The AIP diet is a popular option for those with autoimmune conditions. The diet has been shown to have many potential health benefits, including reducing inflammation and improving gut health. However, there are also some potential side effects to be aware of before starting the diet. Here are the top 4 health benefits and side effects of the AIP diet that you need to know.
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Side Effects of the AIP Diet
The Autoimmune Protocol (AIP) diet is a specialized elimination diet designed to reduce inflammation and manage autoimmune disease symptoms. It focuses on eliminating foods that might trigger inflammation and introducing nutrient-dense, anti-inflammatory foods. While many people report positive effects from following the AIP diet, such as reduced inflammation, improved digestion, and better overall health, there can be some side effects, especially during the initial phases. Here are some potential side effects:
1. Nutritional Deficiencies
- Elimination of Food Groups: The AIP diet excludes a wide range of foods, including grains, legumes, nuts, seeds, nightshade vegetables, eggs, and dairy. This can potentially lead to deficiencies in certain nutrients if not carefully managed. That’s why the AIP reintroduction phase is crucial to minimize this side effect.
- Micronutrient Deficiency: Specifically, there might be a risk of deficiencies in calcium, vitamin D, and certain B vitamins.
2. Digestive Issues
- Initial Discomfort: When switching to the AIP diet, some individuals experience digestive issues such as bloating, gas, constipation, or diarrhea. This can be due to the sudden increase in fiber from vegetables or changes in gut microbiota.
- Adaptation Period: The digestive system may need time to adapt to the new diet, which can cause temporary discomfort.
3. Detox Symptoms
- Flu-like Symptoms: As the body adjusts and begins to detox from previously consumed foods, some people report flu-like symptoms, including headaches, fatigue, and irritability.
- Herxheimer Reaction: This is a short-term detoxification reaction that can occur when the body is rapidly clearing out toxins, leading to temporary worsening of symptoms.
4. Psychological Effects
- Mood Changes: The initial elimination phase can lead to mood swings, anxiety, or depression due to the restrictive nature of the diet and potential withdrawal from certain foods like caffeine and sugar.
- Social and Emotional Impact: Following a strict diet can be socially isolating and emotionally challenging, impacting mental well-being.
5. Cravings and Hunger
- Food Cravings: Eliminating a wide range of foods can lead to intense cravings, especially for sugar and carbohydrates.
- Increased Hunger: Some individuals may experience increased hunger as they adjust to new food sources and eating patterns.
6. Weight Changes
- Weight Loss: Many people experience weight loss due to the restrictive nature of the diet and the elimination of processed foods and sugars.
- Unintended Weight Loss: For some, especially those who are already at a healthy weight or underweight, this can be a concern.
Introduction to the AIP Diet
The AIP Diet is a diet that is based on the autoimmune protocol. The diet is designed to help people with autoimmune diseases, such as Hashimoto’s disease, Celiac disease, multiple sclerosis, and Crohn’s disease.
Is the AIP diet harmful?
There is no evidence that the AIP diet is harmful. Many people find that the diet helps to improve their health.
That being said, the diet may not be right for everyone. It is important to discuss any changes in your diet with your physician before beginning any new regimen.
The rationale for the AIP diet comes from the hypothesis that modern lifestyles are causing an epidemic of inflammatory diseases such as autoimmune disorders.
The AIP diet works by removing the trigger foods that cause inflammation. One of the authors of the autoimmune protocol, Dr. Sarah Ballantyne, explains that the AIP diet is essentially a diet with elimination, reintroduction, and personalization.
The elimination phase eliminates the foods that cause inflammation, the reintroduction phase is reintroducing the foods back into the diet, and the personalization phase is finding what foods work best for you.
In the diet elimination phase, the foods to be removed from the diet are grains, nightshades (potatoes, eggplant, tomatoes, peppers, and others), legumes, added salt, and all types of refined sugar.
Top 8 Health Benefits of the AIP Diet
The AIP diet is a great way to improve your health. It has been shown to help with weight loss, improve heart health, and reduce the risk of cancer.
1. Improves Heart Health
The AIP diet is great for improving heart health. This is because it restricts foods that can increase inflammation in the body. Inflammation is linked to heart disease, stroke, and certain types of cancer. By limiting foods that can increase inflammation, such as refined sugar, you may decrease your risk of these diseases.
2. Help you lose weight
The AIP diet is a good way to improve weight loss. This is because it allows you to eat nutrient-dense foods.
By eating nutrient-dense foods, such as vegetables, you will get the protein, carbs, fats, vitamins, and minerals you need to maintain a healthy body weight.
3. Improve Digestion
By eating food that is easy to digest, you can avoid digestive issues. This is because foods high in carbs and/or fat require more energy to break down than the nutrients they contain. Thus, when you eat these foods, your body does not have the energy to break them down as efficiently. If your body cannot digest these foods, you may get digestive issues.
Eating a diet high in fat and low in carbs can help you eat less. This is because it takes longer for your body to digest fats than carbs. The fat in your food slows down the rate at which your stomach empties. When you eat less, your body will have more time to digest the food. This is because your stomach has to work harder to push the food through the digestive system.
4. Provides your body with more fibers
Fiber is essential for a healthy digestive system. Some types of fiber are tough to digest. They do not break down into simpler substances in your body. Instead, they stay in your digestive system where they help prevent constipation. However, if you do not eat enough fiber, you may experience constipation.
Fiber can also help you feel full. You can get more than 30 grams of fiber in a single cup of fruits and vegetables. Your food labels will list the total grams of fiber that are in a serving of food.
Are you feeling worse on the AIP diet?
Some individuals started the AIP diet and after a few weeks, they feel worse.
They reported symptoms like being tired and upset stomach.
If you’re feeling worse on the aip diet, it could be because you’re not used to eating such a restricted diet. After a while, your body will adjust to the diet and you should start to feel better.
If you’re still feeling worse on the AIP diet after several weeks, your symptoms may be due to an intolerance to one of the foods in the diet.
You may want to test your intolerance to one of the foods in the diet to see if that’s the case. To do this, you can try cutting out one of the foods that you’re intolerant to for a few days and see if your symptoms go away. It’s also possible that the AIP diet is causing you to have symptoms of inflammation, which could include: Pain that is constant or throbbing.
What happens if you cheat on the AIP diet?
If you cheat on the AIP diet, you may experience digestive issues, fatigue, and headaches. But, if you have been following it rigorously and following the above steps, you shouldn’t be cheating in the first place. And, you’re unlikely to feel much better if you do.
In that case, it’s better to just skip the cheat meal and try again in a few days.
For many people, the AIP diet can be very helpful in managing the symptoms of autoimmune disease.
How long does it take to feel better after AIP?
The answer to this question depends on the person and the severity of their autoimmune disease. Some people may start to feel better within a few weeks, while others may not see any improvement for months. Those who do start to feel better may note an improvement in:
- Fluid and electrolyte balance.
- Sleep patterns.
- Mood.
- Anxiety.
- The overall sense of well-being.
On the other hand, some people may not feel much of an improvement. It is not uncommon for people to feel very different in several months.
This variation may be due to one of two things:
- The first possibility is that the person feels differently than he or she did a few months ago.
- The second is that the person does not feel differently, but feels differently now than he or she did a few months ago.