Episode 39: Autoimmunity, MS & the Cell Danger Response: A Whole-Body View
Healthily | 06/30/25
What if autoimmunity wasn’t the body turning against you, but a call for deeper care and understanding?
In this episode of Healthily, I’m joined by Nutritional Therapist Elisa Ferguson, who specialises in supporting people with Multiple Sclerosis (MS). We explore the wider story behind autoimmune conditions – including how stress, gut health, trauma, and diet all interact in powerful ways.
We take a look at the cell danger response – a protective mechanism where the body essentially "hits pause" on certain functions to deal with threat. When this response becomes chronic, it can contribute to many chronic conditions, including MS.
Together, we reflect on why people often fall down rabbit holes in search of solutions, and how to find a gentler, more effective way forward. This is an episode full of insight, calm, and connection – not just for those living with MS, but for anyone curious about how to support whole-body health through the lens of autoimmunity.
TAKEAWAYs
✔️ MS as the Starting Point — What Was the Experience, What Is MS
The guest realized there was something wrong when she began losing balance in yoga, had numbness and tingling down her arm — symptoms she originally thought were a “trapped nerve.”
An MRI revealed white lesions on her brain; she was shocked by the diagnosis. Conventional doctors offered a few medications, but — as she describes it — little else beyond “take this, go away, and hope for the best.”
MS is described as an autoimmune condition: the immune system attacks the myelin sheath (the protective coating around nerves). Because it’s autoimmune + inflammatory, causes and symptoms vary widely from person to person.
Why this matters: MS rarely looks the same in different people. The root causes (genetics, lifestyle, environment, gut health, stress, etc.) and triggers can differ. So a “one-size-fits-all” treatment approach often falls short — which is why a more integrative, personalized approach can make sense.
✔️ Looking Beyond Medication: What Other Factors to Consider
Instead of viewing MS as solely a disease of “faulty immune system,” the conversation reframes it as an adaptive—but overloaded—immune response, triggered by external pressures like:
Viral infections (latent viruses reactivated under stress, immune dysregulation)
Gut health issues, impaired gut barrier or microbiome imbalance (“leaky gut”)
Chronic stress, trauma, emotional overload
Exposure to environmental toxins
Hormonal fluctuations / imbalances, especially relevant for women
In this view, the immune system is doing exactly what it should: trying to protect the body. But chronic stressors and suboptimal internal environment overload it, leading to dysfunction.
That reframing changes the mindset from “broken body” to “body under stress / toxicity,” which opens up more holistic and empowering strategies to support people.
✔️ Foundational Lifestyle & Nutrition Strategies That Help (Regardless of “Diet Protocols”)
Because there are many competing “MS diets” — Paleo, Keto, AIP (Autoimmune Paleo), etc. — the guest recommends focusing instead on the commonalities among them:
The foundation should include:
Whole, unprocessed, nutrient-dense foods
Plenty of diverse vegetables (for antioxidants, fiber, anti-inflammatory nutrients)
Good-quality protein + healthy fats (e.g. oily fish, nuts, seeds → to improve omega-3:omega-6 balance)
Removal or reduction of highly inflammatory foods: refined sugar, refined flours/oils, processed foods — and especially gluten & dairy (which many with autoimmunity react to)
Also:
Support gut health (healthy digestion, gut barrier integrity, regular bowel movements)
Prioritize nutrient status — especially nutrients essential for nerve health, detoxification, and immune function like B-vitamins (B12, folate), magnesium, vitamin D, good fats (omega-3s), and antioxidant vitamins (A, E)
If needed: use appropriate lab testing (e.g. active B12, homocysteine, or methylation markers) not just standard plasma levels
Important caveat: improvements vary — some people feel better quickly, others take months. Removing one trigger might help, but if other “nails on the stool” remain, discomfort may persist.
✔️ The Nervous System, Stress, Trauma & Immune Response — A Critical Link
The guest underscores the close interplay between the nervous system (how our bodies sense stress or threat) and the immune system. Chronic stress, unresolved trauma, or being in a persistent “on alert” state can keep the immune system hyperactive.
She references the idea of a “cell danger response”: when the body senses stress or environmental threat, even at a cellular level, energy metabolism, detoxification, and immune regulation can down-regulate to “protect.” If this response never resolves, chronic disease may result.
Therefore, addressing stress, past trauma, emotional burdens — through therapeutic modalities that support nervous-system regulation — is as important as addressing food, environment, or supplementation.
For women, in particular, additional layers exist: hormonal fluctuations, societal pressures (e.g. people-pleasing, perfectionism, emotional suppression), and often transgenerational trauma — all potentially contributing to increased autoimmune risk.
✔️ It’s Not About “All or Nothing” — It’s About Creating Safety, Balance & Giving the Body What It Needs
You don’t need to suddenly adopt a super-strict diet, take dozens of supplements, or overhaul your life overnight. That kind of rigidity often just creates more stress (which undermines the whole process).
Instead, start with simple, manageable changes — eat a varied whole-food diet, improve gut health and digestion, support nutrient status, reduce toxic or inflammatory exposures, and find ways to regulate stress and nervous-system health.
Healing may take time — months or longer. But consistency and gentleness matter more than perfection. With a supportive, personalized roadmap, many people have seen meaningful improvements.
