Information campaign on autoimmune diseases and nutrition

Every year since 1998, the Association for Nutrition and Dietetics (Verband für Ernährung und Diätetik e.V.) has held a campaign day in March to draw attention to the importance of a healthy diet. This year, the focus is on the links between autoimmune diseases and nutrition.

The University Hospital Würzburg (UKW) is taking up the topic and will be offering information boards, a knowledge game and brochures and materials to take away on Thursday, 5 March 2026. There will also be anti-inflammatory snacks to sample.

Time and place

The event will take place between 10.00 and 16.00 near the "Insel" cafeteria on the ground floor of the Centre for Internal Medicine (ZIM) on Oberdürrbacher Straße. It is initiated, organised and run by dieticians and ecotrophologists from the UKW, who are also available for individual discussions.

Anti-inflammatory nutrition can help

Background: In Germany, around nine per cent of the population suffer from one of the many autoimmune diseases - and the trend is rising. The most common autoimmune diseases include Hashimoto's thyroiditis, psoriasis, rheumatoid arthritis, type 1 diabetes, multiple sclerosis, Crohn's disease, coeliac disease and lupus erythematosus.

The exact causes are not yet fully understood, but genetic predisposition, environmental factors and lifestyle play a significant role. Food can have an influence on the course and symptoms of autoimmune diseases.

A balanced, anti-inflammatory diet can help to regulate the immune system, reduce inflammation and improve overall wellbeing. It can be an important part of holistic treatment. For certain conditions, such as coeliac disease, a strict - in this case gluten-free - diet is even essential, as gluten triggers inflammatory processes in the gut.