Is There a Connection Between Hashimotos Thyroiditis and Celiac Disease?
For many years I’ve wondered if I could somehow reverse my Hashimotos Thyroiditis by finding the “root” problem. I began to entertain the thinking that there was a connection between autoimmune thyroid disease and gluten sensitivity. After some research, I found articles that seemed to point me further in that direction like the following one from Mary Shomon:
According to research recently reported on in the medical journal Digestive Diseases and Sciences, a significant number of patients with autoimmune thyroid disease also have celiac disease. Celiac disease is a disorder that causes the intestines to react abnormally to gluten, a protein found in wheat, rye, barley, oats, spelt,kamut, and other related grains.
“…researchers found that…organ-specific autoantibodies (i.e., thyroid antibodies) — will disappear after 3 to 6 months of a gluten-free diet.”
Celiac disease, which is sometimes referred to as celiac sprue, sprue, or gluten intolerance, makes it difficult for the body to properly absorb nutrients from foods.
You can read the full article here.
Now, the reason I brought this up is that I tried a gluten free diet for 6 months to prove to the world that the connection was there! Prior to this I was already enjoying success in eating according to the wonderful book, Nourishing Traditions, written by Sally Fallon, and my medication had dropped by one third so I thought I was on the “right road”. So I added to that a gluten free diet in 2006 just knowing I was going to find the “answer” to this disease. 
Okay, well… I tried. I not only went gluten free, but sugar, and preservative (which I do anyway) free, too! I also consumed live raw milk based Kefir to help re-supply the gut with probiotics. My antibody count went from somewhere around 1,800 to like 3,400 in the six months! As you can imagine, I was horrified. I expected the opposite. I was ready to celebrate but you can imagine the crash I experienced when I heard the numbers. My TSH improved but my dose of medication was slightly increased during this time also so that didn’t really mean anything to me.
Am I saying that a gluten free diet can’t improve this disease? No. But I am saying that it didn’t work for me. Reflecting back on all of this brought up some interesting points.
- I did not eliminate corn during this time. I have a hunch that corn could be a culprit. Don’t ask me why. I will continue my research on this one. I have heard many discouraging studyies on the dangers of corn in our diet so I will just leave it at that until I have a better grasp on the possible concerns with consuming it in our diet.
- I continued to eat raw honey (which I don’t believe is a culprit but I will confess to it’s usage in moderation).
- I was not exercising to the capacity I believe would aid in the healing process.
- I was not taking any supplements at that time which could indicate a “missing component” to the process.
I would love to get feedback from others that have tried a similar journey. I truly believe we can work together to find the natural cure!
Maureen
66 Comments to “Is There a Connection Between Hashimotos Thyroiditis and Celiac Disease?”
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I noticed at the beginning of this thread that someone states that they don’t eat corn in Europe….oh yes they do, its added to most things that are processed and many breads, cereals and biscuits and cakes have huge amounts of corn in them.
Although there is evidence that gluten and Hashimoto’s are related, what is interesting is there is also evidence that high Bromine intake relative to iodine intake is also a cause. In many areas, Bromine is used in bread (was iodine before WW II). If someone avoids gluten they are also likely avoiding one of the key sources of Bromine other than certain sodas and other drinks. The atomic structure of Bromine and Iodine are very close so it is easy to suspect that high Bromine could cause issues for the Thyroid.
i think the effects of diet on autoimmune disease seem to be complex, and maybe different for different people.
i have hashimoto’s and symptoms of adrenal problems, and i personally have symptoms from a number of foods that do not* contain gluten. all grains but brown rice, as well as most fruits and vegetables, to be exact. put simply i have a reaction of some kind to most foods, and exposure to one thing seems to increase my reaction to other things.
raw, unfiltered honey seems to cause symptoms for me, possibly because it stimulates the immune system. so i use it only sometimes.
aerobic exercise improves my energy and mood, and clears my head a little. but this became true only after (at least temporarily): modifying my daily diet to eliminate most foods, most chemicals, and some vitamins and minerals; increasing my water intake, switching to distilled or purified water, switching to sea salt, and slowly working up to more active exercise like dance and running. previously, strenuous exercise often made me so fatigued that i could lie down and go to sleep at any hour.
i do consume a wider variety of fruits, vegetables, vitamins, and minerals on a weekly rather than daily basis, because i am worried about malnutrition, poor antioxidants, and cancer!
Thank you for your comment. I too have other food allergies/reactions. However, the scariest of them all (head inflammation) has been so minimized by eliminating gluten meticulously, that I am not walking around scared all the time I am going to die! I do believe that healing starts in the gut and all types of foods can cause inflammatory reactions depending on our individual circumstances internally. Over time, I think eliminating gluten and allowing the gut to repair is a big step to healing – but for most of us with chronically impaired intestinal permeability issues, it can take months to years to reverse and heal. I am only going on year ONE, so I am feeling like I am on my way but possibly still a ways away. But at least I have started.
It’s great to see someone listening to their body like you are. I hope you continue to find what works for you. 
MO
I’ve been gluten free for a couple of years and I noticed I no longer have dermatitis or nasal allergy problems. If I do have gluten I’ll get a rash within 2 or three days of consumption. I recently tried raw milk and within days I got a stye in my eye, indicator that my immune system was screwy. The last time this happened about a year and a half ago, my thyroid activity was low and my immune system was freaky. I just found an article online that connects a bacteria in raw foods, including milk, with hashimotos.
never eat corn if u suffer from any form of hypothyroidism.
Sounds like we are all on a similar path I have just been informed by my naturopath to avoid all grains and try raw milk. Since my first acupuncture session my gut acid has changed and excuse me but less gas. I have hashimotos also
I was treated briefly for borderline Hashimoto’s in my 20′s and then taken off meds. 2 years ago I was rediagnosed. Had become lethargic, gained 24 pounds, no energy, and apparently had a 2.3″ goiter and TSH of 9.7. I am now 50 and 4 months ago I awoke with swollen, hooded, eyes. Am now on my 7th doctor (MD’s, allergist, endocronologist, opthamologist, now an Eastern doctor). Graves was ruled out by an MRI but both the opthamologist and Eastern doctor believe the inflammation is due to thyroid.
My new doctor started me on gluten free last week. Has anyone else with Hashimoto’s had eye issues? I know it’s normally a symptom of overactive thyroid, but my doctor believes I have thyroid “storms” particularly when under stress. I am otherwise active and pretty healthy. . .the eye problem is leading to severe headaches and a compromised quality of life. Any ideas would be most appreciated.
I am curious to Maureen’s reference to “head inflamation”. I would love to know more about this comment and the connection to Hashimoto’s.
I was very interested to read this post and all the replies that were left. I have been on a gluten free diet for the past 2 years. Although my skin trouble and intestinal trouble cleared my asthma and now thyroid have somehow gone astray. I have been told by a NP that I have hashi’s and I am now constantly taking asthma meds. I have been struggling trying to find the answer and only recently came across corn gluten as a possible problem (causing both asthma and possible thyroid issues). As it’s in soooo many GF items, soaps, and detergents I wonder if this might be the case. I’d be interested to know if Maureen had any success with eliminating corn, or if anyone else has, since this was written. (To the poster who commented on corn being eaten in Europe… I wonder if they consume as much genetically modified corn as we do??).
Watch out for that ‘Raw milk’ stuff. Not only does the milk contain the good antibodies, but also the BAD antibodies — like the kind that actually causes autoimmune disease.
Which cows have autoimmune diseases? NOBODY can tell. Unless you run the milk through all kinds of blood testing to see how many antibodies are self-attacking antibodies, you won’t know.
And you won’t know after drinking it either — because the damage those antibodies do early on is very, very slow. But if the damage is enough to startle your own system, your own immune system will start making them.
The best thing is to drink milk only after those antibodies have been killed.
Hi Lynn,
I think we will continue to hear more about the effect of other grains on our health too. In fact, I am starting to think it is way more common to have secondary issues that need to be addressed after gluten has been removed. It is likely a rare few who have full relief from taking wheat gluten out only. I got too comfortable thinking eliminating wheat gluten was the answer to everything but I am now convinced there is much more to it. Some say stablizing your insulin by watching carbs alone, could be part of the answer. Others, including myself, think other grains have been tampered with over the years, similiarly to wheat. The book Wheat Belly (I have a link on the right side of my website) helped me to see that eliminating wheat is just the first step, albeit one of the most important steps to healing. I’m suspicious of soy, corn and even rice lately. I will just have to eliminate all grains and then add one in at a time to see if I see a difference. Thanks for you comment!
Hi Crusinperrins,
I can only give you symptoms of this problem. I have been exposed to low doses of gluten (unintentionally as I have had guests who have used my kitchen for gluten containing foods and I believe that I am getting it even through washing the dishes together). So, I begin the job of getting all that out of my kitchen again. I had been so much better for many months after being truly gluten free. Now I am suffering from symptoms again. Along with symptoms of stomach bloating, palpitations and dizziness, I get an unmistakable feeling of pressure in my head leading to feeling of “passing out”. I understand this could be a much more serious reaction to gluten (if not other allergic substances) and yet, just eliminating gluten almost completely eliminated these symptoms. So, I am assuming I have had low doses of gluten. I am also concerned about cross-reactive grains as I was traveling and eating much more pre-made gluten free food which is always high in grains. So, going without grains for a while is what I intend to do. The head symptoms always comes on worse while laying down and most times I need to sit up to get relief. Could it be a weak blood/brain barrier? Most likely. But I am not interested yet in getting all kinds of brain testing, etc. when I know that taking gluten out resulted in such healing. For now, I know what I need to do. I am also looking to see what other food allergies I can test for in order to see which foods are safe for me to eat. I hope that answers your question. As for the “head inflammation and Hashimotos”, I think it’s more about gluten at this point. See this link: http://www.blogtalkradio.com/undergroundwellness/2012/02/10/change-your-brain-change-your-body-with-dr-amen
The thing about corn is that most of it is genetically modified. That’s what is mainly bad about it. Any GMO food is bad for consumption. The GMO is making our immune systems go haywire, besides the other things it does to some people’s bodies. It seems there is a science to kill people off.
hi, i agree with you totally. i have been searching for years and i have spoken with many doctors. stop eating gluten is only one step. For me with high antibodies the road for this is- first, stop eating gluten, stop eating dairy, stop eating yeast, stop drinking coffee. Second, take zinc and selenium for lowering antibodies and third check for vitamin d deficiency. even if you will not disappear the antibodies, you will feel a little better. sometimes i feel sad that i can not enjoy ice cream, bread or a chocolate, but i think all the bad food causes us hashimoto, allergies, and so on…. at the first place.
Vanya, Thank you for your comment. Also, I am thinking that one thing that is not talked about enough is Leaky Gut! When food particles are getting into the blood stream where they don’t belong, I truly believe there might be another factor in this too! I hope to do a blog post on this very soon! Thanks for stopping by! Mo