why is My Immune System Attacking Me? By Kathryn Firisin, ND


o you or anyone you know suffer from diseases such as Type 1 Diabetes, Psoriasis, Rheumatoid Arthritis, Multiple Sclerosis, Systemic Lupus, Hashimoto’s, or Irritable Bowel Syndrome? At fi rst these conditions seem very different from one another, some involving muscles, joints and nerves while others seem to affect the digestive system and skin. What could these complex and very different diseases have in common? They are among the 80-100 different autoimmune conditions that have been identifi ed by researchers. Autoimmune conditions are categorized by a dysregulation of the immune system whereby the immune cells begin to attack the body’s own organs and tissues.


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Over the past 30 years, the incidence of autoimmune diseases has increased by a staggering 19% with costs to the healthcare system of over 100 billion dollars as compared to cancer at about 57 billion dollars. Autoimmune disease commands roughly 591 million dollars in funding for research annually but nearly 5 times that amount is spent researching heart disease and nearly 12 times that is spent on cancer research, both with signifi cantly lower prevalence.


Focus on Treating the Cause


Common conventional medicine treatments largely emphasize pharmaceuticals that suppress or stop the immune system. These medications often disrupt an individual’s normal immune function making them more susceptible to


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other diseases and infections. Additionally, many medications come with lists of side effects that create a new set of problems. There are many factors that have been identifi ed as triggers for immune dysfunction. Environmental toxins, stress, food reactions, medications and vaccines are the most common. When we focus treatment on identifying and treating the cause of these diseases rather than suppressing the immune system, we can begin to move the body in the direction of healing and attempt to restore normal immune function.


Gut Health


The digestive tract is the only internal organ system that is actually continuous with the outside environment making it particularly susceptible when exposed to unhealthy things in our diet and the outside world. It would stand to reason that the health of the gut, the wall of the intestine and the good bacteria that live there would be an important army in creating a barrier between our internal environment and the outside world. Both dysbiosis, or an imbalance of healthy gut bacteria, and adverse food reactions lead to a disruption in this barrier allowing for autoimmune diseases to develop.


The microbiome, or bacteria in the intestines, is made up of trillions of different species of bacteria. This colonization of bacteria works in concert with the body’s immune system to create a defense against the intestinal wall. The microbiome also provides vital nutrients


for a variety of functions in the human body. Any disruption of this system such as a lack of “good” bacteria commonly known as probiotics, or an overgrowth of “bad” bacteria or pathogenic bacteria, can lead to infl ammation and changes in immune function. These alterations in the microbiome can be caused by toxin exposure through food and the environment, internal production of toxins within the gut, consuming known food allergens or intolerances, prescription drugs, antibiotics, and stress.


Consumption of food allergens and toxins results in increased intestinal permeability or “leaky gut” meaning that the absorption of the contents of the gut is amplifi ed and the body takes in things it doesn’t want or need. These perceived “invaders” then trigger immune complexes that circulate through the body and begin to cause damage and eventually disease.


Systemic Lupus Erythematous is a


known autoimmune disease affecting at least 1.5 million people in the U.S. Research has shown that certain bacteria promote the onset and progression of the disease upon the penetration of the “leaky” intestinal wall. In cases of Type 1 Diabetes (T1D), studies indicate that intestinal hyper- permeability occurs prior to the onset of the disease.


Food Allergies and Intolerances Adverse food reactions can be


classifi ed as allergies, sensitivities and intolerances. Often a patient will see an allergist for the standard skin prick test and


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