That might seem like an odd question. But, what if I told you that 80-90% of people that have been diagnosed with hypothyroidism (or a slow thyroid) actually have an AUTOIMMUNE disease that is causing the thyroid to slow down? That's right... Most of the time, a thyroid problem is really secondary to an over active immune system breaking down the body.
That really changes the approach to solving the problem. If we fail to catch the root cause, we don't get the results that people deserve. In fact, there was a large study done that showed that only about 44% of people who were receiving "treatment" for their thyroid problem actually felt better. That is probably because the real problem was being ignored. When a dietary intervention was introduced (a gluten free diet, in this case), almost 90% of the people felt better! That is because changing the diet to eliminate gluten, and specifically the protein gliaden found in gluten helps with the autoimmune issue.
I speak to many people who have questions about their thyroid and want some answers. I think the best place to start is a full lab evalution where you look at all the thyroid markers so you can see what, if anything, is going on with your thyroid. I look for the signs of autoimmunity so we know right away whether that's an issue. You can read this article if you would like more info. on that. This way, you start with all the information and can make a good decision on how to proceed.
If you do realize that you have an autoimmune problem that affecting your thyroid, then you can begin to address the root causes of autoimmunity: Blood sugar swings, chronic infection and an unhealthy gut. If you have a thyroid that is just sluggish, you can also look at what the specific issue is there so you can help support healthy thyroid function.
I thought an article on this would be super helpful, since most thyroid issues have a different underlying root cause, which is often autoimmunity. Improving your Immune system regulation helps not only your thyroid, but also reduces the chances that another autoimmune condition pops up. Unfortunately, people with one autoimmune condition often go on to develop other conditions if the underlying issues are not addressed.
If you have questions about that and want to schedule a complimentary discovery health call, please use the button below and I'll give you a call so we can chat. I would love to listen and see if I can help!
To your health!
Dr. Jeni
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