An autoimmune disease occurs when the body mistakenly identifies its own cells as invaders. The immune system then sets out to get rid of what it thinks is dangerous to your health, unwittingly attacking itself. This response can be limited to a specific organ, or to a specific tissue. Rheumatoid Arthritis (RA) is a common autoimmune disease, which targets the bodies’ joints.
Anti-inflammatory and steroidal drugs are generally prescribed in these conditions, as they temporarily diminish the symptoms. Unfortunately they do not have the ability to heal the immune system, which is where the problem lies. Furthermore, they also have very unpleasant long-term side effects.
The immune system, like very other system in the body, is made up of cells that require the right fats in their membranes. If these Essential Fatty Acids (EFA’s) are not present in the cell membrane of the immune system, the cell cannot function optimally, and an autoimmune disease may be the result. They can’t be present in the cell membrane if they do not form part of your diet, as our food today is naturally deficient in these essential nutrients.
These EFA’s are also responsible for producing tiny compounds called eicosanoids, which are responsible for keeping the immune system and the inflammatory response balanced. After all, you want your body to fight a bug, but not itself! When these EFA’s are present in the diet, they are capable of keeping the body healthily alert to danger – not overreacting and causing damage to itself.