Are You at Risk for Autoimmune Diseases? These Foods Can Help

          Are You at Risk for Autoimmune Diseases? These Foods Can Help

If you’re concerned about autoimmune diseases, you should take two vitamins every day — one in the morning and one at night — as well as include fish or krill oil in your diet at least twice a week. This combination of foods may help to reduce your risk of developing rheumatoid arthritis or other autoimmune diseases by improving the balance of pro-inflammatory and anti-inflammatory mediators in your body. Of course, there are many other lifestyle factors that contribute to autoimmunity, so keep reading to learn how best to prevent it from affecting you or someone you love.

Get your blood tested

To see if you’re deficient in either vitamin D or fish oil, make an appointment with your doctor to get a blood test. It will cost about $70, but it could save you thousands in health care costs down the road. If there are deficiencies, your physician can recommend supplements or suggest changes to your diet to replace these vitamins.

Know your risk factors

The first step to reducing your risk of developing an autoimmune disease is understanding your risk factors. A new study indicates that fish oil, vitamin D and lifestyle changes may help lower your chances of developing certain autoimmune diseases. To determine if you are at a high risk for developing an autoimmune disease, ask yourself these questions

Eat these foods every day

While fish oil and vitamin D supplementation can reduce your risk of autoimmune diseases, it’s important to maintain healthy levels of these nutrients through diet as well. Oily fish, like sardines, mackerel and salmon contain high levels of omega-3 fatty acids; a study in Preventive Medicine found that people who consumed more omega-3 fatty acids were less likely to develop multiple sclerosis.

Have enough sleep

Sleep loss is a common trigger of autoimmune diseases. To avoid sleeping your health away, set up a regular sleep schedule. Keep electronics out of your bedroom, unplug before bedtime and go to bed earlier. Consider supplementing with vitamin D and fish oil if you don’t get enough sun exposure.

Exercise regularly

Exercise is one of the best ways to keep your weight under control. By increasing your physical activity, you’ll be burning off more calories and taking in fewer. This combination can help you lose weight, which will lower your risk of developing autoimmune diseases—including multiple sclerosis, lupus, rheumatoid arthritis and celiac disease—which are all associated with obesity.

Manage Stress

Managing stress is more important than you think. Research shows that our immune systems function better when we have a low level of stress in our lives. That’s because certain hormones (like cortisol) are released when we get stressed, and these hormones can suppress our immune systems to keep us focused on responding to a perceived threat or challenge. This can leave us open to becoming sick with things like colds, coughs, or other infections; and/or leaves us susceptible to developing autoimmune diseases as well.

Cut back on sugar

If you’re prone to autoimmune diseases, it may be a good idea to cut out foods that contain refined sugar. One study in particular found that women who ate excessive amounts of sugar were more likely to develop rheumatoid arthritis—but cutting back on sweet treats can go a long way in reducing your risk. Sugar also increases inflammation levels, and chronic inflammation has been linked to RA.