Autoimmune disease management, especially when diet is involved, usually revolves around cleaning up the diet. The typical recommendations are to eat real food, cut out the junk food and sugary drinks, and increase veggies. The gist of it is to decrease foods that cause inflammation. All that is great, but let’s talk about the small things…the micronutrients.
What Are Micronutrients
Micronutrients are the smaller nutrients in real food (real food = anything that grows from the ground or non-processed meat). Micronutrients are essential, meaning you have to eat them because your body can’t produce them. They are vitamins and minerals that your body requires in small amounts to function properly. Unlike macronutrients (proteins, fats, and carbohydrates) micronutrients do not provide energy, but they play critical roles in every process in your body including immune regulation, hormone production, and cellular repair. Because the body cannot produce most micronutrients on its own, they must be obtained through diet or supplementation. If you are deficient, it can impair immune function, increase inflammation, and disrupt normal bodily functions, all of which are really important for individuals managing autoimmune diseases.
Micronutrients are broadly categorized into vitamins and minerals. Each one has a unique role, and maintaining optimal levels is essential for supporting immune balance and reducing autoimmune flare‑ups.
What Are Micronutrients’ Role in Autoimmune Disease Management
Micronutrients influence nearly every aspect of immune activity, including inflammatory signaling, antioxidant defense, and the development of immune cells. When micronutrient levels are inadequate, the immune system can’t work like it needs to, increasing the chance of chronic inflammation and autoimmune activation.
Micronutrients also support gut health, which is deeply connected to autoimmune conditions. A significant portion of the immune system is in the gut, and nutrients like vitamin A, zinc, and magnesium help maintain the integrity of the intestinal barrier (wall). When this barrier is compromised, it can contribute to immune overactivation—a phenomenon often referred to as “leaky gut.”
Vitamins Important in Autoimmune Disease Management
Several vitamins play important roles in regulating immune function and reducing inflammation in autoimmune conditions:
- Vitamin D: found in fatty fish, egg yolks, fortified orange juice and mushrooms
- Vitamin A: found in beef liver, cod liver oil, sweet potatoes, carrots, spinach, kale, red bell peppers, cantaloupe
- Vitamin C: found in citrus fruits, strawberries, kiwi, bell peppers, broccoli, tomatoes, Brussels sprouts
- B Vitamins (B6, B12, Folate): found in chickpeas, tuna, chicken breast, bananas, potatoes, salmon, beef, dairy, eggs, fortified nutritional yeast, lentils, spinach, asparagus, avocado, black beans
- Vitamin E: sunflower seeds, almonds, hazelnuts, spinach, avocado, olive oil
Minerals Important in Autoimmune Disease Management
Minerals are equally essential for immune regulation and inflammation control:
- Zinc: found in oysters, beef, pumpkin seeds, cashews, chickpeas, yogurt
- Magnesium: found in pumpkin seeds, almonds, spinach, black beans, quinoa, dark chocolate
- Selenium: found in Brazil nuts, tuna, sardines, eggs, turkey, cottage cheese
- Iron: found in Beef, chicken liver, lentils, spinach, tofu
- Copper and Manganese: found in shellfish, cashews, sunflower seeds, shiitake mushrooms, whole grains, pine nuts, pecans, chickpeas, leafy greens
Micronutrients and Autoimmune Disease Management
As you can see, there are a lot of micronutrients important for managing autoimmune diseases. I don’t expect you to know what the levels of each of these nutrients is in your body (there are tests for this though…send me a message if you want to know more about that!). The important take away is to clean up your diet by decreasing the processed foods and sugary drinks and increasing the real food including fruits, vegetables and unprocessed grains and meats.
Taking a supplement is your insurance. Here is my favorite multivitamin and multimineral. I like it because it is just two pills a day, is therapeutic grade, and doesn’t have a bunch of fillers.
Let’s Connect!
I love teaching others about food, nutrition and my passion for helping you heal. I’d love to hear your story of your health journey, and I’d love to help you along the way if you need it. Reach out to me if you are at a standstill or need a little boost! And as always, please share this article with someone you think may find it useful.
