AIP Diet
The autoimmune protocol (AIP) diet is designed to help reduce inflammation in the body to relieve symptoms of autoimmune disorders.
An autoimmune disease is any condition where a person’s immune system mistakenly attacks and damages its own bodily tissues. Inflammation is a common feature of an autoimmune disease.
Examples include psoriasis, rheumatoid arthritis, and lupus.
Is it the same as being Paleo?
The AIP diet is a stricter version of the Paleo diet which is based on meat, fish, vegetables, nuts and seeds. This diet is also known as the paleo autoimmune protocol.
The main advice is to eliminate foods that could cause inflammation in the gut and eating nutrient-rich foods instead. The diet believes that autoimmune conditions are caused by a “leaky gut”, medically this is known as altered intestinal permeability.
AIP Diet Aims
The AIP diet aims to heal any holes in the gut by swapping any inflammatory foods for nutrient-rich foods. This could help to:
- Reset the immune system
- Prevent the autoimmune response
- Reduce symptoms of autoimmune diseases
- Prevent the occurrence of secondary autoimmune diseases
- People who do the AIP diet should follow it strictly for a few weeks and then slowly reintroduce foods that they have avoided.
The key idea here is to see if you react to certain foods when they are reintroduced. If you do have a reaction then it would be recommended you avoid that food from your diet indefinitely.
What to Eat on The AIP Diet
- Meat and fish: grass-fed and organic, fish should be wild caught
- Vegetables: Any except nightshades. Nightshades are: tomatoes, eggplants, peppers, and potatoes.
- Fruit: restricted quantities
- Coconut milk
- Avocado, olive, and coconut oil
- Dairy-free fermented foods: kombucha, kefir made with coconut milk, sauerkraut and kimchi
- Honey or maple syrup (only use occasionally in small amounts)
- Fresh non-seed herbs: basil, mint, and oregano
- Green tea and non-seed herbal teas
- Bone broth
- Vinegars: Apple cider and balsamic
Foods to avoid on the AIP Diet
- All grains: oats, rice and wheat
- All dairy: milk, cream, cheese
- Eggs
- Legumes: beans and peanuts
- Nightshade vegetables: tomatoes, eggplants, peppers and potatoes
- All sugars: including sugar replacements (except for occasional use of honey)
- Butter and ghee
- All oils (except for avocado, coconut, and olive)
- Food additives
- Alcohol
Want to give the AIP Diet a go?
Want to do further research?
We recommend reviewing the information from the top AIP experts:
https://aiplifestyle.com/what-is-autoimmune-protocol-diet/
https://www.paleo-britain.co.uk/paleo-shopping-guide/