Nutrients for Autoimmune Diseases

Autoimmune diseases occur when the body’s immune system mistakenly attacks its own healthy cells or tissues, rather than targeting only foreign invaders like bacteria or viruses. The result is chronic inflammation, tissue damage, and dysfunction across a wide range of organs or systems. While the body’s immune responses are meant to protect us, in autoimmunity this process goes awry, ultimately leading to disease.

In a well‑functioning immune system, there is a balance between immune activation (to fight pathogens) and immune regulation (to prevent attacking self). In autoimmune disease, that balance is off, either through loss of immune tolerance, dysregulation of immune cells (like T‑cells or B‑cells), or abnormal signaling from the innate and adaptive immune responses.

Because of this, autoimmune diseases are often chronic, relapsing, and may affect many parts of the body. Some of the most prevalent and well-known conditions include:​

• Rheumatoid Arthritis (RA): inflammatory arthritis affecting joints and sometimes other tissues.
• Systemic Lupus Erythematosus (SLE or lupus): a systemic disease that can affect skin, kidneys, joints, blood cells, lungs, heart.
• Multiple Sclerosis (MS): immune‑mediated damage to the nervous system’s myelin.
• Type 1 Diabetes (T1D): autoimmune destruction of pancreatic beta cells, reducing insulin production.
• Hashimoto’s Thyroiditis and Graves’ Disease: autoimmune thyroid conditions leading to underactive or overactive thyroid.
• Celiac Disease: autoimmune reaction to gluten that damages the small intestine.
• Psoriasis: immune‑driven overgrowth of skin cells and inflammation.
• Many others: there are between ~80 and ~150 autoimmune diseases described.

According to the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID), an estimated 8 % of the U.S. population has an autoimmune disease. A recent large‐scale study estimated about 15 million Americans (≈ 4.6 % of the population) have at least one of 105 autoimmune conditions between 2011–2022. Women are disproportionately affected—up to ~63 % of autoimmune disease cases occur in women in that study. Autoimmune diseases rank among the top disease categories in the U.S., after cancer and heart disease.

How Do You Reduce Risk of Autoimmune Diseases?

While you cannot change your genetics, modification of lifestyle and dietary factors may help reduce the risk of, and/or help manage autoimmune disease activity:

• Adopt an anti‐inflammatory diet: Diets rich in fruits, vegetables, whole grains, legumes, healthy fats (e.g., Mediterranean diet) are associated with lower autoimmunity risk.
• Maintain healthy body weight: Obesity and metabolic dysregulation link to higher autoimmune risk.
• Ensure adequate micronutrients in diet: Focus on a whole foods diet with high diversity of food groups, colors, cooking styles, macronutrients, and micronutrients to support the body’s ability to care for itself and function optimally.
• Limit smoking and exposure to toxins: reduce smoking and other toxins from entering your system by limiting environmental exposures.
• Optimize gut health: A healthy gut microbiome helps to regulate the immune system; gut dysbiosis is implicated in autoimmune onset, so the more diversity of food, the better the microbiome, the better the immune system!
• Manage infections and stress: Chronic infections or prolonged stress can drive immune activation or dysfunction. Utilize lifestyle coping mechanisms (meditation, breathwork, hobbies, etc.) and get adequate sleep.
• Regular medical follow‑up: Consult your health practitioners, especially if you have family history or symptoms. Early detection and management of autoimmune processes may slow progression.

How Do Nutrients Improve Autoimmune Diseases?

A Nutrivore approach emphasizes nutrients that help the body function at its best—including the immune system. Current research highlights the following nutrients for autoimmune support, along with food sources to help you incorporate these nutrients through your diet.

Nutrient	How it Supports Autoimmune Health	Top Food Sources
Vitamin B5 (Pantothenic Acid)	People with rheumatoid arthritis tend to have lower pantothenic acid levels, and supplementation with pantothenic acid derivatives has reduced symptoms such as morning stiffness and pain, though mechanisms remain unclear.	Top food sources include organ meats, red meat, shellfish, oily fish, dairy, eggs, lentils, legumes, mushrooms, avocados, sunflower seeds, flaxseeds, whole grains, and sweet potatoes.
Vitamin B7 (Biotin)	High-dose biotin has shown therapeutic potential in multiple sclerosis, improving visual loss and partially reversing limb paralysis, possibly due to its role in fatty acid synthesis needed for myelin formation.	Top food sources include egg yolks, liver, yeast, almonds, walnuts, avocados, sweet potatoes, and tomatoes.
Vitamin D	Vitamin D reduces inflammation and modulates T-cell activity, helping regulate autoimmune responses. Higher vitamin D intake or early-life sufficiency is associated with reduced risk of MS, type 1 diabetes, and rheumatoid arthritis, and supplementation may improve lupus severity.	Top food sources include fatty fish, fish eggs (roe), liver, red meat, egg yolks, and UV-exposed mushrooms or yeast.
CoQ10	CoQ10 improves outcomes in several autoimmune conditions—including fibromyalgia, multiple sclerosis, rheumatoid arthritis, psoriasis, ulcerative colitis, and chronic fatigue syndrome—primarily by reducing inflammation, improving mitochondrial function, lowering oxidative stress, and decreasing disease activity.	Top food sources include oily fish, organ meats, beef, chicken, pork, Brassica vegetables, legumes, peanuts, and nuts such as pistachios, walnuts, and hazelnuts, plus seeds.
Magnesium	Magnesium depletion negatively impacts the thymus and may worsen autoimmune dysregulation; limited research links low magnesium with increased lupus risk, suggesting a potential protective role.	Top food sources include leafy greens, pumpkin seeds, almonds, cashews, fish, legumes, whole grains, cocoa, avocados, spices, and low-fat dairy.
Selenium	Selenium supports thyroid hormone metabolism and may improve autoimmune thyroid diseases such as Hashimoto’s and Graves’ by reducing antibody levels, slowing disease progression, and improving quality of life.	Top food sources include Brazil nuts, seafood, organ meats, muscle meats, and mushrooms (especially shiitake and button).
Zinc	Low zinc levels are associated with chronic fatigue syndrome and impaired T-cell activation; supplementation may reduce fatigue and improve quality of life, though effects may overlap with melatonin when combined.	Top food sources include red meat, organ meats (liver, heart), oysters, eggs, legumes, nuts, and whole grains (with better bioavailability from animal sources).
Histidine	Histidine shows anti-inflammatory effects in colitis models and may reduce relapse risk in ulcerative colitis; supplementation also reduces eczema severity in both adults and children due to its role in skin barrier integrity.	Histidine is found in red meat, eggs, seafood, poultry, soy, beans, and nuts.
Phenylalanine	Phenylalanine may enhance repigmentation in vitiligo, especially when combined with UVA therapy, and can induce partial repigmentation when taken orally or topically.	Top food sources include beef, pork, poultry, fish, dairy, eggs, nuts, seeds, and foods containing aspartame.
EPA & DHA	EPA and DHA reduce disease activity in lupus, improve pain and inflammation in rheumatoid arthritis, and may benefit chronic fatigue syndrome and celiac-related inflammation through immune modulation and altered cytokine signaling.	Rich sources include salmon, herring, mackerel, sardines, menhaden, algae, cod liver oil, and shellfish like mussels, crab, oysters, and squid.
CLA	CLA shows anti-inflammatory effects in Crohn’s disease and may improve rheumatoid arthritis markers and symptoms; benefits may occur via modulation of gut microbiota and PPAR-gamma activation.	Top sources include meat and dairy from grass-fed animals, including grass-fed beef, lamb, butter, cheese, and full-fat dairy.
GLA	GLA may improve atopic dermatitis and rheumatoid arthritis symptoms by increasing anti-inflammatory DGLA metabolites, though results vary due to genetic and study-design factors; longer-term supplementation appears more effective.	Highest sources include flaxseed and flaxseed oil, hempseed and hempseed oil, evening primrose oil, blackcurrant seed oil, borage oil, and smaller amounts in oats, spirulina, and barley.

Nutrients for Other Health Conditions