anti-inflammation diet? Does it work or is it hype?

My mom has been on this diet for a number of months and aside from the weight she effortlessly lost, she is full of energy. The only draw back to this way of eating is that she has to tell everyone about it and we have to make sure that she can eat something on the menu when we eat out.

I've had several autoimmune disorders asthma, endometriosis, Hashimoto's thyroiditus. As soon as one thing seemed to be under control another would surface.

For me the protocol for keeping inflammation in check is to eat a clean diet of organic, or local grown fruits and vegetables with small amounts of high quality protein. Avoid simple white sugar and flour - simple carbs. I also avoid grains and am gluten free. My diet is low carb Paleo.

My endometriosis was diagnosed in my 20's. I had surgery and took the birth control pill to manage it. My pregnancy also helped and later I had an endometrial ablation. I am post menopause now so it's no longer an issue.

I think it is worth a try - it certainly can't hurt to eat a diet that reduces inflammation is so damaging to the body wherever it manifests.

I have been eating an Atkins/low carb diet for about 9 months and the change in the pain in my arthritic knees is unbelievable. I went from getting shot in my knees every few month and taking 2 Aleve every day to having no shots at all and Aleve maybe once a month. Sugar and simple carbs are very inflammatory for me. It made a real difference. And I lost weight.

I have an autoimmune disease that has yet to be officially diagnosed other than a blood marker - so it's unofficially diagnosed as undifferentiated connective tissue disease. I suffer from constant joint pain and severe exhaustion. I tried an elimination diet to determine what foods may be causing inflammation in my body. That's the thing - some foods cause inflammation and some don't - depending on the person. I eliminated gluten, nightshades, sugar, soy, corn, dairy, processed foods - and am a vegetarian. I did this for five months or so (and it should not be done for more than two) and could not eliminate the pain to even begin to add foods back in to test them. I ended up pretty sick and feeling worse than when I started.

I ended up doing a blood test for food intolerances - MRT Food Sensitivity Test - with a dietitian I started working with after all that above (I was attempting to figure all that out alone with lots of conflicting information on different websites, articles, etc.). I received a list of foods with a numerical rating that showed the amount of reactivity each food had with my blood type. I hope I'm explaining this well. Strangely, many of the foods I eliminated - tomatoes, potatoes, wheat... showed to be very low reactive. Some of the foods I was surviving on during the elimination diet - oatmeal, garbanzo beans, raspberries, others I can't remember...were HIGHLY reactive. So it is very hard to know exactly which foods are causing reactions (inflammation, etc.) in your system. I know some people who have eliminated just one thing on a whim (gluten or shrimp or dairy) and felt better immediately. But just know that it doesn't always happen that way. If you are finding no success, try a blood test for food intolerances.

Good luck!

I can see how it might help with some things but don't understand how it could help with endo. The tissue responds to hormones and starts bleeding... And that cases the pain...

Never tried the diet before. What foods does it ban? Foods like wheat and sugar, or much more? I was muscle tested years ago for foods, and if I avoid those foods my joint pain is much less. I don't know if I've figured out all of my food triggers because I am thinking eggs may be one. I get neck and shoulder pains after eating eggs.

I keep wanting to try a food diet, but I do great for 3 days and then forget.

I am very interested in this subject as I have a friend who is having the most awful pain in her joints which the doc says is osteoarthritis. It is painful just to watch her get from a sitting to standing position. Her doc is just giving her Vicodin for the pain but I wonder if a change in her basic diet might not help her.

mztfied google Dr. Allessio Fassano, he is a pediatric gastroenterologist at Mass General and is affiliated with Harvard University. There is a YouTube video of him speaking about his genetic research which was done for celiac disease. His research reveals other autoimmune conditions including RA and many others mentioned in the presentation. It takes an hour to watch.

Barbie I bought Mickey Trescott's AIP book. I have Hashi's too. I think if you are in a constant state of inflammation or flare as I call it then this helps to identify triggers. 

Her book and other AIP blogs talk about leaky gut (intestinal permeability) and they suggest fermented foods as probiotics. They also increase the goitrogenic properties of foods and I don't feel well at all and had to eliminate them.

It's all trial and error. But going gluten free has made a significant difference. When I have my next thyroid panel done I am hoping to see a decrease in my antibodies.