The role of gluten in thyroid disease
If you have Hashimoto's Thyroiditis or Hypothyroidism, chances are you've come across information saying a gluten free diet can be beneficial in the management of these thyroid conditions. But why?
Firstly, a gluten free diet is most important in autoimmunity, so if you have Hashimoto's Thyroiditis then a gluten free diet is going to be more beneficial than if there's no autoimmunity present.
How do you know if you have an autoimmune thyroid issue? You would need to do a Thyroid Antibody blood test with your practitioner or GP to determine this.
A gluten free diet is recommended in Hashimoto's Thyroiditis due to a few reasons:
* Molecular Mimicry
* Coeliac Disease in Autoimmunity
* Leaky Gut Syndrome
* Glycophosphates
Molecular Mimicry
In Hashimoto's, the thyroid antibodies bind to the thyroid, specifically against the thyroid peroxidase enzyme receptors, inhibiting the production of thyroid hormones and cause destruction of the thyroid gland itself.
The protein gliadin found in gluten is a large inflammatory protein which is a similar structure to this thyroid gland enzyme. When you consume gluten, the body views the gliadin protein as a foreign substance and begins attacking it. The problem is as this protein is so similar to the thyroid gland enzyme, in response more thyroid antibodies are released. So in the presence of gluten in the diet, essentially the thyroid antibodies rise, resulting in increased destruction to the thyroid gland and inhibited thyroid function which we see in Hashimoto's.
A gluten free diet has shown to reduce thyroid antibodies after just 3-6 months.
Coeliac Disease
With the presence of autoimmunity in Hashimoto's Disease, it's always advised to screen for other autoimmune conditions, i.e. Coeliac Disease.
Leaky Gut Syndrome
Gluten is very inflammatory to the gut. We know the proteins in gluten open up the tight junctions, ie. contributing to leaky gut syndrome, it raises an immune response which again worsens autoimmune conditions. One of the underlying triggers to Hashimoto's is leaky gut as well as poor digestion, dysbiosis in the gut and food allergies/sensitivities.
Glycophosphates
This chemical is used on wheat to prevent mould, but is a known gut irritant. This chemical itself has been known to contribute to thyroid dysfunction, let alone the effect it's having on our gut health. One of the key recommendations in Hashimoto's Thyroiditis is to reduce your chemical burden as we know they do impact our thyroid function, along with other harmful consequences on our health.
Other ways you may want to look at reducing your chemical burden:
* Water Filters - if you don't have a filter, you are the filter! Filtered water is especially important in thyroid disease and the fluoride in water displaces our iodine levels. Iodine is one of the key nutrients for our thyroid function.
* Personal Care Products - look for natural parabon free etc. in soaps, skincare, haircare, deodorants, toothpaste to name a few.
* Natural Cleaning products - for household and laundry
* Avoid perfumes - replace with essential oil based products
* Organic and/or Pesticide-free Food - or buy a fresh produce wash and wash your fresh produce thoroughly.
You might also want to look at doing a therapeutic detoxification program with your practitioner to help detoxify any stored environmental toxins from the body.
Gluten Free Diet
A gluten free diet can be beneficial in the management of many health conditions but particularly where autoimmunity is present. If you need assistance with a gluten free diet, a Nutritionist is the perfect practitioner to help guide you through the best way to remove gluten from your diet. We provide individualised food ideas, recipes and product tips to help you in this transition to a gluten free diet.
