I talked to @chewsfoodwisely on the are you menstrual? podcast and we spent a good amount of time digging into the three main areas that contribute to autoimmune disease. There was a ton of great information!
1. Genetics
Luckily, our genetics are greatly influenced by our environment. This includes the foods we eat, movement, physical environment/toxins, sleep, stress, etc. Genetics load the gun, but our daily habits pull the trigger. Women are also much more likely to have autoimmune conditions because of the hormonal fluctuations that occur throughout different seasons of life.
2. Gut Health
When we have dysfunction in the gut, this can lead to stress and inflammation for the immune system. Things like low stomach acid, poor digestion of food, gut infections, frequent antibiotic usage, and overall inflammation can all call for your immune system to kick into gear and eventually get into overdrive. There’s also more and more research around specific types of bacteria and how they can contribute to autoimmune diseases. One common gut pathogen that has been associated with both Hashimoto’s and Graves’s disease is H. pylori. This makes sense since H. pylori live in the stomach and thrive off of stomach acid. This leaves you with less stomach acid to break down food leading to poorly digestion foods, food sensitivities, slow motility, and overgrowth.
3. Chronic Stress
Chronic stress covers a lot of ground. This could be mental/emotional stress, but it can also be a physical stressor like a nutrient deficiency or a chemical stressor like toxins in our environment. Again, it’s typically one thing, but the accumulation of many stressors adds up over time, and our bodies reach their breaking point.
Listen to this podcast episode here!
Here are some other great podcast episode to listen to that cover stress and gut health:
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