Dairy

When my doctor told me I had Hashimoto’s thyroiditis, I said, “What? Hashi what?” Not only did I not know what Hashimoto’s was, but I had no idea how to get rid of it.

After some discussion, I realized that Hashimoto’s wasn’t something I could “get rid of.” When I began researching Hashimoto’s I realized it would take a lot of work and discipline to get the autoimmune disease under control. I’ve learned a lot about my condition. I also came to realize getting Hashimoto’s under control wouldn’t happen overnight.
Today I’m going to share 8 ways to naturally treat Hashimoto’s/ hypothyroidism.

Eliminate Gluten and Casein (Dairy) – Many people are gluten intolerant and have given up wheat. You may not think you have an issue with gluten, your thyroid, on the other hand, may feel different. Gluten causes one of the most common allergies and food intolerances today. Dairy is another culprit. These intolerants are due to the hybridized proteins of gluten and casein. These proteins can cause “leaky gut.” Leaky gut I believe is one of the significant contributors to the increase in autoimmune disease not excluding Hashimoto’s because it will cause inflammation of the thyroid. When the thyroid is inflamed its function is affected.

Eliminate BPA – You will find BPA (Bisphenol A) in many plastic bottles. It can disrupt your endocrine system and effect your thyroid. When your thyroid is not functioning properly, you increase your risk of thyroid disfunction. If possible, you should only drink out of glass, stainless steel, or BPA free plastic bottles. Not only will this assist with your health, but it will help the environment too.

Maintain Iodine Levels – If they are low you could use organic liquid iodine or a kelp supplement. Be careful when supplementing iodine. Just as too little iodine isn’t good for your thyroid, too much iodine isn’t good for your thyroid either. I don’t take an iodine supplement. I’m more concerned with overdoes with this one. I eat potatoes, cranberries, green beans, bananas, and cod regularly. These foods are iodine rich and provide the iodine I need.

Heavy Metal Detox – When considering a heavy metal detox remember to consult your doctor. If you are looking to safely assist in purging your body of heavy metals you could use a combination of Milk Thistle, Turmeric, Chlorella, and Cilantro to detox harmful metals from your cells and organs.

Supplement Selenium – It isn’t uncommon for people with Hashimoto’s to experience selenium deficiency. It is also recognized as a common trigger for Hashimoto’s. Some of the best selenium containing foods are brazil nuts, salmon, sunflower seeds, beef, mushrooms, and onions. Selenium was one of the first supplements I started taking when I altered my diet.

Adaptogen Supplements – Adaptogens help our bodies handle stress. They can lower cortisol levels and improve thyroid function. Some common adaptogens are ashwagandha and tulsi (holy basil). These and many others have been used for centuries in Chinese and Ayurvedic healing tradition. I’ve been taking ashwagandha for three years and have noticed a considerable difference in the stress I feel.

Eliminate Soy – When I was diagnosed with Hashimoto’s I spent many hours researching this topic. If you have been following my blog, you have heard me mention the hours of research I spent, hoping to heal. The research is paying off. One of the biggest culprits for me was soy. When I eliminated soy from my diet, I marked a considerable difference in how I felt. Soy blocks the activity of the TPO (thyroid peroxidase) enzyme and has been linked to the development of autoimmune thyroiditis. Additionally, studies have shown that soy can affect thyroid medications, asthma, and menstrual cycles.1

Reduce Carbohydrate Consumption – This is a big one. It is also a difficult task because the market is flooded with processed foods high in sugar. When we (women) consume too many carbs our estrogen levels increase. This increase negatively affects the thyroid. Work toward eliminating sugar and grains, and replace them with healthy fats such as avocado, flaxseed, hemp seed, wild salmon, grass-fed beef, chia, and coconut. By making these changes you will balance your hormone levels.

Sources:

http://www.thyroid.org/thyroid-events-education-media/about-hypothyroidism/
http://www.mayoclinic.org/medical-edge-newspaper-2012/may-04a.html
http://www.mayoclinic.org/medical-edge-newspaper-2011/jun-03b.html
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/15543918
http://www.thyroid.org/thyroid-events-education-media/about-hypothyroidism/
http://hyroidpharmacist.com/articles/soy-and-hashimotos/

Some people roll their eyes and shake their head when you discuss gluten intolerance or dairy intolerance. We hear the argument. “People have eaten these foods for hundreds of years, and now all of a sudden everyone is allergic to them.” I will admit, I used to be one of those people. When I was diagnosed with Hashimoto’s I began reading and researching the effects of certain foods on the thyroid. What I found shocked me. What surprised me even more, I found that when I eliminated these foods from my diet, I was more focused, had more energy, and lost weight without exercising. Not only that, my TSH dropped considerably. Today we explore one of the foods I eliminated from my diet from day one. Dairy.

I Grew Up Consuming Dairy

I have Hashimoto’s. I grew up drinking milk, eating cheese and yogurt, and eating ice cream. I never had stomach aches or problems with my digestion. I did, however, experience fatigue, headaches, hair loss, joint pain. I could go on, but I think you get the picture.

To make the point I’m getting to I will use a study done by the US Library of Public Medicine.1 The 2014 study isolated and tested 83 Hashimoto’s patients for lactose intolerance. The results found 75.9% of the patients were lactose intolerant. They found the intolerance reported in Caucasians to be 7% to 20% higher than those of Asians and African American descent. During the study 38 of the patients began a lactose-free diet that lasted 8 weeks.

The results showed over time the patients’ TSH dropped. The drop in TSH proved they were absorbing their thyroid medication better. In my case, my doctor hadn’t prescribed medication yet so by my eliminating dairy my TSH dropped to within normal range. I now believe that eliminating dairy from the diet shows an intolerance that affects the function of the thyroid.

Does Your Medication Contain Lactose?

If we are going to discuss dairy intolerance as related to Hashimoto’s, then we need to address another important concern. If you have a thyroid issue and are taking medication for that condition, you could be consuming dairy. If you have given up dairy and you aren’t seeing a change in your TSH or body composition, it may be because you haven’t given up dairy 100%. Your medication may be causing your reaction and keeping you in the Hashimoto zone. In addition to the lactose intolerance, you could also have an allergy to dairy proteins; double trouble in the arena of autoimmune disease. The result of both dairy intolerance and allergy will result in a rapid decline in thyroid function.

If you’re taking thyroid medication you will want to know which ones contain lactose as a filler.

Synthroid
Euthyrox
WP Thyroid
Nature-Throid
Most generic brands of levothyroxine
Some compounded medications- check with your pharmacist

The following are lactose free medications

Tirosint
Armour Thyroid
Cytomel
Levoxyl
Some compounded medications may use lactose as a filler – check with your pharmacist

Other Contributing Factors

Additional research finds a disruption of TSH can be the result of absorption disorders like lactose intolerance, atrophic gastritis, IBS, celiac disease, H. Pylori infections. Patients with Hashimoto’s commonly have a difficult time getting their Hashimoto’s in remission because of the forementioned disorders. If we take this information into consideration, it is easy to see how our body systems must work together to keep our body healthy.

Compromised Health

Now we know the effect of dairy on the thyroid, let’s look at the 2 ways it can compromise your health.

Milk Protein
Milk sugars

Milk Protein -Cross-reactors

Milk protein, known as cross-reactors and gluten share a similar protein structure and are as follows:

Casein (alpha & Beta)
Casomorphin (a protein resembling morphine)
Milk butyrophilin
Whey

Because these proteins resemble those in gluten, it is understandable that people become frustrated when they remove gluten and still experience symptoms that are related to gluten intolerance.

Milk Sugars – Lactose

If you are taking a thyroid medication the sugar in dairy may be making your medication ineffective. Even in small amounts milk sugar has an impact on your ability to absorb your thyroid medication. Not only that but remember those medications mentioned listed above that contain lactose? The medication is defeating its purpose.

I could go on for hours about how dairy affects your thyroid. From your ability to absorb your medication to digestion issues, to additional autoimmune disorders. For now, I want you to know that dairy does have a significant impact on the thyroid function. If you take away one thing from this post, I hope it is that I have given you enough information to prompt you to at least research further the effect of dairy on your thyroid. My hope is for you to see the impact of eliminating dairy from your diet. You will feel better and enjoy better health.

References

Category: Dairy

8 Ways to Naturally Treat Hashimoto’s/Hypothyroidism

The Effect of Dairy on Hashimoto’s