Hashimoto\'s Thyroiditis Lifestyle Interventions for Finding and Treating the Root Cause

iThei mdcdaelcinfd o c elllllrllll do thlsdtcfdbhfen

Controversy

Whether Hashimoto’s patients should avoid, take, or ignore iodine has been
a controversial topic in the autoimmune thyroid community. Proponents
of using high doses of iodine claim studies done in animals show inorganic
iodines do not induce autoimmune thyroiditis unless combined with goi-
trogens. A review of the literature, however, produces many other studies
showing the opposite to be true.^3

In experimental mouse models of autoimmune thyroiditis, mice sponta-
neously developed low levels of antibodies to TPO, which I interpret to
be a normal physiological “clean-up” state. When iodine is added to the
water of mice, the prevalence and severity of autoimmune thyroiditis in-
creases markedly. Excess iodine is actually used to stimulate autoimmune
thyroiditis in animal models!

Additionally, one study done in Korea shows iodine restriction alone can
recover hypothyroid Hashimoto’s patients to a euthyroid state within
three months! This study was performed on ninety patients who were
randomized to either continue ingesting the same amount of iodine or
restrict their iodine intake to less than 100 mcg a day. An impressive 78
percent of people in the iodine restriction group regained normal thyroid
function as manifested by a normal TSH value within three months.

Predicative factors of recovery were lower initial TSH as well as higher
initial iodine excretion.

Factors Predicative of Thyroid Function Recovery After

Three Months of Iodine Restriction

•    Shorter disease duration

•    TSH level closer to normal reference range

•    Higher iodine levels at baseline

The authors report patients in the study group who did not recover nor-
mal TSH at the conclusion of the three-month trial did show a decreas-
ing trend in TSH and predicted they, too, would become euthyroid if
given more time.

Interestingly, 45.5 percent of the control group recovered normal func-
tion as well. This is a much higher rate than the 25 percent of people with
Hashimoto’s who reportedly revert to normal thyroid function.