From 2000 people with Hashimoto's- the nine mos... - Thyroid UK

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From 2000 people with Hashimoto's- the nine most helpful strategies.

8 years ago•2 Replies

This is an email I received from Isabella Wentz.

'After implementing carefully researched lifestyle changes, I was able to see a tremendous improvement in my health. I decided to summarize my research an improvements in my book, Hashimoto's the Root Cause in 2013. When I initially published the book, I was hopeful that one day a group of researchers would take the information I collected and carry out a large scale clinical trial to test the interventions. Unfortunately, these types of clinical trials can be very expensive and there really isn't a financial incentive for most companies to do this kind of research if they can't collect a return on their investment.

Then I realized, that we, the thyroid community have the power to create our own research!!

During the month of May, I developed a survey to assess the impact of various interventions on Hashimoto's - 2232 people with Hashimoto's provided feedback to this survey as to the factors that seemed to make their conditions better and the factors that made their conditions worse.

Top 10 Takeaways from 2232 People with Hashimoto's

1) Stress is a huge contributing factor!

69% of you reported that you had a lot of stress in your life before you started feeling unwell. Getting enough sleep, spending time with loved ones, being in nature, walking, massage, reading, sitting on a beach and being warm were some of the activities that made most people with Hashimoto’s feel better, while lack of sleep, being stressed out, being around negative people, fighting with loved ones and a lack of sunshine and cold weather made most people with Hashimoto’s feel worse. Please don't under-estimate the importance of stress reduction in your healing journey. I want you to remember that stress is not just caused by external factors, but can also be self-induced due to our own thought patters like negative self-talk or perfectionism. I recommend taking a nice vacation or "stay-cation" where you take a few days to focus on relaxing and self-care.

2) Nutrient deficiencies are real!

68%, 33% and 28% of you were found to have low levels of Vitamin D, low levels of B12 and low levels of ferritin, respectively. Low levels of these nutrients can be a huge contributor to thyroid fatigue. Low ferritin levels are an indicator of anemia and can contribute to hair loss as well.

If you have not had these important tests, please talk to your doctor about testing for them. I've written about each of these nutrient deficiencies on my blog.

Links to the articles

Vitamin D

B12

Ferritin

I also cover them in my chapter on Nutrient Deficiencies.

Taking supplements can help restore your nutrient levels and help overcome fatigue. When asked about the benefits of various interventions, 67%, 88%, 82%, reported that Vitamin D3, B12 and Iron/ferritin supplements improved their fatigue, respectively.

3) Gluten sensitivity with Hashimoto’s is a big deal.

76% of you reported that you thought you were gluten sensitive (16% of you were not sure, the rest did not believe that you were).

Most people that reacted to gluten felt the reaction in their gut (symptoms of constipation, diarrhea, cramping, bloating, nausea, gas, acid reflux, burning or burping) and in the brain related symptoms like headaches, dizziness, brain fog, anxiety, depression, fatigue and insomnia. Overall, 88% of people who attempted to go gluten-free felt better!!

86% of people who went gluten-free reported an improvement in digestive symptoms. One reader wrote “Gluten elimination was the first thing I did. Lost 8 pounds in 2 weeks without dieting. Added supplements, exercise, and cutting out sugar. Still losing weight and cannot believe how good I feel!”

Notably, only 3.5% of you were actually diagnosed with celiac disease, thus this confirms what we've been saying all along, you do not have to have celiac disease to benefit from a gluten-free diet!

If you are still on the fence about going gluten free, I encourage you to try it!

4) Food matters!

In addition to the gluten-free diet, the other most helpful dietary interventions were going on a sugar free diet and the Paleo diet (81% of those who tried these diets felt better), grain-free diet (81% felt better), dairy free diet (79% felt better), autoimmune Paleo diet (75% felt better) and the low glycemic index diet (76% felt better). Incorporating healing foods also made people feel better. Home-made broth helped 70% of those that tried it, Green smoothies helped 69%, and fermented foods helped 57%.

5) Supplements can help. The most helpful nutritional interventions were taking a B12 supplement(76%), D3 supplement (74%), digestive enzymes (73%), Ferritin/Iron supplement (63%), Omega-3 Fatty acid supplement (65%), Selenium 200 mcg (63%), Betaine with Pepsin (59%), Curcumin (56%),Zinc 30 mg (52%) and L-glutamine (51%). (The numbers in the parentheses represent the % of people who reported "feeling better" after trying these supplements).

I've written about all of these supplements in my book, and the majority are covered in my nutrient depletion's chapter.

One person commented: "Zinc supplements immediately eliminated a long standing thrush infection that was not successfully treated by four doctors in 2 years."

6) Banishing the blues and pain with lifestyle is possible.

Feeling tired, blue and in pain? Have a spa day! Sauna therapy helped an overall 57% of those who tried it to feel better, the biggest benefits were seen in mood, energy, skin and reducing pain levels. Massage helped improve mood for 80% of people, reduced pain for 62% and improved energy levels in 45% of people!

Going to the spa may get very expensive, but you can look for ways to make it more affordable. For example, some gyms may have saunas in them that you may be able to use with a membership or a daily pass, and massage companies often have discounts on their websites. My husband and I once found a local massage school that offered deeply discounted massages. When all else fails, you can do a hot Epson salt bath at home, and get your partner to give you a massage.

8) Sweet spot for TSH levels.

69% of respondents feel optimal with a TSH under 1 ?IU/ml, and 57% felt good with the TSH between 1 and 2 ?IU/ml !! While a TSH as high as 4 ?IU/ml may be considered to be “within normal limits” I personally felt like a sloth and was losing a ton of hair when my TSH was at that level. You can read my article about TSH in this ARTICLE for more information.

9) Low Dose Naltrexone (LDN) can make a big difference for some

While only 38% of those that tried it reported feeling better, the ones that saw benefit had some spectacular results. 48% were able to reduce thyroid antibodies, 61% saw an improvement in mood, 66% were able to have more energy, and 40% saw a reduction in pain.

One reader wrote: "Low Dose Naltrexone changed my life for the better. If I had not added that to my regimen, I would still be suffering from nerve pain and uncontrollable allergy symptoms, in addition to the problems I have from the Hashimoto's."