Are there natural treatments for hypothyroidism?
The Best Diet for Optimal Thyroid Function (webinar recording)
- Leung AM, Lamar A, He X, Braverman LE, Pearce EN. Iodine status and thyroid function of Boston-area vegetarians and vegans. J Clin Endocrinol Metab. 2011;96(8):E1303-7.
- Combet E. 42 - Iodine status, thyroid function, and vegetarianism. In: Mariotti F, ed. Vegetarian and Plant-Based Diets in Health and Disease Prevention. Academic Press. 2017:769-90.
- Booms S, Hill E, Kulhanek L, Vredeveld J, Gregg B. Iodine deficiency and hypothyroidism from voluntary diet restrictions in the US: Case reports. Pediatrics. 2016;137(6):e20154003.
- Manousou S, Stål M, Larsson C, et al. A Paleolithic-type diet results in iodine deficiency: A 2-year randomized trial in postmenopausal obese women. Eur J Clin Nutr. 2018;72(1):124-9.
- Hunter JD, Crudo DF. Unintended consequences of restrictive diets: Two case reports and a review of orthorexia. Clin Pediatr (Phila). 2018;57(14):1693-5.
- Yeliosof O, Silverman LA. Veganism as a cause of iodine deficient hypothyroidism. J Pediatr Endocrinol Metab. 2018;31(1):91-4.
- Patel A, et al. Iodine deficiency: Iodine content is low or absent in some US multivitamin and prenatal vitamin brands. Clin Thyroidol. 2019;12(5):3-4.
- Herrick KA, Perrine CG, Aoki Y, Caldwell KL. Iodine status and consumption of key iodine sources in the U.S. population with special attention to reproductive age women. Nutrients. 2018;10(7):874.
- Ma W, He X, Braverman L. Iodine content in milk alternatives. Thyroid. 2016;26(9):1308-10.
- Bath SC, Hill S, Infante HG, Elghul S, Nezianya CJ, Rayman MP. Iodine concentration of milk-alternative drinks available in the UK in comparison with cows' milk. Br J Nutr. 2017;118(7):525-32.
- van der Reijden OL, Zimmermann MB, Galetti V. Iodine in dairy milk: Sources, concentrations and importance to human health. Best Pract Res Clin Endocrinol Metab. 2017;31(4):385-95.
- Flachowsky G, Franke K, Meyer U, Leiterer M, Schöne F. Influencing factors on iodine content of cow milk. Eur J Nutr. 2014;53(2):351-65.
- Castro SI, Berthiaume R, Robichaud A, Lacasse P. Effects of iodine intake and teat-dipping practices on milk iodine concentrations in dairy cows. J Dairy Sci. 2012;95(1):213-20.
- Ma W, He X, Braverman L. Iodine content in milk alternatives. Thyroid. 2016;26(9):1308-10.
- Ferruzzi MG, Tanprasertsuk J, Kris-Etherton P, Weaver CM, Johnson EJ. Perspective: The role of beverages as a source of nutrients and phytonutrients. Adv Nutr. 2020;11(3):507-23.
- Messina M, Redmond G. Effects of soy protein and soybean isoflavones on thyroid function in healthy adults and hypothyroid patients: A review of the relevant literature. Thyroid. 2006;16(3):249-58.
- Zhang YF, Li H, Wang XM. Technical Report: A cost-effective, easily available tofu model for training residents in ultrasound-guided fine needle thyroid nodule targeting punctures. Korean J Radiol. 2019;20(1):166-70.
- Tonstad S, Jaceldo-Siegl K, Messina M, Haddad E, Fraser GE. The association between soya consumption and serum thyroid-stimulating hormone concentrations in the Adventist Health Study-2. Public Health Nutr. 2016;19(8):1464-70.
- Liwanpo L, Hershman JM. Conditions and drugs interfering with thyroxine absorption. Best Pract Res Clin Endocrinol Metab. 2009;23(6):781-92.
- Patel A, et al. Iodine deficiency: Iodine content is low or absent in some US multivitamin and prenatal vitamin brands. Clin Thyroidol. 2019;12(5):3-4.
- Neal B. Dietary salt is a public health hazard that requires vigorous attack. Can J Cardiol. 2014;30(5):502-6.
- Shaldon S, Vienken J. Salt, the neglected silent killer. Semin Dial. 2009;22(3):264-6.
- GBD 2017 Diet Collaborators. Health effects of dietary risks in 195 countries, 1990-2017: A systematic analysis for the Global Burden of Disease Study 2017. Lancet. 2019;393(10184):1958-72.
- Choudhry H, Nasrullah M. Iodine consumption and cognitive performance: Confirmation of adequate consumption. Food Sci Nutr. 2018;6(6):1341-51.
- Combet E. 42 - Iodine status, thyroid function, and vegetarianism. In: Mariotti F, ed. Vegetarian and Plant-Based Diets in Health and Disease Prevention. Academic Press; 2017:769-90.
- Gherbon A, Frandes M, Lungeanu D, Nicula M, Timar R. Transient Hyperthyroidism following the ingestion of complementary medications containing kelp seaweed: A case-report. Medicine (Baltimore). 2019;98(37):e17058.
- Leung AM, Lamar A, He X, Braverman LE, Pearce EN. Iodine status and thyroid function of Boston-area vegetarians and vegans. J Clin Endocrinol Metab. 2011;96(8):E1303-7.
- Herrick KA, Perrine CG, Aoki Y, Caldwell KL. Iodine status and consumption of key iodine sources in the U.S. population with special attention to reproductive age women. Nutrients. 2018;10(7):874.
- Institute of Medicine. Dietary Reference Intakes: The essential guide to nutrient requirements. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press; 2006.
- European Food Safety Authority (EFSA). Overview on tolerable upper intake levels as derived by the Scientific Committee on Food (SCF) and the EFSA Panel on dietetic products, nutrition and allergies (NDA). Parma, Italy: EFSA. 2018:1-4.
- Teas J, Pino S, Critchley A, Braverman LE. Variability of iodine content in common commercially available edible seaweeds. Thyroid. 2004;14(10):836-41.
- Hohmann G, Ortmann S, Remer T, Fruth B. Fishing for iodine: What aquatic foraging by bonobos tells us about human evolution. BMC Zool. 2019;4:5.
- Merrill SJ, Minucci SB. Thyroid autoimmunity: an interplay of factors. Vitam Horm. 2018;106:129-45.
- 53 FR 45890, Nov. 15, 1988.
- Wartique L, Pothen L, Pirson N, Hermans MP, Lambert M, Yildiz H. An unusual cause of epidemic thyrotoxicosis. Acta Clin Belg. 2017;72(6):451-3.
- Tonstad S, Nathan E, Oda K, Fraser GE. Prevalence of hyperthyroidism according to type of vegetarian diet. Public Health Nutr. 2015;18(8):1482-7.
- Bodai BI, Nakata TE, Wong WT, et al. Lifestyle Medicine: A brief review of its dramatic impact on health and survival. Perm J. 2018;22:17-25.
- Langer P, Kočan A, Tajtakovác M, et al. Fish from industrially polluted freshwater as the main source of organochlorinated pollutants and increased frequency of thyroid disorders and dysglycemia. Chemosphere. 2007;67(9):S379-85.
- Ates I, Yilmaz FM, Altay M, Yilmaz N, Berker D, Güler S. The relationship between oxidative stress and autoimmunity in Hashimoto's thyroiditis. Eur J Endocrinol. 2015;173(6):791-9.
- Matana A, Torlak V, Brdar D, et al. Dietary factors associated with plasma thyroid peroxidase and thyroglobulin antibodies. Nutrients. 2017;9(11):1186.
- Caturegli P, De Remigis A, Rose NR. Hashimoto thyroiditis: clinical and diagnostic criteria. Autoimmun Rev. 2014;13(4-5):391-7.
- Yang Y, Zhang J, Wu G, et al. Dietary methionine restriction regulated energy and protein homeostasis by improving thyroid function in high fat diet mice. Food Funct. 2018;9:3718-31.
- Virili C, Fallahi P, Antonelli A, Benvenga S, Centanni M. Gut microbiota and Hashimoto's thyroiditis. Rev Endocr Metab Disord. 2018;19(4):293-300.
- Zhao F, Feng J, Li J, et al. Alterations of the gut microbiota in Hashimoto's Thyroiditis patients. Thyroid. 2018;28(2):175-86.
- Ishaq HM, Mohammad, IS, Guo H, et al. Molecular estimation of alteration in intestinal microbial composition in Hashimoto’s thyroiditis patients. Biomed Pharmacother. 2017;95:865-74.
- David LA, Maurice CF, Carmody RN, et al. Diet rapidly and reproducibly alters the human gut microbiome. Nature. 2014;505(7484):559-63.
- David LA, Maurice CF, Carmody RN, et al. Diet rapidly and reproducibly alters the human gut microbiome. Nature. 2014;505(7484):559-63.
- Burek CL, Talor MV. Environmental triggers of autoimmune thyroiditis. J Autoimmun. 2009;33(3-4):183-9.
- Tonstad S, Nathan E, Oda K, Fraser G. Vegan diets and hypothyroidism. Nutrients. 2013;5(11):4642-52.
- Burek CL, Talor MV. Environmental triggers of autoimmune thyroiditis. J Autoimmun. 2009;33(3-4):183-9.
- Scheepers PT, Jongeneelen FJ. Smoking and dietary intake of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons as sources of interindividual variability in the baseline excretion of 1-hydroxypyrene in urine. Int Arch Occup Environ Health. 1994;66(1):55-65.
- Punnen S, Hardin J, Cheng I, Klein EA, Witte JS. Impact of meat consumption, preparation, and mutagens on aggressive prostate cancer. PLoS One. 2011;6(11):e27711.
- Headrick ML, Hollinger K, Lovell RA, Matheson JC. PBBs, PCBs, and dioxins in food animals, their public health implications. In: Tollefson L, ed. Veterinary Clinics of North America: Food Animal Practice. Vol 4. W. B. Saunders Company; 1999:109-31.
- Weber R, Herold C, Hollert H, Kamphues J, Blepp M, Ballschmiter K. Reviewing the relevance of dioxin and PCB sources for food from animal origin and the need for their inventory, control and management. Environ Sci Eur. 2018;30(1):42.
- Tonstad S, Nathan E, Oda K, Fraser G. Vegan diets and hypothyroidism. Nutrients. 2013;5(11):4642-52.
- Abbott RD, Sadowski A, Alt AG. Efficacy of the Autoimmune Protocol Diet as part of a multi-disciplinary, supported lifestyle intervention for Hashimoto's thyroiditis. Cureus. 2019;11(4):e4556.
- Tajmiri S, Farhangic MA, Dehghan P. Nigella Sativa treatment and serum concentrations of thyroid hormones, transforming growth factor β (TGF-β) and interleukin 23 (IL-23) in patients with Hashimoto’s Thyroiditis. Eur J Integr Med. 2016;8(4):576-80.
- Farhangi MA, Dehghan P, Tajmiri S. Powdered black cumin seeds strongly improves serum lipids, atherogenic index of plasma and modulates anthropometric features in patients with Hashimoto’s thyroiditis. Lipids Health Dis. 2018;17:59.
- Chen WH, Chen YK, Lin CL, Yeh JH, Kao CH. Hashimoto's thyroiditis, risk of coronary heart disease, and L-thyroxine treatment: a nationwide cohort study. J Clin Endocrinol Metab. 2015;100(1):109-14.
- Tekieh MF, Esfahanian F, Emadi F, Gholami M, Emaratkar E. Effect of Nigella sativa on thyroid function in patients with hypothyroidism treated with levothyroxine: A triple-blind randomized controlled trial. Medical Science. 2019;23(98):606-14.
- Liwanpo L, Hershman JM. Conditions and drugs interfering with thyroxine absorption. Best Pract Res Clin Endocrinol Metab. 2009;23(6):781-92.
- Leung AM, Lamar A, He X, Braverman LE, Pearce EN. Iodine status and thyroid function of Boston-area vegetarians and vegans. J Clin Endocrinol Metab. 2011;96(8):E1303-7.
- Combet E. 42 - Iodine status, thyroid function, and vegetarianism. In: Mariotti F, ed. Vegetarian and Plant-Based Diets in Health and Disease Prevention. Academic Press. 2017:769-90.
- Booms S, Hill E, Kulhanek L, Vredeveld J, Gregg B. Iodine deficiency and hypothyroidism from voluntary diet restrictions in the US: Case reports. Pediatrics. 2016;137(6):e20154003.
- Manousou S, Stål M, Larsson C, et al. A Paleolithic-type diet results in iodine deficiency: A 2-year randomized trial in postmenopausal obese women. Eur J Clin Nutr. 2018;72(1):124-9.
- Hunter JD, Crudo DF. Unintended consequences of restrictive diets: Two case reports and a review of orthorexia. Clin Pediatr (Phila). 2018;57(14):1693-5.
- Yeliosof O, Silverman LA. Veganism as a cause of iodine deficient hypothyroidism. J Pediatr Endocrinol Metab. 2018;31(1):91-4.
- Patel A, et al. Iodine deficiency: Iodine content is low or absent in some US multivitamin and prenatal vitamin brands. Clin Thyroidol. 2019;12(5):3-4.
- Herrick KA, Perrine CG, Aoki Y, Caldwell KL. Iodine status and consumption of key iodine sources in the U.S. population with special attention to reproductive age women. Nutrients. 2018;10(7):874.
- Ma W, He X, Braverman L. Iodine content in milk alternatives. Thyroid. 2016;26(9):1308-10.
- Bath SC, Hill S, Infante HG, Elghul S, Nezianya CJ, Rayman MP. Iodine concentration of milk-alternative drinks available in the UK in comparison with cows' milk. Br J Nutr. 2017;118(7):525-32.
- van der Reijden OL, Zimmermann MB, Galetti V. Iodine in dairy milk: Sources, concentrations and importance to human health. Best Pract Res Clin Endocrinol Metab. 2017;31(4):385-95.
- Flachowsky G, Franke K, Meyer U, Leiterer M, Schöne F. Influencing factors on iodine content of cow milk. Eur J Nutr. 2014;53(2):351-65.
- Castro SI, Berthiaume R, Robichaud A, Lacasse P. Effects of iodine intake and teat-dipping practices on milk iodine concentrations in dairy cows. J Dairy Sci. 2012;95(1):213-20.
- Ma W, He X, Braverman L. Iodine content in milk alternatives. Thyroid. 2016;26(9):1308-10.
- Ferruzzi MG, Tanprasertsuk J, Kris-Etherton P, Weaver CM, Johnson EJ. Perspective: The role of beverages as a source of nutrients and phytonutrients. Adv Nutr. 2020;11(3):507-23.
- Messina M, Redmond G. Effects of soy protein and soybean isoflavones on thyroid function in healthy adults and hypothyroid patients: A review of the relevant literature. Thyroid. 2006;16(3):249-58.
- Zhang YF, Li H, Wang XM. Technical Report: A cost-effective, easily available tofu model for training residents in ultrasound-guided fine needle thyroid nodule targeting punctures. Korean J Radiol. 2019;20(1):166-70.
- Tonstad S, Jaceldo-Siegl K, Messina M, Haddad E, Fraser GE. The association between soya consumption and serum thyroid-stimulating hormone concentrations in the Adventist Health Study-2. Public Health Nutr. 2016;19(8):1464-70.
- Liwanpo L, Hershman JM. Conditions and drugs interfering with thyroxine absorption. Best Pract Res Clin Endocrinol Metab. 2009;23(6):781-92.
- Patel A, et al. Iodine deficiency: Iodine content is low or absent in some US multivitamin and prenatal vitamin brands. Clin Thyroidol. 2019;12(5):3-4.
- Neal B. Dietary salt is a public health hazard that requires vigorous attack. Can J Cardiol. 2014;30(5):502-6.
- Shaldon S, Vienken J. Salt, the neglected silent killer. Semin Dial. 2009;22(3):264-6.
- GBD 2017 Diet Collaborators. Health effects of dietary risks in 195 countries, 1990-2017: A systematic analysis for the Global Burden of Disease Study 2017. Lancet. 2019;393(10184):1958-72.
- Choudhry H, Nasrullah M. Iodine consumption and cognitive performance: Confirmation of adequate consumption. Food Sci Nutr. 2018;6(6):1341-51.
- Combet E. 42 - Iodine status, thyroid function, and vegetarianism. In: Mariotti F, ed. Vegetarian and Plant-Based Diets in Health and Disease Prevention. Academic Press; 2017:769-90.
- Gherbon A, Frandes M, Lungeanu D, Nicula M, Timar R. Transient Hyperthyroidism following the ingestion of complementary medications containing kelp seaweed: A case-report. Medicine (Baltimore). 2019;98(37):e17058.
- Leung AM, Lamar A, He X, Braverman LE, Pearce EN. Iodine status and thyroid function of Boston-area vegetarians and vegans. J Clin Endocrinol Metab. 2011;96(8):E1303-7.
- Herrick KA, Perrine CG, Aoki Y, Caldwell KL. Iodine status and consumption of key iodine sources in the U.S. population with special attention to reproductive age women. Nutrients. 2018;10(7):874.
- Institute of Medicine. Dietary Reference Intakes: The essential guide to nutrient requirements. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press; 2006.
- European Food Safety Authority (EFSA). Overview on tolerable upper intake levels as derived by the Scientific Committee on Food (SCF) and the EFSA Panel on dietetic products, nutrition and allergies (NDA). Parma, Italy: EFSA. 2018:1-4.
- Teas J, Pino S, Critchley A, Braverman LE. Variability of iodine content in common commercially available edible seaweeds. Thyroid. 2004;14(10):836-41.
- Hohmann G, Ortmann S, Remer T, Fruth B. Fishing for iodine: What aquatic foraging by bonobos tells us about human evolution. BMC Zool. 2019;4:5.
- Merrill SJ, Minucci SB. Thyroid autoimmunity: an interplay of factors. Vitam Horm. 2018;106:129-45.
- 53 FR 45890, Nov. 15, 1988.
- Wartique L, Pothen L, Pirson N, Hermans MP, Lambert M, Yildiz H. An unusual cause of epidemic thyrotoxicosis. Acta Clin Belg. 2017;72(6):451-3.
- Tonstad S, Nathan E, Oda K, Fraser GE. Prevalence of hyperthyroidism according to type of vegetarian diet. Public Health Nutr. 2015;18(8):1482-7.
- Bodai BI, Nakata TE, Wong WT, et al. Lifestyle Medicine: A brief review of its dramatic impact on health and survival. Perm J. 2018;22:17-25.
- Langer P, Kočan A, Tajtakovác M, et al. Fish from industrially polluted freshwater as the main source of organochlorinated pollutants and increased frequency of thyroid disorders and dysglycemia. Chemosphere. 2007;67(9):S379-85.
- Ates I, Yilmaz FM, Altay M, Yilmaz N, Berker D, Güler S. The relationship between oxidative stress and autoimmunity in Hashimoto's thyroiditis. Eur J Endocrinol. 2015;173(6):791-9.
- Matana A, Torlak V, Brdar D, et al. Dietary factors associated with plasma thyroid peroxidase and thyroglobulin antibodies. Nutrients. 2017;9(11):1186.
- Caturegli P, De Remigis A, Rose NR. Hashimoto thyroiditis: clinical and diagnostic criteria. Autoimmun Rev. 2014;13(4-5):391-7.
- Yang Y, Zhang J, Wu G, et al. Dietary methionine restriction regulated energy and protein homeostasis by improving thyroid function in high fat diet mice. Food Funct. 2018;9:3718-31.
- Virili C, Fallahi P, Antonelli A, Benvenga S, Centanni M. Gut microbiota and Hashimoto's thyroiditis. Rev Endocr Metab Disord. 2018;19(4):293-300.
- Zhao F, Feng J, Li J, et al. Alterations of the gut microbiota in Hashimoto's Thyroiditis patients. Thyroid. 2018;28(2):175-86.
- Ishaq HM, Mohammad, IS, Guo H, et al. Molecular estimation of alteration in intestinal microbial composition in Hashimoto’s thyroiditis patients. Biomed Pharmacother. 2017;95:865-74.
- David LA, Maurice CF, Carmody RN, et al. Diet rapidly and reproducibly alters the human gut microbiome. Nature. 2014;505(7484):559-63.
- David LA, Maurice CF, Carmody RN, et al. Diet rapidly and reproducibly alters the human gut microbiome. Nature. 2014;505(7484):559-63.
- Burek CL, Talor MV. Environmental triggers of autoimmune thyroiditis. J Autoimmun. 2009;33(3-4):183-9.
- Tonstad S, Nathan E, Oda K, Fraser G. Vegan diets and hypothyroidism. Nutrients. 2013;5(11):4642-52.
- Burek CL, Talor MV. Environmental triggers of autoimmune thyroiditis. J Autoimmun. 2009;33(3-4):183-9.
- Scheepers PT, Jongeneelen FJ. Smoking and dietary intake of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons as sources of interindividual variability in the baseline excretion of 1-hydroxypyrene in urine. Int Arch Occup Environ Health. 1994;66(1):55-65.
- Punnen S, Hardin J, Cheng I, Klein EA, Witte JS. Impact of meat consumption, preparation, and mutagens on aggressive prostate cancer. PLoS One. 2011;6(11):e27711.
- Headrick ML, Hollinger K, Lovell RA, Matheson JC. PBBs, PCBs, and dioxins in food animals, their public health implications. In: Tollefson L, ed. Veterinary Clinics of North America: Food Animal Practice. Vol 4. W. B. Saunders Company; 1999:109-31.
- Weber R, Herold C, Hollert H, Kamphues J, Blepp M, Ballschmiter K. Reviewing the relevance of dioxin and PCB sources for food from animal origin and the need for their inventory, control and management. Environ Sci Eur. 2018;30(1):42.
- Tonstad S, Nathan E, Oda K, Fraser G. Vegan diets and hypothyroidism. Nutrients. 2013;5(11):4642-52.
- Abbott RD, Sadowski A, Alt AG. Efficacy of the Autoimmune Protocol Diet as part of a multi-disciplinary, supported lifestyle intervention for Hashimoto's thyroiditis. Cureus. 2019;11(4):e4556.
- Tajmiri S, Farhangic MA, Dehghan P. Nigella Sativa treatment and serum concentrations of thyroid hormones, transforming growth factor β (TGF-β) and interleukin 23 (IL-23) in patients with Hashimoto’s Thyroiditis. Eur J Integr Med. 2016;8(4):576-80.
- Farhangi MA, Dehghan P, Tajmiri S. Powdered black cumin seeds strongly improves serum lipids, atherogenic index of plasma and modulates anthropometric features in patients with Hashimoto’s thyroiditis. Lipids Health Dis. 2018;17:59.
- Chen WH, Chen YK, Lin CL, Yeh JH, Kao CH. Hashimoto's thyroiditis, risk of coronary heart disease, and L-thyroxine treatment: a nationwide cohort study. J Clin Endocrinol Metab. 2015;100(1):109-14.
- Tekieh MF, Esfahanian F, Emadi F, Gholami M, Emaratkar E. Effect of Nigella sativa on thyroid function in patients with hypothyroidism treated with levothyroxine: A triple-blind randomized controlled trial. Medical Science. 2019;23(98):606-14.
- Liwanpo L, Hershman JM. Conditions and drugs interfering with thyroxine absorption. Best Pract Res Clin Endocrinol Metab. 2009;23(6):781-92.
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Title
The Best Diet for Optimal Thyroid Function (webinar recording)
LicenseCreative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International (CC BY-NC 4.0)
Content URLDoctor's Note
One of the most common questions I’m asked is about a natural treatment for Hashimoto’s disease, also known as autoimmune thyroiditis, the leading cause of hypothyroidism. I’m excited to share that I’ve found one! I discuss the best diet for hypothyroidism and hyperthyroidism, as well as the healthiest natural source of iodine.
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