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The Autoimmune RESETAuthor: VJ Hamilton
VJ Hamilton is a nutritionist, scientist, and autoimmune disease expert who founded The Autoimmunity Nutritionist Clinic, a Nutritional Therapy and Functional Medicine clinic specialising in autoimmune disease. VJ combines her lived experience overcoming autoimmune disease symptoms with her knowledge of nutrition, health, biochemistry, and immunology to provide you with the most up-to-date research on autoimmune disease. The Autoimmune RESET aims to provide you with the education and resources to empower you to take steps to transform your health and feel better than ever. In each episode, VJ will share simple ways to uplevel your diet and lifestyle, key learnings from her own journey reversing autoimmune disease, and inspirational stories from those who have reset their autoimmune symptoms and are now thriving in life. Health practitioners, mind and body experts, and scientists will be joining VJ as guests on the show, as well as those who have inspirational stories to share and are now thriving in everyday life! And don't miss the short episodes every Friday, The Friday 5, in which VJ shares five healthy must-haves for you to explore over the weekend. Language: en-us Genres: Health & Fitness, Nutrition Contact email: Get it Feed URL: Get it iTunes ID: Get it |
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Friday 5 - What Does a Positive Autoimmune Antibody Test Really Mean?
Episode 246
Saturday, 7 November, 2026
Send us Fan MailYou’ve been given a positive ANA, raised thyroid antibodies or an anti-CCP result. After months or even years of symptoms, you might be wondering whether this is finally an explanation, whether it points to something that could develop in the future, or what you’re supposed to do with the result.In this Friday 5 episode of The Autoimmune RESET, I walk through five autoantibody results and explain what I look for when putting them into context. I also share why my own ANA was negative when I had alopecia areata and psoriasis, and how living with unexplained joint pain in my twenties shaped the way I listen to people whose symptoms haven’t yet been explained.The five results we coverAntinuclear antibodies (ANA). Why a positive ANA can be a starting point when investigating lupus, Sjögren’s disease or other connective tissue conditions, and how the titre, staining pattern and your symptoms help put the result into context.Anticentromere antibodies (ACA). What these antibodies can tell us when limited cutaneous systemic sclerosis is being considered, and why symptoms such as Raynaud’s phenomenon matter when deciding whether further assessment is needed.Thyroid antibodies (TPO and Tg). How thyroid antibodies can be elevated while TSH and free T4 are still within range, and why I look at thyroid autoimmunity and thyroid function separately.Coeliac disease antibodies (tTG-IgA and EMA). Why coeliac disease can come into the conversation when someone has persistent iron deficiency or fatigue, how total IgA helps guide interpretation, and why it’s worth discussing testing before going gluten-free.Anti-CCP antibodies. How this result can inform an assessment for rheumatoid arthritis, and why persistent joint swelling and morning stiffness still matter when antibody tests or inflammatory markers are normal.Some autoantibodies can appear before symptoms develop, and what they mean for you depends on the specific antibody and your wider clinical picture. If you’ve received a result you’re unsure about, take these three questions to your next appointment:What does this particular antibody tell us?How does the result fit with my symptoms and health history?Does it change what we should do next?If you know someone trying to make sense of their own autoimmune blood results, please share this episode with them.Vote for VJI have been nominated for a Flamingo Business Award in the Health and Wellness Warrior category. These awards recognise the impact we make through our work.If my podcast, articles or clinical work have helped you in any way, I would be incredibly grateful for your vote:Vote here: https://flamingobusiness.co.uk/fba-public-vote-2026Thank you so much for your support.Important: This episode is for educational purposes and isn't intended to diagnose the cause of your hair loss. Sudden, unexplained or significant hair loss should be medically assessed, and suspected scarring hair loss requires prompt specialist assessment.🧘♀️ Need nervous system support?→ I personally use and recommend SONA, a vagus nerve stimulation device clinically shown to support immune balance, inflammation, and stress recovery.Use code VJ10 for 10% discount at checkout. 📥 New to the podcast or need a starting point?→ Download my free The Autoimmunity Recovery Plan— a simple guide that outlines the steps I recommend to all clients as they begin calming the immune response and rebuilding resilience.Thanks for listening! You can join The Autoimmune Forum on Facebook or find me on Instagram @theautoimmunitynutritionist.
