> > Is he/she on paleo? what i have read about MS is it is an adult form of
> > autoimmune disease, possibly induced/helped along by vax/flu shots,
similar
> > to autism. The brain is overwhelmed by foreign proteins.
>
> Autoimmune disease is not about actual foreign proteins, but the
> body identifying its own proteins as foreign.  It may be caused
> by "molecular mimicry" where a foreign protein resembles an
> actual protein in the body closely enough that the immune system
> "learns" to identify *both* as foreign.  Once that happens, it
> targets the tissue proteins as if they were foreign.
>
> If this is correct, it's hard to see how removing the foreign
> protein would cure the auto-immune disease, since even after the
> "mimicking" protein is removed, the immune system would continue
> to attack the "mimicked" tissue, if you know what I mean.  This
> suggests that autoimmune disease caused by foreign proteins may
> be irreversible, unless a way can be found to get the immune
> system to "forget" the foreign protein.
>
> If so, a paleo diet may be better for prevention than treatment
> of autoimmune diseases.
>
> Does this make sense?
>
Yes it does. The immune response is orchestrated by a type of white blood
cell called a T-lymphocyte- there are many types with a complex hierarchy
and "security routines". During foetal development and early infancy, those
T-cells that respond to bodily antigens (proteins etc) are switched off and
are called forbidden clones. Activation of a forbidden clone can cause
autoimmune disease. Also many body antigens are sequestered away where the
T-cells don't go and these clones are not switched off. Sequestered antigens
include sperm, and a football injury leading to sperm in the blood may lead
to an immune response causing infertility, for example. The brain has many
sequestered antigens hiding behind the blood brain barrier. Molecular
mimicry is another factor- eg a bacterial antigen resembling a bodily
protein- the classical disease here is rheumatic fever where a streptococcal
throat infection with bacteria having proteins similar to body proteins, is
followed by rheumatic fever or glomerulonephritis- the activated T-cells
kill off the bacteria and then go on the rampage against the joints or
kidneys. The T-cells call up the cavalry- other white blood cells,
antibodies, complement system etc...

Loren Cordain's paper on Cereal Grains : Humanities Double Edged Sword
details quite complexly, how T-cells function is interfered with in a manner
that promotes abnormal activation of T-cells, ie it breaks the usual
"security routine" leading to poor immune control. He makes a clear case how
grain toxins combined with a particular virus may lead to an immune response
causing insulin dependent diabetes ("adolescent type").(It is very complex
and only recommended for people with some background in immunology, or a
great deal of spare time).
Rheumatoid arthritis is another example of an autoimmune disease where a
forbidden clone attacks self.

Paleo can help in 2 ways- firstly by prevention as you say. Secondly, it can
restore normal regulation and "security routines" to the T-cell master
controllers, and this is a plausible way to lead to downgrading and
disappearance of the autoimmune response, much as Ray describes his
rheumatoid arthritis being cured in NeanderThin. Autoimmune diseases may
disappear as mysteriously as they appear, so it would be hard to prove this,
but I think Paleo is the answer IMHO.
Thirdly, Paleo cannot restore totally destroyed cell lines such as pancreas
insulin-producing beta cells, and therefore although it might restore an
adolescent diabetic immune system, it would not restore insulin production.
(as opposed to middle aged diabetes where there is initially heaps of
insulin, merely great resistance to its effect, as discussed previously).

Ben Balzer
"The ideal diet for any animal is that which it eats in the wild. Humans are
no exception."
"Ask a dietitian or doctor how to lose weight and you'll be told to eat
bread, corn, soy, cereals etc.. Ask a farmer how to fatten an animal and
you'll be told to feed it bread, corn, soy, cereals etc. There is a
discrepancy that needs explanation."