“Healthy foods” that actually make you sick

Many people with inflammatory diseases such as Crohn's disease, Hashimoto's thyroiditis, MigrainePeople with neurodermatitis, psoriasis, rheumatism or arthritis consciously pay attention to their diet, avoid gluten and use dietary supplements.

Nevertheless, inflammation, fatigue, or pain often persist. Tobias Stumpfl and Karin Stumpfl from Tobio therefore take a provocative look at supposedly healthy foods and show what role nutrition, gut health, and so-called lectins might play.

Many people with chronic illnesses know the feeling of not really making progress despite all their efforts. While medication often helps to control symptoms, the underlying cause remains unclear for many sufferers.

People with Crohn's disease, Hashimoto's thyroiditis, rheumatism, arthritis, neurodermatitis, psoriasis or migraine, in particular, often experience that symptoms such as fatigue, digestive problems, brain fog, joint pain or skin reactions permanently burden their everyday lives.

Hoping for improvement, they often follow so-called "anti-inflammatory" dietary recommendations. However, inflammation or symptoms usually do not improve sustainably.

“Many people focus exclusively on what is supposedly anti-inflammatory – but not on which foods are the cause of their symptoms. If this connection remains unrecognized, inflammation and the resulting discomfort can persist despite all efforts,” explains Karin Stumpfl from Tobio.

“What’s needed is not a diet, but an approach that permanently reduces the cause of such symptoms. Many sufferers experience for the first time the feeling that their health is improving,” explains Tobias Stumpfl, who is involved in the problem. from own Experience knows.

He himself suffered from Crohn's disease and spent years searching for solutions – from vegan diets to dietary supplements, therapeutic fasting and TCM.

As a trained software developer and airline pilot, he wanted to understand the cause of the disease and the biochemical functioning of the human body.

Today, Tobias Stumpfl and Karin Stumpfl are developing lectin-free alternatives for everyday dishes and want to help those affected to better understand the connections between nutrition, leaky gut, inflammation and chronic diseases.

Leaky gut, gut health and inflammation as a common denominator

Chronic conditions are still often viewed in isolation. While Crohn's disease is primarily associated with digestive problems, Hashimoto's thyroiditis is considered a thyroid disease, atopic dermatitis a skin problem, and migraines a neurological burden.

Tobias Stumpfl and Karin Stumpfl, however, see the cause of chronic inflammatory processes as a common factor in all these diseases. In their view, a disrupted intestinal barrier plays a particularly important role. – also called leaky gut – an important Role.

Leaky Gut one understands an increased permeability of the intestinal barrier. This can lead to... for example, undigested food components in the bloodstream and come into contact with the immune system.

When undigested plant proteins reach immune cells in increased amounts, mast cells, among others, react. These release messenger substances such as histamine and other inflammatory mediators – substances that drive inflammatory reactions in the body.

In their view, the potential consequences are not only evident in the gut, but also, for example, in the skin, joints, energy balance, or immune system.

"The gut is not an isolated digestive organ. As a sensitive outer boundary of our body, the gut plays an immense role in our immune defense." – whoever understands this“He understands why so many different complaints can have the same origin,” explains Tobias Stumpfl from Tobio.

What lectins are and why they can be relevant for chronically ill people

Their approach focuses on so-called lectins – plant proteins that are natural defense substances of plants to defend themselves against predators such as pests.

Lectins can open the "tight junctions" of the intestinal epithelium and to make the intestine permeable to substances which are normally not allowed to be ingested and therefore, as described above, trigger the immune system.

They are found in cereals, pseudocereals, legumes, soy, maize, peas, lupins, cashews, seeds with shells, and in nightshade plants such as tomatoes, potatoes, peppers, chili peppers, or eggplants.

“We know that sounds controversial,” admits Tobias Stumpfl. “But if whole grains, abstaining from meat and fat, and tofu worked so well, then everyone should actually be much better off.”

Many people are already opting for gluten-free products, and gluten is indeed the most prominent lectin. However, many gluten-free products still contain ingredients like corn, rice, or potato starch, which the Stumpfls believe could also be problematic.

"Gluten-free does not mean lectin-free" – and those who don't understand this“It’s just swapping one problem for another,” says Tobias Stumpfl of Tobio.

Crohn's disease and Hashimoto's: Why classic dietary recommendations often fall short

People with Crohn's disease often receive dietary recommendations intended to alleviate symptoms in the short term – such as toast, compote, white bread, rice or light pasta.

A gluten-free diet often plays an important role in this. However, Tobias and Karin Stumpfl believe this approach is misguided.

In their view, the focus is primarily on acute tolerability, while potential long-term effects on the intestinal barrier, metabolism, or inflammatory processes are given too little consideration.

“Less diarrhea does not automatically mean that a food is actually good for the intestines,” explains Tobias Stumpfl.

They see a similar situation with Hashimoto's thyroiditis. Although many affected individuals have well-controlled lab values ​​with medication, many still suffer from fatigue, concentration problems, digestive issues, or lack of energy.

The antibodies against the tissue also usually persist – a sign that the underlying cause is not being addressed. Tobias Stumpfl's intensive study of these connections stems from personal reasons.

After his Crohn's disease diagnosis, he didn't just want his symptoms suppressed, but to become completely healthy again. That's why he tried for so long. all classically healthy as well as alternative forms of nutrition – including vegan diets, TCM, Ayurveda and quantities of dietary supplements.

He still didn't feel truly healthy for a long time. It was only one of his mentors, an American doctor, who opened his eyes: His statement: What's more important first is... one doesn't do, rather than what one does.

In this case, it involves eliminating the dietary factors that trigger and maintain the disease. He now describes the subsequent switch to a lectin-free diet as a game-changer.

Today, they repeatedly encounter people who, despite medication, dietary supplements and various dietary changes, feel that their health has stagnated.

For example, they report on a young woman with Hashimoto's thyroiditis who, despite treatment, continued to suffer from severe fatigue, digestive problems and pronounced food intolerances.

Only after a consistently lectin-free diet did digestion, resilience and quality of life gradually improve significantly, and the antibodies against thyroid tissue also normalized.

Tobio: Everyday nutrition instead of radical bans

These experiences eventually led to the creation of Tobio. Instead of focusing on prohibition lists, Tobias Stumpfl and Karin Stumpfl prioritize everyday usability.

Familiar dishes such as bread, pasta, schnitzel, steak, pizza, burgers or desserts should still be possible – only with adapted ingredients.

Initial experiments with lectin-free flours led to the development of products and recipe ideas that are in no way inferior to familiar dishes in terms of taste, consistency, and everyday usability.

In addition, the two experts also take into account factors such as macronutrient distribution, metabolic health, nutrient density and individual intolerances.

They are critical of a diet high in starch and carbohydrates, while fat from their point of view an important It can play a role as an energy source, nutrient and vitamin supplier.

“Those who can continue to eat bread, pasta or cake will be able to stick to a dietary change in the long term,” explains Karin Stumpfl from Tobio.

At the same time, both explicitly emphasize that major dietary changes in the case of existing diagnoses should always be accompanied by doctors or nutrition experts.

Their goal is not to create fear of food, but to support people in finding practical solutions for to find everyday life.

New perspectives for people with chronic conditions

Chronic conditions should therefore not be considered in isolation, but rather their underlying causes should be examined. Whether it's Crohn's disease, Hashimoto's thyroiditis, atopic dermatitis, migraines, or rheumatism – many sufferers continue to experience fatigue, digestive problems, difficulty concentrating, or lack of energy despite medication, dietary supplements, or various diets.

With Tobio, Tobias Stumpfl and Karin Stumpfl want to offer practical and everyday support – through knowledge, recipes, lectin-free products and new presentations for familiar dishes.

At the same time, they explicitly emphasize that their approach does not constitute a medical diagnosis or treatment. "For us, a lectin-free diet is not a diet, but a philosophy of life. It was and is..." today the game changer for all “Many people, including myself,” Tobias Stumpfl concluded.

You want to better understand chronic conditions and find out, what role nutrition and other lifestyle factors play in this Could they? Tobias and Karin Stumpfl from Tobio show those affected in their mentoring program how a lectin-free diet can be implemented in everyday life – with a focus on enjoyment and quality of life!

Source / Photos: tobio.at