Lupus Is an Autoimmune Disease

Lupus is an autoimmune disease, with symptoms that range from mild to life-threatening, but it can also go into remission for weeks, months, and even years. More serious forms are difficult to manage medically - immunosuppressive drugs such as prednisone can control severe symptoms, but should be used with caution, as they can reduce the chance that the disease will go into remission naturally.

If you have lupus, take a daily multivitamin/multimineral supplement and modify your diet:

1. Increase your intake of omega-3 fatty acids by eating wild Alaskan salmon or other cold-water, oily fish three times a week.
2. Avoid polyunsaturated vegetable oils (safflower, sunflower, corn, etc.), margarine, vegetable shortening, and all products made with partially hydrogenated oils.
3. Eat a low-protein, plant-based diet that excludes all products made from cows' milk.
4. Include plenty of fresh fruits and vegetables (with the exception of alfalfa sprouts, which contain L-canavanine, an amino acid that can worsen autoimmunity).

These recommendations follow those in my Anti-Inflammatory Food Pyramid.