One of the most common questions I receive from people with thyroid and autoimmune thyroid conditions is “What type of diet should I follow?”  There is of course so much conflicting information out there, and so it definitely can be confusing.  Many healthcare professionals will recommend a Paleo-type diet, whereas others will recommend a Mediterranean diet.  Some healthcare professionals will recommend a vegetarian diet for any type of chronic health condition, including thyroid conditions, as well as autoimmune thyroid conditions such as Graves’ Disease and Hashimoto’s Thyroiditis.  Between working with many patients over the years with these conditions, and through the knowledge I’ve obtained through receiving my master’s in nutrition degree, getting numerous nutrition certifications, and attending countless nutritional seminars, I feel as if I have some valuable information to share with you on this topic.

There are so many different diets out there, and so I can’t possibly discuss all of them here.  But I’m going to specifically focus on five of them in this post.  And then at the end of this blog post I will mention the diet I prefer for people with thyroid and autoimmune thyroid conditions to follow.  I realize you might be tempted to skip to the end of the blog post and see what my final conclusion is, but if you are truly interested in expanding your knowledge on nutrition I would recommend reading all of the information.

Autoimmune Paleo diet. Many people are familiar with a Paleo diet.  This is based on the diet of our Paleolithic ancestors.  The main foods allowed with this diet include grass-fed pasture-raised meats, eggs, fish, fruit, vegetables, and nuts and seeds.  Foods that are excluded include grains, legumes, potatoes, dairy products, and of course any type of refined foods, included processed oils.  An autoimmune Paleo diet involves the same exclusions, but according to this diet the person should also avoid eggs, nuts and seeds, along with the nightshades.

But what’s the rationale behind eliminating these foods?  Well, as I mentioned earlier, the Paleo diet is based on the diet of our ancestors, and since they didn’t consume grains, legumes, potatoes, and dairy products it is assumed that we don’t need to consume these foods either.  I definitely can’t argue with this, as while these foods do have some health benefits, those who exclude these foods can still get the necessary nutrients and live a very healthy life.  But why are other foods excluded with an autoimmune Paleo diet?  Well, the goal is to avoid foods which might result in inflammation and/or affect the health of the gut.  Eggs are a very healthy food, and thus are included on a standard Paleo diet.  However, egg allergies are common, which is why these are excluded on an autoimmune Paleo diet.  Numerous people react to the nightshade family of foods as well.  As for nuts and seeds, they have antinutrients such as lectins and phytic acid, and thus can affect the absorption of nutrients, and also can have a negative impact on the health of the gut.  And since many people with autoimmune thyroid conditions such as Graves’ Disease and Hashimoto’s Thyroiditis (along with other autoimmune conditions) have a leaky gut, these foods are not part of an autoimmune Paleo diet.

My Thoughts: So what’s my opinion of the autoimmune Paleo diet?  I must admit that I do like this diet.  However, I have found that for some people it is too restrictive.  Plus, although it’s eliminating most of the foods people commonly react to, it’s also eliminating some healthy foods which not everyone needs to avoid eating, such as eggs.  Once again, many people shouldn’t eat eggs, and I usually do have my patients avoid eggs for a period of time initially.  However, some people with an autoimmune condition do fine when eating eggs, which is a great source of nutrients.

Mediterranean diet. The Mediterranean diet is another well known diet, and there is a lot of research which shows that it can help to improve the health of people with certain conditions, such as those with heart disease and cancer (1) (2) (3) (4).  This type of diet involves eating a lot of plant-based meals, grains, fresh fruits and vegetables, nuts, legumes, fish, and olive oil.  Certain dairy foods such as yogurt and cheese are allowed.  Red wine is also permitted.  Obviously refined foods and other junk food aren’t allowed.  Small amounts of red meat and eggs are permitted.

My Thoughts: The Mediterranean diet is without question healthier than the typical diet eaten by most people…especially those in the United States.  Of course there are many foods which are forbidden on an “autoimmune Paleo diet” which are allowed on the Mediterranean diet, including grains, nuts, legumes, and dairy products.  While one can argue that some people with an autoimmune thyroid condition can receive good results while following this diet, if they are sensitive to the proteins of dairy and/or have a leaky gut then they probably wouldn’t achieve optimal results while following this diet.

On the other hand, if someone has a non-autoimmune thyroid condition then they might be able to follow a modified Paleo-Mediterranean type diet, which perhaps allows the person to consume some dairy products, and allows a small amount of properly prepared grains, nuts, seeds, and legumes (preferably soaking them to reduce the antinutrients).  Some people with Graves’ Disease and Hashimoto’s Thyroiditis seem to do fine following this type of diet, but I usually take a conservative approach and recommend for my patients to be more strict with their diet, especially in the beginning phases.

Vegetarian or Vegan diet. If someone is on a strict vegetarian or vegan diet then little explanation is necessary.  A strict vegetarian diet would exclude all meat, fish, and any type of “animal flesh”, while a strict vegan diet would avoid all animal products, including eggs and dairy.  Lacto-ovo vegetarians are able to eat eggs and dairy.  Lacto-vegetarians eat dairy but not eggs.  Pescatarians avoid meat, eggs, and dairy, but they eat fish and other types of seafood.

My Thoughts: Although most of the patients I work with eat meat, I have worked with numerous vegans and vegetarians over the years, and if someone eats a healthy vegan or vegetarian diet then they can receive pretty good results.  While some healthcare professionals don’t feel as if someone can restore their health without eating meat, this isn’t always the case.  For example, if someone developed a leaky gut due to eating gluten, an infection, or chronic stress, and if this in turn caused the person to develop a leaky gut, then it is possible for a vegan or vegetarian to heal their gut and suppress the autoimmune component of their condition.

However, in order to accomplish this one not only needs to eat a healthy vegan or vegetarian diet and take any necessary supplements (i.e. vitamin B12), but they do need to be careful about eating too many foods which can impair gut healing.  For example, the reason why grains, legumes, nuts, and seeds should be avoided when someone has a leaky gut is because they contain antinutrients which can affect the absorption of important nutrients, and they also can directly cause damage to the gut.  And of course many vegans and vegetarians rely on eating these foods.  Although I recommend for people to avoid these foods when repairing their gut, I’ve had some patients continue eating small amounts of properly prepared nuts, seeds, and legumes and still heal their gut.  The problem is that some people don’t do well until they eliminate these foods, and because of this I usually recommend for my patients to avoid them if at possible.

Another problem is that while some vegetarians and vegans eat very healthy, some of them eat an unhealthy diet.  I have worked with vegetarians and vegans who only ate a couple of servings of vegetables per day, but ate a lot of grains and legumes.  And even if the grains are gluten free, eating large amounts of grains can decrease the absorption of nutrients and affect the health of the gut.  And the same is true when it comes to eating large amounts of nuts, seeds, and legumes.  Once again, I’m not opposed to some people eating these foods in moderation, but as I have already mentioned, if someone with an autoimmune thyroid condition who has a leaky gut eats large amounts of these foods on a daily basis then it will be difficult to receive optimal benefits.

SCD diet. I’ve had a number of people ask me about the Specific Carbohydrate Diet.  Although this isn’t specific for autoimmune conditions, it was designed to help with gastrointestinal conditions such as inflammatory bowel disease, and it can benefit people with other chronic health conditions.  Foods which are excluded include cereal grains, potatoes, and dairy products which contain lactose.  Of course fresh fruits and vegetables are allowed, as well as meat, nuts and seeds.  I’m not going to discuss this diet in detail here, but if you visit the website www.breakingtheviciouscycle.info you can find out specifically which foods are “legal” and “illegal”, and it will give an explanation why certain foods aren’t permitted.  The diet has some similarities to the Paleo diet, although there are a few major differences, as with the SCD diet certain forms of dairy are allowed (i.e. homemade yogurt), and legumes are also allowed if they are properly prepared.

My Thoughts: Overall I think this is a great diet.  Although it is restrictive, for some people with autoimmune conditions it isn’t restrictive enough, as it allows the consumption of eggs, nuts and seeds, along with some types of dairy products.  While there are health benefits to these foods, not everyone with a thyroid or autoimmune thyroid condition can tolerate these foods.   By reading this some might think I’m anti-dairy, and while I realize that there are some good health benefits to consuming raw and fermented dairy, many people are sensitive to the proteins of dairy, which is why I recommend for most people to at least go on a dairy-free trial.  However, as I mentioned earlier, there are some people with thyroid and autoimmune thyroid conditions who can tolerate certain types of dairy such as raw milk, whey protein, goat milk, etc.  I discussed dairy in greater detail in my blog post entitled “Should People With Graves’ Disease and Hashimoto’s Thyroiditis Avoid Dairy?”.

GAPS diet. GAPS stands for “Gut and Psychology Syndrome”, which involves an imbalance between the digestive system and the brain.  Dr. Natasha Campbell-McBride is the founder of the GAPS diet, and this diet is well known for helping many children and adults with both neurological and psychiatric conditions.  The way it accomplishes this is through the healing of the gut.  And since an unhealthy gut is a big factor with many chronic conditions, including thyroid and autoimmune thyroid conditions, many people with these conditions can benefit from following the GAPS diet.

I’m not going to get into great detail about this diet, as there is plenty of information online, and there is also a wonderful book available on the GAPS diet.  But it’s recommended for people to first follow an “Introduction Diet”, especially those with digestive symptoms, as well as those who have food intolerances.  The diet involves eating a lot of meat, fish, as well as fermented dairy and vegetables.  Homemade meat and fish stock is one of the primary foods used to help heal the gut.  But fermented foods are also very important.  Organ meats, eggs, and fruits are part of this diet.  The diet goes in stages, as someone will begin the first stage, and then eventually go through the second stage, followed by the third stage, etc.  A great benefit of this diet is that minimal nutritional supplements are required.

My Thoughts: I’m a big advocate of the GAPS diet.  However, it is a very challenging diet to follow, and although I think most people can benefit from following the GAPS diet, I don’t think it’s necessary for everyone with a thyroid or autoimmune thyroid condition to follow this.  This is true even when someone has a leaky gut, as while following the GAPS diet can without question help heal the gut, I usually don’t have my patients with a leaky gut follow a strict GAPS diet.  So when do I recommend the GAPS diet to my patients?  I usually will recommend this diet to extremely “tough cases”.  For example, if someone has a lot of food intolerances and/or a multiple chemical sensitivity then I will frequently recommend for them to follow this type of diet.  Once again, this doesn’t mean that other people can’t benefit from following the GAPS diet, but I find that compliance is low, and usually those who have tried many different natural protocols and haven’t receive good results are more likely to follow through with this diet.

However, just because someone doesn’t follow the GAPS diet strictly doesn’t mean they can’t benefit from following certain components of this diet.  For example, most people can benefit from eating bone broth, as well as fermented foods.  If more people consumed bone broth on a regular basis and ate a good amount of fermented foods daily, along with minimizing their consumption of common food allergens such as gluten, there would be less cases of leaky gut syndrome, and therefore less incidences of autoimmunity.

Obviously there is a lot more to these diets than I covered, as I pretty much gave an overview of each one.  In addition, there are some other things I didn’t cover in this blog post which can be important to certain people with thyroid conditions.  For example, many people with autoimmune thyroid conditions are concerned about eating foods high in goitrogens, such as broccoli, kale, cauliflower, cabbage, and spinach.   I’ve discussed this in greater detail in other articles, and while a few years ago I was completely opposed to people with hypothyroidism and Hashimoto’s Thyroiditis eating goitrogenic foods, I think it’s fine for most people with hypothyroid conditions to eat normal amounts of goitrogenic foods.  On the other hand, if someone with hypothyroidism has a moderate to severe iodine deficiency then they might want to be cautious about eating any raw goitrogenic foods.  For more information I would read my article entitled “An Update On Goitrogenic Foods and Their Impact on Thyroid Health“.

The Keys To Any Successful Diet

Although it’s nice to have a specific diet to follow which tells you which foods you should specifically eat and which foods you should avoid, there are a few key factors which apply to pretty much any healthy diet:

1. Eat whole foods. Every healthy diet will encourage you to eat whole, healthy foods, while avoiding the refined foods and sugars.  Arguably the biggest reason why many people have chronic health issues is because they eat too many refined foods and sugars, as well as too much fast food.  So regardless of whether you choose to follow a Paleo diet, the GAPS diet, or if you want to eat a vegetarian diet, you want to focus on eating whole foods.

2. Avoid common allergens. Food allergies and intolerances can be major problems, and the reason for this is because a person can be intolerant to any type of food.  And of course not all of the diets eliminate all of the common allergens.  For example, while a Paleo diet eliminates gluten and dairy, it includes other common allergens, such as eggs.  Of course that’s the purpose of an autoimmune Paleo diet, as this is even stricter than a “standard” Paleo diet.  The Mediterranean and SCD diets allow the person to eat some forms of dairy.  But once again, even if someone eliminates all of the common food allergens, it is possible to be sensitive to a food which is allowed with most of the diets.  And while someone can obtain a food intolerance panel, these are expensive, and false results are common.

3. Eat plenty of vegetables. Every healthy diet I know of encourages people to eat plenty of vegetables.  However, this still remains the primary challenge I see with my patients, as while some of them do an excellent job of eating fresh vegetables on a daily basis, most still don’t eat enough veggies.  This is even true for some people who eat vegetables daily with lunch and dinner, as someone might have a small salad each day with their lunch and a serving of steamed vegetables with dinner and think they are doing a good job of eating vegetables.  This is true when compared with most people, but everyone should eat at least three servings of vegetables on a daily basis, although eating five or six servings would be even better.  And to be honest, for someone with a chronic health condition who has multiple nutrient deficiencies, eating five or six servings of vegetables per day might not be enough.  For example, Dr. Terry Wahls is a functional medicine doctor who was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis, and she feels that people with autoimmune conditions should consume six to nine cups of vegetables per day.

4. Biochemical Individuality. Dr. Roger Williams came up with the term Biochemical Individuality.  While it would be great if everyone with an autoimmune thyroid condition did great when following an autoimmune Paleo diet, the GAPS diet, or any other specific diet, the truth is that not everyone needs to be on the exact same diet.  This still leaves many unanswered questions.  Does everyone need to eat meat and vegetables, while going grain-free?  Or is having some grains, legumes, nuts, and seeds okay for those with conditions such as Graves’ Disease and Hashimoto’s Thyroiditis?  Or perhaps a vegetarian or vegan diet is the most effective?  Unfortunately there is not one diet that perfectly fits everyone, as while I do recommend an autoimmune Paleo diet to most my patients, I’ve learned that not everyone responds well when following this type of diet.  Plus, keep in mind that we all have our personal biases, as if someone has been thriving on a vegetarian or vegan diet for many years then it’s natural for them to assume that most other people will do equally well on the same type of diet.  And the same concept applies to a Paleo-type diet, or any other diet.

In summary, there is a lot of confusion when it comes to the type of diet people with thyroid and autoimmune thyroid conditions should follow.  In this blog post I’ve discussed the benefits of an autoimmune Paleo diet, the Mediterranean diet, a vegan or vegetarian diet, the SCD diet, and the GAPS diet.  There are pros and cons to each of these diets, and of course there are many other diets out there other than these, such as the Zone Diet, Blood type diet, etc.  Regardless of which diet you choose, you of course want to make sure to eat whole foods, which includes eating plenty of vegetables.  You also want to try avoiding common allergens, which can be challenging since different people will have different food intolerances.  And of course it’s important to consider the concept of biochemical individuality, as while I would love to say that everyone with a thyroid or autoimmune thyroid condition should follow a specific diet, the truth is that there is no diet that is a perfect fit for any specific condition.

FODMAP stands for fermentable oligosaccharides, disaccharides, monosaccharides and polyols.  This is yet another category of foods some people can have problems with.  This is especially true with those who have irritable bowel syndrome (IBS).  And some people with thyroid and autoimmune thyroid conditions should be cautious about eating foods high in FODMAPs.

Before I discuss who can benefit from a low FODMAP diet, let’s first discuss why some people have problems consuming these foods.  Certain conditions such as IBS involve imbalances in the gut flora, and there is a higher prevalence of small intestinal bacterial overgrowth (SIBO).  I have written a separate article entitled “SIBO and Thyroid Health“, and so I’m not going to discuss SIBO in this post.  In any case, certain changes in the gut flora causes the person to react differently to specific types of foods.  A study conducted a few years ago confirmed that FODMAPs are poorly absorbed in the small intestine (1).  But once again, this doesn’t pertain to everyone, as only a small percentage of people need to eat foods low in FODMAPs.

What Are The Richest Food Sources of FODMAP Carbohydrates?

I came across a table from a well-researched journal article which lists the richest food sources of FODMAP carbohydrates (2).  When you look at the table you’ll see that there are six categories of FODMAPs.  These include Fructo-oligosaccharides (fructans), Galacto-oligosaccharides (GOS), lactose, fructose, sorbitol, and mannitol.  You’ll also notice that some of the foods which fall under the different categories include wheat, rye, onions, garlic, legumes, milk, honey, apples, watermelon, mushrooms, and cauliflower.

Many people reading this are already on a restrictive diet, as some are gluten and dairy free, others might be grain free, of course vegans and vegetarians don’t consume meat, etc.  And so it might be frustrating to realize that there is another category of foods you might need to avoid.  Although those people following a gluten and dairy free diet are already avoiding wheat, rye, milk, and other foods which fall within these two categories, they might be consuming legumes, apples, garlic, and some of these other foods on a regular basis.  Just remember that most people with thyroid and autoimmune thyroid conditions don’t need to follow a low-FODMAP diet.

In addition, those who should eat low FODMAP foods might not necessarily need to avoid foods in all of the categories listed in the table.  The bad news is that foods which fall into the fructans and GOS category will need to be excluded by anyone trying to follow a low-FODMAP diet, as these foods are always malabsorbed and fermented by intestinal microflora (2).  On the other hand, some people will be able to tolerate foods such as honey, apples, pears, and watermelon.  For a more comprehensive list click here.  For the most part I agree with the list, although this lists coconut as a low FODMAP food, while other sources list coconut milk and other sources of coconut as high in FODMAPs.  So this is something you might need to experiment with, or if you want to play it safe you can avoid coconut milk.

Which FODMAP Foods Should Be Avoided?

But how does someone who needs to follow a low-FODMAPs diet know which foods they can and can’t eat?  Well, as I just mentioned, everyone who needs to follow a low-FODMAPs diet will probably need to avoid eating foods in the fructans and GOS category.  As for whether they are able to eat foods in the other categories, there are a few different ways to find this out.  One way is through a breath test.  For example, if someone wants to find out if they have problems absorbing fructose then they can do a breath test to determine this.  They can also choose to do a breath test for lactose and sorbitol.  There currently isn’t a breath test available for mannitol.

Another way to determine if someone can tolerate these other foods is through an elimination diet.  And so what someone can do is to avoid all foods high in FODMAPs for one month, and then slowly reintroduce one at a time to see how they respond.  Once again, if they know they need to follow a low-FODMAPs diet but aren’t exactly sure which foods they will need to avoid, just remember that everyone who needs to be on a low-FODMAPs diet will need to avoid foods in the fructans and GOS category.  But how about if someone loves apples, pears, and watermelon and wants to see if they can tolerate these foods?  After avoiding them for one month the person will want to reintroduce one food at a time for at least three consecutive days and see how they respond.  So for example, they might want to start with apples, as perhaps they will want to eat an apple or two daily for three days in a row and see if they have a negative reaction.  If all goes well then they are probably fine eating that food, and can then try reintroducing pears.  On the other hand, if they experience symptoms then they will want to avoid eating apples, and will want to wait until the symptoms subside before reintroducing pears.

Do You Need To Be On A Low-FODMAP Diet?

At this point you might be wondering whether you need to be on a low-FODMAP diet.  After all, I discussed what FODMAPs are, and I also mentioned how people who follow a low-FODMAP diet need to avoid certain foods but might be able to tolerate other “FODMAP foods”.  However, I haven’t mentioned who should follow such a diet.  Should all people with thyroid conditions follow this type of diet?  Or perhaps only those with autoimmune thyroid conditions such as Graves’ Disease and Hashimoto’s Thyroiditis?

Well, anyone who is certain that they have IBS will want to experiment with a low-FODMAP diet, as most people who do this will notice a significant improvement in their digestive symptoms.  However, even if someone isn’t sure whether or not they have IBS but if they are experiencing digestive symptoms such as frequent bloating and gas, stomach pain, and other digestive symptoms, then it still might be a good idea to consider experimenting with this type of diet.  As I mentioned earlier, someone can consider going on an elimination diet, but if they have a lot of digestive symptoms I would recommend for them to avoid all of the common allergens (i.e. gluten, dairy, corn, soy, eggs, etc.) for 30 days, and they can also follow a low-FODMAP diet during this time, and then after the 30 days then can slowly reintroduce these foods one at a time.

I realize that this would be a very restrictive diet, but if you are sensitive to any of these foods then it is important to eliminate them from your diet.  Of course another option is to just focus on eliminating the common allergens first and not worry about high FODMAP foods initially.  After all, if you don’t have IBS then you very well might be fine eating these foods.  And just remember that if you need to follow a low FODMAP diet this isn’t necessarily permanent.  For example, if someone has intestinal dysbiosis and as a result they’re unable to tolerate high FODMAP foods, then correcting the intestinal dysbiosis will most likely allow them to eat these foods again.

So hopefully you have a better understanding about what FODMAPs are, and why some people have problems with these foods.  The six categories of FODMAPs include fructans, GOS, lactose, fructose, sorbitol, and mannitol.  Those who need to follow a low FODMAP diet don’t necessarily need to avoid all of these foods, and they might need to either do a breath test to determine if they have problems absorbing certain foods, or they can simply follow an elimination diet.  Fortunately most people with a thyroid or autoimmune thyroid condition don’t need to follow a low-FODMAP diet, but if someone is having a lot of digestive issues and eliminating common allergens such as gluten, dairy, eggs, and corn doesn’t help, then it’s something to consider.

Most people with thyroid and autoimmune thyroid conditions have nutrient deficiencies.  In some cases these nutrient deficiencies might be directly causing the thyroid condition, while in other cases nutrient imbalances might indirectly lead to these conditions.  In this blog post I’ll discuss some of the more common reasons for nutrient deficiencies, and I’ll explain what you can do to correct these deficiencies and prevent future deficiencies from developing.

Before I talk about some of the causes of nutrient deficiencies, I’d like to talk about some of the more common types of these deficiencies.  Obviously someone can be deficient in any vitamin, mineral, or other nutrient, but some of the more common nutrient deficiencies include magnesium, zinc, chromium, selenium, iron, iodine, vitamin D, vitamin A, the B vitamins, and omega 3 fatty acids.  How can one determine if someone has one or more nutrient deficiencies?  Well, there are different tests available, such as regular serum testing, micronutrient testing, a hair mineral analysis, and urine testing.  What’s important to keep in mind is that all of these methods have limitations, and there is no single method of testing that will accurately reveal all nutrient deficiencies.

For example, serum testing can be valuable for looking at nutrients such as vitamin D, as well as iron (through an iron panel evaluating ferritin, iron saturation, along with serum iron), and vitamin B12 (through methylmalonic acid).  However, for most other nutrients, serum testing isn’t reliable for determining whether someone has a mild to moderate deficiency.  A good example of this is magnesium, which usually won’t show up as being depressed in the blood unless if someone has a severe deficiency.  Micronutrient testing measures all of the different nutrients, but there are no research studies I’m aware of which prove this type of testing is accurate.  I use hair mineral analysis testing, although I realize that there are limitations to this test as well with regards to the minerals.  Organic acid testing can also be used to determine certain nutrient imbalances, and can provide other useful markers as well.

How Do Nutrient Deficiencies Affect Thyroid Health?

As I briefly mentioned in the opening paragraph, nutrient deficiencies can both directly and indirectly affect thyroid health.  Certain nutrients such as iodine, zinc, selenium, and iron are essential for thyroid hormone production.  As a result, if any of these nutrients are deficient then they can lead to a hypothyroid condition.  In addition, many nutrient deficiencies can have a negative effect on the health of the immune system.  For example, selenium, zinc, vitamin D, and vitamin A are all important for optimal immune system health.  As a result, if someone is deficient in one or more of these nutrients, then this can make them more susceptible to an autoimmune condition such as Graves’ Disease or Hashimoto’s Thyroiditis.

In fact, over the last few decades the prevalence of autoimmune conditions have skyrocketed, and so has the consumption of refined foods and sugars.  So it is very possible that the increase in nutrient deficiencies is at least partially responsible for the rise in autoimmunity.  Obviously other factors need to be considered as well, such as an increased exposure to toxins.  I think it’s a combination of different factors which have contributed to this, as if someone has a weakened immune system due to multiple nutrient deficiencies, then it makes sense that other factors such as toxins and infections would make them more likely to develop an autoimmune condition.

4 Common Reasons For Nutrient Deficiencies

There are numerous reasons why many people have nutrient deficiencies, and I’m going to focus on four of the more common reasons:

Reason #1: Overconsumption of refined foods. Many of the people I work with have already made some wonderful changes to their diet before speaking with me for the first time.  While this is great, a high percentage of my patients ate an abundance of refined foods and sugars for many years prior to speaking with me for the first time.  And when this is the case, it will take a good amount of time to correct nutritional deficiencies.  So for example, if someone was eating refined foods for 20+ years, but then switched to a whole foods diet, it can take a few years to correct these deficiencies.  This is why supplementation is usually required to help correct moderate to severe nutritional deficiencies.  But even when taking supplements it will take time to correct these deficiencies.

Reason #2: Soils depleted of nutrients. Crops which were grown many years ago were much richer in nutrients than the crops of today.  The reason for this is due to the agricultural methods used today, as they strip a lot of nutrients from the soil, which affects foods grown in this soil.  The truth is that the focus isn’t on the nutrient density of food, but instead is to try to do things to increase the size and growth rate of these foods, and to make them resistant to pests.  One of the benefits of using organic growing methods is the increased nutrient density, yet even organic foods aren’t as nutrient dense as they were in the past.

Reason #3: Antinutrients. Recently I wrote a blog post on this topic entitled “Antinutrients and Thyroid Health“.  Certain antinutrients, such as phytic acid, will interfere with the absorption of nutrients such as calcium, magnesium, zinc, and iron.  These antinutrients are commonly found in grains, and this is a major reason why you want to minimize your consumption of grains…even if they are gluten free.  However, there are antinutrients in other foods as well, such as legumes, nuts, and seeds.  Of course these foods have some great health benefits, but when eaten in excess they can prevent the absorption of nutrients, and over a period of time can cause or contribute to nutritional deficiencies.

Reason #4: Digestive and absorption problems. Many people have problems with digestion and absorption, and this obviously can lead to nutrient deficiencies.  For example, if someone has low levels of hydrochloric acid due to an H. Pylori infection, then they will have a difficult time breaking down protein and other nutrients.  If they have a condition such as small intestinal bacterial overgrowth (SIBO) then this can lead to malabsorption of nutrients.  A condition such as Celiac Disease can cause many nutritional deficiencies.  I’ve spoken about leaky gut syndrome numerous times, and this condition can also affect the absorption of nutrients.

How Can You Correct and Prevent Nutrient Deficiencies?

Based on the reasons I just gave for nutrient deficiencies, the following methods of correcting and preventing nutritional deficiencies shouldn’t be surprising:

1. Minimize your consumption or refined foods and sugars. I probably don’t need to expand on this, as most people reading this realize that it’s best to eat whole foods, and try to avoid the refined foods and sugars.  You especially want to focus on eating a lot of vegetables, both raw and cooked, and a wide variety of them.  Eating nutrient dense foods is important, which includes organ meats, other types of meats, nuts and seeds, avocados, kale, spinach, arugula, and eggs.

2. Eat more organic foods. Even though organic foods of today aren’t as nutrient dense as they were in past, they still have more nutrients than non-organic foods.  And of course with organic foods you don’t need to worry as much about toxins, although even organic foods aren’t completely toxin free.  But eating organic foods isn’t just about minimizing your exposure to toxins, as you are getting more nutrient dense foods.

3. Don’t eat too many grains, legumes, nuts, and seeds. Although nuts and seeds are nutrient dense foods, since they have antinutrients such as lectins and phytic acid you want to minimize your consumption of them.  Plus, if you do eat nuts and seeds, as well as legumes, it’s a good idea to soak them, as this will decrease the amount of antinutrients.  As for grains, although people don’t need to eat grains to survive, I realize that some people enjoy eating grains.  This includes myself, as I’m not 100% grain free.  However, I do limit my consumption of grains, and I don’t eat them on a daily basis.  I remember many years ago when I routinely loaded up on grains for breakfast, as I would have cold cereal and toast on a regular basis.  In fact, I often had a couple of bowls of cereal in a single day, one large bowl of cereal for breakfast, and frequently another one as a snack.

This describes many people, and eating processed cereals, bread, and baked goods on a daily basis can lead to nutrient deficiencies over time.  Some might question this since many of the processed foods add vitamins and minerals after the refining process.  However, this still isn’t sufficient to maintain a healthy state.  Similarly, one can’t replace the nutrient values of whole foods by taking a good quality multivitamin.  This doesn’t mean that taking a daily multivitamin can’t be beneficial, but of course if you eat a lot of foods with antinutrients then these will interfere with the nutrients in the multivitamin as well.

This is important to understand for those people like myself who have smoothies on a daily basis.  Some people will load up their smoothies with chia seeds, and may even add other nuts and seeds.  Having a small amount of these foods won’t cause problems with most people, but if you add a lot of nuts and seeds to your smoothies then this can interfere with the absorption of the nutrients from the fruits and vegetables which you add to your smoothies.  Once again, I’m not suggesting that people can’t add nuts and seeds to their smoothies, but you don’t want to overdo it.   If you eat nuts and seeds it might be best to eat them as a snack, in between meals, rather than add them to your smoothies.  And those with gut problems ideally should avoid eating nuts and seeds until the gut is healed, which I’m about to discuss.

4. Heal the gut. If someone has gut issues that is affecting the absorption of nutrients, then of course this needs to be resolved.  For example, if someone has intestinal dysbiosis due to a Candida infection or SIBO, then it’s important to address these health conditions.  I’ve written separate articles on both Candida and SIBO, but there are other pathogenic infections which can affect the absorption of nutrients.  Earlier I mentioned H. Pylori, which is another common pathogen which can affect nutrient absorption.  I also briefly spoke about Celiac disease, which is an autoimmune condition involving gluten that will cause damage to the cells of the small intestine if the person continues to consume gluten.

Speaking of which, other food intolerances can lead to gut inflammation and thus affect the absorption of nutrients.  So what you want to do is cautiously eradicate any pathogens, avoid foods which are causing inflammation, and if someone has a leaky gut then this of course needs to be corrected.

In summary, it’s common for people with thyroid and autoimmune thyroid conditions to have nutrient deficiencies.  Some of the more common nutrient deficiencies include zinc, magnesium, chromium, selenium, iron, iodine, vitamin D, the B vitamins, vitamin A, and omega 3 fatty acids.  Four common reasons for nutrient deficiencies include 1) overconsumption of refined foods, 2) the soils are depleted of nutrients, 3) antinutrients are in certain foods, and 4) many people have gut problems which affect the absorption of nutrients.  As a result, in order to correct and prevent nutrient deficiencies it’s important to minimize the consumption of refined foods and sugars, eat more organic foods, don’t eat too many foods with antinutrients, and you need to restore the health of the gut.

Even though I’m a chiropractor, most people who have been reading my articles and blog posts for awhile know that I don’t speak much about chiropractic.  When I first graduated from chiropractic school in March of 1999 and envisioned opening up my practice, I didn’t consider doing much with nutrition and the other lifestyle factors.  And for the first few years of my practice I didn’t do much with regards to nutrition, stress management, detoxification, etc.  It wasn’t until I began helping people with fibromyalgia a few years into practicing when I realized that many people need more than chiropractic care.  And of course my life changed dramatically when I personally was diagnosed with an autoimmune thyroid condition.

Although I’m still a big advocate of chiropractic care, these days I’m admittedly more of a nutritionist and functional medicine practitioner than I am a chiropractor.  Since being diagnosed with Graves’ Disease I went on to achieve numerous certifications in nutrition and herbal therapy, also received a masters of science degree in human nutrition and functional medicine, and I plan to continue receiving ongoing education and training in the years to come, as I’m always looking to expand my knowledge and keep up with the latest research.  Although I still love chiropractic, when trying to restore the health of someone with a thyroid or autoimmune thyroid condition, it is of course important for the person to eat well, take certain nutritional supplements, improve their stress handling skills, minimize their exposure to environmental toxins, etc.

Is Chiropractic Care Necessary For Optimal Thyroid Health?

Most people reading this wouldn’t associate chiropractic care with optimal thyroid function.  And of course most thyroid conditions are actually autoimmune conditions which affect the thyroid gland.  But either way, what the heck does chiropractic have to do with improving the health of the immune system, or someone’s thyroid health directly for those cases which aren’t autoimmune?  Truth to be told, most people with thyroid and autoimmune thyroid conditions don’t need to receive chiropractic care in order to restore their health back to normal.

With that being said, if you understand that chiropractic is more than just cracking backs and twisting and popping necks then you will realize that chiropractic can be important for anyone to achieve optimal health.  This might sound hypocritical of someone who rarely talks about chiropractic in his articles, blog posts, and webinars.  Once again, I’m not suggesting that receiving chiropractic care is necessary in order to restore the health of someone with a thyroid or autoimmune thyroid condition.  On the other hand, chiropractic is about balancing the nervous system.  And the nervous system innervates every cell and tissue in the body.  So if there happens to be “interference” with the nerves which innervate the thyroid gland, then this possibly can result in malfunctioning of the thyroid gland.  Although this probably isn’t a common cause of thyroid malfunction, it’s something to be aware of.  This is especially true for someone who is eating extremely well, has taken many different types of good quality supplements, does a good job of managing their stress, yet still has problems with their thyroid health.

In addition, if someone has a nervous system that is out of balance, since the nervous system controls the immune system, then this person very well might have an immune system that is out of balance as well.  As a result of this weakened immune system, the person will be more likely to develop a chronic infection, which in turn can trigger an autoimmune response.  Or perhaps the nervous system imbalance is making the person more susceptible to the effects of stress, which in turn caused a leaky gut, which in turn caused an autoimmune thyroid condition.  Once again, I’m not suggesting that spinal subluxations (misalignments of the spine causing nerve interference) are common causes of thyroid autoimmunity.  But if you understand the anatomy and physiology of the body then you will realize that a nervous system imbalance can cause a lot of different health conditions.

So why go to a chiropractor for a nervous system imbalance?  After all, isn’t a neurologist a specialist of the nervous system?  Although I’m sometimes critical of medical doctors who don’t try to get to the root cause of the problem, I realize that they have an important role.  And the same holds true of neurologists, as there are many excellent medical doctors who specialize in neurology, and some chiropractors and neurologists have a working relationship and refer their patients to one another.  This really is how it should be, as if a chiropractor is working with a patient and the patient isn’t receiving optimal results then there is a time and place for referring that patient to a medical doctor.  Similarly, if a neurologist is working with a patient who isn’t responding then they should consider referring the patient to a chiropractor at times.  In any case, both chiropractors and neurologists deal with nervous system imbalances in different ways.  I’m not going to say that one way is better than another, although to no surprise I’m more biased with regards to chiropractic care since that is my background.  If someone has a nervous system imbalance and is trying to get to the root cause of their condition, then I think it’s best for them to see a chiropractor initially.  But of course this also depends on what neurological condition the patient is dealing with, as sometimes it is best to see a neurologist first.

Are All Chiropractors Alike?

Chiropractors definitely are not all alike.  I realize that the same holds true with other healthcare professionals, as one can make the argument that no two dentists are alike, as everyone has their individual practice style.  However, with most dentists the routine will be very similar, and the same is true with many other healthcare professionals.  On the other hand, with chiropractors you never know what you’ll get.  I’m not saying this is a bad thing, but you can go to two different chiropractors and have a completely different experience.

For example, there are over one hundred different chiropractic techniques.  Although many chiropractors treat the entire spine, others only focus on certain areas of the spine.  For example, some chiropractors are referred to as “upper cervical spine specialists” and will only treat the patient’s cervical spine, which consists of the bones in the neck.   Although I use the word “treat” because everyone is familiar with the term, chiropractors actually don’t “treat” the spine, as they deliver what’s called a spinal adjustment.  And so from this point forward I will use the word “adjust” rather than “treat”.  Anyway, getting back to some of the different ways chiropractors adjust the spine, many will use their hands, but some will use instruments to adjust the spine.  Many will use x-rays to detect spinal subluxations, while others will rely on muscle testing, leg checks, computerized scans, and there are other methods as well.

Some chiropractors see a high volume of patients per day and might spend only one or two minutes with each patient.  Others might spend between five and ten minutes with each of their patients, while others will spend 30 minutes or longer with their patients.  Some chiropractors don’t incorporate nutrition into their practice, while others offer a lot of nutritional advice and will try to educate everyone about eating well, avoiding refined foods and sugars, etc.  So hopefully you now realize that different chiropractors have different practice styles.

Should Everyone With A Thyroid or Autoimmune Thyroid Condition Seek Chiropractic Care?

As I mentioned already, most people with a thyroid or autoimmune thyroid condition don’t need to receive chiropractic care in order to restore their health back to normal.  However, there is no question that having a healthy nervous system is important, and since the nervous system controls the thyroid gland, immune system, and other areas of the body, one can argue that it would make sense for many people to at least get checked by a competent chiropractor.  Of course since I’m a chiropractor I’m biased, and I feel that everyone can benefit from chiropractic care.

But what if you had a bad experience with a chiropractor?  Well, all I can say is that when someone has a bad experience with a medical doctor, dentist, or a different type of healthcare professional they usually don’t stop seeing that type of doctor.  For example, if someone has a bad experience with a dentist they very well might not seek dental care, but there is a good chance they will simply give a different dentist a try.  Remember what I said earlier, as different chiropractors practice differently, and so you might need to visit a few different chiropractors before you find one who you’re comfortable with.  I would of course recommend trying to find someone who evaluates everyone individually rather than hire a chiropractor who recommends the same exact treatment plan for  everyone.

For example, a young adult who has a fairly healthy spine probably shouldn’t need as extensive care as an elderly person who has more chronic problems.  While it’s true that some older adults are in better shape than younger adults, the point I’m trying to make is that different people should require different treatment plans.  This of course not only applies to chiropractic care, as I also discuss this from time to time when talking about following a natural treatment protocol for a thyroid or autoimmune thyroid condition.  Regardless of what type of healthcare professional you see, you ideally want to work with someone who will give specific recommendations based on your specific condition.  While there might be some overlap from patient to patient, different people will require different protocols.

In summary, since I’m a chiropractor it’s not surprising that I’m a big advocate of chiropractic.  Although most people with thyroid and autoimmune thyroid conditions don’t need to receive chiropractic care in order to restore their health back to normal, in some cases having a spinal imbalance can lead to thyroid dysfunction and/or a weakened immune system.  After all, the nervous system controls every cell and tissue in the body, and therefore a less than optimal functioning nervous system can lead to numerous health issues.  And so even though most people with a hypothyroid or hyperthyroid condition don’t require chiropractic care to restore their health, many people can benefit from chiropractic care, and one can argue that receiving chiropractic care is necessary to help people to achieve optimal health.

Grains, nuts, seeds, and legumes have numerous health benefits. However, many people are unaware that these foods also contain antinutrients which can interfere with the absorption of other nutrients you consume.  And so while I love eating nuts and seeds, and I’m not “anti-grain”, I do think it’s important for people to realize why they should minimize their consumption of these foods.  And so what I plan on doing in this blog post is to discuss the most common antinutrients, and hopefully after reading this you will have a better understanding as to why you should only eat minimal amounts of these foods.

Before I discuss these antinutrients, you might be wondering “why do these foods have anti-nutrients?”.  Well, some of these antinutrients are included in plants as a form of protection.  This includes lectins, protease inhibitors, and saponins.  These secondary metabolites help to ensure the survival of the seed.  However, they have other functions as well.  What I’d like to do now is discuss some of the more common antinutrients.

Lectins. These are probably the most well known of the different antinutrients, and I have put together a separate article on this entitled “Should People With Thyroid And Autoimmune Thyroid Conditions Avoid Foods With Lectins?“.  Lectins are carbohydrate binding glycoproteins which can affect the turnover and loss of gut epithelial cells, damage the luminal membranes of the epithelium, interfere with nutrient digestion and absorption, stimulate shifts in the bacterial flora and modulate the immune state of the digestive tract (1). Systemically, they can disrupt lipid, carbohydrate and protein metabolism, promote enlargement and/or atrophy of key internal organs and tissues and alter the hormonal and immunological status (1). At high intakes, lectins can seriously threaten the growth and health of consuming animals (1).  In summary, lectins can have a negative effect on the lining of the gastrointestinal tract, as well as the gut flora, which in turn can affect the absorption of nutrients.  Plus they can also affect the breakdown of fats, carbohydrates, and proteins.

Phytic acid. This is a major phosphorus storage compound found in nuts and seeds, as well as grains and legumes.  Phytic acid has the strong ability to chelate certain minerals, especially zinc, calcium, and iron (2). There is also evidence that phytic acid can bind to magnesium and affect its absorption as well (3).  The binding can result in very insoluble salts that are poorly absorbed from the gastrointestinal tract, which results in poor bioavailability of minerals (2).  In summary, phytic acid will affect the absorption of numerous minerals, which obviously isn’t a good thing.

Protease Inhibitors. These can inhibit the proteolytic activity of certain enzymes.  In other words, they will interfere with the breakdown of protein.  For example, certain legumes such as navy beans, red kidney beans, and adzuki beans have trypsin inhibitors (4).  Soybeans and chickpeas also have trypsin inhibitors (5).  Trypsin is an enzyme which breaks down numerous proteins.  What’s important to understand is that eating a lot of foods with trypsin inhibitors can affect the breakdown of proteins.

Oxalates.  These are naturally-occurring substances which belong to a group of molecules called organic acids.  Some of the foods with high amounts of oxalates include spinach, blueberries, blackberries, and almonds.  Foods high in oxalates can affect the absorption of certain nutrients, such as calcium.  Most people can eat normal amounts of foods with oxalates, although people with certain conditions, such as enteric and primary hyperoxaluria, need to eat a low oxalate diet.  I mentioned that spinach and blueberries are high in oxalates, and for those who routinely make smoothies, adding some spinach and/or blueberries is fine for most people.  However, you probably want to avoid adding large amounts of these foods to your smoothies, especially if you have one or two smoothies on a daily basis as I do.  I spoke about oxalates in a blog post I wrote entitled “Should Spinach Be Avoided In People With Thyroid Conditions?”

Saponins.  These are naturally occurring compounds that are widely distributed in all cells of legume plants, and derive their name from their ability to form stable, soaplike foams in aqueous solutions (6).  Although saponins have some health benefits, they also can impair the digestion of protein and the uptake of vitamins and minerals in the gut, and can also cause hypoglycemia (7).  They can also lead to the development of a leaky gut (8).

Solanine.  This is a glycoalkaloid found in species of the nightshades, which include foods such as potatoes, tomatoes, eggplant, and peppers.  Although many people who eat these foods seem to do fine, because they can lead to inflammation and other problems, most autoimmune diets don’t include the nightshade vegetables.  One of the best articles I’ve read on the nightshades is from Dr. Garrett Smith of the Weston Price Foundation.

These are some of the most common antinutrients, although there are a few I didn’t list.  A couple of additional ones worth mentioning are tannins and salicylates.  Tannins might inhibit the digestion of dietary proteins, and might also have some systemic effects.  Salicylates are phytochemicals found in fruits, vegetables, some other foods, and in some over-the-counter medications and prescription drugs.  Most people can eat normal amounts of salicylates, but some people are unable to tolerate smaller amounts.

How Do Antinutrients Affect Thyroid Health?

Loren Cordain has a wonderful article entitled “Cereal Grains: Humanity’s Double-Edged Sword“.  In this article he talks about some of the antinutrients and focuses on the risks of cereal grains.  Towards the end of this article he discusses how cereal grain consumption can lead to the development of autoimmune conditions.  As he discusses in his article, the genetic component that is most closely associated with the expression of autoimmune conditions are those genes which code for the human leukocyte antigens (HLA).  The HLA is subdivided into different classes, and Dr. Cordain discusses how lectins are potent inducers of HLA class II molecules.  I also mentioned earlier how certain antinutrients, such as lectins and saponins, can potentially cause a leaky gut, which in turn can trigger an autoimmune response.

In his article Dr. Cordain also talks about how these antinutrients “might induce cross-reactivity and hence autoimmunity by virtue of peptide structures homologous to those in the host”.  In other words, the structures of these antinutrients might be similar to certain structures in the human body, and as a result the body might produce autoantibodies.  This is known as molecular mimicry, which has been proposed as a pathogenic mechanism for autoimmune disease.

There isn’t much evidence when it comes to direct effects of these anti-nutrients on thyroid health.  In other words, while consuming some of these anti-nutrients might cause a leaky gut and trigger an autoimmune response, they don’t seem to directly stimulate or inhibit thyroid activity.  However, there is evidence that soyasaponins, which were isolated from soybeans, increased the levels of serum thyroid hormones, which lead to lipid peroxidation (9).  Lipid peroxidation involves damage to the membranes of fats, and has been implicated in conditions such as atherosclerosis, irritable bowel disease, retinopathy of prematurity (ROP), borderline personality disorder, asthma, Parkinson’s disease, kidney damage, preeclampsia and other conditions (10).

Is It Best To Completely Avoid These Foods?

I definitely don’t think that most people permanently need to avoid nuts, seeds, and beans.  But I do think it’s a good idea to minimize one’s consumption of these foods.  I love nuts and seeds, and I can easily eat a few cups per day, but most people probably should limit their consumption to half a cup per day total.  As for grains, although there are some healthy nutrients in grains, we don’t need to eat grains to survive.  Plus, although there are some healthy nutrients in grains, remember that the antinutrients will reduce the absorption of these nutrients.  With that being said, I think that eating a small amount of grains is fine for many people, preferably gluten free grains.  On the other hand, many people seem to thrive when eliminating grains from their diet.

Soaking And Sprouting Can Improve Nutrient Absorption

Soaking and sprouting nuts, seeds, beans, and grains can help to reduce the anti-nutrient content of these foods.  This in turn can improve the contents of certain essential amino acids, total sugars and B-group vitamins (11).  Of course many people aren’t willing to take the time to do this, and keep in mind that this won’t completely eliminate the anti-nutrient content of these foods.  As a result, it’s best to minimize your consumption of these foods, and if someone has gut issues then it’s probably a good idea to avoid eating them altogether until the gut is healed.  With that being said, if someone is a vegetarian or vegan it can be challenging to follow a gut repair diet and completely eliminate all of the foods with antinutrients, and so eating soaked nuts, seeds, beans, and grains can make it a lot easier to follow such a diet.  I’ve had some people follow a gut repair diet and do okay while eating small amounts of these soaked and sprouted foods.  On the other hand, some people aren’t able to heal the gut unless if they completely eliminate these foods from their diet.

In summary, due to the antinutrients present in nuts, seeds, legumes, and grains, one wants to try to minimize their consumption of these foods.  The reason is because these antinutrients can interfere with the absorption of certain nutrients such as zinc, calcium, iron, and magnesium, and can also lead to certain health issues, such as a leaky gut.  Although all people need to be careful not to eat too many of these foods, people with autoimmune conditions such as Graves’ Disease and Hashimoto’s Thyroiditis will especially want to reduce their intake, and in many cases it’s best to avoid these foods altogether.