Will a Gluten-Free Diet Lower Thyroid Antibodies?

Probably! Here's Why

If your doctor diagnoses you with Hashimoto’s, he or she will likely write you a prescription for replacement thyroid hormone and send you on your way. If you ask about whether there’s anything you should be doing in terms of diet or lifestyle, they will probably tell you there isn’t. Not helpful. On the other hand, a random Instagram influencer or blogger telling you you should go gluten-free isn’t helpful either. Hair on fire either way!

Hashimoto's or Hashimoto's thyroiditis is an autoimmune disease where the body's immune system mistakenly attacks the thyroid causing damage and preventing it from making enough thyroid hormones. Hashi's leads to an under active thyroid gland (hypothyroidism) which can cause weight gain, fatigue and a bunch of other symptoms. It is the most common thyroid disease in the United States, affecting five in 100 people.⁣ Additionally, Hashimoto's is three times more common in women with PCOS than without it.⁣ Eeek. Sometimes antibodies are elevated before other symptoms show up. All good reasons to get a full panel thyroid test at your checkups and find out if thyroid antibodies are elevated and then resolve the root causes of having elevated thyroid antibodies.

Those with existing autoimmune diseases, such as celiac disease, are more likely to develop Hashimoto's disease. According to a recent meta-analysis, all patients with AITD should be screened for CD, given the increased prevalence of these two disorders' coexistence.

The close relationship between celiac disease and thyroid gland autoimmunity can be largely explained by sharing a common genetic background. Celiac disease is a small intestinal inflammatory disease with autoimmune features that are triggered and maintained by the ingestion of the storage proteins (gluten) of wheat, barley, and rye.

A recent pilot study was designed to determine if a gluten-free diet affects autoimmunity among women with Hashimoto's. Researchers observed the gluten-free diet group had reduced thyroid antibody titers and slightly increased 25-hydroxyvitamin D levels after six months. Suggesting a gluten-free diet can yield clinical results for those with Hashimoto's.

In conclusion, present evidence indicates the beneficial role of diet in the autoimmune status and HT patients' clinical course. Although nutritional interventions for healthy thyroid function, including appropriate intakes of iodine, selenium, and zinc, are well-known, the effect of gluten on Hashimoto's and other thyroid conditions continues to be studied . Due to HT's increasing coexistence with CD and other autoimmune diseases a no or low gluten diet may be important. My nutrition advice? The science shows if you have any thyroid issues, try going gluten-free and see how you feel. If eliminating gluten improves your quality of life that might not be good enough to get published in a peer-reviewed medical journal, but it’s probably good enough for you, right?

The information discussed in this blog is not intended to replace endocrine medical advice! But you knew that.