The 5 Root Causes of Autoimmune Disease (And How to Start Healing)
5/11/202627 min
Autoimmune disease is often treated as something random, lifelong, and out of your control. But what if it’s not your body malfunctioning—what if it’s your immune system responding exactly the way it’s designed to, to something it sees as a threat? When you understand what’s driving that response, everything changes. Here’s what I cover in today’s episode: • The 5 key drivers—food, toxins, gut health, infections, and stress—and how they disrupt the immune system • Why diet is one of the most powerful levers for turning inflammation on or off every single day • The connection between leaky gut, the microbiome, and immune dysfunction • A practical, functional medicine framework to start reducing symptoms and addressing the condition at the root Autoimmune disease isn’t random—it’s the result of cumulative inputs over time. When you begin to change those inputs, you can shift your biology, calm the immune system, and change the trajectory of your health. Visit functionhealth.com for 160+ lab tests at just $365 a year. Join the 10-Day Detox: https://drhyman.com/pages/10-day-detox Have a question you’d love answered on Office Hours? Submit it here The waitlist is open** Sign up for Dr. Hyman’s Brainshaping Academy to learn how to nourish the biological systems that support your mental, emotional, and cognitive health - Click here (0:12) Introduction, Sponsor: Function Health, and Overview of Autoimmune Diseases (1:38) Immune System, Causes, and Triggers of Autoimmune Disease (3:45) Common Mistakes and Root Causes in Treating Autoimmune Disease (5:26) Food, Diet, and Anti-Inflammatory Strategies (11:47) Toxins, Gut Health, and the Microbiome (17:32) Hidden Infections and Treating by Root Cause (19:38) Stress and Other Triggers for Autoimmune Disease (23:14) Sponsor: Brain Shaping Academy (24:10) Audience Engagement, Sharing, and Subscription (25:19) Disclaimer, Professional Advice, and Sponsor Gratitude
Transcript preview
First 90 secondsMark Hyman· Host0:00
What if brain fog, anxiety, and mood swings aren't simply all in your head? What if the health of your mind actually starts deeper in your body, in your gut, in your hormones, metabolism, and your immune system? Well, let me tell you, the connection is real, and it affects how you think and you feel every single day. And that's why I created Brain Shaping Academy, a six-week program that shows you how healing your body can help you heal your mind. Brain Shaping Academy relies on the same targeted nutrition and lifestyle strategies that I've used for 30 years to help my patients improve their mental, emotional, and cognitive health. So if you wanna feel calmer, clearer, and more in control and stay sharp and protect your brain as you age, check out Brain Shaping Academy at drhyman.com/brainshaping. That's drhyman.com/brainshaping. [instrumental background music] Welcome to Office Hours. This is our dedicated one-on-one space to go deeper, get clear, and explore what truly moves the needle for your health. I'm Dr. Mark Hyman, and each week, we're gonna pull back the curtain and share the insights, the research, the lessons that don't always make it into our conversations with guests. Because at the end of the day, you are the CEO of your own health, and for many of you, your family's health too. And you might not feel it all the time, but you have far more power and agency than you realize. I'm glad you're here. This