90% of thyroid disorders are autoimmune in nature. This means, 90% of the people who have thyroid disease (and there are a LOT of us out there) have a problem with their thyroid because their immune system is mounting an attack against their thyroid. Scary! So, what does this have to do with gluten? Maybe you’re wondering why I’m picking on wheat once again. I’m picking on wheat again because there is a strong connection between gluten-intolerance and autoimmune thyroiditis.1 Researchers suggest all individuals with autoimmune thyroiditis be screened for gluten intolerance1 and some doctors are beginning to prescribe a gluten-free diet for all of their patients with thyroid disorders. Why Are People with Thyroid Disorders at Risk for Gluten Intolerance? The molecular structure of the thyroid and gliadin, one of the proteins found in gluten, is very similar. It’s so similar that when gluten gets through your gut and into your blood stream (a.k.a. poop in your blood), the immune system mounts an attack against the gliadin proteins since they’re not supposed to be there. Because your thyroid is seen as a similar molecule, your immune system also begins to attack against your thyroid. Will Cutting-Back on Gluten Help? If you have autoimmune thyroiditis it’s imperative that you not just “cut-back” on gluten but eliminate it 100% from your diet. No cheating. Your immune system may continue to react to your exposure to gluten-containing foods up to 6 months after consumption!3 For this reason, it’s important for anyone suffering from autoimmune thyroiditis to completely cut gluten from their diets. You can not cheat just a little bit here and there and expect your body to heal. You may not immediately feel the effects of the cheats, but you are most certainly doing long-term damage to your body. January 31, 2014 by Trisha Gilkerson —
Posted on: Thu, 09 Oct 2014 13:46:56 +0000
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