Brian Bentow: Can Food Alone Reverse Autoimmune Disease?

Brian Bentow is a serial entrepreneur whose most important venture began not in the boardroom—but in the kitchen. He is CEO & Co-Founder @ Get Saucy. We spoke about his personal journey of reversing Crohn's disease symptoms through food, why he rejected conventional treatment, and how this led him to a deeper mission: making medically tailored meals accessible, sustainable, and delicious for people with autoimmune and food sensitivity conditions.

What happens when modern medicine offers prescriptions, but not root causes? Brian's story begins with a diagnosis, a tearful colonoscopy photo, and a commitment: “I just wept… and I felt a determination to not only heal from this, but to be healthier than I ever was before.” Rather than accept long-term pharmaceutical treatment, he took a different route—a strict autoimmune protocol (AIP) diet that radically changed his life. “Once I was 100% compliant with the diet, the results were dramatic and almost immediate.”

We explored what most people misunderstand about diet and chronic illness, why functional medicine still sits outside the mainstream, and how cultural myths about food are harming us. Brian also challenges the status quo in culinary culture: “My doctor said, ‘If you had these results and you were on medication, I would be ecstatic.’ And I said, ‘No medication.’”

But this isn’t just a health story—it’s a startup story. Brian’s transformation led to his next business: solving the very problem that once overwhelmed him. “I had more discipline than most… but my daughter can’t force herself to eat food that doesn’t taste good.” This emotional trigger, combined with the challenge of making flavorful AIP-compliant meals, eventually led him to partner with a Michelin-trained chef and reimagine allergy-friendly cuisine. His goal: help people with autoimmune diseases have a seat at the table—without sacrificing flavor or health.

Key Takeaways:

• The Power of Elimination Diets: “All my symptoms resolved and my inflammation went down by over 90%.”
  
  
• The Blind Spot in Medical Training: “In 40 years of practice, only one other patient had results like yours. But I don’t recommend the diet to anyone—because it’s not sustainable.”
  
  
• Root Causes, Not Band-Aids: “If I had been diagnosed with celiac, he would have told me to stop eating gluten. But for Crohn’s, only meds were offered.”
  
  
• Culinary Innovation Meets Medicine: From chicken tikka masala without nightshades to tomato-free marinara, Brian is creating sauces that heal as they delight.
  
  
• Mission-Driven Fulfillment: “Fulfillment is the hardest problem to solve. You can’t buy it. You have to earn it every day.”

If you’ve ever wondered whether food could truly be medicine—or if you've struggled with restrictive diets and felt alone—this episode will not only give you hope, but show you what’s possible when determination meets innovation.