The First AIP Pilot Trial in Rheumatoid Arthritis with Julianne Taylor (Ep 088)

Episode 88: The First AIP Pilot Trial in Rheumatoid Arthritis with Julianne TaylorCan dietary change meaningfully improve rheumatoid arthritis symptoms?A recently published pilot study investigating the Autoimmune Protocol diet in adults with rheumatoid arthritis found improvements in patient-reported disease activity, pain, fatigue, sleep, and quality of life measures—with several participants reaching remission-level scores by the end of the intervention.In this episode of the Autoimmune Wellness Podcast, Mickey Trescott is joined by registered nutritionist, AIP Certified Coach, and PhD candidate Julianne Taylor to discuss the first clinical trial investigating the Autoimmune Protocol in rheumatoid arthritis.Julianne shares her personal journey into autoimmune nutrition research, explains how the study was designed, and walks through the results of the pilot trial—including improvements in fatigue, sleep, pain, and disease activity.Together, they also explore the nuances and limitations of dietary research, discuss why individual responses vary, and dive into Julianne’s broader scoping review of elimination and reintroduction diets in rheumatoid arthritis spanning decades of research.In this episode, you’ll learn:How Julianne’s personal health experience led her into autoimmune nutrition researchWhat a pilot feasibility study is and why it mattersHow the AIP rheumatoid arthritis study was designedWhy patient-reported outcomes like fatigue and sleep are important in RA researchWhat improvements participants experienced during the interventionWhy some participants experienced challenges or adverse effectsHow nutrient density and food eliminations may both influence outcomesWhat historical elimination diet research in RA reveals about common trigger foodsWhy nightshades continue to be an important area of interest in autoimmune nutritionWhat future research on AIP and rheumatoid arthritis may explore nextResources:Paleo Zone Nutrition (blog)Julianne Taylor Nutrition (website)Julianne Taylor on InstagramThe First AIP Pilot Trial in Rheumatoid ArthritisElimination, Reintroduction Diets, and Oral Food Challenge in Adults with Rheumatoid Arthritis: A Scoping ReviewEpisode Timeline:00:00 – Introduction to the first AIP rheumatoid arthritis pilot study01:56 – Introducing Julianne Taylor03:54 – Julianne’s personal health journey and early paleo research11:34 – What a pilot feasibility study is13:05 – The questionnaires used in the AIP RA pilot trial17:07 – The AIP intervention and elimination phase19:32 – Results of the rheumatoid arthritis pilot study24:56 – Discussing adverse effects and individual variability30:57 – Diet quality versus food eliminations33:54 – Reviewing decades of elimination diet research in RA38:48 – Common trigger foods identified in the literature42:31 – Nightshades and rheumatoid arthritis44:31 – Upcoming AIP and RA research51:20 – What Julianne hopes clinicians and patients take away from the research53:23 – Where to follow Julianne’s work online