Dr. Neal Barnard

Autoimmune diseases happen when the immune system mistakenly attacks the body's own tissues, and they are not one condition, ranging from rheumatoid arthritis and lupus to psoriasis, thyroid disease, and celiac disease. This episode argues that a low-fat, mostly plant-based diet can calm inflammation, and that cutting common triggers like dairy, eggs, and meat, sometimes with a step-by-step elimination diet, may ease symptoms for some people. Eating more whole plant foods and fewer ultra-processed ones is reasonable, low-risk general health advice. But how much diet affects the underlying disease varies a lot by condition, and the claim that a vegan diet reverses autoimmune disease goes beyond the broad evidence. The safest approach is to use diet alongside your standard treatment, keeping in mind that a few conditions, like celiac disease, do have a specific dietary treatment.