Is There a Link Between Sugar and Autoimmune Disease?

Autoimmune diseases affect millions of us in painful and crippling ways. They are the leading cause of death and disability in the US with just over 23.5 million individuals affected. 

There are now over 80 different forms of autoimmune disease including:

• Arthritis
• Hashimoto’s
• Celiac
• Diabetes Type 1
• Lupus
• MS
• Psoriasis
• Graves

New research coming out of the University of Wurzburg, published just two weeks ago (March 22, 2022) states the following:

“People who consume sugar and other carbohydrates in excess over a long period of time have an increased risk of developing an autoimmune disease.”

The study shows that excess glucose consumption directly promotes the pathological formation and function of cells within the immune system that can lead certain proteins to mark the body’s tissues for attack. The immune system’s T and B cells as the agents of assault.

Research in mice show that sugar water worsened autoimmune disease:

“The researchers gave some of the mice regular water, while others received sugar-sweetened water at a dose similar to sugary drinks consumed by humans. Compared to regular water, drinking sugary water worsened disease in both mouse models.”

So whether you are looking to avoid autoimmune disease in yourself or your children, or at least not make your current autoimmune condition worse, be sure to follow a low sugar diet.

One such person (a rather famous one in the sugar space) is Sarah Wilson. In her own words:

Quitting sugar has had the biggest impact on my AI, more so than my medication or any other medical fix (and, trust me, I’ve tried everything). In the past three years, I’ve been able to better manage my AI, but also – yes – reverse a lot of the damage.

• I have zero thyroid antibodies now.
• I’m on the most minimal dosage of thyroxin.
• My hormone levels have fallen back into the right range (more on this soon!).

If you go to your doctor, they will likely tell you it is impossible to reverse autoimmune disease (as in bring your antibodies to zero).

And yet my personal experience and Sarah Wilson are living proof, that antibodies can be brought down to ZERO. And lab work and health markers can be brought back into healthy range.

Furthermore, Science is mapping out how sugar contributes to the immune system malfunction in the first place. It is complex and is not the only factor, but it is one we can fully control. 

Ditching processed foods gives yourself a real shot at healing. 

When it comes to health, there is always hope. 

Job #1 is to kick sugar.

P.S. — I have my own autoimmune success story. In 2016 I was diagnosed with Hashimoto’s. My TSH was high and my doctor was suggesting Thyroxin. I asked her to give me 6 months while I tweaked my already 99% whole food and sugar free diet. In particular, I ditched grains (oatmeal was the rare exception) and all dairy. 6 months later my lab work showed stunning improvement. My TSH dropped to 2.6 (in a healthy range) where it has stayed consistently for the past 6 years. My previous autoimmune antibodies are now not detectable and my thyroid is healthy. I am so happy about that!

Sources:

https://neurosciencenews.com/sugar-inflammation-20236/

https://www.sarahwilson.com/2014/01/can-quitting-sugar-help-heal-autoimmune-disease/

https://www.nih.gov/news-events/nih-research-matters/high-sugar-intake-worsens-autoimmune-disease-mice#:~:text=At%20a%20Glance,Crohn's%20disease%20and%20multiple%20sclerosis

https://www.womenshealth.gov/a-z-topics/autoimmune-diseases

https://www.nih.gov/news-events/nih-research-matters/high-sugar-intake-worsens-autoimmune-disease-mice#:~:text=At%20a%20Glance,Crohn's%20disease%20and%20multiple%20sclerosis