AIP Diet: What It Is, How It Works, and What the Research Says

When you're dealing with chronic fatigue, joint pain, or digestive issues linked to autoimmune conditions, the AIP diet, a strict elimination protocol designed to reduce inflammation and reset immune function by removing common food triggers. Also known as the Autoimmune Protocol, it's not just another low-carb or gluten-free trend—it's a structured, evidence-informed approach used by people with conditions like Hashimoto’s, rheumatoid arthritis, and lupus to find relief. Unlike generic anti-inflammatory diets, the AIP diet removes not only gluten and dairy but also eggs, nightshades, nuts, seeds, legumes, and refined sugars—all foods that can irritate the gut lining and worsen immune responses in sensitive individuals.

The core idea is simple: if your immune system is attacking your own tissues, maybe certain foods are fueling that fire. By stripping them away for a period, then reintroducing them slowly, you can identify which ones trigger your symptoms. This process isn’t about perfection—it’s about personal discovery. Many people report better sleep, less pain, and improved digestion after just a few weeks. But it’s not for everyone. The diet is demanding, requires careful planning, and isn’t meant to be permanent. It’s a tool, not a lifestyle. What makes it different from other elimination diets is its focus on gut healing and immune modulation, not just weight loss or general wellness. It overlaps heavily with concepts like gut health, the balance of microbes in your digestive tract that directly influence immune activity and inflammation levels, and food sensitivity, delayed immune reactions to certain foods that don’t show up on standard allergy tests. These aren’t buzzwords—they’re measurable factors tied to real outcomes in people managing autoimmune disease.

You won’t find magic cures here, but you will find practical insights. Our collection includes posts that dive into how medications like SGLT2 inhibitors and SSRIs interact with inflammation, how kidney function affects drug clearance in people on restrictive diets, and how biologics and generic drugs play into long-term treatment plans. You’ll see how managing brain fog, asthma, or even eye redness can connect back to what’s on your plate. Some posts explore how simple changes—like switching to 90-day fills or avoiding sedating antihistamines—can reduce overall stress on the body, making it easier to stick to a demanding protocol like AIP. Others look at how nutrient absorption, gut barrier integrity, and even paper manufacturing ingredients (yes, really) relate to systemic inflammation. This isn’t just about what to eat. It’s about understanding how your body reacts, how meds and food interact, and how small adjustments can add up to big changes.