Turmeric is one of the most well known herbs, and there are thousands of research studies showing its benefits.  Over the years I have had many of my patients with thyroid and autoimmune thyroid conditions supplement with turmeric.  But because turmeric is poorly absorbed, if you take a turmeric supplement you need to make sure you take one that has increased bioavailability.

But before talking about turmeric supplements, I’d first like to briefly talk about why turmeric has become even more commonly used over the years.  Turmeric is derived from the plant Curcuma longa, and it has been commonly used in the Indian subcontinent not only for healthcare purposes, but also for the preservation of food and as a yellow dye for textiles (1).  Curcumin is what gives turmeric its yellow color, and it has been shown to exhibit antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, antiviral, antibacterial, antifungal, and anticancer activities and thus can potentially benefit people with various malignant diseases, diabetes, allergies, arthritis, Alzheimer’s disease, and other chronic illnesses (1).  I have written a separate article entitled “Turmeric and Thyroid Health“, where I spoke about many of these health benefits.

Why Many People With Thyroid And Autoimmune Thyroid Conditions Should Consider Supplementing With Turmeric

With most chronic health conditions, inflammation is a big factor.  And it’s no exception with most of the patients I work with.  This is especially true with those patients who have autoimmune thyroid conditions such as Graves’ Disease and Hashimoto’s Thyroiditis.  And while the overall goal should be to address the underlying cause of the condition, taking things to help with the inflammation can be beneficial.  And turmeric is one of the best options available for helping to reduce inflammation.

In fact, autoimmune conditions are characterized by an increase in proinflammatory cytokines, and numerous research studies show that turmeric can help to reduce these cytokines (2) (3).  In addition, having an abundance of regulatory T cells is necessary for a healthy immune system, and for keeping autoimmunity in check.  And there is evidence that turmeric can help to increase regulatory T cells (4).

How To Increase The Absorption Of Turmeric

So if you take a turmeric/curcumin supplement, then how can you be certain that it will be well absorbed?  Although curcumin can help many people with numerous health conditions, the potential health benefits of curcumin are limited by its poor solubility, low absorption from the gut, rapid metabolism, and rapid systemic elimination (5) (6). What I’d like to do below is list some of the different mechanisms used to increase the absorption of turmeric.

Piperine.  Piperine is an alkaloid that is responsible for the pungency of black pepper.  Numerous studies show that piperine can greatly increase the bioavailability of curcumin in humans (5) (7).  It accomplishes this by inhibiting hepatic and intestinal glucuronidation.  One study showed that in humans, curcumin bioavailability was increased by 2,000% after combining curcumin with piperine (7).

Liposomes, micelles, and phospholipid complexes.  This involves combining turmeric with a source of fat, which in turn will increase its absorption.  An example of a curcumin supplement which falls under this category is Meriva, which has been involved in a few research studies.  Meriva is a patented phytosome complex of curcumin with soy phosphatidylcholine (8). The absorption of a curcuminoid mixture and Meriva was examined in a randomized, double-blind, crossover human study, which revealed that the absorption of curcumin was about 29-fold higher for the Meriva mixture (9).

Nanoparticles. Nanoparticles are very tiny particles, and studies show that nanoparticles of curcumin increases its bioavailability (10) (11) (12).

How Much Turmeric Should You Take?        

Curcumin does seem to be safe at doses as high as 12 grams per day over 12 months (13), although most people don’t need to take this high of a dosage.  This is especially true if someone is taking a curcumin supplement that has been enhanced by one of the methods I listed in this post.  When this is the case, many people will receive benefits from taking 500 to 1,000 mg of curcumin per day.  On the other hand, some people find that taking 2,000 to 4,000 mg of curcumin/day is more beneficial.  In some people, taking higher doses of curcumin has caused symptoms such as nausea or abdominal discomfort.  And so while curcumin seems to be safe, not everyone can tolerate higher doses.

Eating Turmeric vs. Taking A Turmeric Supplement

I’m sure some reading this are wondering if you can get the same benefits from eating turmeric.  First of all, while many people with thyroid and autoimmune thyroid conditions can benefit from supplementing with curcumin, I do want to say that not everyone needs to take this as a supplement.  In fact, while I do recommend supplements to my patients, I’m also an advocate of getting as many nutrients as you can from the food you eat.  However, supplementation is frequently necessary in order to get a therapeutic effect.  If you do choose to eat turmeric rather than taking it as a supplement, you still want to make sure to prepare it in a way to help increase its absorption. So for example, mixing turmeric with black pepper will help to increase its absorption.

In summary, turmeric can help greatly in reducing inflammation, which in turn can benefit many people with thyroid and autoimmune thyroid conditions.  However, turmeric is poorly absorbed, and so if you choose to take a turmeric supplement, you want to make sure that the absorption has been enhanced using one of the methods I described in this post.  And the same is true if you choose to eat turmeric.  Many people notice a difference when taking 500 to 1,000 mg of turmeric per day, although some people can benefit from higher doses.

In past articles and blog posts I’ve discussed the difference between a “standard” paleo diet and an “autoimmune” paleo diet.  A standard paleo diet allows someone to eat vegetables, fruits, nuts, seeds, meat, fish, and eggs.  An autoimmune paleo diet is even more restrictive, as nuts, seeds, eggs, and the nightshade vegetables are also excluded from this diet.  Of course with either diet you want to avoid refined foods and sugars, and you’ll also notice that grains aren’t included in either diet.  But the focus of this post is going to be on legumes, which are also excluded from both a “standard” paleo diet and an autoimmune paleo diet.

Which Foods Are Considered To Be Legumes?

Legumes include beans, peas, lentils, peanuts, and other podded plants.  The following are some of the more well known legumes:

Black beans

Garbanzo beans (chickpeas)

Green beans

Jelly Beans (just kidding)

Kidney beans

Lima beans

Navy beans

Pinto peans

Soybeans

Lentils

Miso

Dried peas

Peanuts

Why Are Legumes Excluded From Both A Standard And An Autoimmune Paleo Diet?

So why are legumes excluded from both a standard and an autoimmune paleo diet?  After all, there are numerous health benefits of legumes, which I’ll list below.  But even though this is the case, the primary reason why legumes are excluded from these diets is because they have compounds that can interfere with nutrient absorption and increase the permeability of the gut .  And some researchers theorize that a leaky gut is a characteristic of all autoimmune conditions.

What Are Some Of The Health Benefits Of Legumes?

Even though legumes are excluded from both a standard paleo and an autoimmune paleo diet, they do have numerous health benefits:

1. They are a good vegetarian source of protein. For example, one cup of lentils has approximately 18 grams of protein. Most beans are also a good vegetarian source of protein.
2. They are a good source of fiber. One serving of beans provides two to four grams of fiber.
3. They are a good source of certain vitamins and minerals. Beans are an excellent source of folate, and zinc bioavailability from legumes is relatively good (1). Although beans are high in iron, the bioavailability from legumes is poor (1).  Many beans are good sources of calcium, and while the bioavailability is lower than from milk and green leafy vegetables, it is still pretty good (1).

What Are Some of The Risks of Eating Legumes?

Although there are health benefits of eating legumes, there are certain health risks as well.  Most legumes have bioactive compounds such as lectins, saponins, and enzyme inhibitors (2).  These can interfere with the absorption of nutrients, and can also lead to an increase in intestinal permeability.  However, this doesn’t mean that everyone who eats legumes will develop nutrient deficiencies or a leaky gut.  Most healthy people who eat small amounts of thoroughly cooked legumes probably shouldn’t be too concerned.  Sprouting legumes might also help to reduce some of these compounds.  However, according to Loren Cordain’s research, cooking doesn’t completely eliminate lectins, and soaking, sprouting, or cooking doesn’t reduce saponins.

In the previous paragraph I mentioned how most healthy people probably can eat small amounts of thoroughly cooked legumes, but how about someone who has an existing thyroid or autoimmune thyroid condition?  Should these people avoid legumes?  Well, it does seem to depend on the person.  Many will argue that people with autoimmune conditions such as Graves’ Disease and Hashimoto’s Thyroiditis should avoid legumes, along with other foods that can have a negative effect on the health of the gut.  And while I do initially recommend for my patients with autoimmune thyroid conditions to avoid these foods, some people are able to reintroduce legumes and other foods without a problem.

What’s The Deal With Peanuts?

I personally love most nuts and seeds.  Although peanuts are actually a legume, I still tend to categorize them with nuts.  And if peanuts were considered to be healthy I would be eating them on a regular basis.  But while I think that both peanuts and peanut butter are delicious, you really do want to minimize your consumption of these.  This isn’t to suggest that peanuts have no health benefits, as they do have some good nutrients, and they might have cardioprotective effects (3) (4).  One study even showed that peanut butter consumption can lower the risk of developing type 2 diabetes (5).

However, while peanuts have some health benefits, they are highly allergenic.  In addition, peanuts are also high in aflatoxins (6) (7).  Aflatoxins are fungal metabolites which can have a negative effect on our health.  And so even if someone doesn’t have a peanut allergy or sensitivity, the aflatoxins can have a negative effect on their health.  Cyrex Labs has a test called the Chemical Immune Reactivity Screen, which measures the immune system response to certain chemicals.  And it does test for aflatoxins.

Legumes Are High In FODMAPs

FODMAP stands for fermentable oligosaccharides, disaccharides, monosaccharides and polyols, and I’ve written a separate blog post entitled “Should People With Thyroid Conditions Follow a low-FODMAP Diet?“.  Most legumes are considered to be high FODMAP foods due to the non-digestible galacto-oligosaccharides (8) (9).  Those people with small intestinal bacterial overgrowth (SIBO) don’t do well with high FODMAP foods, and so if someone has SIBO then they probably won’t be able to tolerate legumes, although some people with SIBO are able to consume small amounts.

In summary, legumes include beans, peas, lentils, and peanuts, and they are excluded from both a “standard” paleo and an autoimmune paleo diet.  The main risk of eating legumes is that they have compounds which can interfere with nutrient absorption and increase the permeability of the gut.  However, this doesn’t happen in everyone, and legumes also have some good health benefits.  So while some people are better off avoiding them, others do fine consuming thoroughly cooked legumes in small amounts, and this includes some people with Graves’ Disease and Hashimoto’s Thyroiditis.  The problem is that it’s impossible to predict who will do well when consuming legumes and who won’t do well, and this is why I do have most of my patients with autoimmune thyroid conditions avoid eating legumes while trying to restore their health.

Hair loss is one of the most frustrating symptoms many of my patients with thyroid and autoimmune thyroid conditions experience.  This is a problem with both hypothyroid and hyperthyroid conditions, and sometimes the hair loss can be very severe.  In fact, it’s not uncommon for the patient to be most concerned about the hair loss, even if they are experiencing numerous other symptoms.  As a result, many people who experience hair loss want to know what they can do to quickly stop this, and of course get their hair to grow back.

The good news is that most cases of thyroid hair loss are reversible.  In other words, the hair loss will usually stop and eventually grow back.  The bad news is that it can take a good amount of time for this to happen.  When hair loss is a result of a thyroid hormone imbalance you would figure that the hair would stop falling out once the thyroid hormone levels have normalized.  But unfortunately this usually isn’t the case, as while everyone is different, it commonly takes a number of months after the thyroid hormones have normalized for the hair loss to stop.

This understandably can be very stressful and frustrating, as someone might have normal thyroid function tests for a few months and still be experiencing hair loss.  I receive emails all of the time from my patients asking when the hair loss will stop, and if there is anything they can take to slow it down and/or help it to grow back.  Although there are supplements which can help with some cases of hair loss, in most cases these won’t help much if the cause of the hair loss is the thyroid hormone imbalance.  In other words, if the main cause of your hair loss is the thyroid hormone fluctuations, then not surprisingly, addressing this problem is the best approach.

Other Factors Which Can Cause Hair Loss In Thyroid Patients                  

Although in most people with thyroid and autoimmune thyroid conditions the hair loss is a result of the thyroid hormone imbalance, there can be other factors which cause hair loss.  So let’s go ahead and look at some of these other causes.

Nutrient Deficiencies.  30% of women before the age of 50 have hair loss due to some type of nutritional deficiency, with depleted iron stores being the most common cause (1).  A suboptimal intake of the amino acid lysine can also be a factor (1).  Getting back to iron, in women with hair loss, a ferritin level of 70 mcg/L is recommended (2).  However, keep in mind that ferritin can elevate due to inflammation, and so one can’t rely on the ferritin alone to determine the iron status.  In addition to iron and lysine, a few studies have shown that a zinc deficiency can play a key role in hair loss (3) (4).  A biotin deficiency can also result in hair loss (5).  Many women take evening primrose oil to help with hair loss, as this has gamma linolenic acid (as does borage oil and black currant seed oil), and supposedly a deficiency of GLA can be a factor in some cases of hair loss, although I wasn’t able to find any research studies confirming this.

Other Hormone Imbalances.  In addition to having hyperthyroidism or hypothyroidism, other hormone imbalances can result in hair loss.  One study showed that a low estrogen to androgen ratio (ratio of estradiol to free testosterone) might be responsible for triggering hair loss in women (6).  Problems with the estrogen and progesterone receptors can also be a factor in some people (7).  High levels of androgens in postmenopause can result in hair loss (8) (9).  High levels of prolactin can also cause hair loss (10).

Stress.  There is evidence that neurohormones, neurotransmitters, and pro-inflammatory cytokines released during the stress response may also significantly influence the hair cycle (11) (12) (13).  In addition, acute emotional stress may cause alopecia areata by activating corticotropin-releasing hormone receptors around the hair follicles, leading to intense local inflammation (14).  This isn’t to suggest that most people with thyroid and autoimmune thyroid conditions have hair loss due to stress, although since many people with these conditions deal with a lot of stress this shouldn’t be overlooked.  Plus, there is also the possibility that the thyroid hormone imbalance is what initially causes the hair loss in some people, but the increased anxiety and stress due to the hair loss is a contributing factor.  In other words, even when the thyroid hormone imbalance or another factor causes the hair loss, the anxiety and stress associated with the hair loss might worsen the problem in some people.

Drugs and Other Toxic Agents.  Taking certain medications can also lead to hair loss (15) (16).  This usually isn’t the reason behind hair loss in most of my patients, although during those rare cases when drugs are causing hair loss, it is almost always reversible by stopping the medication.  Many patients with hyperthyroidism and Graves’ Disease take beta blockers such as Propranolol and Metoprolol, and these also have the potential to increase hair loss in some people (17).  I wasn’t able to find studies showing that environmental toxins such as heavy metals or xenoestrogens can cause hair loss, but it wouldn’t be shocking if these were factors.

How Can One Determine The Cause Of The Hair Loss?

If someone has been dealing with a thyroid or autoimmune thyroid condition then there is a pretty good chance that this is what’s responsible for the hair loss.  However, there is always a chance that one or more of the other factors I discussed can be responsible for the hair loss, or at least be a contributing factor.  For example, someone could have had a nutrient deficiency or a sex hormone imbalance which directly or indirectly caused the thyroid or autoimmune thyroid condition.  In this case it might be necessary to correct all of these imbalances in order to completely stop the hair loss.

Obviously one can also do some additional testing to see if someone has an imbalance of the sex hormones, test some of the nutrients (i.e. conduct an iron panel), and/or run an adrenal panel to see if someone has imbalances in cortisol and/or DHEA.  But even if someone has one or more of these other imbalances it doesn’t necessarily mean these are responsible for the hair loss.  However, if someone does have a nutrient deficiency or a hormone imbalance, even if these aren’t the causes of the hair loss it of course still would be a good idea to correct these imbalances.

Can You Just Take Some Supplements To See If It Will Help?                                   

It’s very common for people to take some supplements and see if this will help with their hair loss.  If the hair loss is due to a thyroid hormone imbalance then taking supplements probably won’t help that much.  However, taking certain nutrients such as biotin, evening primrose oil, and low doses of zinc for a month or two usually won’t cause any problems, even if someone doesn’t have a deficiency in these nutrients.  On the other hand, taking iron supplements can be problematic if someone doesn’t have an iron deficiency.

I’m fine with most patients taking some nutrients such as biotin, zinc, and a form of GLA.  But many times this won’t have much of an impact with regards to hair loss.  There is also evidence that peppermint oil can help with hair growth (18).  But in most cases, correcting the thyroid hormone imbalances and then waiting a few months for the hair to normalize is the best option, although I definitely would recommend getting an iron panel as well.  While incorporating stress management techniques might not help much, it definitely won’t hurt, and most people can benefit from improving their stress handling skills.

In summary, hair loss is very common with both hypothyroid and hyperthyroid conditions.  Although most cases of thyroid hair loss are reversible, it can take some time for the hair loss to stop and grow back.  In addition to having a thyroid hormone imbalance, some other factors which can cause hair loss include nutrient deficiencies (i.e. iron, zinc, biotin, GLA), other hormone imbalances, stress, as well as drugs and other toxic agents.  Please feel free to share your experience with hair loss in the comment section below.

When I attended a recent functional medicine conference, one of the presenters asked the audience the following question: “how many people attending this conference are gluten free?”  The majority of the attendees raised their hands, which probably shouldn’t be too surprising considering that it was filled with functional medicine practitioners who commonly advise their patients to avoid gluten.  However, the presenter also mentioned that approximately 30% of the general public is gluten free, which did surprise me.  Although many people reading this post avoid gluten, I’m sure there are others reading this who eat gluten on a regular basis and want to know if they should follow a gluten free diet on a permanent basis.

Before I talk about this, you might be wondering whether or not I raised my hand when the question was asked about avoiding gluten.  To be honest, I was ready to raise my hand, but although I greatly minimize my consumption of gluten, I can’t honestly say that I’m 100% gluten free.  And I’m sure some of the practitioners who raised their hands at the conference fell into the same category, as they might try their best to avoid gluten most of the time, but they don’t necessarily avoid gluten 100% of the time, or even 95% of the time.  Once again, this obviously will vary depending on the person, as I know that some people reading this are 100% gluten free.  On the other hand, some people might think they are 100% gluten free, even though this isn’t the case, as I discussed a few years ago in a blog post I wrote entitled “Are You Really Gluten Free?”

Avoiding Gluten When Restoring One’s Health

Although I eat some foods which consist of gluten every now and then, I encourage my patients to follow a gluten free diet while trying to restore their health.  This might seem to be hypocritical of me, as why would I tell my patients to completely avoid gluten, even though I personally don’t avoid gluten all of the time?  Well, keep in mind that I’m not in the process of restoring my health, as I’m in a state of remission.  On the other hand, if someone with a thyroid or autoimmune thyroid condition is trying to restore their health it probably is best to go gluten free.  And the reason for this is because gluten is not only a common allergen, but it can also increase intestinal permeability (1), which is a fancy term for a leaky gut, and is a factor in most, and possibly all autoimmune thyroid conditions.  In other words, in some people, avoiding gluten is a necessary component to restore their health.  And in these people, consuming even a small amount of gluten can prevent them from fully recovering.

But how about those people who don’t have any type of gluten sensitivity or intolerance?  In other words, while you might understand why someone who has Celiac disease or a non-Celiac gluten sensitivity will need to avoid gluten, why should someone who doesn’t have a sensitivity avoid gluten?  The problem is that it can be challenging to determine who is sensitive to gluten.  Unfortunately one can’t always rely on symptoms, and while there is testing available, this isn’t completely accurate either.  And so there is a chance that someone can have problems with gluten, even if they don’t experience any negative symptoms when consuming it.  This can be the case even if they have a negative Celiac panel, as frequently a Celiac panel will come out negative for those in the early stages, and they might also be asymptomatic when consuming gluten, which is known as “silent Celiac disease” (2) (3).  There is a more comprehensive gluten sensitivity test offered by Cyrex Labs, but it’s very expensive, and even with this test it’s possible to have a false negative result.

Can Someone Restore Their Health While Consuming Gluten?

Based on what I have said so far, you might wonder if it is possible for someone with a thyroid or autoimmune thyroid condition to restore their health, even if they don’t completely avoid gluten.  The answer is “yes”, as it definitely is possible for some people to restore their health while continuing to eat gluten…if they don’t have a gluten sensitivity or intolerance.  After all, while many people do better when avoiding gluten, and although gluten can be the main factor with regards to the autoimmune response in some people with Hashimoto’s Thyroiditis and Graves’ Disease, in many people this isn’t the case.  However, as I mentioned previously, it can be challenging at times to determine if someone has issues with gluten.  And so a person with a thyroid or autoimmune thyroid condition who doesn’t experience any symptoms when eating foods with gluten can of course choose to continue eating these foods while taking a natural treatment approach, and if all goes well then that’s great.

On the other hand, if someone continues to eat gluten but isn’t showing much improvement then this makes the situation more challenging.  And the reason for this is because if someone continues to eat gluten but their health doesn’t improve, there is no guarantee that eating the gluten was responsible for their lack of progress.  Let’s put it another way…if someone is following a natural treatment protocol, is 100% gluten free, and after a few months their health isn’t improving, then we can almost definitely conclude that exposure to gluten isn’t the reason why they weren’t progressing, since they were gluten free.  On the other hand, if someone eats gluten while following a natural treatment protocol and doesn’t improve, while it is possible that the reason why they weren’t improving was due to the exposure to gluten, there is also the possibility that another factor was responsible for their lack of progress.

I know this might be a little bit confusing to some people reading this, but my point is that when trying to restore your health, initially you want to try to avoid as many factors as possible that can be responsible for triggering your condition, and this includes avoiding gluten.  While doing this will greatly improve your chances of restoring your health, if for any reason your health doesn’t improve, at the very least you won’t be able to blame your lack of progress on those potential triggers (i.e. gluten) you avoided.  And so this will allow you to focus on other factors which might be problematic.

I’d like to give another example.  Let’s look at a scenario where someone is dealing with Hashimoto’s Thyroiditis or Graves’ Disease, and this person completely avoids gluten, dairy, corn, refined sugars, drinks purified water, and uses natural household products in order to reduce their toxic exposure.  If this person’s health doesn’t improve after a few months of following a natural treatment protocol then we can conclude that their lack of progress wasn’t due to exposure to gluten, dairy, corn, refined foods, toxins in the water, or household products.  While it might be frustrating to the person that their health hasn’t improved despite making these changes, at least we would know to focus on other factors.  On the other hand, if the same person avoided dairy, corn, refined foods, drank purified water, used natural household products, but didn’t avoid gluten, then we might suspect that gluten was the culprit, even though there is the possibility that another factor was responsible for their lack of progress.

World-Renowned Expert On Gluten-Related Disorders Doesn’t Avoid Gluten?

Dr. Alessio Fasano is one of the world-renowned experts on gluten-related disorders, and in his book “Gluten Freedom” he states the following: “I am now convinced that our immune system mistakenly interprets gluten as a component of a dangerous bacterium or bacteria.  When this happens, it unleashes an immune response similar to that triggered by bacteria to rid the body of the attackers.  This response is elicited in everyone.  It is not exclusive to people affected by gluten-related disorders”.

In other words, according to Dr. Fasano, gluten has a negative impact on everyone, and not just people who have Celiac disease or a non-autoimmune gluten sensitivity.  And the study I brought up earlier mentions that increased intestinal permeability after gliadin exposure occurs in ALL individuals (1).  Based on this it would be fair to conclude that everyone should permanently avoid gluten, right?  And if this is the case, why would I choose to eat even a small amount of gluten on an occasional basis?  Well, it’s the same reason why some people choose to drink some alcohol every now and then, drink coffee, etc.

You might argue that unlike gluten, some alcoholic beverages such as red wine have certain health benefits.  However, like gluten, all alcohol can increase the permeability of the gut, including red wine (4).  I personally don’t drink alcohol, don’t drink coffee, and while I do eat a pretty healthy diet most of the time and eat very little gluten, I’m definitely not perfect.

And Dr. Fasano isn’t perfect either, as if you happened to listen to the “Autoimmune Summit” conducted by Dr. Amy Myers in Fall of 2014, Dr. Fasano was interviewed by Dr. Myers and admitted that he eats gluten sometimes.  Plus, he also mentioned the following in his book: “Although I have contributed to the discoveries of some of these inappropriate immune responses elicited by gluten in humans, I do not share the position of the proponents of a ‘gluten-free world’, who often cite my work to support their position.  We engage daily in a war with many dangerous bacteria but rarely do we lose this battle, which is an event that leads to infection.  We are also engaged in a daily confrontation with gluten, but only a minority of us will lose this battle.  These are the genetically susceptible individuals who will develop gluten-related disorders”.

So even though Dr. Alessio Fasano has done plenty of research on the adverse effects of gluten (he was one of the authors in the study I mentioned earlier), he does consume some gluten every now and then.  I’m pretty sure that I don’t have Celiac disease, and I don’t think I have a non-Celiac gluten sensitivity disorder.  And I assume gluten wasn’t a trigger when I was dealing with Graves’ Disease, or else I probably still wouldn’t be in remission.  Keep in mind that I don’t freely eat gluten, as I eat mostly whole foods, try to eat as many organic foods as possible, etc.  And if someone isn’t in remission and is in the process of trying to restore their health then without question I think it is best to play it safe and avoid gluten.

Is It Wise To Reintroduce Gluten After Getting Into Remission?

Although I seem to do fine consuming a small amount of gluten every now and then, this of course isn’t the case with everyone.  And so I admit that it is a risk for someone to reintroduce gluten after restoring their health.  While many people will do fine after reintroducing gluten, some people who reintroduce gluten won’t do fine, and at times the consequences can be severe.  As a result, there are some people who choose not to reintroduce gluten after restoring their health, even if they haven’t confirmed that they have Celiac disease or a non-autoimmune gluten sensitivity.

The truth is that we don’t need to eat gluten.  But gluten is just one of numerous toxins that many people voluntarily expose themselves to.  One can make a good argument that we should all be 100% alcohol free, not consume any caffeine, not put ourselves in a position to deal with high amounts of stress, always get at least eight hours sleep, avoid any type of household cleaner or cosmetic that isn’t certified organic, etc.  But it’s rare to come across someone who is 100% gluten free, alcohol free, and caffeine free AND has low stress levels, gets at least eight hours of sleep every night without exception, uses all natural products, etc.  Keep in mind that I’m not trying to convince anyone reading this that it’s okay to eat gluten on an occasional basis. I admit that there is no good reason to consume gluten, but one can make the argument that there is no good reason to drink any alcohol, coffee, stay up late, etc.  While it’s important to do everything you can to live a healthy lifestyle, nobody is going to be perfect in all aspects of their health.

In summary, not everyone with a thyroid or autoimmune thyroid condition has Celiac disease or a non-autoimmune gluten sensitivity.  However, since gluten is a common allergen and can increase intestinal permeability, and because it can be difficult to determine if someone has a gluten sensitivity, or even Celiac disease in some cases, I think it’s a good idea to avoid gluten while trying to restore one’s health.  As for whether it’s safe to reintroduce gluten after someone has restored their health, without question there are risks involved with doing this.  However, there are also risks involved with reintroducing other foods (i.e. dairy, corn), along with drinking alcohol, caffeine, staying up late on a frequent basis, etc.  Please feel free to share your thoughts on avoiding and reintroducing gluten in the comment section below, as I’m sure there are many people reading this who feel strongly about avoiding gluten, while others reading this might have a different opinion regarding gluten.

There are a lot of excellent books on thyroid health, and so I figured I’d not only share some of my favorite books, but I’ll also ask you to share at least one or two of your favorite books on thyroid health as well.  Although I’m sure some people will agree with my selections, others will disagree and will have their own favorite books.  And so in the comments section below please let me know what is your favorite book on thyroid health, whether it be one on hyperthyroidism/Graves’ Disease, or hypothyroidism/Hashimoto’s Thyroiditis.

Hashimoto’s Thyroiditis: Lifestyle Interventions for Finding and Treating the Root Cause by Dr. Izabella Wentz.  Everyone with Hashimoto’s Thyroiditis should read this book.  And this is one of those books where it probably would be a good idea to read more than once.  Dr. Wentz is a pharmacist, and she does an amazing job of discussing some of the root causes of Hashimoto’s Thyroiditis.  Like myself, she has her own personal success story, as she was diagnosed with Hashimoto’s in 2009 and took a natural treatment approach.   In her book, Dr. Izabella starts off by discussing some of the basics related to thyroid function and Hashimoto’s.  She also explains which thyroid hormone medication is best.  As the title of the book implies, she spends time discussing how to find the root cause of your condition.  Although the book focuses on Hashimoto’s, a lot of the information on finding the root cause can also help people with Graves’ Disease as well.  She dedicates an entire chapter on the “iodine controversy”, and also has separate chapters where she talks about the gut, adrenals, infections, and toxins.  Some of the last chapters in her book focuses on diet and supplementation, along with testing.

Graves’ Disease: A Practical Guide by Elaine Moore.  In my opinion, everyone with Graves’ Disease should read this book.  The book doesn’t focus on natural treatment methods, but it will help to provide a better understanding of your Graves’ Disease condition, as well the treatment options available.  Plus, even though the book doesn’t focus on natural treatment methods, Elaine was diagnosed with Graves’ Disease many years ago and received radioactive iodine, and she admits that she chose this treatment a little too quickly, and hasn’t felt the same since.  Her opening chapter discusses the pathology of Graves’ Disease, how some of the different systems of the body (digestive system, cardiovascular system, reproductive system, etc.) are affected.  She then talks about the autoimmune component of Graves’ Disease, discusses the role of iodine and the physiology of the thyroid gland.  One chapter talks about Graves’ ophthalmopathy and dermopathy (skin conditions).  She also talks about the diagnosis of Graves’ Disease, and does an excellent job of discussing the different types of thyroid autoantibodies.  She talks about both the conventional and alternative approach to treating Graves’ Disease.  Towards the end of the book she has a chapter where she talks about Graves’ Disease during pregnancy, childhood, and the teenage years.

Some of the information in the book might be somewhat advanced for some people, but you should be able to follow most of the important information without much of a problem.  She also has released a newer book entitled “Advances in Graves’ Disease and Other Hyperthyroid Disorders”, which I haven’t yet read, but it supposedly isn’t as technical as the “Practical Guide” book.  For those who have read her newer book I’d be interested in hearing what you thought about it.

Why Do I Still Have Thyroid Symptoms? When My Lab Tests Are Normal: a Revolutionary Breakthrough in Understanding Hashimoto’s Disease and Hypothyroidism by Dr. Datis Kharrazian.  This is another book that everyone with hypothyroidism and Hashimoto’s Thyroiditis should read.  This is one of the first books on Hashimoto’s that went deep into the immunology behind the condition, as Dr. Kharrazian talks about cytokines, Th1/Th2 imbalances, and he explains why most people with this condition feel lousy…and what to do about it.  Like Dr. Izabella Wentz does in her book, Dr. Kharrazian starts off talking about the basics of thyroid health and Hashimoto’s.  It isn’t too long before he begins talking about Th1 and Th2 dominance, along with regulatory T cells.  In one of his chapters he discusses six patterns of low thyroid function and how to find them on a blood test.  He spends a good amount of time talking about blood sugar issues, and of course talks about digestion and the adrenals as well.  He has a chapter dedicated to the brain as it relates to thyroid health, which shouldn’t be surprising, as he also has a “brain book” entitled “Why Isn’t My Brain Working?”.  Towards the end of his book he discusses 22 patterns of low thyroid function.

Natural Treatment Solutions For Hyperthyroidism and Graves’ Disease (2nd edition) by yours truly.  While there is no question that I am biased since this is my book, the truth is that there aren’t too many books which focus on treating hyperthyroidism and Graves’ Disease naturally.  The first edition of my book was very basic and was based more on my personal experience and the experience of my patients with hyperthyroidism and Graves’ Disease.  The revised second edition that was released in 2013 goes deeper into the science and is more research based.

Of course I have read other wonderful books on thyroid health, but these are some of my favorites.  While I could have put together a post on my top ten favorite thyroid health books, or something similar, I figured it would be more interesting to list a few of my favorites, and then see if others would be willing to share their favorite book, and perhaps briefly mention why you like the book so much.  Although most people usually won’t be able to get all of the information they need to restore their health by reading books, there still is a lot of great information you can obtain this way.