5 Best Supplements For Autoimmune Disease
Do you live in Ottawa, and are you Looking for the best natural supplements for Autoimmune Disease?
Then, you Are In The Right Place.
Today, I am giving you my five favourite natural supplements that I prescribe to clients with an autoimmune diseases.
The best part?
Research has shown that all 5 of these supplements work!
In this Article:
Let’s jump in by looking at Vitamin D.
Vitamin D
Supplementing with vitamin D has been shown to help various autoimmune conditions.
There is also evidence that some people with autoimmune diseases may have a vitamin D deficiency even when their blood vitamin D levels are normal.
To carry out its functions, circulating vitamin D must initially turn on the receptor.
The issue is that some people with autoimmune diseases have a faulty gene that influences the function of the vitamin D receptor and thus decreases the physiological activity of vitamin D.
One research paper showed that some patients with Autoimmune Thyroiditis have a defect in their vitamin D receptors.
For these reasons, I suggest my clients with autoimmune diseases maintain their vitamin D at 150.
Glutathione
Glutathione enables optimal T-regulatory cell function and plays a principal part in stabilizing the immune system.
Not surprisingly, people with autoimmune diseases often have reduced glutathione levels, and increasing glutathione levels in these circumstances can lead to clinical improvement.
There’s little doubt that increasing glutathione levels should be a primary goal of anyone struggling with an immune-related disease.
Unfortunately, that’s easier said than done.
Familiar oral glutathione supplements are often useless.
Three amino acids form Glutathione: glycine, cysteine, and glutamate.
When we take Glutathione by mouth, we digest and absorb these amino acids separately in the gastrointestinal tract, which means the glutathione molecule is not absorbed wholly into the cells where it’s required.
Another strategy is to use glutathione precursors like N-acetyl cysteine to provide the body with the building blocks it needs to make Glutathione.
But, for various reasons, those that are chronically sick will hinder the ability to make this conversion.
Finally, some doctors like to prescribe Glutathione by injection.
This works; however, the effects are short-term and involve considerable expense and time.
Luckily, scientists have invented two new types of oral Glutathione that both efficiently increase Glutathione in the cells:
Liposomal Glutathione: A liposome with the same material as our cell membranes.
When Glutathione is in a liposome, it is shielded from digestion by digestive enzymes and passed wholly into the bloodstream, where it can then enter the cell.
Research papers have found that liposomal Glutathione effectively increases cell glutathione levels.
The suggested dose is 400–500 mg per day.
S-acetyl glutathione is an orally stable type of Glutathione that increases intracellular glutathione levels.
Unlike other forms of Glutathione, S-acetyl glutathione is absorbed wholly and can enter the cell, which is where it’s required.
The suggested dose is 300 mg twice a day.
Curcumin
Curcumin has been shown to benefit autoimmune diseases in animal and human studies.
It optimises T-regulatory cell function, decreases inflammation, and defends against oxidative damage.
But, as with Glutathione, not all curcumin supplements are the same.
Curcumin is poorly absorbed when taken by mouth.
We excrete most without using it.
And the small amount that we do absorb and our body breaks down into forms that quickly pass from the body through urination.
Poor absorption reduces curcumin’s ability to reach the cells outside of the gastrointestinal tract.
Luckily, scientists have invented a new, water-soluble type of curcumin that surmounts these drawbacks.
Researchers suggest this type may be up to 27 times more bioavailable than conventional curcumin.
The recommended dosage is one 600 mg capsule three times daily for the first seven days, followed by one capsule daily after that.
EPA and DHA
Though I favour that you satisfy your EPA and DHA requirement by consuming cold-water, fatty fish, I recognise that’s not always feasible.
If you’re using fermented cod liver oil, it does include a modest measure of both EPA and DHA.
Some may benefit from supplementary EPA and DHA, which you can acquire by taking one gram of high-quality fish oil daily.
Prebiotics and Probiotics
Probiotics and prebiotics improve T-regulatory cell function, which helps to maintain the immune system in balance.
Probiotics and prebiotics collectively can defend against adverse alterations to the gut microbiota, which research associates with heightened susceptibility to autoimmune disease and persistent inflammation.
Soil-based organisms may be beneficial for those with autoimmune diseases.
These bacteria were ubiquitous in dirt and untreated water during the vast majority of our evolutionary history, and our ancestors admittedly consumed them in significant volume every day.
Ironically, while we’ve gone to enormous lengths through advancement in cleanliness and hygiene to decrease our vulnerability to these organisms, a recent investigation has proven that they have a significant T-regulatory influence on our immune system.
Did I Miss Anything?
Now I would like to hear from you!
Which supplement from today’s post are you going to try first?
Or maybe I did not mention one of your favourite natural supplements that help autoimmune diseases.
Either way, let me know by leaving a comment below right now.
Do You Need Help?
Suppose you need help and live in Ottawa. In that case, I suggest you book a free functional medicine discovery session in person or via video to determine whether my Functional medicine approach fits your needs.
Disclaimer
The information provided on this website is for educational purposes only and is not intended to diagnose or treat any disease. Please do not apply this information without first speaking with your doctor.
Dominick, nice article with lots of great suggestions.
In my experience, I would consider examining the role that a leaky gut would also play in the development and proliferation of autoimmune disease. There’s lots of evidence to suggest that undigested food proteins will easily pass through a compromised gut barrier and enter the bloodstream only to wreak havoc on the immune system and conceivably set the stage for an autoimmune response. For this reason, I think it’s also important to consume food and supplements that directly repair and protect the mucosal lining of the gut. Some favourites (tried and true) include glutamine (which is anti-inflammatory and necessary for the growth and repair of the intestinal lining) and licorice root (which supports and soothes the body’s natural processes for maintaining the mucosal lining of the stomach and duodenum). Incidentally, cortisol also helps in those situations where stress is a chronic daily experience for the individual (a risk factor for autoimmune disease and its ability to magnify the illness once it has developed) by altering the way that the body processes cortisol and its metabolites.
Finally, both digestive and proteolytic enzymes will play a pivotal role in both preventing the development of autoimmune disease and supporting an individual with an autoimmune condition once the illness takes hold. Digestive enzymes ensure that foods are fully digested, decreasing the chance that partially digested foods particles and proteins are damaging the gut wall and eventually passing into the bloodstream. Proteolytics, on the other hand, act as scavengers that mop up undigested proteins and old debris in the bloodstream, while helping to balance the immune system and control inflammation throughout the body.
Hi Michael
Thanks for your comments.
I Definitely agree with all your suggestion.
Hi,
Thank you for the info. I have Crohn’s disease and wondering which supplements I should be taking. All the ones you mentioned? The information out there is overwhelming. Consultation with a FM practitioner is expensive. Where can I buy good quality supplements? Should I get a blood test first?
Hi Chantal, If you cannot afford a blood test then asking your doctor for a blood test is a good first step. You can measure Vitamin D using a blood test.