help with info please re Levo and dairy fat like butter/ double cream ( not single cream though)

[HilaryWB]

My dietician knows I take Levo and T3, so can't take milk products as they stop the medication being absorbed but she says that pure dairy fats like butter and double cream are ok, as they don't contain milk proteins, but can anyone clarify this?

[Jaydee1507 Administrator]

Erm, this is news to me as a dairy intolerant person. I don't think the issue is that milk products stop thyroid hormones being absorbed, I think there's more to it than that, but for sure I can't tolerate any. All dairy products contain milk proteins else they aren't a milk product.

[helvella Administrator Thyroid UK]

Ordinary butter (in the UK) contains approximately 0.6 grams of protein per 100 grams.

As there is no other ingredient, this must come from the milk!

waitrose.com/ecom/products/...

Double cream contains around 1.5 grams of protein per 100 ml.

waitrose.com/ecom/products/...

Single cream seems to contain slightly more at around 3.3 grams per 100 ml.

waitrose.com/ecom/products/...

Almost all food seems to affect absorption of levothyroxine - though varying to degree.

When the finger has previously been pointed at dairy, it has often been the calcium content that has appeared the main issue. Though I have never seen any comprehensive testing to prove any of this to a satisfactory level of certainty!

If you are maintaining a good time gap between food and levothyroxine, I really doubt it matters whether you consume single or double cream, etc. The point of the time gap is to ensure the levothyroxine doesn't meet any food.

When it comes to T3, we have even less certainty with some claiming it can be taken with food, and others that it should be treated like levothyroxine.

[HilaryWB in reply to helvella]

thank you, good advice!

[jimh111]

Ask them for reliable evidence. I have never heard this. I take my levothyroxine and liothyronine three minutes before my porridge made with semi-skimmed organic milk (2 min 20 sec in microwave!).

Thyroid hormones are subject in intrahepatic recirculation, i.e. they are excreted from the liver in the bile and reabsorbed in the gut. If milk stopped absorption it would be a big problem for anyone who took milk, butter, cheese etc. and bigger problems for all babies.

[HilaryWB in reply to jimh111]

Thanks, very reassuring! suspect you may be medical or a pharmacist??

[HilaryWB in reply to HilaryWB]

and I have exactly the same breakfast, but add organic blueberries!

[jimh111 in reply to HilaryWB]

No I'm a patient not a doctor. I had to do a lot of research to find out I was hypothyroid and why.

[Hedgeree]

Hi HilaryWB,

Are you in the UK?

Curious as to whether they are a private or NHS dietician?

Best wishes.

Just realised you are in the UK.

[HilaryWB]

NHS in UK

[Alanna012]

Well I guess a dietician is more specialist, but a private doctor specialising in thyroid told me many years ago to make sure I included full fat milk, butter and animal fat in my diet. Avoid anything half fat just leave a gap between food and meds. He said it was important for vitamin A and hormone production.

I have also been told elsewhere that people suffering autoimmune thyroiditis should cut out dairy. So there's a lot of contradictory advice out there. Honestly you just have to see what works for you.

[Anthea55]

I really wouldn't want to avoid dairy. My coffee tastes so much better with double cream.

I suggest that you eat a balanced diet which works for you and let the levo sort itself out according to your blood tests. If your regular diet cuts out some of the levo/T3 you might need a little bit more levo/T3 but you can overdo avoiding foods unless you have real food intolerances. Believe me, reading food labels can get complicated.

By the way I don't refer to levo/T3 as 'medication' as it is replacing the hormones our body isn't making, so is a hormone replacement.

[SarahJane1471 in reply to Anthea55]

oh so I’m not the only one who likes a drop of cream in coffee 😂🙏

[HilaryWB in reply to SarahJane1471]

indeed not, ,my special treat!

[StitchFairy]

Either your dietician is talking rubbish, or you misunderstood what she meant.

Have as much dairy products like butter, milk, single, double cream, cheese etc as you want. Just make sure you don't have any of it for at least half an hour after taking levo.

[HilaryWB in reply to StitchFairy]

thank, all you lovely people on this site. really useful info!

[radd]

HilaryWB,

It’s the calcium in dairy and not the fats that risk inhibiting absorption of Levothyroxine. 

Because medicating a set amount and forsaking the bodies natural compensatory factors, it is suggested we take our meds away from calcium, same as iron to encourage good amounts of absorption and ‘free’ hormones. 

Consume whatever dairy you want to (as long as you aren’t intolerant) but ensure to take it away from thyroid meds.

[HilaryWB in reply to radd]

thanks, really helpful info1

[Hedgeree]

Hi HilaryWB,

I'm thinking your dietician is possibly refering to the casein content of specific dairy products?

Casein is a type of protein and is about 80% of the protein content in milk. (There are different types of casein but I don't know what they are!)

From my basic understanding most dairy products contain it but butter and cream only have tiny amounts of casein (possibly due to how it's processed?)

So maybe your dietician is saying that casein (the protein in milk)can cause issues/effect your absorption of your levo?

I don't have enough knowledge to answer that; someone else on the forum may know?

Best wishes.

[HilaryWB]

Many thanks! Butter and double I cream seem to tolerate fine.

[serenfach]

I wash my thyroid pills down with milk, cos I have a glass of milk beside the bed and am not awake enough to find the bathroom first thing!

[radd in reply to serenfach]

serenfach! 😳

You've been here's since of the start of the forum & this was was basic lovely Clutter advice. 'Always take your pill with a glass of water half an hour before breakfast.'

Can't you leave a glass of water by your bed 😊

Info on Levo Patient Information Leaflet - patient.info/medicine/levot...

'Calcium or iron found in the food you eat can also reduce the amount of levothyroxine absorbed by your body. Try to take your dose at least 30 minutes before your first meal of the day'.

[serenfach in reply to radd]

The skim of ice on a glass of water is rather offputting first thing, whereas the milk tends not to freeze. Shame the cream does not rise to the top any more...

No jokes about blue tits now!

[jamesal0]

If this was true and it's not. you would just take more Levo to compensate. You should come first not some silly little white pill