Hashimoto's Thyroiditis

What is Hashimoto's thyroiditis?

Symptoms of Hashimoto's thyroiditis

Causes of / Risk factors for Hashimoto's thyroiditis

Prevention / remedies / cures / treatment for Hashimoto's thyroiditis

References

What is Hashimoto's thyroiditis?

Hashimoto's Thyroiditis (lymphocytic thyroiditis) is an autoimmune disease in which the thyroid gland is attacked by the body's own immune system. The thyroid is a small gland located at the base of the neck, which produces hormones that regulate the body's metabolism. If the immune system attacks the thyroid gland, it causes chronic inflammation and decreased thyroid activity.

Hashimoto's thyroiditis is the most common cause of autoimmune-induced hypothyroidism, being involved in about 90% of cases. It occurs between eight and fifteen times more often in women than in men, and is most common in women between 30 and 60 years of age, though it can occur at any age including in children.

Hashimoto's disease is more common in regions of high iodine or low selenium dietary intake, and among people who have been exposed to infectious diseases, certain pharmaceutical drugs, and those who are genetically susceptible.

Symptoms of Hashimoto's thyroiditis

Hashimoto's thyroiditis usually develops slowly over a number of years. The symptoms also develop slowly, though over time the damage and symptoms become more progressive and obvious. Hashimoto's thyroiditis often results in hypothyroidism with bouts of hyperthyroidism, with the symptoms varying under these two different conditions.

• Fatigue and tiredness.
• Dry and pale skin, sometimes with a feeling of pins and needles.
• Weight gain.
• Muscle aches and weakness, low energy.
• Emotional instability. Depression (or mania under conditions of hyperthyroidism), panic, forgetfulness, and other mental and psychological maladies.
• Constipation.
• Excessive menstrual bleeding.
• Puffy or bloated face.
• Sensitive to cold.
• Hoarse voice.
• Migraines.
• Poor blood cholesterol profile and a slow pulse rate.
• Goitre. A goitre (goiter) is a swelling of the neck or larynx caused by an enlarged thyroid gland. The thyroid may or may not be functioning properly. About 90% of goitre cases are caused by iodine deficiency.
• Hair loss.

Causes of / Risk factors for Hashimoto's thyroiditis

• Vitamin D deficiency in 100% of cases. (5) Vitamin D deficiency causes many autoimmune diseases, including Hashimoto's thyroiditis.
• Selenium deficiency. Several studies (1, 2, 3) indicate that selenium provides protection from and slows the progression of Hashimoto's disease.
• Damaged gut biome, dysbiosis, irritable bowel disease or SIBO. This means that most mineral nutrients are not being absorbed properly. A wide range of essential micronutrients are likely to be deficient, including zinc, magnesium, omega-3s, various antioxidants and vitamins.
• Coeliac disease. (4)
• Hormonal imbalance. Hashimoto's is always associated with hormonal imbalances, as both a cause and an effect. 90% of people suffering from Hashimoto's have insulin resistance, and it is closely associated with diabetes. Diabetes causes a sustained and excessive level of insulin that leads to upsets in the level of other hormones. Hashimoto's affects mostly women because women have greater fluctuations of other hormones (apart from insulin) throughout their lives. Pregnancy, breastfeeding and menopause cause large hormonal fluctuations.
• A viral or bacterial infection.
• Mitochondrial dysfunction. Damaged mitochondria are often associated with insulin resistance and diabetes, and directly caused by high sugar consumption. This is why those suffering from Hashimoto's have low energy levels.
• Iodine excess or deficiency. Swings between deficiency and excess. A root cause of Hashimoto's is iodine deficiency, but because of the extra sensitivity of the thyroid and the swings in iodine levels, any supplementation must be done slowly and with great care.
• Genetic factors, Hashimoto's thyroiditis runs in the same families.
• Being female and middle-aged.

Prevention / remedies / cures / treatment for Hashimoto's thyroiditis

The thyroid gland regenerates very slowly, compared to other glands and other parts of the body. It may take seven years for the cells in the thyroid to be replaced.

• Vitamin D. (5)
• One or two Brazil nuts per day. Brazil nuts are rich in selenium, and one nut per day provides an optimal maintenance dose of selenium. Do not eat more than two Brazil nuts per day, because this may cause barium toxicity or an excess of selenium that is extremely toxic.
• A diet that soothes inflammation, encourages the production of steroidal hormones (and therefore hormonal balance), minimises allergic reactions and malabsorption of minerals, and normalises the levels of insulin and leptin, the master hormones. It is a no sugar diet. Full details are in my eBook Grow Youthful, and here you can see an outline of this high-saturated fat, low-grain hunter-gatherer diet.
• Coconut oil and other saturated fats.
• Avoid gluten. The diet recommended above is gluten-free. (4)
• Slow and careful supplementation of iodine under the care of an experienced health practitioner.
• DMSO.
• Urine therapy.
• See details of remedies recommended by Grow Youthful visitors, and their experience with them.

References

1. Nacamulli D, Mian C, Petricca D, Lazzarotto F, Barollo S, Pozza D, Masiero S, Faggian D, Plebani M, Girelli M E, Mantero F, Betterle C. Influence of Physiological Dietary Selenium Supplementation on the Natural Course of Autoimmune Thyroiditis. 2009, Clinical Endocrinology 73 (4): 535-539. doi:10.1111/j.1365-2265.2009.03758.x. PMID 20039895.

2. Turker O, Kumanlioglu K, Karapolat I, Dogan I. Selenium treatment in autoimmune thyroiditis: 9-month follow-up with variable doses. 2006, Journal of Endocrinology 190 (1): 151-156. doi:10.1677/joe.1.06661. PMID 16837619.

3. Van Zuuren E J, Albusta A Y, Fedorowicz Z, Carter B, Pijl H. Selenium supplementation for Hashimoto's thyroiditis. (2013). In Van Zuuren, Esther J. "Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews". The Cochrane database of systematic reviews 6: CD010223. doi:10.1002/14651858.CD010223.pub2. PMID 23744563.

4. Ventura A, Neri E, Ughi C, Leopaldi A, Citta A, Not T. Glutendependent diabetes-related and thyroid-related autoantibodies inpatients with celiac disease. J Pediatr 2000; 137: 263-65.

5. Ritterhouse LL, Crowe SR, Niewold TB, et al. Vitamin D deficiency is associated with an increased autoimmune response in healthy individuals and in patients with systemic lupus erythematosus. Annals of the Rheumatic Diseases 2011;70:1569-1574.