Should You ALWAYS Remove Gluten in a Patient with Hashimoto’s?

Overview

Every week we tackle different and unique questions related to patient care such as: should gluten always be removed in a patient with Hashimoto's autoimmune thyroiditis?  We review studies that address these types of issues and have an interactive discussion about what we have seen in our own patients.

Incubator provides this amazing opportunity for us to come together in a live format and discuss patient cases on a regular basis.  So, rather than just a didactic lecture, we can really think about what it means when we're individualizing to each patient.

Today we've arrived at the topic of gluten and gluten removal and what it means in terms of Hashimoto's. 

Cheryl Burdette, ND, Explains

As the Clinical Director of Origins Incubator's Clinical Curriculum, Dr. Cheryl Burdette discusses:

Do we always need to remove gluten? Is there evidence behind this?

It turns out there is a fair amount of data that speaks to gluten removal, even outside of an allergy or a sensitivity. The molecule gliadin, that is part of the most reactive piece of the structure, has a cross -reactivity in terms of amino acid sequence with thyroglobulins. This means that when we eat more gluten, it can produce more antibodies that cross-react and attack the thyroid. This indicates that it is certainly worth consideration of a clinical trial in terms of pulling the gluten out, tracking the antibodies, and giving our patients that reassurance that they're not stuck in place.

We also looked at other strategies in terms of antibody reduction-- things like the research around iodine and its effect on lowering TPO antibodies. We looked at the effect of changing diet and the role that adrenals play, and we really took a deep dive into how to address the autoimmunity. Our goal is to be able to give our patients that reassurance that antibodies don't always stay elevated. In fact, we found that there are many strategies to help put them back in balance.

Thankful for this format!

We continue to be thankful to have this format of wise experts and practitioners who are seeking wisdom. It's wonderful to learn and grow from and with one another. 

As always, reach out with any questions or comments. You can contact us here.

You can also learn more about our Incubator program HERE.