gluten free or paleo for hypothyroidism?

AKNMHunt
AKNMHunt Posts: 168 Member
in Food and Nutrition
My son was recently diagnosed and we are working toward treatment. When we go to his appointment in a couple days i am going to ask about a recommended diet.

I had read both gluten free and paleo have been said to help but I cannot find any medical advice, just personal stories.

Are there any reputable sources from a medical standpoint that discuss the benefits of a specific nutritional side for this?

Replies

  • AKNMHunt
    AKNMHunt Posts: 168 Member
    Anyone?
  • SteampunkSongbird
    SteampunkSongbird Posts: 826 Member
    I'm certainly no expert, but I can share my experience if it makes any difference; I have hypothyroidism, and am gluten-free due to having coeliac disease. One auto-immune condition often goes hand in hand with another, unfortunately. Being gluten-free stops the coeliac symptoms - I can't even tell you how much better I feel being GF after years of terrible stomach pain (I was only diagnosed in November 2012) - but the diet didn't appear to have any effect on my thyroid problem. I was still feeling very lethargic, weak and dizzy for months despite going gluten-free and losing the gut pain I had, I had thought those other symptoms would've gone away too as they can also be symptoms of coeliac, but they persisted, so I went back to the doc and was diagnosed with hypothyroidism. I was prescribed levothyroxine, and I no longer have dizzy spells and I'm much less weak too. I can only assume your son will be prescribed this drug, or maybe something similar more geared towards children.
  • MJ_Watson
    MJ_Watson Posts: 180 Member
    I'm not sure how helpful this is, but I've been very successful manging my thyroid levels and losing weight with the help of proper medication without any special diet. I have heard that lowering carbs helps some (I usually end up eating a moderate carb diet myself), which I would think to be easier than a relatively more extreme diet change like Paleo or GF. But I agree with asking your Dr. (When I was diagnosed, I know mine put me on a protein sparing modified fast to get weight down... Which I gave up on due to it being so restrictive. So take that as you will.) Most important is going to be getting the meds right. Good luck! I wish you and your son all the best through this tough period of adjustment!
  • thatredheadedBAMF
    thatredheadedBAMF Posts: 25 Member
    I had success lowering my carbs as well and sticking to as much real, fresh food as possible. I was also insulin resistant at the time, so this made sense for me, but no doctor told me to do it. I figured it out on my own and I lost nearly 100 pounds after being diagnosed hypo and after I later had my thyroid removed due to cancer. Don't bother asking your doctor; they receive very little training concerning proper nutrition unless they have a whole other degree (some do- MS in Clinical Nutrition is one) in the topic.

    You will only get a recommendation of gluten free from a doctor if they have test results showing it is necessary, i.e. as a solution for a problem. Paleo does not treat any disease so you will not receive a recommendation for it. Unfortunately, it is trial and error. I've been in the hypothyroid community online for ten years now, seen many endocrinologists, and I can tell you that there is no medically-sanctioned "thyroid diet."
  • AKNMHunt
    AKNMHunt Posts: 168 Member
    I've been in the hypothyroid community online for ten years now, seen many endocrinologists, and I can tell you that there is no medically-sanctioned "thyroid diet."
    That's what I was trying to find. He is 5.5 and the problem is that he has stopped gaining weight, which I know is typically hyper instead of hypo, but his levels say hypo.

    He doesnt have any other symptoms that would suggest Celiac.
  • thatredheadedBAMF
    thatredheadedBAMF Posts: 25 Member
    You can lose your appetite with hypo and actually lose weight as well. Is he eating? Does he have some favorite foods you can make/ buy that might encourage him to eat more? I would try that first, then mention the weight loss issue to his doctor. Good luck!
  • bcattoes
    bcattoes Posts: 17,299 Member
    My son was recently diagnosed and we are working toward treatment. When we go to his appointment in a couple days i am going to ask about a recommended diet.

    Just wait a couple days for advice from the physician familiar with your son's case.

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