Hashimotos Disease and Nutrition

Hello! I too have Hashimotos. I do not have nutrient goal numbers to suggest but from all of the reading I have done so far about Hashis you want to make sure to be getting plenty of protein and fruits and vegetables. From my personal experience, I have a hard time digesting carbs (mainly grains) so I try to get the majority of my carbs from plants instead of grains. One of the best resources I have found is from Dr Izabella Wentz, her book and website are very helpful. I'm not sure if I helped answer your question very well, I would be interested as well if anyone else can suggest some actual number goals we could use.

prettypaula96 wrote: »

Talk to a naturopath is my best suggestion.

Below is an excerpt from Science Based Medicine. The language in the italics is how a naturopath will treat Hashimotos.

Primary hypothyroidism is the result of insufficient production of T4 by the thyroid gland, and the major cause is autoimmune thyroid disease (Hashimoto thyroiditis). Those with hypothyroidism may describe weight gain, cold intolerance, dry skin/hair, constipation and hair loss. Because these symptoms are so general, diagnosis must be based on lab tests. There’s a continued debate about treating those with borderline hypothyroidism, and the evidence seems to suggest that the benefits from treating this group of patients is unclear. In general, most people with hypothyroidism can do well on thyroxine T4, and take it for life.

In alternative medicine, the thyroid isn’t just an organ. It’s a symbol. And if you’re sick – yep, it’s your fault:

"In naturopathic medicine, the thyroid reflects a woman’s voice in her life. Many women have experienced a “trapped voice,” and by the time perimenopause arrives, the accumulated effect gives rise to symptoms, including poor thyroid function. Over and over we have seen that when women make progress in using their voices, their thyroid symptoms subside."

Having established that dysfunction is your fault, the next step is to invent a fake condition, and the condition."

A whole lot of woo, ignore that post and seek medical advice.

(Source)

nakedraygun wrote: »

Tough break. Seek out a science-based nutritionist or dietician.

Do this.

prettypaula96 wrote: »

Talk to a naturopath is my best suggestion.

Not this.

You need a medical doctor, not someone with nothing to offer but placebo effect.

Re: nutrition - unfortunately, you're likely not to get much help at all from a doctor OR a nuritionist/dietician. The doctor's simply have very little training in nutrition, and the nutritionists and dietitians get very little training in diets for specific conditions or allergies. Sometimes, you can find someone who has specialized in your condition, but you're like on your own, especially with an autoimmune disorder.


But, in my own experience:
Most autoimmune disorders involve inflammation, so diets that help lower inflammatory responses may be of use. Grains, dairy, legumes, and nightshades have substances in them that tend to increase inflammation. For most people, it's so little that it really doesn't matter, but for folks with issues like yours, avoiding those ingredients on a trial basis can sometimes improve your symptoms.

Also increasing foods that contain anti-inflammatory substances is good, like fresh herbs, certain berries - you can look up anti-inflammatory diets and get some ideas (although it's good to check that the diet is based on chemical components of the food and not on woo-woo).

Going along with that, a lot of autoimmune disease sufferers, anecdotally, have seen improvement in symptoms when avoiding gluten, dairy, soy, or all three (which makes sense for the grain, dairy, and legume inflammatory issues). There's not been much research into this, though, so right now, it's literally word of mouth. I've heard of some doctors who specialize in autoimmune diseases starting to recommend a trial diet with this, though, to some of their patients. So hopefully it is gaining enough recognition to be studied soon.

I would also actually recommend getting tested for celiac disease. There's a much higher risk of celiac disease for those who have Hashimoto's, and the Hashimoto's can mask celiac symptoms, as well as the celiac disease making Hashimoto's symptoms worse, so it's usually worth getting the blood test, if you can, in my experience.


The Paleo diet, while really rather craptastic in terms of science, is still a diet that contains no grains, dairy, legumes, or potatoes (I can't remember if it avoids the other nightshade family veggies), so it can at least be a good starter diet for recipes if you are looking for some.

Oh, and my board certified GI doc who specialized in autoimmune disorders said he had noticed that his autoimmune patients seemed much more likely to have problems with artificial dyes and preservatives and many chemicals, and so he tells all his autoimmune patients drop them from their diet if they can, and try to go organic to avoid the pesticide residues and such. He said there was no research on this yet, but that he'd seen it so frequently in his patients, with so much improvement when they changed their diets, that he had started making the recommendation to all of them.

brenni76 wrote: »

I have hashimoto's and even though I am not a fan of it, Paleo is the way to go. There are a lot of environmental food factors associated with hashi flare ups and paleo eliminates all of those things (no gluten, grains, dairy, and only grain/grass fed high quality meats). I still eat beans and eat a lot quinoa (which there is a lot of debate on if quinoa is really paleo friendly or not), to keep my meals satisfying and to make sure I'm getting enough fiber. But even though it's a difficult diet, and I have a hard time sticking to it, I'll admit I feel best on a Paleo diet. There is a lot of research available online regarding best diets for managing autoimmune diseases.

That may be true but a lot of it is bunk. You have to be careful and check sources. My rheumatologists have always told me to just ignore anyone talking about treating autoimmune diseases with food and that no special diet has been shown to help. I don't have hashi's though so that might make a difference. I still think OP's best bet is to seek out a dietician.

My daughter has hashimotos as well, but her levels are ok now. She has IBS as well, I thought they were two different problems, I didn't realize that food had a lot to do with the thyroid problems. We know that dairy is a trigger for her, and she only wants like a 1/2 a sandwich. Greasy foods and beans make her feel bad. I will have to investigate this further. My sister also has this.

If you have one autoimmune disease you are more than likely to have another. Often Hashimotos and Celiac go hand in hand. I would see a really good specialist and have them do a full blood panel for Celiac Disease. Often times non specialists will do a small panel that misses a lot of the auto antibodies. I wasn't diagnosed until I had a full panel done. Good luck. Also going gluten free will not help you lose weight unless you are in a calorie deficit. A lot of people still try and eat all of the gluten free junk that is out there and that stuff is higher in calories than normal gluten filled items.

I have Hashimoto's also and am currently reading The Paleo Protocol. According to the author all grains and nightshades should be eliminated. Any thoughts?

There might be evidence that gluten causes more TPO antibodies and inflammation. Removing gluten could reduce your total TPO antibody count and thus slow down the autoimmune disease. This in no way will reverse your autoimmune disease or your symptoms. If you feel better eating paleo or gluten free it's not because you're reversing your disease. It's either a placebo effect, you were malnourished on your old diet, or you have some other medical issue going on like celiac.

I hate to break it to you, but you have Hashimoto's for life, I do too. And the best thing you can do for yourself is search for a flexible endochrinologist that cares about how you feel on top of how your meds effect your lab result numbers. Having a flexible endochrinologist means you can try different medications, they are up to date with more recent research, and lets you adjust your dosages based on your symptoms between visits.

I know there is plenty of Paleo hate here, but for whatever reason, the paleo diet looks identical to what my friend with Hashimoto's eats every single day. She can't really digest grains, and is severely gluten intolerant. I don't think she has the same issue with legumes though.

Do you have similar issues with grains? If so, I don't think paleo is the worst you could do in terms of general guidance. But perhaps peel it back a little and make it more manageable for you.

Also, I notice that the insulin resistance I experience at higher weights goes away and makes it possible for me to eat on an intermittent fasting schedule (rather than every 4 hours, because I'm HANGRY) once I have started losing weight. I think I generally get the fastest response from light, daily cardio like walking, but that is anecdotal and may not be the same for you.