An autoimmune disease is caused by your immune system turning against you, but there are also underlying causes for an autoimmune disease. One of them is a leaky stomach. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on "Why Violent Video Games Shouldn't Be Banned"? Get an original essay The stomach is the gateway to health. It houses over 80% of your immune system and if you have an unhealthy stomach you have an unhealthy immune system. Thanks to research we now know that if you have an autoimmune disease it is possible for your stomach to leak. This means that the tight junctions that usually hold the stomach lining together have loosened, allowing undigested food particles, microbes, toxins, and more to escape from the stomach and into the bloodstream. All of these particles are recognized as foreign invaders by the immune system, causing it to become unstable. send an alert. The constant strain on your immune system eventually causes it to go haywire and end up attacking your own tissues by mistake. Another cause is gluten. Gluten contributes to the development of an autoimmune disease in three ways. First, it is the main cause of stomach leakiness as gluten triggers the release of zonulin in the intestine, a chemical that tells the stomach lining to “open up”. Secondly, it is highly inflammatory, so it stresses the immune system, and thirdly, gluten has a similar chemical structure to some tissues in the body (particularly the thyroid), which can lead to molecular mimicry. This is when your body attacks your tissues by mistaking them for gluten. There are also toxins. Toxic molds and heavy metals like mercury are two main toxins. Mycotoxins are very volatile compounds produced by toxic molds that play havoc with the immune system. We are exposed to heavy metals like mercury in several ways: mercury amalgam fillings in our teeth, fish consumption and the environment. The fourth cause is infections. Scientists have long suspected that infections with bacteria, viruses, and other toxins are likely responsible for the development of autoimmunity. And last but not least, stress. Stress disrupts immune function through several distinct pathways. Stress is the body's response to a threat: a wound, injury, or infection. Chronic stress (the kind we face nowadays) leads to long-term inflammation that never truly goes away, creating autoimmune diseases. We know that autoimmune diseases are caused by food or toxins, what kind of foods cause an autoimmune disease? One of the primary causes of an autoimmune disease is gluten. Gluten is a protein made up of the peptides gliadin and glutenin and is found in many cereals such as wheat, semolina, spelt, kamut, rye and barley. Gluten gives bread its airy, fluffy texture and dough its sticky texture. It is also used as a stabilizing agent in many processed foods, such as salad dressings and mayonnaise. It is present in almost everything, from beauty products to packaged foods, medications and supplements. But there is also the danger of dairy products. Dairy products cause inflammation in a huge percentage of the population, due to lactose intolerance or sensitivity to casein and whey. Not to mention, it's typically full of hormones and antibiotics. Processed foods are also very toxic. The Standard American Diet ("SAD") is full of processed foods loaded with hydrogenated oils, high fructose corn syrup, artificial sweeteners, trans fats, refined grains, and sodium chloride (salt.