Vitamins for Hashimoto's Disease

Medical research shows that certain vitamins can slow down autoimmune thyroiditis and alleviate many of its symptoms. However, some may also contribute to the disease.

Some vitamin supplements have been documented as helping or worsening the symptoms of autoimmune thyroiditis. The most important vitamin supplements for anyone with Hashimoto's disease to consider are listed below.

A good multivitamin supplement is likely to include all of these elements, but you may need to supplement some individually to correct particular deficiencies. A multivitamin may also include elements you would rather avoid, such as iodine, so check ingredients carefully. (See also:Minerals and Supplements for Hashimoto’s Disease)

The B Vitamins

Vitamin B12

Hashimoto’s and pernicious anemia – caused by vitamin B12 deficiency – are often found to co-exist. Anyone with Hashimoto’s should have their B12 levels checked by a doctor before starting supplementation (which would distort results). If levels are low, B12 can be given as injections (by a doctor), by tablets, or sublingually (drops under the tongue). B12 is generally recommended as part of a B-complex supplement for people wtih Hashimoto's.

Other B Vitamins

All the B vitamins play a role in controlling the symptoms of Hashimoto’s and in controlling metabolism – the B vitamins are needed for more than 100 enzymes involved in protein metabolism.

B6 helps the body to convert iodine to thyroid hormone; so a deficiency of B6 can worsen hypothyroidism generally. It also helps the body story more magnesium, and many Hashimoto’s sufferers take magnesium supplements to lessen body cramps.

Vitamin B1 (Thiamin) has a direct correlation to the production of energy: it increases circulation, and assists in carbohydrate metabolism. A shortage of vitamin B2 can depress endocrine function, especially the thyroid and adrenals. Vitamin B3 (Niacin) helps circulation, the nervous system, and in stabilizing cholesterol levels. A good B-complex may be the most important vitamin supplement for anyone with Hashimoto's disease.

Vitamin D

Many people with Hashimoto’s take vitamin D supplements, but there is a body of thought, discussed at length at the 2008 International Congress on Autoimmunity, that some forms of vitamin D, including the supplemental form, are largely implicated in the disease. A deficiency of the vitamin may be due to the "Vitamin D-grabbing" disease mechanisms, rather than a simple consequence of disease that needs to be corrected. There are many abstracts detailing the vitamin D connection. The Marshall Protocol, which follows this line of thought, claims to be helping cure people with severe forms of autoimmune disease through a combination of drugs and zero-intake of vitamin D. (1)

It is worth investigating supplementation with vitamin D at length to decide on whether to increase intake of this vitamin in your own particular case.

Vitamin A and Betacarotene

Studies have proved that autoimmune diseases occur and worsen in people whose serum samples are low in vitamin E, beta-carotene, and vitamin A.(2) A deficiency in vitamin A or betacarotene may also limit the body’s ability to produce thyroid hormone. Beta-carotene is the precursor to Vitamin A, and seems to be the more important element to supplement, but this can be toxic in large doses – maintain levels through foods instead (as a general guide, betacarotene is found in yellow and orange fruit and vegetables).

Blood levels of vitamin A are also lower in people with goitre than in similar people without goitre.(4)

Vitamin E

Vitamin E protects the vulnerable components of the body’s cells and their membranes from destruction. It also protects all the cells' lipids (fats) and related compounds, such as Vitamin A. It works synergistically with Vitamin C. But note that soya is not recommended in any form for people with Hashimoto's, and many forms of Vitamin E supplements contain soya. Be sure to supplement with a soya-free version of Vitamin E.

Vitamin C

This vitamin is proven to increase absorption of oral thyroxine (Levothyroxine) (5). It may be the most important water-soluble antioxidant, as it can scavenge both reactive oxygen and nitrogen radicals. In controlled studies, Vitamin C has demonstrated antiatherogenic, anticarcinogenic, antihistaminic, and immunomodulatory benefits.

Read More:

Iodine and Hashimoto’s Thyroiditis

Are Your Vitamin D Supplements Making You Sick?

References

1 “Vitamin D induced dysregulation of nuclear receptors may account for higher prevalence of some autoimmune diseases in women” by Amy Proal, 6th International Congress on Autoimmunity, Porto, Portugal, September 11, 2008

2 Comstock et al. 1997, quoted in Nature Clinical Practice Rheumatology (2008) 4, pp.590-596.

3 Keyvani F, Yassai M, Kimiagar M. Vitamin A status and endemic goiter. Int J Vitam Nutr Res 1988;58:155–60.

4 Mesaros-Kanjski E, Kontosic I, Kusic Z, et al. Endemic goitre and plasmatic levels of vitamins A and E in the school-children on the island of Krk, Croatia.Coll Antropol 1999;23:729–36.

5 “Absorption of thyroid drug levothyroxine improves with vitamin C”, paper presented on 16 June 2008 at The Endocrine Society’s 90th Annual Meeting in San Francisco.

7 Supplements that Subdue Hypothyroidism:

(Cliffnotes  from Dr. Izabella Wentz Thyroid Session) 

1. Low Dose Naltrexone – this actually isn’t a supplement. It is a low-dose medication that treats the autoimmune attack on the thyroid. She recommended you get this from a compound pharmacy.

2. Probiotics – to establish good bacteria in the gut

3. Selenium – selenium deficiency is known as the trigger to hashimoto’s. Listen to Dr. Izabella on the correct dosage.

4. Betaine with Pepsin – this is to help with low stomach acid.

5. Systemic Enzymes – these break down the immune complexes against the thyroid.

6. Moducare – this supplement helps to balance and strengthen the immune system.

7. Anatabine – this supplement calms the thyroid antibodies.

My Gluten Free Life...Thyroid disease style

Going Gluten free is pretty much a Fad diet in some people's eyes lately. What these people don't know is how bad gluten is just in general for everyone! But that's another post. 

My going gluten free was due to Healing my Hashi's Disease (Thryoiditis). Article after article from dr's linking gluten to autoimmune disease was just too overwhelming to ignore. http://chriskresser.com/the-gluten-thyroid-connection . I got a lot of info from a couple sites like http://outsmartdisease.com/ , http://www.glutenfreesociety.org/ , http://www.naturalendocrinesolutions.com/ , and many more on FB.
I downloaded http://www.glutenfreehealthsolution.com/ by Dr. Peter Osborne and http://thyroiddietcoach.com/ from Magdalena Wszelaki who healed her thyroid completely.
All the info was overwhelming, but after trial and error I feel 1000% better.

So what is Gluten exactly?
Gluten is a protein found in grains. The most common grains are: wheat,barley,rye,and oats. These grains are used to make a variety of staple foods in our diet.

What are some symptoms of Gluten Sensitivity? 

• Bone pain                                                          Chronic UTI's
• Chronic muscle pain                                         Respiratory Infections
• Diagnosed with RA,lupus,arthritis,                    Asthma
• Fibromyalgia                                                     Any Yeast infections
• Joint pains                                                         Can't lose weight
• Muscle Spasms                                                 Infertility
• Diabetes                                                             PMS
• Sleep issues                                                       PCOS
• Endometriosis                                                    Thyroid disease
• Fatigue                                                                Dermatitis 
• Miscarriage                                                        Eczema
• Hypoglycemia                                                    Fever Blisters
• Psoriasis                                                            Skin rash
• Vitiligo                                                                Autoimmune Hepatitis
• Elevated Liver enzymes                                      Gall bladder problems
• Lymphoma                                                         Fatty liver
• Platelet disorders

Here's a list of some of the most commonly eaten gluten containing food items:

• Baking flours                                              Crackers
• Beer                                                             Donuts
• Bread                                                           Fried Foods (chicken,onion rings, french fries)
• Cake                                                            Kolaches
• Cereal                                                          Lasagna
• Cookies                                                       Spaghetti

Gluten can also be found in less obvious places like processed foods. Soy sauce, gravies, soups, and modified starch are some examples.
I'd have to do another huge post on all the potentials that have gluten. there is just too many to list. So let's move on to the diet.

Going Gluten free can be a challenging task. Some can go cold turkey and others need to transition eliminating it.
STEP 1 - Cut out all breads, pastas and cereals. Do not eat anything that obviously contains gluten, but don't sweat the small stuff at first. As you adapt to avoid eating these make a habit of reading labels.
STEP 2 - Start reading food labels on everything in your pantry and refrigerator. The more you practice reading labels, the easier it gets. I'd follow these rules:

1. One if you cannot pronounce the term without a biochemistry degree, it is not real food and isn't healthy. Don't eat it. 
2. If a label has more than 5 ingredients, it's probably not good for you.

STEP 3 - "Failing to plan is planning to fail." Now that you are well on your way to a gluten free diet, it is recommended you create your emergency back up plan. For example like family gatherings, party's, outings, traveling, and holidays. Create a list of easy to eat and carry foods. Like baggies of nuts, almonds, dried fruits, jerky, etc. For work or in the car get in the habit of taking a small cooler with you to hold items like, fruits, veggies, left overs, water, yogurt, etc.

Ok so with all that here are some key points I stick with along with Gluten free for Thyroid health.

1. Get enough Vitamin D - Very often people with thyroid issues have severely low vitamin D levels. It's a hormone and tightly connected to your thyroid hormones. You can't overdose on Vitamin D. 
2. Goitrous Food - Goiter is a substance that slows down your thyroid. If you have Hypothyroidism; limit them. 

Highly Goitrous (hyper: good to eat, hypo: no more than one serving per week)	Somewhat Goitrous (hyper: good to eat hypo: no more than 3-4 servings per week)
• bok choy	• bamboo shoots
• broccoli	• millet
• Brussels’ sprouts	• peaches
• cabbage	• peanuts
• cauliflower	• pears
• kale	• pine nuts
• kohlrabi	• radishes
• mustard	• spinach
• mustard greens	• strawberries
• radishes	• sweet potatoes
• rutabagas
• soy *
• soy milk *
• soybean oil *
• soy lecithin * (often used as a filler in vegetarian food)
• tofu *

* soy elevates estrogen, advised to avoid it all together for both hypo and hyper.

Here is the good news for people with hypothyroidism, though! Goitrous food loses its potency when cooked, steamed, grilled or fermented. It’s best to limit them nevertheless to 2-4 servings per week until you feel better.

3. Add Fermented Food-Fermented food greatly improves your digestion and a healthy gut is critical in your thyroids health. 

4. Get enough Iron - 60% of people with thyroid conditions are iron deficient. Be generous with foods like beef, chicken, fish, clams, eggs as well as spinach, and lentils.
5. Avoid Soy - Soy is just not good for us anymore. All thyroid people need to avoid it at all costs. And it's in everything. It elevates the estrogen levels. Avoid tofu, soy milk, soy lecithin and soy oil.

I personally don't substitute for gluten free foods. They usually have nothing but chemicals and soy lecithin. So I avoid them. I eat whole foods. Yes I'll cheat once in a while. But If I do too much I will feel like crap for days. I'm a creature of habit and eat the same all the time.

Here's an example of my days. I mix them up, but it's pretty much the basics. 

Breakfast: is usually eggs and veggies. Turkey bacon, gluten free oats, cottage cheese, fruit, or shakeology.
Snacks: carrots, fruit, natural peanut butter, hummus, boiled eggs and cheese sticks.
Lunch: tuna salad, chicken salad, quinoa, etc.
Dinner: Fish, chicken, steak, pork, ground turkey, organic brown rice, veggies, etc.

Flavor Tip: I use a lot of seasonings. Try to avoid salt and substitute for sea salt. Mrs. Dash is a great no salt added alternative.

Here are some examples of my meals. 

Fitness Changed My Life

"Obsessed, Over doing it, Extreme and everything else people will say to you when you are working on yourself!! Yes maybe I am obsessed, but I'm obsessed with becoming a women comfortable in her own skin. How many women are? 

I can go back as far as 3rd grade when I played soccer and was called thunder thighs. Kids are mean and I wasn't even fat. It was that awkward baby fat phase, but being what 10yrs old no little girl should feel bad about her self! I wasn't fat growing up, but I still didn't feel good enough for some reason. After high school is when I started gaining weight. But it was the boyfriend, dating weight. No biggie, got engaged went to the gym lost those 20 pounds for the wedding! Easy breezy right? 

Fast forward through 2 babies, gaining 60 pounds, losing, then gaining again. Very emotional time in my life. I felt ugly, tired, alone, stressed, unloved, fat, depressed, had postpartum depression, deprived, no desire to do anything, insomnia, drank too much, sick all the time and weak. Can you relate? 

My body went postal on itself and I got super sick and gained weight in record time. Desperate and tired of just being tired I finally just woke up one day and took my health into my own hands. Now I have always worked out and lost all my baby weight so when I gained weight again I knew something was wrong. Ladies you have that instinct when something isn't right, Listen to it! 

I did tons of research and discovered along with my Hypothriodism I have Hashimoto's Disease. Actually being hypo is a result of the autoimmune disease. Pretty bummed learning all the risks of a long list of cancers and more diseases I was prone to get. So getting healthy and eliminating gluten was extremely important to me if I want to be here for my boys. Call it obsessive I can care less. It's my responsibility to take care of my body. How selfish would I be not to care when I have a family that needs me?? 

Fast forward almost 2 years & 50lbs lighter I have found my passion. I can honestly say Fitness changed my life! It's still changing me everyday. I push passed what I never thought I could do. It's only the beginning and I wouldn't have it any other way. I'm happier, have goals and strive for things. As a stay at home mom you struggle with what you were meant to do in life. Well I can only speak for myself. I needed an outlet to talk to grown ups hahaha. You have that thing tugging at you saying there must be more I can do in this life, that burning desire inside to BE MORE, DO MORE or SHARE more with others. Who placed those dreams inside me? GOD. He gave me that burning desire...he planned for the burn to come and keep going after dreams...I have to believe that! 

I'm still learning every day and no expert by any means. But I do know a little by just reading and researching. I want to help those #thyroidwarriors feel better. It's a hard, painful, exhausting disease. I want to help that depressed mom take charge of her life and never look back. I want to help that lady who just wants to get back on track. I just want to change lives! <3 We can do it together! Anything is possible! <3

Going Gluten Free....What will it be Like???

Would you like to hear more on the realities of going gluten-free.  How does one do it successfully?  After a bit of thought, here are some of my ideas.  They work for me and my family, but everyone is unique so I make no guarantees.  For example, my husband will follow me down every nutritional path I take and just eat the things he misses when he is out or at lunch during his work week.  I KNOW that not everybody’s spouses take to change so readily, so I wish you good luck with your families.  :)

• Stop Snacking!  Seriously, that is where the bulk of glutenous foods are found (bread, chips, cookies, crackers, brownies, cake, etc).  It may sound crazy, but I challenge you to give up a snack or two a day until you basically don’t need them anymore.  How?  Make sure that your breakfast and lunch are VERY nutrient dense.  Focus on a quality protein, some fat like butter or coconut oil, and ample veggies.  This would mean eating a breakfast of eggs fried in butter with fried peppers and zucchini on the side,  a lunchtime salad with canned salmon on top or a hearty stew made with lots of veggies and beef or chicken. Snacks are apple or carrots something easy, because all this cooking can be much sometimes.The kitchen is closed (because seriously, all this cooking is a decent amount of work!)  :)  Sometimes I will have a small snack before bed like a cup of organic tea or a handful of almonds.  PS – This change was a LONG time in coming. When I was first married I would make brownies most weekends and keep refrigerated cookie dough on hand so that I could pop a couple of cookies in the oven on a weeknight. My husband was called the cookie monster hahah.  I understand change is daunting!

• Figure out new food “vehicles.”  Did you know that tuna, salmon, and egg salad are all awesome served on slices of cucumber, in mini-sweet peppers, or wrapped in romaine lettuce?  “Cauliflower rice” is a great base for curries and Chinese inspired dishes, while zucchini and spaghetti squash make very tasty “pastas” for a Bolognese sauce or favorite meatball dish.  Sandwiches are a no-go.  Instead, look to make wraps of lunch meat and cheese with pickles, cucumbers, avocado, and a bit of mustard.  To be honest, it takes some time to build a new repertoire of easy-to-turn-to meal ideas.  Be patient with yourself.  I have done this for over a year and it is only finally becoming second nature.

• Tap into the reality of what gluten does to you.  For those of you currently battling Hashimoto’s, think about your symptoms.  Do you want them to continue?  Once I truly understood how destructive gluten could be, it was much easier for me to give it up.  I don’t give brownies, cookies, cake, or bread a second thought now.  It is NOT negotiable.  No thanks for extreme fatigue, weight gain, hair loss, depression, or any of the rest of it.  I will skip eating it.  And, if I am hormonal I will eat chocolate.  :)  I saw someone recommend Trader Joe’s dark chocolate covered almonds with sea salt and turbinado sugar.  Awesome. I will need to grab these. 

• Don’t buy gluten-free products.  They encourage your love for those items and make it hard to say no to the real versions.  They are ridiculously expensive.  Often, they are pretty bad for your body.  I know it sounds crazy, but I don’t think they do anyone any favors.  Except on your birthday.  Yes, have a gluten-free piece of cake and enjoy.  

“People who eliminate wheat will often turn to gluten-free foods. In fact, most doctors who diagnose patients with Celiac Disease will say, “Go eat gluten-free foods.” What they’re telling their patients to do is seek out foods that are not made with wheat gluten but are instead made with corn starch, potato starch, rice starch, brown rice starch or tapioca starch. Well, the only foods that raise blood sugar MORE than whole wheat are corn starch, rice starch, potato starch, and tapioca starch. These are flagrant, rapidly digested carbohydrates when they’re in the powdered form as presented in gluten-free foods.

It’s not uncommon for someone to go on a gluten-free diet and find that their diarrhea and cramps are now gone. Only now, they’re diabetic and fat. While those foods don’t trigger the immune phenomena, they trigger the carbohydrate phenomena worse than table sugar. So “gluten-free, multi-grain bread” sounds for all the world like a great thing. Well, it’s terrible for you.”

We are in an environment that is gluten-saturated.  It can feel impossible to avoid at first.  Show kindness to yourself.  Be patient if it takes awhile to carry out changes.  However, love yourself enough to keep pushing forward.  Your quality of life is that important! <3 

Why Soy is harmful

One of the things I've learned once I started researching Hashimoto's disease, Thyroid disease, gluten free etc was how bad SOY was. I drank soy milk religiously since my first pregnancy. So to think all these years I wasn't helping my body like I thought. I've mentioned this to people and of course got the "you are paranoid" look. hahaha
So here is some great info on it.

Q: "Why is it harmful if its NATURAL and has been used for thousands of years?"

A)
1) Just because something is NATURAL doesn't necessarily mean it's good for you

2) The difference is what we DO with the natural products. Look at the Coca plant. By itself, no big deal. Concentrate it down and it becomes Cocaine. Same thing with Corn. By itself no big deal. But we concentrate it to become high fructose corn syrup and it has a very different effect on our body.

In the case of SOY, its the difference between fermented and unfermented. Soy is VERY cheap to manufacture, which is why its in SO many products. Specifically "Protein shakes" sold to you as "Healthy". This is not the good stuff.

Here is a great article from Natural News that breaks it down well:
http://www.naturalnews.com/022630_soy_food_phytic_acid.html