How To Reverse Hashimoto’s- Hypothyroidism Naturally

Hashimoto’s is a relatively rare disorder that affects the thyroid gland, which is primarily responsible for producing hormones within the body for the smooth functioning of different organs. With Hashimoto/Hypothyroidism, the thyroid gland becomes underactive. Statistics reveal that the disorder affects approximately 3 to 5 in every 10,000 individuals each year.

Gluten can make Hashimoto’s Worst. Being on a gluten-free diet can “almost” reverse Hashimoto’s ~ Chris Kresser

It is also important to understand that this condition is more prevalent among middle-aged women. Female to male ratio for this condition is 20:1. This means women are 15 to 20 times more likely to suffer from this disease compared to men. As per the National Endocrine and Metabolic Diseases Information, this condition first appears in the age group of 40 to 60 years.

 

What Causes Hashimoto-Hypothyroidism

The thyroid gland is responsible for the production of two critical hormones –T3 and T4. These hormones are responsible for controlling the metabolism of almost all cells within the body. TSH also called thyroid stimulating hormone is secreted by the pituitary gland and is responsible for the production of thyroid hormone.

Hashimoto’s/Hypothyroidism is primarily an autoimmune disorder. This means the immune system tends to cause inflammation, resulting in the destruction of the thyroid gland. This occurs through antibodies that are created by the immune system and these antibodies attack the thyroid thereby affecting the production of thyroid hormone.

While the exact causes for the immune system attacking and damaging the thyroid gland are not known, it is believed that genetic factors may play an important role in the development of this condition. Other factors that influence whether a person develops this condition include age, sex, family history, or other autoimmune problems.

Dr. Alessio Fasano, world-renowned gastroenterologist, Celiac disease and autoimmunity expert, describes autoimmunity as a three-legged stool that needs three things to be present to manifest:

1. The right genes
2. The trigger
3. Intestinal permeability

Dr Wentz says: while we can’t change our genes, we can reverse the autoimmune condition by removing triggers and intestinal permeability. You can read about this new advance in this reversing autoimmunity article and how she came across this information about the skeptical scientist.

In some cases, the thyroid gland may become enlarged – a condition known as goiter. The symptoms associated with the condition may include anxiety, diarrhea, weight loss, and insomnia, followed by fatigue, weight gain, constipation, and depression.    The symptoms tend to occur when the thyroid gland recovers and resumes its function from time to time. So periods of hypothyroidism may be followed by hyperthyroidism. Other symptoms associated with the condition include fertility problems, muscle or joint pain, hair loss, weight changes.

How To Reverse Hashimoto-Hypothyroidism Naturally

Getting to the root cause of Hashimoto’s can be extremely difficult because of different factors. Triggers, how the condition started, exposure to antibiotics, toxins, stressful periods of times etc.. In some of her articles Dr. Isabella Wentz –one of the top leading researchers in Hashimoto’s Hypthotyrhodism and treatment as she has both conditions– emphasizes on dietary changes, the right amount of sleep, and supplements in order to treat and potentially reverse Hashimoto’s.

Let me be clear. Hashimoto’s is pretty much an individual condition. Whereas there can be root cause commonalities, every person can have their own or in many cases, several. To figure out your own Hashimoto’s Root Cause, you must really DO YOUR HOMEWORK, in other words, you must dig deeper.

Start off with small changes, by removing triggers, followed by fixing potentially broken systems in order to restore balance, helping the body rebuild itself.  You need to find out why the immune system is out of balance, to begin with, and this will show you how to eventually feel better, lower your thyroid antibodies and even put your condition in remission.  

Basically, you need to go back and come up with a timeline. Recollect your overall history as far back as you can remember. Try to remember a time where you had infections, periods of severe stress, did you use medications? (especially antibiotics, antacids, and oral contraceptives) was there ever exposure to toxins or accidents? All of or some of those events may have contributed to Hashimoto’s. When you do this, you’ll understand what sorts of changes you would like to have to implement to help get yourself feel better again. Here’s a sample timeline that Dr. Wentz created as a guideline.

According to this article. addressing 6 root causes to reverse Hashimoto’s is key in treating and potentially reversing it:

Gluten & Cross-Reactive Proteins~ Needless to say, a process of elimination must take place. Start off with gluten, then pay attention to cross-reactive grains such as rice, wheat, and quinoa.  A good place to start is the Autoimmune Paleo Diet (AIP).  Try additional testing options. Walk-in labs offer Thyroid Testing and other tests such as an immunology test or you may want to run in order to find out your root cause.

Zinc and Glutamine~ It is very common for patines with Hashimotos to be depleted in both. Supplement Glutamine and Zinc if you are depleted, add homemade bone broths, gelatin, well-cooked meats from pastured animals. If yo have no time or access to pastured meats. I recommend this bone broth, I use this gelatin and purchase grass-fed meats from Tropical Traditions Betaine with Pepsin (digestive enzymes to extract zinc from food), and any of the nutrient dense diets listed in this blog post. [3]

Parasites ~ Parasites are not only found in people in third world countries. About 30-70% of Americans are infected with a parasite [3] There are many different types of parasites, including worms, amoebas, and protozoa. Different treatments work for different parasites, thus while general parasite cleanses can sometimes help. Before you address parasitic infections you first need to tests to find out what type of parasites you have — if any. Start off with a GI test or a BioHealth’s GI Pathogen Screen with H. pylori Antigen (401H) to test yourself or through a functional medicine practitioner.   You can also eat a low carb diet, AIP diet and use probiotics but that will only get rid of symptoms, not get rid of the parasite.

Small Intestinal Bacterial Overgrowth (SIBO)~  Sibo is an overgrowth of bacteria in the small intestine, caused by overuse of antibiotics, and high starch foods. The end results is intestinal permeability as the body attempts to get rid of bacteria.  Get the Ova and Parasites Examination Stool Test.

Fungal Infections ~ Candida can cause intestinal permeability and has been implicated in autoimmune disease and food sensitivities.  You should do Gut testing such as the GI-MAP may help determine if there is potentially an overgrowth of Candida in the bowels.  Probiotics, medications, anti-fungal herbs, and an anti-candida diet such as the Body Ecology Diet.

Another culprit is dairy. Going dairy free can help you reverse Hashimoto’s. Dr. Wentz recommends camel milk, or you can also introduce nut milk (keeping in mind cross-reactive proteins) [4].

Final Thoughts

As always, work alongside with your Naturopathic or integrative medicine Endocrinologist and I highly encourage to do more research and read up on what I share.  What I’ve laid out here, are some basics of where to start, but feel free to check out the resources I provide to inform yourself even further. This is not a one size fits, cure all magic treatment. There is so much involved when it comes to reversing any disease. That’s why I’ve condensed some of the most important steps to take towards potentially reversing Hashimoto’s.

As always thanks for reading. If you find this article interesting and think others can benefit from it. Do share it and leave your comments!!!

Now onto you…

What is your root cause? How have you addressed Hashimoto’s’ Naturally? I’d love to hear your experiences in the comments below. 

 

References

3. https://thyroidpharmacist.com/articles/6-different-hashimotos-root-causes/

https://www.wellness.uci.edu/highbloodpressure.pdf https://www.fi.edu/learn/heart/healthy/pressure.html

https://www.organicauthority.com/health/health/organic-foods-a-healthy-return-on-investment.html
4. https://thyroidpharmacist.com/articles/going-dairy-free-to-reverse-hashimotos/