The body fights itself, and now what? In the autoimmune condition Hashimoto’s thyroiditis, the immune system starts to register the thyroid as foreign to the body and to attack it. Yet the thyroid is in no way harmful. It supplies the body with vital hormones that have a decisive influence on metabolism and wellbeing.
The underactive thyroid that follows creates a hormone deficiency that can often only be brought under control with the help of medication. Is there a way of preventing this process through nutrition?
The immune system guards our body. In some cases, though, it becomes a little too suspicious and starts to fight things that actually pose no danger. That is the case with allergies, for example, and equally with autoimmune conditions such as type 1 diabetes mellitus or indeed Hashimoto’s thyroiditis.
You can find out whether your thyroid is working properly by having your thyroid values checked at the doctor, for example, or at home with a test, for instance from Cerascreen.
If you are affected by Hashimoto’s, it is important to keep the immune system in check and to avoid foods that could put it in an uproar. Various foods can provoke a reaction from the immune system. Even though some intolerances occur particularly often in connection with Hashimoto’s, that does not mean everyone has to avoid them.
It is worth having a test for intolerances done at the doctor, though, or leaving out troublemakers for a certain time in order to find out whether the body benefits from going without them.
Suspect no. 1: gluten. An intolerance to gluten, known as coeliac disease, occurs up to 10 times more often in people affected by Hashimoto’s than in people with a healthy thyroid.
Under certain circumstances wheat gluten can trigger “leaky gut” syndrome in the intestine. In plain terms, the gut barrier is attacked and becomes permeable to small food components or fragments of our gut flora.
In the bloodstream these are of course absolutely unwanted, and an increased immune response follows along with the production of immune cells. The insidious part: the antibodies that recognise gluten and then activate the immune system are structurally very similar to those that recognise the thyroid as an “attacker”. So there is a danger of confusion here.
The immune system may possibly react to dairy products and pulses as well. But here too the rule is: trying beats theorising. If it makes no difference to how you feel, there is no need to go without. Things are different with alcohol and sugar. Those should be avoided in any case, because they promote inflammation and stir the immune system up even further.
Even though they have no influence on the immune system, so-called goitrogenic foods are said to have a thyroid inhibiting effect. These are mainly vegetables from the brassica family, namely cabbages such as broccoli, cauliflower or Chinese cabbage, turnips and radishes and cress.
It is disputed, however, how strong the effect actually is and whether the health benefits of these vegetables do not outweigh the drawbacks. Also good to know: once cooked, the goitrogenic effect disappears. So the only thing to watch here is not to eat giant portions of them raw.
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2. The right amount of carbohydrates with Hashimoto's
Keto, low carb, or potatoes until you drop? Which amount of carbohydrates is best suited to keeping Hashimoto’s in check? A complex topic, which we have already looked at in our article “Low carb nutrition with thyroid problems“. Since Hashimoto’s is not a normal underactive thyroid, though, even more points have to be taken into account.
A ketogenic diet with a very low amount of carbohydrates has an anti-inflammatory effect. That means nothing other than that it takes the load off the immune system and therefore has a positive effect on autoimmune conditions.
In addition, too many carbohydrates put a strain on the hormone system: when the insulin level rides a rollercoaster, a large quantity of hormones is needed, for example insulin and glucagon, to regulate it accordingly again.
This primarily concerns the pancreas, but the body’s hormones overlap with one another and influence each other strongly, which puts a strain on the thyroid as well.
So it is important to take in only a small amount of carbohydrates and to choose carbohydrate sources that barely affect blood sugar, or affect it only a little. One great source is fibre rich vegetables, for instance, which at the same time deliver plenty of wonderful micronutrients such as vitamins.
Carbohydrates not only serve us as a source of energy, they are also an important building material for a wide range of messenger substances in the body. These include hormones that concern the thyroid. If the thyroid is not working well to begin with, and then the building material is in short supply as well, the underactive thyroid that often goes along with Hashimoto’s can become even more pronounced.
Carbohydrates also have a stimulating effecton the pituitary gland: this hormone producer right at the brainstem forms the hormone TSH (thyroid stimulating hormone), which works as the initiator of thyroid activity. That means carbohydrates have a stimulating effect on the thyroid.
Fibre, which mostly consists of indigestible carbohydrates, also has an important influence. It is essential for a healthy gut flora. The tiny single-celled organisms in our intestine can protect our gut barrier and help to prevent problems such as leaky gut syndrome and unnecessary strain on the immune system.
In the end every person is individual. The right amount of carbohydrates to take in can be worked out together with the Foodpunk nutrition experts.
Fun fact: the thyroid is the organ in our body with the highest selenium content. And not without reason, because this mineral fulfils several important functions for the butterfly shaped organ.
For one thing it is a component of deiodinase, an important enzyme that is responsible for activating the thyroid hormones that have been produced. If selenium is missing, deiodinase cannot fulfil its function and thyroid function is reduced. For another, the antioxidant enzyme glutathione needs it in order to render free radicals harmless.
These highly reactive oxygen species arise through stress, alcohol or strong sunlight, for example, and can do a lot of damage inside the cell. They are also said to play a considerable part in the ageing process.
Normally not welcome visitors, but in the thyroid the highly reactive hydrogen peroxide is needed for the oxidation of iodide to iodine. Even so it is important to keep the free radicals in check at that point, because an excess can damage the thyroid further.
You can best top up your selenium with Brazil nuts, fish, meat or eggs. Some vegetables, for example broccoli or onions, can also contain notable amounts of selenium depending on where they were grown.
Like many other autoimmune conditions, Hashimoto’s often goes along with a vitamin D deficiency. The average of the German population already lies below the recommended minimum value for the sunshine vitamin, and for people affected by Hashimoto’s the picture is unfortunately worse still.
Yet vitamin D in particular is important for regulating the immune system. Here it can make sense to give things a helping hand, above all in winter.
Iron also plays an important role in the function of exactly those enzymes that the immune system wrongly attacks in the thyroid. Iron deficiency is found particularly often in patients with Hashimoto’s. The cause of this can, however, also be the frequent accompanying condition coeliac disease, through which iron absorption in the intestine is inhibited.
Even so, with Hashimoto’s in particular it makes sense to have the doctor check you for a deficiency. Supplementing without any evidence should certainly be avoided, because an excess of iron is just as harmful as a lack of it.
When it comes to iodine, the situation is somewhat more complicated. Iodine is an important component of the thyroid hormones: tetraiodothyronine (T4) contains no fewer than 4 iodine atoms. Even so, a higher amount of iodine does not automatically have a positive effect on the course of the illness.
Various studies have shown that both a slight deficiency and a slight excess could increase the amount of unwanted antibodies in the blood. Participants whose iodine intake matched the recommendation exactly were in the best position.
The average in Germany is slightly undersupplied, though, so using iodised table salt is advisable here.
Besides the nutrients that the body has to take in so as not to develop deficiencies, plants contain many further bioactive substances. Even though they are not needed for normal body function, they unfold their effect in the body and can influence metabolism.
Immune modulating plant substances influence the immune system and can help to stop unwanted defence reactions:
Flavonoids (apples, pears, berries)
Carotenoids (carrots, tomatoes, peppers)
Curcumin (turmeric)
Quercetin (tea, cranberries, blueberries)
Sulforaphanes (cabbages, radishes, cress)
Anti-inflammatory plant substances reduce inflammatory processes in the body and take the load off the immune system:
Flavonoids (apples, pears, berries)
Carotenoids (carrots, tomatoes, peppers)
Antioxidant plant substances help to defuse reactive oxygen species and so protect the body’s cells:
Flavonoids (apples, pears, berries)
Carotenoids (carrots, tomatoes, peppers)
Phenolic acids (coffee, tea, wholegrain products)
Glucosinolates (cabbages, radishes, cress)
Sulfides (onion, leek, chives, garlic)
4. Our recommendations with Hashimoto's
With regard to carbohydrates, studies suggest that low carb with 50 g of carbohydrates per day is the best choice for many of those affected. It is the golden middle ground between the advantages of a low carbohydrate diet and avoiding carbohydrate shortfalls, which can have a negative effect on the symptoms.
Even so, the carbohydrate source matters here. Complex carbohydrates from vegetables or wholegrain products: top. 50 g of sugar a day: flop. Unfortunately, certain nutrient deficiencies and intolerances often occur together with Hashimoto’s thyroiditis. As always, though, there is no miracle solution that applies to everyone.
Even though the likelihood of a gluten intolerance is higher, that does not mean everyone has to go without it. Here we recommend having an intolerance check done at the doctor and having the levels of various nutrients checked in a blood count.
An AIP (autoimmune protocol) can also help to find out whether leaving out certain food groups brings any easing of the symptoms.
Even though Hashimoto’s thyroiditis cannot be cured through nutrition, nutrition does have a big influence on the course of the illness. Because it is not only the immune system that benefits from healthy eating, it is the whole body.
If you too suffer from a thyroid condition and now really feel like doing something for your health, have our experts draw up a plan for you and get going.
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