Gluten free diet

[TLVR]

I notice that a strictly gluten free diet is often recommended on this forum. What is the reason, and does it apply to both hyper and hypothyroidism?

[Fruitandnutcase]

I’m not coeliac but I went totally gluten free about ten years ago after developing a second autoimmune condition - I also ate French stick, croissants, pains au raisin all the way to the south of France and when I got there my face was so puffed up I’ve got a photo of myself that close friends couldn’t even recognise so even though I’m not coeliac I don’t think alll that gluten really agreed with me.

I’ve always done home fingerpick blood tests and when I did my first test after I cut out gluten I noticed ( I test regularly) that my thyroid antibodies reduced by a massive amount to the extent I won’t knowingly eat gluten again.

I’ve also got IBS and being GF has made a massive distance to my gut so I think for some it helps but you need to try it to see and you need to be totally GF and give it a fair try. You can’t be partially GF - you either are or you’re not. If you decide to try it’s worth joining coeliac.org.uk/home/ they send you an amazing handbook that lists every ingredient known to man (almost) with information about supermarket products, restaurants, recipes etc. it is a huge help.

PS most (sensible) people test first to see if they are coeliac - I didn’t and now I’ve been GF for so long I wouldn’t eat gluten just to find out. I think I’m probably just gluten intolerant.

[bagpuss61]

Gluten causes inflammation in the body, particularly in the gut. If you want to give your body a chance to heal, cut it out.

[TLVR]

I was thinking that if you are sensitive to/intolerant of gluten it might trigger an immune response. Which obviously is the last thing you'd want if you have autoimmune thyroid disease.

[seveneleven]

The theory is that the 'code' for gliadin, the gluten protein, is very similar to a particular thyroid enzyme, so when it detects gluten, a Hashimoto's or Graves immune system can mistake it for the thyroid enzyme and mount an attack on the thyroid. It does seem to be individual though, and not everyone will have a response, but many find they have gluten sensitivity and have fewer autoimmune attacks when gluten free. Only way to really find out is to trial strict gluten free (not before testing for coeliac disease), see how you feel, and retest antibodies to see if there's a difference. For some, it makes no difference.

[loueldhen]

Hypo here. It's recommended because many - but not all - find they feel and function better without gluten (and without grains - some of the processed gluten free products as bad). I lost a persistent cough and acid reflux. In my experience it only takes days to find out if it's good for you. I think it's about leaky gut.

[Regenallotment Ambassador]

I went from 10-15 bowel moves day to 1-2 after cutting out gluten and dairy. Tried reintroducing one at a time after 6 weeks, gluten containing foods gave me pain in my upper back and brain fog 24 hours later. Dairy gurgled and burped and then … back on the loo.

[Regenallotment Ambassador in reply to Regenallotment]

pastry and commercial white bread and pasta puff me up too, my eye sockets swell like I’ve been crying or hayfever. I also don’t do well on commercial GF or lactose free products.

[SlowDragon Administrator]

I had no obvious gut symptoms. Negative blood test for coeliac. Endoscopy in 2016 suggested I was likely coeliac, DNA test said probably not.

Was astonished to find strictly gluten free diet was significant improvement, almost immediately (within a week) but other subtle changes including brain fog took about a year to lift

TPO antibodies slowly reduced on GF diet

Similarly dairy free since Summer 2022…..another vast improvement. Though didn’t see any noticeable difference for about 3-5 months …..but a year on improvements continue month on month

[BenHall1]

Hi,

I'm on this forum to look and learn as I recently had a blood test result of what I assume is a TSH of 0.313. But looking at comments from those better informed than I it doesn't seem to mean much ... to the point that I 've given up. I have made a complaint to my GP and she has booked me in for full and frank discussion next Tuesday. I'm still waiting of course for a hardcopy of my blood test results. Rant over, but at least you know where I am coming from. Wretched, wretched NHS !

To give you another take on your post ....... I was diagnosed with Atrial Fibrillation in Jan. 2010 - I found food and food ingredients triggered an event. My symptoms were, burping, intestinal gurgling, diahorrea and massive, massive and painful bloating .... the latter of which being just under the lower ribs would be the one to trip me into an AF event ... the other key influence here is how the food and food ingredients impacts on the vagal nerve.

With these ingredients in mind my GP (back in the day) had bloods done for IBS and Coeliac Disease. Results were all clear.

I then consulted a Nutritionist ( supported by their professional organisation BANT) who did some simple tests and suggested I go Gluten free, Wheat free and Oats free. She also briefed me on keeping a food diary. By Sept 2011 I was onto this diet/ food plan and have followed it over the years ... even widened it to include many other foods/ veggies/ meats and bit by bit my AF events subsided ... and now I cannot recall the last one .... maybe at least 18 months ago.

I apologise that this doesn't quite match your health issues but I think you'll find that Thyroid stuff and AF ( heart arrythmia) stuff are strange bedfellows even to the point that the common denominator maybe in many of us, food inflamming the vagal nerve.

Hope this helps, hope it gives you another take on a common problem.

John

[Regenallotment Ambassador in reply to BenHall1]

this is so helpful, I recently re introduced GF oats daily…. Could be the culprit for some recent symptoms. I’ll take a pause, get on my restorative yoga and chill my vagus nerve. 🙏