Five Most Important Things for Individuals with Hypothyroid

Are you suffering from hypothyroidism? The most common cause of low thyroid function is called Hashimoto's thyroiditis. Hashimoto's is actually an autoimmune condition, meaning your immune system is dysregulated and attacking your thyroid tissue. The dysregulated immune system should be the focus of your treatment. Immune cells called regulatory T cells help balance a dysregulated immune system. What can we do nutritionally to support these cells? The most important things are vitamin D, long chain omega 3 fats, and glutathione/superoxide dismustase. Greater than 90% of individuals with autoimmune thyroid disease have genetic polymorphisms with there vitamin D receptors and require higher dosages of vitamin D to get a therapeutic response. It is not uncommon to take 5-20K per day to get the desired result. This needs to be monitored with a blood test as too much can be detrimental. Gluten and iodine are both common triggers for autoimmune thyroid attacks. Strict avoidance of these in an absolute necessity to calm down one's immune system. So how do you get checked for an autoimmune thyroid condition? This can be done with simple blood tests to check for thyroid antibodies. These tests are not commonly done in conventional medicine as it does not change the course of treatment (ie: hormone replacement). Yours in health, Drs. Chris & Lauren Caffery