Can autoimmune diseases or reactions improve with a gluten-free diet?
Clearly most immune-related damage in the intestine heals with a gluten-free diet. Now it appears from early research of this question that many if not all autoimmune diseases such as autoimmune thyroid disease, psoriasis, alopecia, arthritis, lupus, hepatitis, diabetes, among others, and autism improve with a gluten-free diet. Because the immune reactions to cow’s milk proteins also are immune and autoimmune stimulating, new research is focusing on the benefits of what has come to be called a gluten-free/casein-free diet, which likely is more beneficial in this regard than a gluten-free diet alone (see below). The less immune-stimulating the diet, the less fuel on which the immune fire has to burn. Other immune-stimulating foods include other grains, legumes (including soy), dietary yeast, and especially for arthritic patients, nightshades (tomatoes, potatoes, egg plant, and hot red peppers).
