Studies indicate that stress, in the form of mental/emotional stress, as well as stress in the form of certain foods (such as gluten), exposure to toxins (such as pesticides), imbalanced gut bacteria, leaky gut syndrome (unhealthy intestinal cells), and viruses (such as Epstein Barr Virus) can all trigger autoimmunity. Some people are prone to autoimmunity based on genetics, but it is exposure to stress that causes the immune system to shift into autoimmunity.