Naturopathic Treatments For Hashimoto’s Thyroiditis

Autoimmune disorders are disorders where your immune system attacks and destroys healthy body tissues by mistake.

Hashimoto’s thyroiditis is one of the more than 80 different kinds of autoimmune disorders out there.

Although anyone can develop Hashimoto’s thyroiditis and other autoimmune disorders, they’re most common among middle aged women.

In this disease, your body’s immune system attacks your thyroid.

These symptoms can be unpleasant and disrupt your day to day functioning.

Here at the Mindful Healing Clinic, we’re a naturopathic clinic that offers natural solutions for a wide variety of different health concerns.

That includes naturopathic solutions for hormonal imbalances, for thyroid disorders, and more.

On today’s naturopathic blog, we’ll be taking a deep dive into Hashimoto’s thyroiditis.

What Is Hashimoto’s Thyroiditis?

As mentioned, Hashimoto’s thyroiditis is an autoimmune disorder.

This particular disorder triggers your white blood cells to attack your thyroid, a small butterfly shaped gland at the base of your neck.

Your thyroid is part of your body’s endocrine system, which means it produces hormones to regulate your bodily functions.

Because Hashimoto’s thyroiditis attacks your thyroid, it reduces your thyroid’s ability to produce thyroid hormones.

This causes hypothyroidism, and while it’s not the only cause, it’s one of the most common.

Hashimoto’s Thyroiditis Symptoms

Your thyroid is responsible for releasing hormones that regulate your:

• Metabolism
• Body temperature
• Muscle strength
• Growth and development
• Heart rate
• Bone and skin maintenance
• Digestive function

So with Hashimoto’s thyroiditis, you may experience symptoms related to one or more of these functions.

These include:

• Chronic fatigue
• Constipation
• Pale or dry skin
• Hoarse voice
• Depression
• Cold intolerance
• Thinning hair
• Irregular or heavy periods
• Fertility issues
• Muscle weakness
• High cholesterol
• Slowed heart rate
• Joint pain and stiffness
• Memory and concentration issues
• Goitre, a swelling of the thyroid
• Puffy face
• Brittle nails
• Enlargement of the tongue

In its early stage, however, you may not experience any symptoms at all.

Hashimoto’s thyroiditis progresses slowly over the years, and you may not notice symptoms until your thyroid hormone production is reduced significantly.

What Causes Hashimoto’s Thyroiditis

Hashimoto’s thyroiditis is caused by your immune system mistaking your thyroid for an intruder and attacking it.

Why this happens, we don’t yet know.

We do, however, know of some factors that can increase your risk of developing it.

These include:

• Genetics: if you’ve had a family history of this or other autoimmune diseases, you’re at greater risk
• Age: it’s more common in middle-aged individuals
• Being a woman: your risk is 7 times higher than for men
• Having been pregnant
• Eating too much iodine
• Having been exposed to radiation

RELATED: Women’s Health Naturopathic Clinic

Some autoimmune diseases that are a risk factor for developing Hashimoto’s disease include (but are not limited to):

• Graves’ disease
• Type 1 diabetes
• Lupus
• Rheumatoid arthritis
• Vitiligo
• Addison’s disease

How Does Hashimoto’s Thyroiditis Feel?

At first, individuals with Hashimoto’s thyroiditis might not even feel anything.

This is because the symptoms of an underactive thyroid can take some time to show up.

Over time, Hashimoto’s thyroiditis can develop complications when left untreated.

You may start to feel your thyroid growing in size.

This is known as a goitre.

Even though a goitre is not generally uncomfortable, you may have trouble swallowing or breathing.

It may also impact your appearance and cause self esteem issues.

You may also feel extremely fatigued throughout the day.

Your heart rate may slow, and so might your libido.

Naturopathic Solutions For Hashimoto’s Thyroiditis

If you’re showing any symptoms of Hashimoto’s thyroiditis, a naturopathic doctor can help.

Let’s take a closer look at some naturopathic solutions to help you manage your condition.

1. Get More Selenium In Your Diet

Selenium is an essential mineral.

That means it’s important for human health, but your body can’t produce it on its own.

Among other things, selenium plays a part in thyroid hormone metabolism.

Interestingly, a 2016 study by Wichman Et. Al. found supplementing with selenium reduced the number of thyroid antibodies your immune system produces.

These are the antibodies your immune system produces during Hashimoto’s thyroiditis that attack your thyroid.

More research is needed, but this is quite promising.

As well, people with Hashimoto’s thyroiditis often have lower levels of selenium.

The study talked about supplementing, but if you’re looking to incorporate more selenium into your diet, consider eating more:

• Turkey
• Brazil Nuts
• Grass fed beef

You can get all the selenium you need in about 3 regular size Brazil nuts daily.

2. Get More Vitamin B12 In Your Diet

Vitamin B12 levels may be low in individuals with low thyroid hormone levels.

This vitamin helps to reduce the fatigue that can often occur in Hashimoto’s thyroiditis.

It helps improve cellular responses to the thyroid hormone and boost energy production as well.

Some foods that contain vitamin B12 include:

• Peas and beans
• Asparagus
• Eggs, cheese, and other dairy products
• Sesame seeds

3. Get More Zinc In Your Diet

Zinc is another essential mineral that plays an important role in the proper functioning of your thyroid.

It’s good for balancing hormones in general, but initial studies suggest it can improve your thyroid function if it’s underperforming.

Foods that contain zinc include:

• Meat
• Eggs
• Dairy products
• Sea food and other fish

4. Eat Less Sugar

In the short term it can boost your energy levels, but in the long term, sugar has many health consequences.

Too much sugar can cause increased inflammation in the body and worsen the symptoms of thyroid disease.

As a result, resisting those sugar cravings and reducing your sugar intake can help manage your thyroid disorder.

On top of that, removing sugar from your diet can help to:

• Improve stress levels
• Improve skin health
• Improve your energy levels
• And much more

5. Eat More Probiotic Rich Foods

The hypothyroidism that occurs in Hashimoto’s disease can cause chronic digestive issues, like diarrhea, bloating, and bowel cramps.

These issues can also result in small intestinal bacterial overgrowth (SIBO).

Probiotics can help here.

Probiotics give healthy bacteria the resources they need to thrive, which can help manage your SIBO.

Foods that contain probiotics include:

• Sauerkraut
• Kimchi
• Miso
• Tempeh
• Pickles
• Kombucha
• Cottage cheese
• Yogurt

Book Your Appointment With The Mindful Healing Clinic Today

If you read some of the above symptoms and thought “hey, that’s me!” you’re not alone.

I’m Dr. Maria Cavallazzi, naturopathic doctor in Mississauga, and I’m here to help.

Book your appointment with The Mindful Healing Clinic today.