I’m really interested in the link between gut health and autoimmunity. And I’m curious to know if the autoimmune diet I tried back in 2018 could’ve actually made a real difference to my alopecia – if only I’d stuck to it!
So I went to see a Functional Medicine (FM doctor) when I was home in Ireland last summer (2019) to explore this link further.
To see whether my gut health could be affecting my hair, plus whether it might be the cause of chronic daily headaches that I’ve been having for 2 years now. (I know. Not fun.)
The doctor ran some tests on my microbiome and diagnosed me with gut dysbiosis. She told me that this can lead to autoimmune conditions, plus mental illnesses such as brain fog, anxiety and depression – due to its effect on our neurotransmitters. I can relate to that.
I’m starting the diet in January, 2020. And I’ll be posting weekly progress reports about it on my YouTube channel.
So make sure to subscribe and see how I get on!
Interested in more natural solutions for hair loss? Then check out these posts!
1. Aloe Vera for Alopecia – Yep, it’s a thing!
2. Nutrition – Some handy dietary tips, whether you’ve got hair or not!
3. The Deal with Neem – Check out this wonder oil
4. Meditation Tips for Stress – Which in turn, can help with hair loss.
Emma (aka Lady Alopecia) is a bald optimist who’s had alopecia for 20 years. This site is packed with info, advice and tonnes of positivity to help you in every step of your alopecia journey.
I’m not a doctor! Any advice I give is based on my own research and personal experiences with alopecia. I also participate in the Amazon Services LLC Associates program – meaning I may earn a small commission from the Amazon products I link to. But I only endorse ones that I’ve tried or trust! This fascinating Disclaimer Page has more info.
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2 Responses
I recently found two patches. I’m so grateful for your blog.
I have read the medical medium thyroid book and a few articles on AIP diets. Curious how it’s been going I didn’t see anything on YouTube! How similar is the diet in 2018 to this one???
Hi Kiran,
Thanks so much for your comment – I’m really sorry to hear about your patches, too. And I hope you can find some info here that helps! I must apologise, I still haven’t gotten around to posting videos yet, as I actually got married in February so temporarily suspended the diet as I knew it would go out the window! 😉 I had been seeing a lot of success with it though in terms of digestion, mood etc and a little regrowth. The diet I tried in 2018 was quite similar but with more supplements – it was from Amy Myers’ book, The Autoimmune Solution, which I uncovered after reading a brilliant article on the link between gut health and hair loss. More on that here. But basically, they say similar things – that if you have any kind of autoimmune disorder like alopecia, you’re more susceptible to other autoimmune stuff (maybe thyroid issues too) and that reducing inflammatory foods (gluten, dairy, eggs, tofu and sugar) is a good idea. I promise I will get around to doing the videos soon though once I can get my supply of supplements sent again! 🙂