Episode 63: AIP for IBD — The Gene Expression Study & Patient Experience Survey

What happens inside the body when someone follows the Autoimmune Protocol—and how does AIP actually feel to people using it in real life?

In this episode of the Autoimmune Wellness Podcast, Mickey Trescott reviews two important follow-up studies from the Scripps research team, led by Dr. Gauree Konijeti, that expand our understanding of AIP for inflammatory bowel disease beyond symptom improvement alone.

The first study examined gene expression changes in intestinal tissue after an AIP intervention in ulcerative colitis. The second explored real-world patient experiences using AIP for Crohn’s disease and ulcerative colitis through a large survey. Together, these studies shed light on both the biological shifts and the lived experience of AIP for IBD.

In this episode, you’ll learn:

1. Why researchers examined gene expression changes after AIP
2. What the RNA substudy revealed about immune and healing pathways
3. Why these findings matter despite a small sample size
4. How people with IBD experience AIP outside of clinical trials
5. Common patterns in symptom improvement and medication use
6. How personalization and reintroduction typically unfold in real life
7. What these studies add to the growing AIP research landscape

Resources:

Scripps RNA Gene Expression Study (2019): An Integrative Clinical Pilot Study to Evaluate RNA Expression Changes in Inflammatory Bowel Disease Following the Autoimmune Protocol Diet

AIP IBD Patient Experience Survey (2021): Experience Using the Autoimmune Protocol Diet in Inflammatory Bowel Disease: A Patient Survey

AIP Foundation Series – Free 5-day email course with printable guides, meal plans, and beginner resources.

The New Autoimmune Protocol (Book) – Updated research, Core and Modified AIP guidance, and step-by-step meal plans (available for pre-order).

Episode Timeline:

00:00 – Introduction: looking beyond symptoms

02:23 – Overview of the RNA and patient experience studies

03:42 – RNA substudy participant profile

06:51 – The AIP intervention used in the RNA analysis

07:41 – Clinical outcomes observed in the RNA subgroup

10:32 – How RNA gene expression was analyzed

13:07 – Results: gene expression and immune pathways

16:47 – Introducing the IBD patient experience survey

20:21 – Survey results: symptom changes and medication use

24:00 – Survey results: food reintroductions

28:08 – Recap: what these studies add to AIP research