Page 21 - The Autoimmune Protocol

The Autoimmune Protocol

it. Suspicion that glyphosate is the real culprit came about when those with celiac began
to notice that they would not have a reaction to foods eaten in other countries that contain
gluten. Unlike many American foods, these international foods were not sprayed with this
dangerous herbicide. Sadly, many foods, pharmaceuticals, and other substances have
been found to contain detectable amounts of glyphosate. Recently, there was a multi-
million dollar judgement against the company that manufactures this toxic herbicide. If
you suspect glyphosate is the problem, the best thing you can do is avoid processed foods,
and any foods that are not organic.

GMOs: Gluten Then and Now

Today’s gluten is not the same as the gluten found in wheat, barley, and rye from fifty
years ago. This is because of the advent of genetic modification. Genetic modification is
the practice of altering an organism’s genetic material through genetic engineering. The
practice of genetic engineering when it comes to our food supply is hailed as life-changing
because foods can be engineered to be hardier and produce greater yields. However, this
practice does not come without skepticism from a variety of critics that question the safety
and long-term results of genetically engineered crops.

Grains are commonly genetically engineered. This has resulted in grains that contain
higher amounts of gluten. With the staggering increase in celiac disease diagnoses,
paralleled with the increase in genetic modification of crops, it is not hard to make the
correlation that genetically engineered crops may be responsible for the rise in reactions
to once common foods.

Graves’ disease
Graves’ disease is another common autoimmune disease. It is estimated that around 136
thousand people each year are diagnosed with this disease. Graves’ disease specifically
targets the thyroid. Oftentimes, this autoimmune disease is the most common cause of
hyperthyroidism. Hyperthyroidism is the result of the thyroid producing too much
thyroid hormone. Results of this disease include an enlarged thyroid, weight loss,
diarrhea, heart issues, irritability, and muscle weakness. Heart issues occur when the
thyroid overstimulates the metabolism, making the heart work harder. Bulging eyes is
another indicator of this disease.

Our thyroids produce a hormone called the Thyroid Stimulating Immunoglobin. This is
actually an immune system antibody that triggers the production of thyroid hormones. It
is unclear exactly why those with Graves’ disease produce excess thyroid hormones. The
causes are thought to be both genetic and environmental.

Genetic Indicators
Clear patterns that point to a possible genetic correlation with Graves’ disease include the
fact that those with family members that have this disease are more likely to develop the

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