Understanding the rules for the AIP diet

November 15, 2025 •

3 min read

According to the National Institutes of Health, over 24 million Americans live with an autoimmune disease, a condition that can often be managed through lifestyle changes. Understanding the rules for the AIP diet is a critical step for many seeking to address the root causes of their symptoms by focusing on gut health and reducing inflammation.

Quick Summary

The Autoimmune Protocol (AIP) diet is a structured, phased elimination plan that removes inflammatory foods to identify individual triggers for autoimmune conditions. It emphasizes nutrient-dense foods, gut healing, and lifestyle factors like stress management to create a personalized, long-term diet.

Key Points

Three Phases: The AIP diet consists of an elimination phase (30-90 days), a reintroduction phase, and a maintenance phase.
Eliminate Triggers: In the initial phase, remove common inflammatory foods like grains, legumes, dairy, eggs, nuts, seeds, and nightshades.
Reintroduce Slowly: Reintroduce eliminated foods one at a time, with a waiting period of 5-7 days in between, to identify individual triggers.
Personalize Your Diet: The ultimate goal is to create a long-term, sustainable eating pattern tailored to your body's specific tolerances.
Incorporate Lifestyle Changes: Stress reduction, adequate sleep, and gentle exercise are crucial supporting factors for the AIP diet's success.
Prioritize Nutrient Density: Focus on nutrient-rich foods like vegetables, organ meats, and bone broth to support gut healing and immune function.

The Autoimmune Protocol (AIP) diet is a systematic approach designed to help manage autoimmune conditions by reducing inflammation and promoting gut healing. It is a stricter version of the Paleo diet, removing additional food groups that may stimulate an immune response. The protocol is typically followed under the guidance of a healthcare professional due to its restrictive nature.

The Three Phases of the AIP Diet

Elimination Phase: What to Remove and What to Embrace

This initial, highly restrictive phase removes potentially inflammatory foods to allow the gut lining to heal and reduce systemic inflammation. It typically lasts for 30 to 90 days, or until a noticeable reduction in symptoms.

Foods to Exclude: This phase eliminates grains, legumes, dairy, eggs, nuts, seeds, nightshades, refined sugars, processed foods, and stimulants like alcohol and caffeine.

Foods to Include: The focus is on nutrient-dense options such as grass-fed meats, wild-caught seafood, a wide variety of non-nightshade vegetables, limited low-sugar fruits, healthy fats, fermented foods, and bone broth.

Reintroduction Phase: A Gradual Process

Once symptoms have improved, foods are reintroduced one at a time to identify specific triggers. This methodical process involves consuming a small amount of a test food, monitoring for reactions over several days, and evaluating tolerance before reincorporating it into the diet.

Maintenance Phase: Your Personalized Diet

This final phase is a long-term eating plan based on the findings of the reintroduction phase. The goal is to maintain the broadest possible nutrient-dense diet without triggering symptoms, which is unique to each individual.

Lifestyle Factors for Success

Complementary lifestyle changes are crucial for the AIP diet's effectiveness. Managing stress through techniques like mindfulness or yoga, prioritizing 7-9 hours of sleep, and engaging in gentle physical activity can all support immune regulation and healing.

AIP vs. Paleo: A Comparative Look


Feature	Autoimmune Protocol (AIP) Diet	Paleo Diet
Restrictiveness	Highly restrictive, especially during the elimination phase.	Less restrictive than AIP; avoids grains, legumes, dairy, and processed foods.
Eliminated Foods	Grains, legumes, dairy, eggs, nuts, seeds, nightshades, processed sugars, alcohol, and caffeine.	Grains, legumes, dairy, and processed sugars.
Focus	Reducing inflammation, healing the gut, and managing autoimmune symptoms.	Eating like Paleolithic ancestors; focuses on whole foods.
Duration	Phased approach with a temporary elimination period, followed by personalized reintroduction.	Intended to be a long-term, sustainable eating pattern.
Goal	Identify personal food triggers to create a tailored, long-term diet.	Follow a primitive dietary pattern to improve overall health.

Potential Drawbacks and Considerations

The AIP diet's strictness can make it challenging to follow and may lead to nutrient deficiencies if not carefully managed. It is not suitable for individuals who are pregnant, underweight, malnourished, or have a history of disordered eating. The diet is not a guaranteed cure, and more research is needed on its effectiveness. Working with a registered dietitian is often recommended to navigate the process safely. An authoritative resource for those with autoimmune concerns can be found on the Paloma Health website.

Conclusion

The Autoimmune Protocol diet offers a structured pathway for those with autoimmune conditions to potentially reduce symptoms and improve quality of life by identifying and eliminating specific food triggers. Its phased approach, including elimination, reintroduction, and maintenance, allows individuals to understand their body's unique response to food. However, the commitment required and the need for personalized management underscore the importance of professional guidance to ensure safety and nutritional adequacy. For those who commit to the process, the AIP diet can be a valuable tool for managing health, emphasizing personalization, patience, and a holistic focus on wellness.

Frequently Asked Questions

The elimination phase typically lasts between 30 and 90 days, or until you experience a noticeable reduction in autoimmune symptoms.

No, the AIP diet is not suitable for everyone. Individuals who are pregnant, underweight, malnourished, or have a history of disordered eating should avoid it.

The AIP diet is a stricter version of the Paleo diet. While both eliminate grains and legumes, AIP also removes eggs, nuts, seeds, nightshades, and caffeine in its initial phase.

You should feel a significant improvement in your autoimmune symptoms and achieve a stable baseline before beginning the reintroduction phase, typically after at least 30 days on the elimination phase.

No, you only need to reintroduce the foods you miss most or those that offer the most nutritional diversity. The goal is to find your personal dietary sweet spot, not necessarily to eat every food again.

If you experience symptoms after reintroducing a food, stop eating it immediately and return to your baseline elimination diet. Wait at least 5-7 days before attempting to reintroduce another food.

While the AIP diet can help manage autoimmune symptoms and reduce inflammation, there is no evidence that it can 'cure' autoimmune diseases. It can, however, significantly improve quality of life for many.

Nightshades are only excluded during the elimination phase. During reintroduction, you can test them one at a time to see if you can tolerate them without experiencing symptoms.