AIP
Educational guide · Part 1 of 2

What is the
Autoimmune
Protocol?

A science-backed elimination framework for reducing chronic inflammation — and what the research actually says.

What is AIP? How AIP Kitchen works →
⚠ Medical note

AIP Kitchen is a recipe and tracking tool, not a medical service. This guide is for educational purposes only. Always speak with your healthcare provider before making significant dietary changes.

The basics

A framework for understanding
how food affects your body.

The Autoimmune Protocol — AIP — is a structured elimination and reintroduction programme designed to reduce systemic inflammation and identify the specific foods that trigger symptoms in people with autoimmune conditions and chronic inflammation.

Unlike a conventional diet, AIP is a time-limited protocol with a clear beginning, middle, and end. You start by removing all foods known to challenge the immune system. You then systematically reintroduce them — one at a time — to discover what your body can and cannot tolerate.

The goal is not permanent restriction. It's understanding. By the end of the protocol you have a deeply personalised way of eating built around your own biology — not a generic food list.

AIP builds on the nutritional principles of Paleo, with additional specificity for people managing autoimmune disease, chronic fatigue, digestive disorders, skin conditions, and persistent joint pain.

73%
of participants in a landmark IBD study reported clinical improvement after completing the AIP elimination phase (Konijeti et al., 2017)
3
sequential phases — Elimination, Reintroduction, and Maintenance — each building directly on the last
30+ days
minimum recommended for the elimination phase before beginning reintroductions, giving the gut time to calm and heal
During elimination

What you eat — and what you remove.

The elimination phase removes all foods known to disrupt gut integrity, stimulate immune responses, or contribute to systemic inflammation. What remains is nutrient-dense, deeply nourishing — and with the right recipes, genuinely delicious.

Focus on these foods
Nutrient-dense · anti-inflammatory
Grass-fed and pasture-raised meat — beef, lamb, pork, chicken
Wild-caught fish and seafood
Organ meats — liver, heart, kidney
All non-starchy vegetables — leafy greens, brassicas, root vegetables
Starchy vegetables — sweet potato, plantain, cassava, taro
Low-sugar fruit — berries, citrus, stone fruit
Coconut products — oil, milk, cream (unsweetened)
Avocado and avocado oil
Cold-pressed olive oil
Bone broth
Fermented foods — coconut yogurt, water kefir, sauerkraut
Fresh herbs — garlic, ginger, turmeric, thyme, rosemary
Remove during elimination
Common immune triggers
Grains — wheat, oats, rice, corn and all derivatives
Legumes — beans, lentils, soy, peanuts
Dairy — milk, cheese, butter, ghee, whey
Eggs — both whites and yolks
Nightshades — tomato, pepper, aubergine, potato, goji berry
Nuts and seeds — including seed-based oils and spices
Alcohol
Coffee and all caffeinated tea
Refined sugars and all sweeteners
Food additives, emulsifiers and thickeners
NSAIDs — consult your doctor before adjusting any medication
All processed and packaged foods
The protocol structure

Three phases, one journey.

AIP is a sequential programme. Each phase builds directly on the last — you don't skip ahead, and what you discover in each phase shapes everything that follows.

01
Phase 01
Elimination
Minimum 30 days · typically 60–90

Remove all common trigger foods entirely. Give your gut and immune system the space they need to begin healing. The longer and cleaner you go, the more informative your reintroductions will be.

  • Follow a strict AIP-compliant food list
  • Log symptoms daily to build your baseline
  • Track meals to connect food with how you feel
  • Focus on nutrient density, not restriction
02
Phase 02
Reintroduction
Up to 90 days · one food at a time

Systematically test eliminated foods, one at a time, with 5–7 days between each test. Your body will respond clearly — and your symptom log will make that response visible.

  • Test foods in structured order across 4 stages
  • Introduce one food at a time, monitor 3–7 days
  • Mark each food tolerated or reacted
  • Return to elimination if symptoms flare
03
Phase 03
Maintenance
Ongoing · your personal protocol

You now have your personal food map. Maintenance is your long-term way of eating — built on AIP's nutrient-dense foundations and expanded with every food your body said it tolerates.

  • Eat an expanded diet based on your results
  • Continue logging symptoms over time
  • Return to elimination if symptoms return
  • Build a sustainable, personalised diet
The evidence

What the research shows.

The research is early — but genuinely promising, particularly for conditions where conventional medicine has limited answers.

AIP for Inflammatory Bowel Disease

Konijeti et al. · Inflammatory Bowel Diseases · 2017
73% of participants achieved clinical remission following the elimination phase. Endoscopic remission was also observed in a subset of participants.

AIP for Hashimoto's Thyroiditis

Abbott et al. · Cureus Journal of Medical Science · 2019
Significant improvements in quality of life and symptom burden in women with Hashimoto's. Serum inflammatory markers also reduced meaningfully.

Elimination diets in autoimmune disease

Systematic review · Frontiers in Nutrition · 2020
Multiple elimination-based protocols showed positive symptom outcomes across IBD, rheumatoid arthritis, and skin conditions including psoriasis.
Is AIP right for you?

Helpful for many —
not right for everyone.

AIP is a significant dietary intervention. Here's an honest guide to who it's well-suited for — and who should speak with a healthcare provider first.

AIP is well-suited for adults who
  • Are managing a diagnosed autoimmune condition — IBD, Hashimoto's, psoriasis, rheumatoid arthritis, lupus, and others
  • Experience persistent fatigue, brain fog, or digestive symptoms without a clear diagnosis
  • Have discussed dietary change with their GP or a registered dietitian
  • Are in a stable relationship with food and want to understand their body better
  • Are committed to completing the full protocol, not just the elimination phase
Please speak with a doctor first if you
  • !Have a current or previous history of an eating disorder or disordered eating
  • !Are pregnant or breastfeeding
  • !Are under 18 years old
  • !Are underweight or have a history of highly restrictive eating
  • !Take medications requiring consistent dietary intake — discuss AIP with your prescribing doctor first
Up next

See how AIP Kitchen supports
the full protocol.

How the app works, step by step — from day one through to maintenance.

How AIP Kitchen works →