Iron and Thyroid connection

[AllyIb]

I have low iron and hypothyroidism. I have been researching the connection between the two and found research that shows that iron feeds the T4/T3 process. So is the root cause of hypo low iron or do they go hand in hand typically? I am taking iron pills, increasing liver intake and supporting my body to increase iron and also working at the thyroid support end as well. Any experience from others in this area?

[helvella Administrator]

A lot of members who are hypothyroid have low iron levels.

But I do not think low iron is the root cause of hypothyroidism. Indeed, given that the majority issue seems to be Hashimoto's, it would be necessary to explain how low iron causes Hashimoto's.

helvella - Iron Document

This is a summary of what I have read up and found out about iron supplements over the past few years. I am not in any way medically trained. You are strongly encouraged to check every detail before making any decisions for yourself.

Last updated 03/10/2024

helvella.blogspot.com/p/hel...

[SlowDragon Administrator in reply to helvella]

This post you made 2 years ago…..this research suggests low iron can increase risk of developing autoimmune diseases

healthunlocked.com/thyroidu...

Moreover, ID can disturb the functioning of the immune system, increasing the risk of autoimmune disorders

We certainly see a high percentage of vegetarians /vegans with Hashimoto’s

[RedApple Administrator in reply to SlowDragon]

[Disclaimer: I'm no expert on iron]

Seems a bit of a chicken and egg situation to me. Untreated hypo can and does cause low iron levels due to malabsorption of nutrients from food. Females are especially prone to iron deficiency. Maybe it's a case of correlation is not necessarily proof of causation?

[SlowDragon Administrator in reply to RedApple]

Stats on numbers of vegetarians/vegans in U.K.

finder.com/uk/stats-facts/u...

2024, there are 3.1 million vegetarians in the UK, making up 5.8% of the population.

there are around 2.5 million vegans in the UK, 4.7% of the population

Source: finder.com/uk/stats-facts/u...

Analysis conducted by finder.com

Source: finder.com/uk/stats-facts/u...

Analysis conducted by finder.com

I wonder what percentage of Hashimoto’s patients are (or were) vegetarian/vegan

[RedApple Administrator in reply to SlowDragon]

Not me, ever, so that's one for starters 🤣

[SlowDragon Administrator in reply to RedApple]

I was vegetarian for roughly 2 years prior to diagnosis and took no supplements

Then gave up smoking …..that definitely increases risk of developing autoimmune disease for 2 years after quitting

thyroid.org/professionals/a...

[Greyjaybee in reply to SlowDragon]

I've been vegan for around 35 years, have Hashis, use NDT, haven't seen a doc about any of this for many years. I only discovered I had it when in the Endo department of Bath Hospital a young keen medic asked if I'd mind him including testing my levels for it and rang me (shock) a week later to tell me the news. He was doing his own study about it I believe. The last blood tests I had, courtesy of a nice agreeable village doc around 15 years ago showed all my levels, including iron, ferritin etc were mid range, the only flagged thing was raised neutrophils, but he didn't seem concerned, so neither was I . I'm interested to read that it could be consistently low levels of iron that might cause women to become hypo, because I always had very low levels throughout my adult life,until menopause, so I tell myself that despite the downsides of that life event the up-side is better iron levels. I'm well most of the time until the NDT I take goes wrong.

[Starseed56 in reply to SlowDragon]

I was veggie for nearly 40 years and continued to be so til about two years ago when my body craved some red meat probably due to years of low iron. But I first had low iron aged 18/19 (maybe before tho never tested, discovered when I went to donate). This didn’t change much after menopause tho my pathetically low ferritin raised a bit! Had Hashis for about 22 years now.

Eating meat hasn’t helped my iron much. I’ve recently had an iron infusion, maybe it’s made a slight improvement in the tiredness stakes but not as good as I’d hoped. Some of the iron panel improved post infusion, some didn’t…

I’ve often wondered re the link between the two, interesting post @Allylb thanks! 💜

[buddy99 in reply to SlowDragon]

I had autoimmune thyroiditis long before I started a whole food plant based diet (about 30 years). In fact I started it because I had AT. Since it made me feel better, I stuck with it. I think that any diet can lead to deficiencies if not properly managed. Proper management of nutrient intake, particularly iron, iodine, and vitamin B12, is important to minimize any potential risks of developing AT as a vegan/vegetarian (if we want to focus on that particular diet choice). I would lean towards what RedApple said about the chicken and egg situation. In other words, did low iron contribute to developing thyroid issues or was it impaired absorption of nutrients due to thyroid issues that caused low iron? I'm not sure that research has fully explored that yet. The research on the connection of vitamin D deficiency and developing AT seems to be much stronger. But, of course, diet seems to fall into the "contentious" category like religion and politics. 😉 I think it is also very individual. What works for one does not for another. It is yet one more thing to figure out. 😮‍💨

[helvella Administrator in reply to SlowDragon]

Yes - but the effect of iron deficiency on the immune system was somewhat speculative:

Through the mechanisms of DNA repair and the effects of iron on the complex epigenetic interplay, iron deficiency can induce changes in the genome that potentially may promote the development of AITD.

I agree that iron deficiency is important and I think it a vital part of the picture for the individual. But it seems clear that iron deficiency is not an essential factor to developing autoimmune thyroid disease. Could it be that low iron allows AITD to develop but adequate or high iron does not, on its own, prevent AITD?

[SlowDragon Administrator in reply to helvella]

Similar with smoking…..it seems to possibly delay developing autoimmune disease …..and quitting can exacerbate

Low vitamin D also suggested as increasing risk

So many variables

[Tina_Maria in reply to SlowDragon]

This is an interesting article about Vit D in autoimmune diseases - and that higher levels of Vit D appear to have a protective effect, especially in women.

bsd.biomedcentral.com/artic....

[SlowDragon Administrator in reply to Tina_Maria]

My vitamin D was 12nmol

Only found out years later when I got online access to test results

Was never told vitamin D had been tested and was not prescribed any vitamin D

[Tina_Maria in reply to SlowDragon]

OMG!! 😢 And then they wonder why the trust in physicians is eroding...🤦‍♀️

[Luckyclaire in reply to SlowDragon]

Wow, I didn't know about the smoking thing. I had AI issues before, but they definitely accelerated with pregnancy - when I gave up smoking! Double effect?

[SlowDragon Administrator in reply to Luckyclaire]

Yes …quite probably

Yes I also stopped smoking in readiness for pregnancy ……Hashimoto’s diagnosed 2-3 years after 2nd child born…..but symptoms were present after 1st pregnancy

[TiggerMe Ambassador]

My ferritin levels were low and I have Ord's but my sister has Haemochromatosis and her thyroid also failed though no raised antibodies for her... 🤷‍♀️

[elaar]

"Seems a bit of a chicken and egg situation to me. Untreated hypo can and does cause low iron levels due to malabsorption of nutrients from food. "

Not only this, but thyroid hormones heavily dictate iron homeostasis/transport in the body. They're indirectly linked to over 80 known gene expressions (that we know of so far) that influence how organs such as the liver produce the necessary proteins that bind/transport iron.

[HowNowWhatNow]

my hypo-ness began after haemorrhage in childbirth and followed on from 3 months of very low iron after that. I know two other women for whom the onset took the same pattern and chronology. I’d love to be able to rule that out as causation but have not yet been able to.

[HowNowWhatNow in reply to HowNowWhatNow]

The rule applied in U.K. hospitals is to only give women (in labour) infusions once they’ve lost over 2 litres of blood. I was just under that - 1.7/1.8 - so the doctors ignored my iron deficiency completely.

[Starseed56 in reply to HowNowWhatNow]

How interesting… I lost a good deal of blood during the birth of my first child (1982) but I was given 2 litres transfusion. I’ve often wondered if the transfusion was involved in any changes in my body 🤔. That’s awful you were ignored. 😯

[HowNowWhatNow in reply to Starseed56]

Thank you for replying - yes I have only just got my iron depletion under control: 10 years later!! And my ferritin is still stubbornly slow to rise.

[Starseed56 in reply to HowNowWhatNow]

My ferritin dragged along most of my adult life. After an iron infusion it went from 66 to 662! Don’t feel much benefit tho sadly it’s v subtle! 💜

[HowNowWhatNow in reply to Starseed56]

How about Vit B? It’s when I supplement that too that I feel the pistons fire.

[Starseed56 in reply to HowNowWhatNow]

It’s pretty good right now!!

[silverbelle51]

Very interesting . Thank You

[Ashupan]

hiya. Diagnosed papillary cancer in May. Total thyroidectomy etc. was so low in iron had an infusion 2 weeks ago. Still taking iron tabs. Feel so much better. Taking 125 Eltroxine

[Wua13262348]

Read the site b12oils.com . The research scientist authoring the site explains the interplay with thyroid, B12, iron , vit D, etc. , etc. There is a lot of reading but he explains that problems with iron and vit D will likely be the last to be resolved when hypothyroid. B12 and thyroid need to be optimised before iron problems are likely to be resolved.

Many on this site are hypermobile. He states that this is the result of our mothers being iron deficient in pregnancy.

[AllyIb in reply to Wua13262348]

Interesting. I will read the site. Thanks for pointing it out!

My specialist has found a relationship between head injuries affecting thyroid functioning and hormones. I just started working with him (1 appointment so far) and he is big on taking enough Vitamin D - at least 5,000 units. I will have more questions for him on our next appointment.

I am also going to explore homeopathics like ferrum phos as homeopathy is my background. I want to resolve the cause so that I don't have to be taking iron as a life long to boost it up with supplements. I am also taking other nutrients so it is not a stand alone protocol.

[Wua13262348 in reply to AllyIb]

The site I suggested says "iron needed to synthesise Vit D." Also , as regards thyroid and iron deficiency, " Iron involved in function of Thyroid Peroxidase and as levels of ferritinn in serum drop, activity of the enzyme drops and TSH rises. Because of low iron , become hypothyroid. This results in functional B2 deficiency, which results in functional B12 deficiency." There is much , much more to read.

[Pippah45]

Hi just to show we don't all have the same symptoms! I have had consistently HIGH iron blood results and have been Hypo (Hashis) for many years. Because a cousin has Haemocromatosis I did get tested for the gene and they are supposed to be keeping an eye on the ferritin but I don't think they have. However I do seem to be unusual amongst Hypos who are more likely to be low in iron and B12. Good luck with yours.

[Lotus-Blossom]

Hi, I have hypothyroidism and have had low iron levels in the past. I had no idea these two were connected.