AIP for IBD Medical Study Results

We are absolutely beside ourselves at Autoimmune Wellness. After a year of waiting, the results of the first-ever medical study of the Autoimmune Protocol are out, published by the journal, Inflammatory Bowel Diseases, and available for everyone to read for free! If you’d like to read the full article now, you can find it here.

How Did We Get Involved in A Medical Study?

In December of 2015, we were contacted by Dr. Gauree Konijeti, the Director of the Inflammatory Bowel Disease Program Division of Gastroenterology at Scripps Clinic in La Jolla, California. Dr. Konijeti told us that a patient with inflammatory bowel disease had introduced her to AIP and the patient’s improvement was so remarkable she was inspired to learn more. After further discussion Dr. Konijeti explained that she’d like to undertake a medical study of AIP to evaluate its potential efficacy for patients with Crohn’s and ulcerative colitis. She asked if Angie’s online group health coaching program, SAD to AIP in SIX, could be used to help the study participants transition to AIP. Our answer, of course, was, “YES, YES, YES!!”

Medical studies take lots of time, planning, and money to get off the ground. It wasn’t until September of 2016 that we were finally ready to get underway. Angie, joined by Amy Kubal, RD and Nicole Erickson, NTC, spent six weeks helping the participants, all of whom had Crohn’s or ulcerative colitis, slowly work their way through eliminations until they reached the full AIP elimination phase and then spent another five weeks in a maintenance phase. During the process, just like in SAD to AIP in SIX, the participants were introduced to important lifestyle changes too (like sleep, stress management, movement, and support).

We waited another year for all the results to be calculated and the study be published, but now they are ready to be shared!

What Were the Results?

Let’s just cut to the chase and look at the best line in the whole publication!

“Clinical remission was achieved by week 6 by 11/15 (73%) of study participants, and all 11 maintained clinical remission during the maintenance phase of the study. We did not hypothesize, a priori, that clinical remission would be achieved so early (week 6). Indeed, this proportion of participants with active IBD achieving clinical remission by week 6 rivals that of most drug therapies for IBD . . . (Konijeti, et al. 2017)”

YES, you read that correctly!

(There were 15 participants, nine with Crohn’s and six with ulcerative colitis.)

  • By Week 6 (that was full AIP elimination), 11 of the 15 participants were in clinical remission (six with Crohn’s, five with ulcerative).
  • All eleven participants maintained clinical remission through the maintenance phase.
  • Seven of the 15 participants were on active biologic therapies but not in clinical remission at baseline, this suggests that diet can be an important component of successful treatment.
  • Patients were advised no medication changes before study start, however one participant self-discontinued oral biologic therapy but still achieved clinical remission by week 6.
  • Another participant self-discontinued oral biologic therapy, but continued biologic suppository and still achieved clinical remission.
  • Two of the participants were able to discontinue steroid therapy.

To learn in-depth about the study methods, measures, analysis, and results, you can access the full article here.

What Does This Mean and What’s Next?

“It’s woooorking!” That’s a little thing Angie usually says to the members of SAD to AIP in SIX, when they start to report health improvements. Sometimes at the beginning they aren’t quite sure it will work and when the first health improvements pop-up they are often uncertain the dietary and lifestyle changes could actually be the cause. That line is meant to be a humorous nudge about having confidence in the body’s response. In the future, we might be able to inspire confidence more easily with study results like this!

These results help the community put data behind our conviction that this process is benefiting so many of us. More importantly, it opens the door for big conversations with the medical community and massive changes in the standard of care for those with autoimmune disease. It’s our hope that the experience of Dr. Konijeti and her initial patient describing AIP inspires all of you to speak up at your medical appointments. We may be surprised how many more forward-thinkers exist!

Our fingers are crossed that the future will hold more research. The opportunity to duplicate the process with other kinds of autoimmune diagnoses is top of our wish list at Autoimmune Wellness! We also hope Dr. Konijeti and other researchers like her will have the chance to conduct larger studies and address any limitations encountered by this first study. Again, it is our voices and support of the organizations funding this research that can help this become a reality.

And for those of you wondering, yes, Angie was tempted to tell the research team when results started coming in, “I told you . . . it’s woooorking!”

About Angie Alt

Angie Alt is a co-founder here at Autoimmune Wellness. She helps others take charge of their health the same way she took charge of her own after suffering with celiac disease, endometriosis, and lichen sclerosis; one nutritious step at a time. Her special focus is on mixing “data with soul” by looking at the honest heart of the autoimmune journey (which sometimes includes curse words). She is a Certified Health Coach through the Institute for Integrative Nutrition, Nutritional Therapy Consultant through The Nutritional Therapy Association and author of The Alternative Autoimmune Cookbook: Eating for All Phases of the Paleo Autoimmune Protocol and The Autoimmune Wellness Handbook. You can also find her on Instagram.

113 comments

  • Danielle hilton says

    That is very exciting news! But I am currently lying in bed after just restarting enema steroid treatment for a chronic flare-up and worsening of my UC and new addition of crones. I did enjoy remission too from following aip but slipped when I caught a virus and all my hard work just went out the window. Not sure what else to do but back to meds for now 😞

    • Angie Alt says

      Danielle, I am sorry to hear about the flare. Be sure to note in the study, that many of the participants started out w/ a combination of meds & AIP. Autoimmune disease is too complex for either or thinking. Use all the BEST tools in the box to get to your best health. Wishing you luck!

    • Joan Brown says

      ~~I’m so sorry! I’ve suffered from Crohn’s since Dx at age 19. I’m now 54, and have been receiving Remiciaid for about 18 years, after many years of other pharmaceuticals, therapies, flares, surgeries, etc.; it has given me a quality of life I could only imagine before its start. While I agree that diet greatly affects symptoms day to day, ultimately, when the course of the disease has become severe, pharmaceutical support may be all that helps. Please don’t be discouraged! Keeping a positive outlook also helps…peace. Joan

    • Susan Ford says

      I believe that for some people this diet is great. I have rheumatoid arthritis and desparate to void methotrexate I went on the AIP very strictly for 5 months. I followed the diet without any exceptions. My arthritis got worse and worse until I coukd no longer shower or dress myself, drive, or even open the fridge! I also went from a healthy 64km to 50km and was severely underweight. In the end I gave up and started taking the methotrexate. I gained complete benefit from a small dose of 10mg and now I have my whole life back. I have been almost completely normal for nearly 2 years. We should not make out that methotrexate is the enemy for all. For some of us it is a miracle. As always, balanced advice is best!

      • Angie Alt says

        Susan-
        At Autoimmune Wellness we are not and have never advocated only AIP. We realize autoimmune disease is too complex for an either/or, black and white solution. In some cases, we need the best of both conventional medicine and natural approaches to achieve healing, and there is nothing wrong w/ that. As you will see if you read the study, some of the participants were using both medication & AIP, which suggests the combination helped them achieve remission. I’m sorry to hear that your experience w/ AIP wasn’t effective, but I hope a combination of it and medication can bring you the level of health you want in your life.

        • Christine Dao says

          Another very important aspect that is not being discussed is that other supplements are often needed to aid in the healing of the intestinal lining, nutrient deficiencies need addressed as well as other protocols that address other co-factors. Utilizing a Functional Medicine specialist will help provide a comprehensive review. Just doing any diet without having all the information is like playing darts blind folded.

          • Angie Alt says

            Hi Christine! Yes, the scope of this study was limited to focusing on just dietary & lifestyle interventions, but certainly there are some cases were supplementation can aid the healing process and a functional approach is usually the best to work that out. I think the important thing about this study is that it showed there is efficacy in start w/ the foundations & much can be achieved right there.

      • Ingrid says

        I am at that point now Susan, can’t shower etc. May ask how you too the 10 mg of methotrexate? I have been on it a few times but battle stomach issues. I’ve taken it in injectable dose once a week and tablet, both make me sick for 2 days. But I have to do something – and have been pretty strict with food choices. The other one I’ve never tried is remmicade / I end getting cortisone shots – but docs won’t give it to my anymore. At the moment I have been put on hydromorphone – which I don’t want to be on. Very frustrated!

        • Rebecca says

          Ingrid, I also have RA and have treated medically with a number of treatments over 27 years. I am on this site to investigate dietary options. Meanwhile, it does sound like you need something soon to calm the storm. Maybe you should switch doctors. There are a large number of options that can be tried if you don’t tolerate methotrexate. You need a doctor who will walk you through them and help you choose the right one(s). Short list of some:

          NSAIDs
          DMARDs like hydroxychlorquine, leflunomide, etc.
          Biologic DMARDs like Remicade, Humira, etc.

          When one doesn’t work another might. Or a combination. When you get it under control or at least improved, you will be able to try diet and exercise to gain more improvement and prevent having to go on stronger meds.

          I hope you find something soon!

    • Livia says

      Hello

      I can’t find the study on the AIP. Has it been removed? Can you please post a direct link?

      Thanks

  • Val Lynn says

    Thank you for sharing the research results and congratulations!

  • Nicolette says

    Amazing news! Not that you needed validation, but it sure feels good. My psoriatic arthritis turned around week seven into AIP (February of this year). Thanks for all you do.

  • This is phenomenal news. The Autoimmune Protocol works: we know that because we’ve lived it, but this study elevates it’s status from anecdotal to proven. The AIP has been dismissed repeatedly by medical professionals as ‘alternative’ and therefore not credible . Well hello, credibility! I think everyone should print a copy of this study and bring it to their medical appointments from now on… whether their doctor is supportive of nutrition + lifestyle treatment for autoimmune disease or not. It works. We know that. Now it’s proven. Hooray, Angie! Thank you for all the work you put into making this study happen. This is a great day for AIPers everywhere.

    • Angie Alt says

      Thanks for all your support over the years Petra! I have some lofty goals in mind & I’m going to keep going. 😉

    • Am a retired Advanced Practice Nurse & Family NP of many years. I am thrilled not only w/results of this study, but of Angie and Mickey’s raw courage to not only act on their hunches regarding gut healing, but to be so kind as to share their findings w/others still struggling. AI Disorders are indeed complex.
      Am ending week 4 on strict AI Elimination diet and am noticing gradual improvement of my 50 years plus IBS symptoms. Brain fog lifting, joints loosening, coordination back to normal, 80% improvement over GI symptoms. Will prob have to learn & try FODMAP protocol to improve the rest of the way. Am very grateful for yours and Sara Balkantyne’s help.

      I too agree that having a very knowledgable AI MD using approp medication along w/this diet is essential for the varied & complex cases.
      Good luck in your work. You are helping so many!
      Carol A.

      • Angie Alt says

        Thanks so much Carol & good luck on your journey!

      • Mickey Trescott says

        Thanks for the nice comment Carol – we are thrilled you are seeing improvement!

  • Hello! I just want to say I am Surprised somewhat, that it took this long! Im sure because current medicine nakes alit more and drug companies, ie, Eli Lilly, Etc need to not let the public know that a huge amount of disease directly correlates to what we put in our mouth AND, thanks to you guys, also the sleep, stress factors.. Its been a long tome coming because most people rely on tangible or historical evidence. Nicely done. The only thing that I would like to add to you guys ( authors on AIP) I love all if you, is that the change occurred in these people in the prep to AIP and I know for me if it were told to me ” you know if you can still apply this stuff and for whatever reason you cant give up one item in first 30 days then still do it”!!! I often thought all or nothing!! And I understand that you do need to cut ALL inflammatory agents for AT LEAST 30 days.. but I did not at first. I did paleo, a tad better, did my form of AIP but continued on just a few paleo ok items and also a bit of sugar. No sugar sub. I know the following rules are best for at least 30 days to see how we do!? I just heard from many many people they cant do it 100% and just want one cup of decaf and they could do it. So they throw the idea away and dont get better. I did great with my modified AIP and still am. I think what you could publicize is it absolutely can help if you keep one ir two items and see what happens! Give them hope because I think most people will feel alot better even with a few vices they may or may not feel the need to cut out more. How I read it, its really all or nothing. ( I understand that too) BUT we have to just grab it and see. Everyone is different so Im saying YES to AIP but please support and understand it may work fabulous for some on it modified a bit. Shouldnt be all in or all out!! Thank you!!!

  • Carrie Turansky says

    I’m glad to see the results of this study. I’ve been following AIP for two years and have experienced a great improvement in my health and remission of Crohn’s disease.

    • Angie Alt says

      Thanks for sharing Carrie! Great work!

    • Diane says

      Does your autoimmune include help for fibromyalgia? If so, how do I find the information? Do you believe the answer is all nutrition?
      Thank you!

      • Angie Alt says

        Diane-
        Although fibro is not definitively autoimmune in nature, there are a lot of folks in our community who have it & have seen success using AIP. You never know unless you try. There are not specific fibro resources, instead you just follow the overall protocol. We believe nutrition & lifestyle factors absolutely underpin good health & can be key to helping manage chronic illness or autoimmune disease, however, these conditions are too complex for black & white options. It doesn’t need to be either nutrition or medication. Achieving your highest degree of wellness is the goal & all options should be explored.

  • Michael Valladares D.O. says

    Could you kindly email me the study. I’m a Gastroenterologist in South Florida. I would love to read it. Thank you so much for your work and dedication in the Autoimmune world! MV

  • Joy Thoma says

    Just wondering if anyone out there has had success with AIP for uveitis or multiple sclerosis. Thanks!

    • Angie Alt says

      Yes, Joy, there have been successes w/ MS & AIP. That said, we can’t promise anything, you just have to give it a try!

    • Hi Joy,

      Definitely check out the work of Dr. Terry Wahls regarding MS. She has a book called the Wahls Protocol which lays out a dietary intervention for MS that helped her go from wheelchair to riding 20 miles on a bike in less than a year. It’s similar to the AIP. Good luck!

  • tess says

    Absolutely Brilliant!
    Thank you for sharing!
    Finally clinical validation of exactly what I have experienced – whilst me health greatly improved on the SCDiet, it improved even more on the AIP.
    My gastroenterologist also enquired about my diet …. ‘What’s this diet you’re on – your blood work is almost perfect … and you only have scaring in your bowel now!’
    BLISS!

  • Nicole Harris says

    Very exciting!

  • Kat says

    This is wonderful. I would just like clarification of one point: “Clinical remission was achieved by week 6”. I thought that on the SAD to AIP in Six programme that at 6 weeks you’ve only just hit full AIP. Does that mean that for quite a few people they in the end will be able to reintroduce quite a few things (i.e. while they were still easing into the elimination phase they were already going into remission). ? That gives me a lot of hope as I get overwhelmed psychologically by restrictions and keep sabotaging my efforts to go AIP (or even just full paleo). If in the end all I have to do is be paleo then that would be amazing.

    • Nadine Lee says

      Yes, all those that got remission did so really just when starting full AIP. That is a rapid response rate. They did 5 weeks of full AIP with no reintroductions and maintained remission status.

      Note, that 2 subjects of the 15 were lost to follow-up, so it was remission in 11/13 remaining on the study = about 85%. Of the two not having remission, one (UC) was stable and one (Crohn’s) improved, but not to classify as remission.

      There was improvement in number of bowel movements and amount of blood in them. Improvements happened in patients despite longstanding disease, need for biological treatments (worse disease), etc. Three patients were on steroids and two were able to stop them, the third is unknown because they left the study.

    • Angie Alt says

      Yes, Kat, what it means is that many folks will be able to reintroduce a great deal of the foods back into their diets. Healing was probably steadily picking up pace during that six week process. If you think AIP could help you, give it a try & get support so you avoid overwhelm. The point is to heal, not burden your heart or mind.

  • Emma says

    Congratulations Angie and Mickey, this is wonderful news and incredibly validating! I have IBD and had significant symptom reduction within days of trying AIP. With 3 young children underfoot I found it difficult to keep it up but after reading this I am inspired to try it again and this time stick with it!! How wonderful to think that diet alone can bring about remission, how wonderful to not rely on pharmaceuticals and use a natural approach. The world needs more of this, keep up the amazing work!! Thank you so much for all that you do. Emma xo

    • Angie Alt says

      Thanks for sharing Emma! We are going to keep going, our mission isn’t over yet!

  • Barbara says

    This is such wonderful news. Congratulations Angie and Mickey.

  • I am BEyond thrilled about this study! I started the AIP to heal from Crohn’s Disease 2 years ago. Angie’s SAD to AIP course opened up a whole new realm of possibility for me. After years of feeling like food was my enemy, the AIP protocol gave me hope! I started getting super creative in the kitchen with the few things I could stomach, and I fell in love with food again. I even started a company based on a re-intro AIP recipe that my husband and I perfected. Now we run paleyobakery, a plantain waffle and batter company. Our mission is help people feel love through food.

    I have recommended the course and diet to so many friends and customers!

    Thank you, Angie & Mickey for all you do to help people find hope and healing.

    In health and happiness,
    Mama Emma

    • Angie Alt says

      Emmanuela!! How nice to hear from you! I am so happy you are well & started a company!! Thank you for sharing!

  • Bonnie says

    Do you know much about this rare autoimmune condition called Amyloidosis, I have it in my lymphatic system, I probably have had it over a decade, so far the blood tests seemed fine but I have an amyloid nodule behind my ear which is getter”fatter” 🤔 Slowly but definitely. Will appreciate input. Thanks.

    • Angie Alt says

      Hi Bonnie, I’m sorry, but I do not know much about Amyloidosis. If you think AIP would help, just give it a shot. You never know until you try!

    • sabina says

      there are quite a few forms of amyloidosis, but if it helps your form of it, that’s quite amazing. as i understand it it’s quite an “idiopathic” condition…especially the form in the blood and the cardiac version, but it’s wonderful to hear that this has given you help, and hope. thanks for sharing!

  • jmes says

    Just wanted to say congratulations guys! On day 3 of AIP – looking forward to the results 🙂

  • Tafa says

    This is really interesting. I’ve been AIP for two years and it has changed my life. Just wanted to say though that a study of 15 people is considered very small, as studies go. Sure it is better than nothing, but naysayers will be swift to point that out. I hope that these positive results will pave the way for larger studies, but I know that it is hard to get funding when no one stands to make any profit.

    • Angie Alt says

      Tafa, thanks for sharing your success! Great work! In terms of the study size, be sure to read the paper. The researchers are aware of the limitations & hopeful about taking things further.

  • Adina says

    congratulations! this is huge news. take THAT, western medicine!

    • Angie Alt says

      Hahaha Adina! We hope Western medicine will take note & look to collaborate. 😉

  • Aly says

    I just can’t understand why more people
    don’t even give dietary changes a try, when they are suffering from these MISERABLE problems.

    • Angie Alt says

      Aly, it’s a tough situation. Many people need to hit rock bottom first or find the kind of clarity that makes them feel secure in taking such a leap. Hopefully this study will help more folks find that clarity!

  • I am soooooo proud of you, Angie! You are changing the world. I’ll be sharing this far & wide.

    • Angie Alt says

      Thanks Eileen! It’s good to have women like you working just as hard right by my side since Day 1. WE are changing the world.

  • Naomi says

    I’ve only been following AIP for the last 4 months, but have noticed significant changes in the symptoms that I’ve been battling with over the last ten years related to IBD and Ulcerative Colitis. I got super excited reading this, and can’t wait to see how it shapes discussions and practises moving forward!!

  • Steve Karan says

    Well done!!! Nice to see the AIP diet can be used as an adjunct to current IBD therapies!!!

    As a Crohn’s patient myself, initially I too struggled with diet and trying to control my disease and to put it into remission. I have been having bowel symptoms (IBS/IBD) since 1995, and finally received the formal diagnosis of ileal Crohn’s disease in 2007. I have been on Entocort (budesonide) since and have been stable, however, I would eventually like to eliminate Entocort altogether.

    Despite being on medication, it’s simply a band-aid that doesn’t heal or cure my disease, but rather attempts to keep it in check, not in remission; big difference. As such, we think we can eat anything we want because the medication will make us better when symptoms arise; WRONG!!! If we abuse our bodies and our diseases, then they will fight back and abuse us!

    After years of trial and error of trying to identify food triggers that would aggravate my disease, only through complete elimination I was able to keep my diease in remission. By doing so, I have not returned to hospital with any bowel pains since 2007, and have very infrequent flares, usually caused by something I ate. I eliminated all junk foods (soda/pop, chips, popcorn, peanuts, etc…) cause that’s what they are, junk; empty calories completely devoid of nutrition. As I have an ileal stricture, I also have to watch my intake of insoluble fiber, so I rarely eat salads (small portions), raw vegetables, nuts or seeds. Instead, I eat a lot of basmati rice, cooked vegetables, all meats, and fresh fruits. Due to my disease, it’s difficult to strictly follow AIP, but I do my best to adapt and use AIP to tailor my diet accordingly. Since I can’t get nutrients from these eliminated foods, I replace them with supplements, and I seem to be doing better, as quantified by more regular bowel movements (used to be 4-5x/day, now 1-2x/day or less), formed stools, and much less watery stools/diarrhea.

    For those that think elimination diets are hard, they certainly are as I too balked when I first read AIP. However, using the AIP diet as a guideline along with results from an IgG Food Sensitivities test, I have been able to customize my diet and keep my disease in remission with less and less frequent symptoms and flares.

    Once I recognized and accepted that there is no cure for Crohn’s, and that medication does not reverse disease, I was able to accept a change in my diet, which ultimately kept me stable and out of hospital. Remember, we are what we eat, and a diet is not something we go on to lose weight, it’s a lifestyle change in an attempt to manage and improve our health over the long-term.

    • Angie Alt says

      Thanks for sharing Steve! Great work!

    • Martina says

      Hi Steve,
      I have the same type of Crohns with stricture as you do. I have been on a lot of meds but they make things worse for me!! Had a colonoscopy a couple of weeks ago. You have inspired me with your email & I would love to know more abut what you eat.I have tried AIP but struggle as you quite rightly say about fibre being an issue for us.
      I would love to know more about your diet. Not sure where you live but I am in Australia.

  • Pat Fritzler says

    I have Ulcerative Colitis and started doing the full AIP diet the day after I received Sara Ballentine’s AIP Cookbook (late August). By early December I had successfully tapered off all Prednisone and was in remission. I continued on with the full AIP diet but within 6 weeks the symptoms began to return and sadly I have not been in remission since. I continue to try various combinations of AIP and SCD and anything else I think might work. Currently I am working with an ND to discover the root cause and learning about how the genes I have may be playing a role.

    • Angie Alt says

      Keep trying Pat! Perhaps a combination of the best of conventional & natural treatments will be the right answer for you!

  • Caitlin says

    Does AIP help with vaginal Lichen Scelrosus? Thank you 😊

    • Angie Alt says

      Caitlin, we can’t promise anything, but it is worth a try! I have it and I know many others w/ it who have had success.

      • Caitlin says

        Wonderful, thank you. So with success do you mean remission or still using steroid creams?

        • Angie Alt says

          Hi Caitlin-
          It’s different for everyone. Some folks, esp. if it is caught very early might achieve remission, others may need a combination of diet & steroid cream initially or on-going. Either way the diet can be a powerful contributor to overall healing.

  • Andrea says

    Hi Angie
    Do you know if AIP has helped in stabalising
    Autoimmune Thyroid problems? ( I’m hyper)

    • Angie Alt says

      Hi Andrea-
      Yes, we’ve seen it work for many people w/ thyroid issues, however, we can’t promise anything. Ultimately it is up to you to give it a shot & see if it is helpful in your situation.

  • Wendy says

    Hi Angie, I LOVE this article and this blog.
    I suffer from inflammatory bowel disease and am getting ready to start the AIP this week as medications have all been failing me. I am excited to see how it will work to help heal my gut and will be blogging about the process to hopefully help anyone else going through this process as well.
    Thank you for writing and for pouring your heart out to all of us! It is so helpful to hear from others who have been there and have paved the road!
    This is such a great resource and gives hope!

    • Angie Alt says

      You are so welcome Wendy!! I’m wishing you so much wellness!

  • Tonya says

    Hello,
    Can someone tell me how to keep weight on while on the AIP? I tried this diet in April of this year. I had to stop after 4 weeks as I was losing so much weight and felt awful. I went on it in hopes of it helping a condition called oral lichen planus.

  • Matt says

    That’s super exciting. I’m so glad to see a local organization (I’m from San Diego) getting involved with a great study.

    • Angie Alt says

      Yep! It’s great Matt! Dr. Konijeti is a mover & shaker!

  • Tania says

    Hello Angie, first of all THANK YOU. I am super excited that the AIP has been proven efficient by a medical study. Very encouraging to help those who are still wondering whether to try the diet. In this case, any recommendation on how to introduce it if you still have some diarrhea or loose stools? I understand the elimination phase should be done on several weeks (just like in the study – 6 weeks). Thanks in adavance for your answer.

    • Angie Alt says

      Tania, I would definitely do a slow transition, just removing one or two food groups at a time over 6-8 wks. Additionally, if the diarrhea is particularly worrisome, I would concentrate on well-cooked veggies, maybe even blended, & smaller servings of veggies at meals (like maybe 1/2 cup or less to start). You might also need to moderate fat intake & avoid coconut products initially, until your digestive tract is a bit more healed & diarrhea is less a concern. If it is very difficult, you might consider keeping white rice in your diet. And, of course, be sure to work openly w/ your doctor. I hope that helps.

  • Andrea says

    I am so excited about this research. I came back to this page because I wanted to get the article again to share with someone else and the link to the article no longer works. I also can’t find it when I search the journal’s webpage. Do you know what happened, and is it still available?

    • Angie Alt says

      Hi Andrea-
      We updated the link & you should be able to find the study again. Thanks for reading!

  • Melody Nydam says

    This is the first I’ve heard of AIP, we’re on Whole30, how does that compare?

    • Mickey Trescott says

      Hi Melody! AIP and Whole 30 are similar, but not the same – the main difference is that AIP excludes some additional foods during the elimination phase that have been shown to be problematic for those with autoimmune disease.

  • Heidi says

    This is so validating, you ladies must feel awesome! I might be motivated to give AIP another try for my UC. I understand that you recommended a few changes for IBDers like smaller amounts of well cooked or blended veggies, less sat fat and avoid coconut products (at first anyways) and this makes a lot a sense. What did you suggest to make up the extra calories/volume? More protein or olive oil? Was there any added probiotics or kefir or yogurt allowed? Will you offer this IBD adapted AIP in any of your programs? Thanks for all you do to help this community!

    • Mickey Trescott says

      Hey Heidi! Unfortunately without knowing your background it is hard to advise, but Angie is offering a group of SAD to AIP starting January 1. Her and her coaching team would be happy to help personalize – you can sign up here – https://sadtoaip.com. Wishing you the best!

  • […] there was no scientific research to back up these claims. That changed with the publication of this study. 15 patients with active IBD (Crohn's disease or ulcerative colitis) transitioned to the paleo […]

  • […] (which includes 6-9 cups vegetables daily) improves clinical outcomes for MS patients. And a recent study into the AIP for IBD achieved a 73% remission rate. Although dairy is often the most recommended food to prevent […]

  • Eva says

    I think the diet works but the really good is the the diet taking kurkuma, and omega 3 and vitamin D. Together this thing van works. And is very important tó change the sampoo, toothpaste….. and everything for hypoallegren. And is for 6 month almost and then you must look át your body for everything new thing you take. 🙂

  • […] to understand that this diet (and all diets) is a concept. It’s a set of recommendations that have been proven to help people on their path to healing. It’s not a thing. It’s not a person. “AIP” does […]

  • Targol M. Emanuel says

    Hi there,
    Is the AIP recommended for all autoimmune diseases or just GI (Crohns/UC)? I was diagnosed with Vogt Koyanagi Harada disease (autoimmune uveitis) and currently on immunosuppressive therapy and the biologic Humira. while I realize, everyone is different and remission could take a combo of natural and pharmaceutical therapy, I’m curious to know more about the natural side — specifically AIP and its effectiveness on various autoimmune disorders besides GI. Thanks in advance!

    • Mickey Trescott says

      Hi Targol! We aren’t medical practitioners and can’t advise on specific conditions, but we have many folks in our community that have seen great results with AIP over a wide spectrum of autoimmune diseases. You can read their stories on the “stories of recovery” tab in the menu above. Wishing you luck!

  • Julie says

    Have you seen success through AIP for anyone with osteoarthritis? I realize that it isn’t an autoimmune disease, but high inflammation is the root problem. Your thoughts?

    • Angie Alt says

      Julie-
      I don’t know anyone specifically, but I am sure there are many in our community. As we say all the time on the site, there is no way we could evaluate the diets effects on every possible diagnosis & we are not medical professionals that can make determinations like that, but it’s certainly worth a try.

  • Mike Pfirrman says

    From the study, “C-Reactive Protein did not significantly change”. What this means is inflammation didn’t change. For all the promise of the AIP diet, this is the kicker to me. I’ve been researching to help my wife’s Fibromyalgia for years. C-Reactive Protein is a biomarker of inflammation. If the AIP diet is so great for inflammation, why did it not budge? A vegan diet reduces it drastically. So does a Mediterranean Diet. So why all the hype for the AIP diet? My belief is that, yes, eliminating gluten, dairy and sugar is a fantastic start for anyone and that’s why the success of AIP for some. But the fact that C Reactive Protein does not budge is troubling to me. I do consulting for microbiome start-ups and it’s becoming very clear that a few things help inflammation — fiber, polyphenols, Omega 3s among others. Limiting or eliminating gluten/dairy helps too. So does limiting any sort of antibiotics, whether by prescription or in meat. Less red meat and vegetable oils helps too. Beyond that, to say other whole grains are bad just isn’t supported by studies. Quite the opposite. There are some studies that indicate wheat/gluten is bad. I personally think that all the Round-Up drenched grains/legumes are bad too (because Round-Up has been shown to act like a mild Antibiotic). I wish you all luck. We’re all on the same team (figuring out Chronic Illness) but I’m just not convinced by two studies on AIP that it works. Quite the opposite actually based on C Reactive Proteins as a marker of inflammation.

    • Angie Alt says

      Mike, keep in mind that it did not “significantly change.” There were changes, just not hugely dramatic ones for the small group. Personally, my CRP changed A LOT after I used AIP to help manage my AI diseases. And even though I helped lead this small study group, I’ve actually been doing this w/ groups & individuals for 5 yrs & CRP can & does change very often. Also, consider that we followed them for 11 wks. That is a comparatively short period of time for a group of individuals w/ an average of 19 yrs of inflammatory bowel disease to make such a drastic dietary & lifestyle change. Most of the people I work w/ see the biggest impact to their health w/ a little more time to dial in the right pieces of the puzzle, for instance working on increasing veg intake even more to help w/ that fiber & polyphenol intake you mentioned, sourcing & shifting their budgets to buy higher quality grass-fed meat or wild caught fish to help w/ that Omega-3 intake & less exposure to antibiotics you mentioned. And I don’t think that AIP, as researched by Dr. Sarah Ballantyne is classifying anything as “bad,” it’s just saying based on a number of factors removing these foods initially & then slowly reintroducing to see how they impact you & your healing may be worthwhile. This study showed efficacy & I think you are throwing the baby out w/ the bathwater if you think the diet can’t work over one marker. I mean, come on . . . 73% of them were in clinical remission, not just symptom relief. That’s a big deal & at very least shows promise worth further investigation. And it says nothing of what we’ve seen anecdotally for the last 6 yrs in our community. If we’re really on the same team, let’s stay open. The point here, for your wife & all the rest of us dealing w/ these chronic illnesses, is to improve quality of life. Any thoughtful combination that can get us there is worth trying, right?

  • Beth says

    Would this work for Fibromyalgia? I have IBS-C (severe & chronic). I also have extreme insomnia, and major neck pain. Migraines as well.

    • Mickey Trescott says

      Hi Beth! We aren’t medical practitioners here and can’t make recommendations based on medical conditions, but we have many members of our community who have had good results with fibro and AIP. Wishing you luck on your journey!

  • Hollie Smethurst says

    Hi, I’m just looking for any advice you may have….Do you know of any conditions that give flare ups every 2 weeks? Red patches appear, mainly on arms or legs, ache in muscles, sometimes joint meaning he can hardly walk. On a few occasions a blury eye, sometimes night sweats, tiredness. Can last a couple days or drag on for longer.

    My husband had a terrible year in 2017 back and forward to the doctors. He had many tests and if they showed anything would only ever show inflammation. Eventually he was given some pills but they were never to be long term. Vasculitis was the best they could come up with to explain some of the symptoms. The pills would suppress the flare ups, but after 2 months they didn’t work and he had a terrible flare up.

    We then found out about AIP and we got him on it immediately using your cookbooks. It’s worked wonders for us and in 2018 we got our life back! When we really stuck to the AIP he shows barely any symptoms. But we still don’t know what it is and why he flares up like clockwork every 2 weeks.
    We started to think leaky gut is a possibility, but the 2 weekly flare up is so confusing.

    • Mickey Trescott says

      Hi Hollie! I’m sorry to hear about your husband, that sounds really frustrating! Unfortunately we aren’t doctors and can’t give any health advice through comments, but your best bet would be to work with a coach to help troubleshoot. We have a listing of practitioners we’ve trained here -> https://aipcertified.com. Good luck!

  • Hailey says

    Is there any studies on the AIP protocol and CIU? I was diagnosed with CIU and Vasculitis and all my doctors are saying that they hives will just go away. I do have other symptoms but my rheumatologist is just saying “your immune system is in constant flare due to the hives.” I suffer from extreme fatigue, joint pain and lower extremity swelling that’s being brushed off unfortunately. So I’m stuck!

    But I would love to try this protocol and take matters into my own hands. I was just wondering if there were any study’s done with people that suffer from CIU or if you had clients that had success with similar diagnosis

    • Angie Alt says

      Hi Hailey-
      At this point there are no studies about CIU & AIP. Wishing you luck!

  • Annie Jean says

    I’m new to your site as of today! Yahoo! I downloaded all info & plan to follow the protocol strictly. Can you also suggest a reliable source of info on lichen sclerosis? Horrible disease. Thank you!

    • Angie Alt says

      Hi Annie! Thanks for being here. I have LS myself, but we don’t have any detailed resources on it here on the site. You might check out our AIP blogging friend, Rebecca of https://lichenpaleolovingaip.com/. She also runs an FB group for LS.

  • Laura says

    Is there a direct link for the actual study rather than the latest journal? I can’t seem to find to actual study from the link provided in the article. Thank you!

  • Valerie says

    Dear Angie and Mickey,
    thanks so much for your work. It is really awesome to see studies happening with Crohn’s and diet (or chronic illness in general). I hope you/they will follow up on it.
    I heard Dr. Konijeti say in an interview that you slightly changed the diet to fit Crohn’s patients, but she didn’t get into the specifics of that. Unfortunately it is neither disclosed in the paper what the exact guidelines were or what the food diaries looked like. I have been on Paleo for years and had once tried AIP, but it didn’t put me into remission, that’s why I would love to try again and do it right this time. Therefore it would be great to have more information on how exactly you changed up the diet for Crohn’s.
    Cheers,
    Valerie

    • Angie Alt says

      Valerie, Dr. Konijeti was referring to slight modifications that are sometimes made for UC or Crohn’s folks who are in a flare or unable to at first adopt AIP as it stands. This includes eating only cooked vegetables & generally eating lower fiber, lower FODMAP, & lower fat until the GI tract is better healed. Especially for those w/ strictures or adhesion due to Crohn’s itself or surgery, raw vegetable, high fiber, high FODMAP, & higher fat may be difficult initially.

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