The 6th Annual AIP Summit kicks off on January 13, 2025 – make sure to register for this event right now, and scroll to the bottom of this post to hear a short podcast episode from the founder, Jaime Hartman!

The AIP Summit began in 2019 and is presented by AIP Certified Coaches from around the world, representing a broad array of practitioners from across the conventional and holistic medical spectrum. The mission of the AIP Summit is to provide accurate and reliable information to the general population so that more people are able to access the life-changing power of the Autoimmune Protocol on their own.

Over five days (January 13-17, 2025), sessions are presented live with the recordings available for free viewing for 24 hours post-broadcast, and then archived for members-only access.This year’s agenda includes AIP cooking demonstrations as well as discussions on self-care, lifestyle factors like sleep and stress, gut health, fitness, and much more.

If you are not able to attend during the summit week or wish to support the AIP Summit so that we can continue to spread about AIP to autoimmune patients and practitioners throughout the world, consider becoming a supporting member!

The post The 6th Annual AIP Summit! appeared first on Autoimmune Wellness.

Good news! The Autoimmune Protocol (AIP), an elimination and reintroduction protocol aimed at helping those with autoimmune disease identify food sensitivities and increase nutrient-density, continues to be the focus of medical research investigating its efficacy for specific autoimmune conditions. While AIP has been widely used in the autoimmune community since 2011 (see the

History of the AIP Movement), medical research into its efficacy began around 2015, with results of the first pilot study published in 2017. Since then, studies have been conducted using AIP as an intervention for inflammatory bowel disease (Crohn’s and ulcerative colitis), Hashimoto’s thyroiditis, rheumatoid arthritis, eczema, and psoriasis. If you’d like to learn more about previous studies, including what interventions were used and the results, check out the AIP Medical Research Review.

Today I’ll be highlighting the newest AIP medical study, Effects of Autoimmune Protocol (AIP) diet on changes in thyroid parameters in Hashimoto’s disease by a research team from Poland, Paulina Ihnatowicz, Jerzy Gębski, and Małgorzata Ewa Drywień [1]. This is the second study that has been conducted so far using AIP as an intervention to manage Hashimoto’s thyroiditis and certainly adds to our knowledge base of how to use the protocol for managing it [2]. Hashimoto’s is not only the most common autoimmune disease, but conventional treatment is rarely successful as many patients find that they continue to have symptoms even though their hormone levels have been “treated to target” [3].

For this study, 28 patients with Hashimoto’s thyroiditis were enrolled, with 20 of them completing the study. The average age was 35, with patients between 23-55 years old. Patients underwent initial testing, surveys, and dietary analysis, and then were prescribed individualized, 12-week dietary plans compliant with Core AIP Elimination. It should be noted that in contrast to prior studies using AIP, there was no use of a transition phase–participants made immediate transitions to the elimination diet [2].

In terms of testing completed at baseline and completion of the study, patients had their height and weight measured in a clinic, had lab draws for thyroid hormones (TSH, total and free hormones) and thyroid antibodies, an ultrasound of the thyroid, and they also completed surveys to capture symptom burden. Prior dietary intake was captured using a survey for analysis and comparison of prescribed AIP meal plans.

After initial testing, each participant was prescribed an individualized, 12-week Core AIP meal plan based on their anthropometrics (height and weight). They were instructed to continue all prescribed medications and supplements as before, and no adjustments were made to doses. Support was offered via monthly group coaching calls.

Energy and macronutrient intake

A comparison of prior diet and prescribed AIP diet showed that energy intake (calories) was roughly the same before and after the study (2,067 to 1,997 calories). In terms of macronutrient intake, protein increased from 16.77% to 24.9% of total calories, which is an increase of roughly 85 to 125 grams per day (based on a 2,000 calorie intake). The increase in protein came primarily from decreased fat intake.

Micronutrient intake

Analysis of nutrient intake via prescribed AIP...

In January, a new option for the elimination phase of the Autoimmune Protocol (AIP) was announced:

Modified AIP Elimination. If you are looking for the exact details of which foods are included and avoided in both Core and Modified AIP, don’t miss What is AIP: The Definitive Guide which has been completely updated.

A quick summary of the reasons why Modified AIP was added as an elimination option:

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• Many patients in the AIP medical studies saw results before reaching a full elimination
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• AIP Certified Coaches reported seeing good results without a full elimination using a modified protocol in their practices
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• Recent elimination diet research indicates that stricter does not always produce better results
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• Increasing accessibility, affordability, and sustainability can widen the reach and application of AIP
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If you’d like to read more about why AIP was updated, the research process behind making the update, be sure to read Announcing Modified AIP: A 2024 Update to the Autoimmune Protocol.

The founding mission here at Autoimmune Wellness has been to provide free resources for anyone who wants to embark on AIP. Since 2012, we’ve been delivering a resource library with food lists, meal plans, and other materials as a part of our AIP Quick Start Guide email series. Since inception, over 200,000 of you have downloaded these materials!

With the 2024 update to the Autoimmune Protocol, it was a prime opportunity to take a look at this resource library and give it a comprehensive update. Not only have all of the prior resources been edited and redesigned, but new materials have been added for the new Modified AIP elimination (including dedicated food lists, a meal plan, and reintroduction materials).

Here is a list of what is included in the updated Autoimmune Wellness Resource Library:

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• AIP Quick-Start Guide
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• Core AIP Foods to Include
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• Core AIP Foods to Avoid
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• Modified AIP Foods to Include (NEW!)
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• Modified AIP Foods to Avoid (NEW!)
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• Core AIP Meal Plan & Shopping List
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• Modified AIP Meal Plan & Shopping List (NEW!)
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• AIP Reintroduction Guide
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• Core AIP Reintroduction Stages
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• Modified AIP Reintroduction Stages (NEW!)
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• Food Reaction Checklist
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• AIP Medical Research Review (NEW!)
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All of these materials are presented as beautifully-designed .pdf files that you can read on your computer, e-reader, or other digital device. They can also be printed at home.

1. If you are a subscriber to the Autoimmune...