Herbs to Avoid for Auto Immune Disorders

Celiac, Hypothyroidism, Type 1 Diabetes, Lupus and others Should Be Aware of These Herbs

I often hear so much advice or recommendations of herbs to take when I get sick by well intended people.  Having a couple of autoimmune disorders my body responds very differently than others. This was my reminder that many people are unaware that some herbs that help a solid immune system strengthen can actually hurt someone with an  autoimmune disorder.

An Autoimmune disorder is when your body attacks itself when the immune system is stimulated. The body can misread a natural immune stimulate as a foreign object and sends out the signal to go attack. This happens in different ways according to the specific autoimmune disorder.

Many peoples “go-to” medicine and herbs for healing a cold or flu can actually worsen someones symptoms if they have an autoimmune disorder. This is because most of these herbs or remedies are meant to stimulate the immune system into response.
It’s important to remember that everyone’s body responds differently. The following herbs could potentially exacerbate an autoimmune disorder.

Common Herbs to avoid:
~Echinacea
~Elderberry
~Elderflower
~Olive leaf
~Goldenseal
~Astragulus
~cat’s claw
~Asian Ginsings
~St. Johns wort

There are some herbs and foods that only certain types of autoimmune disorders don’t do well with. Some people find they can do these and some can not.  This is mainly due to an imbalance of T-helper cells in the immune system. To over simplify - When someone has an autoimmune disorder they generally have a dominance of Th1 OR Th2 cells. it's this imbalance that is the immune systems problem.
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Here is a list of some conditions that have Th1 dominance:
Type 1 diabetes, celiac disease, Hashimotos, Multiple Sclerosis, Graves, chrones, psoriasis, Rheumatoid arthritis, Sjornes, Lican planus  

Here is a list of some conditions that have Th2 dominance:
Lupus, Asthma, scleroderma, cancer, IBS, sinusitis, Allergies, Multiple chemical sensitivity,

Herbs and items to use caution with :
~Licorice root (due to the Glycryrhizin -Th1)
~Lemon Balm (thyroid disorders- Th1)
~oatstraw (celiac)
~white willow bark (Th2)
~Soybean (due to the Genistin- Th2)
~medicinal mushrooms such as Chaga, Reishi, Maitake (due to Beta glucan- Th1)
~Caffeine (Th2)

So what do you do when you get sick and want to assist your body in healing quickly?  Try some of the following:

1. Vitamin C - This can come from many sources including foods like citrus and mango, or superfoods like Camu Camu powder. kidney beans, garbanzo beans cashews or almonds.   Or herbs such as Hibiscus and rose hips
2. Adaptogens- Adaptogens are herbs that balance, restore and protect the body. Including some of these such as Ashwagandha , Rhodiola, Holy Basil, Maca, moringa, Gotu kola.
3. Probiotics- Natural sources are best such as Sauerkraut, fermented veggies, kombucha, kefir, and yogurt
4. Vitamin D- you can head outside in the sun to get this. Or for Vegans/vegetarians you can try Thornes vit D
5. Vitamin A- from sources such as carrots, sweet potatoes, kale, spinach, broccoli, Winter squash
6. Vitamin E- From sources such as Avocados, Brazil nuts, Sunflower seeds, Almonds, spinach, Butternut squash and olive oil
7. Bone broth- Chicken or Turkey are best.
8. Homeopathy- (Occillococcinum is great for the flu) 
9. Fluids- try drinking liquids high in Vit. C such as orange juice or grapefruit juice. Lemon or lime juice are both very detoxing. Aloe juice helps support the lungs and inflammation
10. Detox Baths- Try an apple cider vinegar bath with 2-4 c Vinegar in hot water.  Or try 1lb Himalayan sea salt for a 45min-1hr soak. You can also try an herb infused bath or essential oil bath.
11. Essential Oils- It is imperative that you use high quality medicinal, therapeutic grade essential oils.  Detoxifying oils: Lemon, Lime, Grapefruit, Wild orange. oils for immune support- Melaleuca, peppermint, rosemary, clove, ginger, marjoram.  Oils for assisting the body with cough- equal parts Lime, White fir, marjoram on the lungs. (Avoid Thyme, geranium and ylang ylang).

Here are a few other items to try with caution.  Some people with autoimmune disorders have different responses to these therapies.

1. Fire cider- This recipe contains stimulating foods that can help kick your immune system into gear to clear out an illness. You can find the basic recipe here. These foods are also very detoxing which is very helpful. Be on the look-out for a more sluggish feeling or lingering illness. This would be an indicator that your body may not respond well to this.
2. Adaptogen spices-  these include Black pepper, Cumin, nutmeg, Turmeric (some Th2 people don’t do well with this), Cinnamon, ginger.

If you keep a journal you can start to narrow down the foods and herbs that are helpful for you and those that do not suit your body. Know that often the response is subtle so it may take trying something over the course of several days to know how it truly effects you. You can also try muscle testing a food or herb to see how your body may respond. You can learn how to do this here

Remember that the road to health is a continuous journey.

If you'd like to speak with one of our store's herbalists or want to order any of the supplies or products mentioned in this post directly from us just Contact Us.  






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