In part 1 and part 2 of what really impacts thyroid health I covered the different areas that impact thyroid function and how to support it. In this blog post we are focusing on autoimmune thyroid conditions. Everything from part 1 and part 2 of what impacts thyroid health still applies. I think it’s important to say this because I often encounter women with an autoimmune thyroid issue that think the typical thyroid info doesn’t apply, but alas, it does. There’s also a tie to the immune system and often chronic stress that needs to be addressed as well. However, we still want to consider supportive nutrition, avoiding low carb, eating enough protein, not skipping meals, and reducing halogens in our environment.
When an autoimmune thyroid disorder is present, you will have elevated antibody levels. This is what confirms your thyroid condition is in fact, immune system-related. This means that your immune system is attacking your thyroid, leading to dysfunction. Typically, our immune system protects our bodies from foreign invaders, bacteria, viruses, etc. With autoimmunity, the immune system attacks innocent bystanders, including organs, tissues, foods, etc. In the case of Hashimoto’s and Graves, the immune system is attacking your thyroid.
How do you know if you have an autoimmune thyroid condition? The key is to have your antibodies tested, and there are different antibodies for each type.
Hashimoto’s Hypothyroidism Antibodies:
Graves Hyperthyroidism Antibodies:
One thing to keep in mind that I see a lot is Graves hyperthyroid eventually turning into hypothyroid once the thyroid gets burnt out. If you are catching Hashimoto’s in the early stages, you can also look hyperthyroid at first. This happens when antibodies are attacking the thyroid, and an excess of thyroid hormone gets into the system. It does eventually go away and then turns into hypothyroidism. Get all antibodies checked to be sure!
There are three main areas that contribute the most to autoimmune conditions: genetic predisposition, poor gut health, and chronic stress. For most people, it’s a combination of chaos in these areas that ultimately send their bodies over the edge and develop an autoimmune disorder.
If it’s genetics, am I doomed? Luckily, our genetics are greatly influenced by our environment. This includes the foods we eat, movement, physical environment/toxins, sleep, stress, etc. Just because you have the gene (TYK2) that puts you at a higher risk of developing an autoimmune disease doesn’t mean you will. Genetics load the gun, but our daily habits pull the trigger.
Gut Health & Autoimmune Disease
When we have dysfunction in the gut, this can lead to stress and inflammation for the immune system. Things like low stomach acid, poor digestion of food, gut infections, frequent antibiotic usage, and overall inflammation can all call for your immune system to kick into gear and eventually get into overdrive. There’s also more and more research around specific types of bacteria and how they can contribute to autoimmune diseases. I’ve seen this firsthand working with clients that have autoimmune conditions. We always do a GI map stool test to take a deeper look at what is going on inside their gut. We typically see poor digestion as well as gut infections. One common gut pathogen that has been associated with both Hashimoto’s and Graves’s disease is H. pylori. This makes sense since H. pylori live in the stomach and thrive off of stomach acid. This leaves you with less stomach acid to break down food leading to poorly digestion foods, food sensitivities, slow motility, and overgrowth.
Chronic Stress & Autoimmune Disease
Chronic stress covers a lot of ground. This could be mental/emotional stress, but it can also be a physical stressor like a nutrient deficiency or a chemical stressor like toxins in our environment. Again, it’s typically one thing, but the accumulation of many stressors adds up over time, and our bodies reach their breaking point. Gabor Mate has a book, When The Body Says No, and one thing he connects is chronic stress to conditions like autoimmune disorders. If you read through the case studies in the book, you can begin to connect the dots between people reaching their breaking point for stress and the development of autoimmune diseases. A great article by Ljudmila Stojanovich also digs deeper into research and the connection between stress and autoimmunity.
While the exact mechanism for how stress contributes to autoimmune disease is still unknown, Stojanovich states:
“It is presumed that the stress-triggered neuroendocrine hormones lead to immune dysregulation, which ultimately results in autoimmune disease, by altering or amplifying cytokine production. The treatment of autoimmune disease should thus include stress management and behavioral intervention to prevent stress-related immune imbalance.”
Listen to the podcast episode I did with Nicole Fennell on Supporting Autoimmune Thyroid Disorders for even more information on this. Also check out my free thyroid mini course!
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