Written by Dr. Claire Arcidiacono, ND

For further questions or concerns email me at [email protected]

Last week we continued our discussion of lupus. This week we will be concluding this topic with a discussion of supplements that have been studied in regard to lupus and autoimmune in general. As I said in my last blog, we want to address lupus by going down 2 pathways. The first is to work on the condition as an autoimmune illness. The second is to work on protecting the body itself from the damage that the immune system can inflict, or in other words we want to protect our organs.

AUTOIMMUNE/ANTI-INFLAMMATORY

1. Turmeric has been found in studies to help in autoimmune conditions by regulating inflammatory cytokines (1). Studies also have found that due to the antioxidant and anti-inflammatory property of turmeric it is as effective as certain medications in addressing the symptoms of autoimmune and inflammatory conditions. (12) Please see Invite’s Biocurcumin-5- Loxin, Turmeric with ginger and Curcumin blend.
2. Bromelain has been found to reduce inflammation which is commonly found in autoimmune conditions. (3) Please see Invite’s Bromelain!
3. CBD has been found to reduce inflammation and symptoms of autoimmune in studies. One method that has been found is that it works by modulating the endocannabinoid system (4). Studies also show that CBD can help by modulating the immune system which is important in autoimmune since in the case of autoimmune conditions we see the immune system attacking the healthy cells. (5). Please see Invite’s Hemp tinctures, soft gels and even our topical products!
4. Resveratrol has been found to have immunomodulatory as well as anti-inflammatory properties, which is very important in working with an autoimmune condition such as lupus. (6) Interestingly Resveratrol has been found to help with the lesions in the kidneys found in lupus as well as the protein in the urine which is a sign of kidney damage. Resveratrol also has been found to help protect the heart and blood vessels and even delay the start of heart failure that many with lupus suffer from. (7) Please see Invite’s Resveratrol 100mg,    Resveratrol Hx and our newest formula – Resveratrol Max!
5. Diet – no article on autoimmune would be complete without talking about diet. An anti-inflammatory diet is a must when there is any sort of autoimmune. A Mediterranean diet is associated with reducing symptoms of lupus or “disease activity” as well as reducing the heart damage that is seen in those with an autoimmune condition. (8) I also like to recommend an elimination diet since as I said earlier gluten is associated with worsening symptoms and it may not be caught on routine tests.
6. Lifestyle – since exposure to sunlight, certain toxins and smoking are all risk factors eliminating these can reduce risks of the diseases progressing.

ORGAN SPECIFIC BLOOD TESTS

1. Low D3 has been found to be very common in lupus and thus supplementation is recommended for this very reason. (9) Vitamin D has also been found to help regulate symptoms of autoimmune disease and is thus recommended to help with both correcting the deficiency and helping modulate symptoms. (10)
2. NAC is important for so many of the different organs affected by lupus. NAC has been found in studies to help improve and protect the kidneys from damage in those with chronic kidney disease. (11) More specifically to our topic studies have also found that NAC can help with the kidney disease that is associated with lupus. (12).  NAC has also been found to help with heart disease in those with chronic kidney disease which is important when talking about lupus since as we know lupus does affect the kidneys and therefore also affects the heart in the same way chronic kidney disease would. (11). NAC has also been found to help protect the liver which can be affected by lupus either directly or indirectly via treatments that are used to address the lupus. (13). NAC has also been found to help improve lung health in those with lupus. (14). Lastly, NAC has been found in studies to help with lupus overall by decreasing the activity of the disease. (15) Please see Invite’s NAC.
3. Probiotics are amazing to help with leaky gut and help regulate bacteria in the digestive tract. (16) This is important since so many who have autoimmune conditions also have a leaky gut.
4. Omega 3s are helpful for inflammation found in any autoimmune disease and also to help protect the brain, memory, anxiety/depression as well as the heart. (17) Please see Invite’s fish oil, Krill oil and Biomega!

Lupus is complex illness that can vary from person to person. For a more complete and personal specific protocol, it is important to speak to a nutritionist. Our next blog will be about psoriatic arthritis.

REFERENCES

1. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/17569223/
2. https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/10408398.2020.1850417?journalCode=bfsn20
3. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC8366142/
4. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/34030476/
5. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2828614/
6. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7796143/#:~:text=Resveratrol%20exhibits%20strong%20antioxidant%20activity,signaling%20pathways%20(Figure%203).
7. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5748756/
8. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/32594173/
9. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3562991/
10. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5743852/
11. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC8129408/
12. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4509375/
13. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3270338/
14. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4509375/
15. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3411859/
16. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3864899/
17. https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/17-health-benefits-of-omega-3#TOC_TITLE_HDR_6