What Is the Efficacy of the Autoimmune Protocol (AIP) Diet in People with Rheumatoid Arthritis? A Mixed-Methods Pilot Intervention Study †
1
Human Potential Centre, Faculty of Health and Environmental Sciences, Auckland University of Technology, Auckland 0632, New Zealand
2
School of Clinical Sciences, Faculty of Health and Environmental Sciences, Auckland University of Technology, Auckland 0627, New Zealand
3
Department of Medicine, University of Otago, Wellington 6242, New Zealand
*
Author to whom correspondence should be addressed.
†
Presented at the Annual Scientific Meeting of the Nutrition Society of New Zealand 2022, Wellington, New Zealand, 1–2 December 2022.
Med. Sci. Forum 2023, 18(1), 10; https://doi.org/10.3390/msf2023018010
Published: 9 March 2023
(This article belongs to the Proceedings of Annual Scientific Meeting of the Nutrition Society of New Zealand 2022)
Abstract
:Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is a systemic autoimmune disease characterised by inflammation of the synovial lining of joints, causing pain, swelling, and stiffness with potential for joint deformity. RA affects about 2.3% of New Zealanders and 2.8% of Māori. Despite pharmacological treatment, people with RA report unmet needs, experiencing unacceptable levels of pain, physical disability, fatigue, and suboptimal mental health. The autoimmune protocol or paleo diet (AIP), popularised in social media, is reportedly used by many with autoimmune disease to manage their symptoms. No clinical trials have tested its efficacy in RA. We report a two-phase design, 12 week intervention; a 4-week control, where participants with RA consumed their usual diet, followed by 8-weeks AIP diet. Participants needed to be on stable medication and supplements for >8 weeks, and an unrestricted diet for inclusion. Participants completed weekly validated questionnaires; RAID (RA Impact of Disease), and RAPID3 (Routine Assessment of Patient Index Data 3). Biometric measures and 3-day diet dairies were taken at baseline and weeks 4, 8 and 12. Post study, a 1-hour interview was conducted with each participant to explore their experience of using the AIP diet. Nine people (7 female, 2 male) completed the study. The mean RAPID3 showed a reduction from baseline to the end of week 12 from 2.53 (Range 0.67–5.33) to 0.99 (Range 0–2.5). Four participants reached a clinically meaningful reduction in RAPID3 of >1.2 and endpoint <2, while on AIP. Three domains that are meaningful for RA patients also improved: Fatigue, (mean baseline: 4.44 (0–10) to Week 12: 1.11 (0–4)); Sleep (mean baseline: 3.77 (0–10) to Week 12: 1.22 (0–2)). Pain: (mean baseline: 3.27 (0–4.5) to Week 12: 1.38 (0–3.5)). These results show that the AIP diet has potential as an adjunct therapy in RA, and further investigations are warranted.
Author Contributions
Conceptualization, J.M.; methodology, J.M.; validation, C.Z., G.M. and R.G.; formal analysis, J.M.; investigation, J.M.; resources, J.M.; data curation, J.M.; writing—original draft preparation, J.M.; writing—review and editing, C.Z. and R.G; supervision, C.Z. and G.M.; advising, R.G. All authors have read and agreed to the published version of the manuscript.
Funding
This research received no external funding.
Institutional Review Board Statement
This study was conducted in accordance with the Declaration of Helsinki, and ethics approval was given by the Northern B Health and Disability Ethics Committee (HDEC) on 3 May 2021, 21/NTB/55 and by the Auckland University of Technology Ethics Committee (AUTEC) on 31 May 2021, 21/16.
Informed Consent Statement
Informed consent was obtained from all subjects involved in the study.
Data Availability Statement
The raw data can be accessed on request to the author. Access to the data is restricted to researchers who agree to use the data for research purposes only and to acknowledge the source of the data in any resulting publications.
Conflicts of Interest
The authors declare no conflict of interest.
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MDPI and ACS Style
McNeill, J.; Zinn, C.; Mearns, G.; Grainger, R. What Is the Efficacy of the Autoimmune Protocol (AIP) Diet in People with Rheumatoid Arthritis? A Mixed-Methods Pilot Intervention Study. Med. Sci. Forum 2023, 18, 10. https://doi.org/10.3390/msf2023018010
AMA Style
McNeill J, Zinn C, Mearns G, Grainger R. What Is the Efficacy of the Autoimmune Protocol (AIP) Diet in People with Rheumatoid Arthritis? A Mixed-Methods Pilot Intervention Study. Medical Sciences Forum. 2023; 18(1):10. https://doi.org/10.3390/msf2023018010
Chicago/Turabian StyleMcNeill, Julianne, Caryn Zinn, Gael Mearns, and Rebecca Grainger. 2023. "What Is the Efficacy of the Autoimmune Protocol (AIP) Diet in People with Rheumatoid Arthritis? A Mixed-Methods Pilot Intervention Study" Medical Sciences Forum 18, no. 1: 10. https://doi.org/10.3390/msf2023018010
