I commonly get asked by people with thyroid and autoimmune thyroid conditions if it’s okay to eat certain foods.  I’ll get asked “Is it okay to eat a little bit of gluten?”, or “Can I drink some coffee?”, or “Can I have a small amount dairy?”  I definitely agree that for many people, consuming certain things in moderation is fine.  And I frequently state how I don’t expect people to live a perfect lifestyle, eat a perfect diet, etc.

However, this doesn’t mean that everything in moderation is fine.  When it comes to eating certain foods or consuming different ingredients, one can’t just assume that a small amount of a certain food or ingredient won’t have a negative impact on your health.  For example, I will have people who are gluten sensitive tell me that they eat 95% gluten-free.  Now let’s remember that I’m not a gluten extremist, and so I don’t believe that everyone with a thyroid or autoimmune thyroid condition needs to avoid gluten for the rest of their life.  And I don’t believe that every single person who tests positive for a gluten sensitivity problem will need to avoid gluten on a permanent basis either, although for some people this definitely will be the case.  On the other hand, if someone is gluten sensitive, then they really do need to avoid gluten for at least three to six months, and possibly even longer than this.  And the same is true with any food they might be allergic to.

Why is this the case?  It all comes down to inflammation.  When someone is sensitive to gluten, or any allergen, they really want to eliminate this allergen for a number of months to help get rid of the inflammation.  And just introducing a small amount of this food can cause the inflammatory process to continue.  I know for many people it’s extremely difficult to be 100% gluten free, or 100% dairy free, but sometimes this is necessary for those looking to restore their health back to normal.

Is Eliminating These Allergens For 4 To 6 Weeks Sufficient?

In some of my articles and blog posts I discuss how I recommend for people to go on a gluten free trial for at least four to six weeks.  This might sound like I’m contradicting myself, since here I’m telling people to avoid gluten for at least three to six months.  Keep in mind that when I tell people to go on a gluten free trial, this is to help determine if they have a gluten sensitivity problem.  So I would recommend for people who don’t know whether they are gluten sensitive to avoid gluten for at least four to six weeks, and then see how they feel.  If they feel significantly better then I would recommend avoiding gluten for at least three to six months.  If they don’t feel better after four to six weeks I would then have them reintroduce gluten into their diet, and if they have a negative reaction would then have them avoid gluten for at least three to six months.  Some people will need to avoid these foods for more than six months in order to stop the inflammation and completely heal the gut.

The same concept could apply to other allergens as well, such as dairy.  It’s important to understand that people won’t always experience symptoms when consuming these allergens.  While most people do notice a difference when avoiding these allergens (or after reintroducing them), some don’t.  In any case, the point I’m trying to make is that when someone has a food allergy, eating the food they are allergic to in moderation probably isn’t a good idea.  Some people don’t have permanent food allergies and can eventually eat those foods again once the inflammation is gone and their digestive system is healthy again, although this isn’t the case with everyone.

Isn’t it a good idea to test for food allergies?  This definitely is an option, although it is common to get false negatives with such testing.  As a result you do need to be careful about completely relying on food allergy testing.  Cyrex labs is one of the newer labs that seems to have more accurate testing, especially for gluten.  But such testing is expensive, and so for some people the best option is to eliminate gluten and other common allergens to see if this will have any positive effects on their health.

Can One Consume Caffeine In Moderation?

Okay, now that we’ve gotten food allergies out of the way, how about caffeine?  I’ve discussed this in the past, but I will briefly mention it again since many people love drinking coffee and tea.  Can someone drink coffee or tea in moderation?  Once again, this depends on the individual.  Some people can drink one or two cups of coffee or tea each day without a problem.  Other people need to avoid caffeine completely.  If someone has problems with their adrenal glands I think it’s best for them to avoid caffeine completely…at least until their adrenal health has been restored.  I know some other natural healthcare professionals would disagree with me, but this is just my opinion.

This doesn’t mean that everyone will listen to my advice, as some of my patients who I advise to give up coffee will continue drinking some in moderation.  While some of these patients seem to do fine when following a natural treatment protocol, others don’t do as well due to the caffeine intake.  And this is the problem, as it’s difficult to predict who will do fine while continuing with the caffeine, and who won’t do well, which is why if someone has compromised adrenals I’ll usually recommend for them to avoid the caffeine completely.  But even if someone doesn’t have compromised adrenals it’s a good idea to minimize their caffeine intake.

In summary, there are times when certain allergens and ingredients need to completely eliminated from one’s diet.  And so one can’t just assume that everything consumed in moderation is fine.  While many people can eat some “bad” foods and ingredients every now and then, some people need to avoid these 100% in order to restore their health.

I received a number of emails a few months ago when I released my article entitled “The Impact Of Caffeine On Thyroid Health”, as I had a number of people ask whether it was okay to drink one cup of coffee per day, or to drink tea or decaffeinated coffee.  So I figured I’d write a brief blog post to clarify this.

We all obviously have our own personal biases and opinions.  I honestly never have been a big coffee drinker in the past.  I did drink a lot of soda growing up, but it wasn’t for the caffeine, as I just loved the taste, which of course was due to the high sugar content.  In any case, the point I’m trying to get across is that because I never was a coffee drinker, I can’t relate to people who love drinking coffee or tea.  And so I realize it’s easy for me to tell people to give up the coffee and other sources of caffeine, but it can be a big challenge when someone is addicted to it, or perhaps isn’t addicted but just loves drinking these beverages.

Getting back to “personal biases and opinions”, I attended a seminar a few months ago on thyroid and adrenal health.  The presenter was a coffee drinker, and stated that she thought it was fine for most people to drink some coffee in moderation…even those people who had thyroid and adrenal problems.  She confessed that part of this was due to her own personal bias in that she would never want to give up coffee herself.  So it’s easy to pass along our personal biases, and I’m guilty of this too at times.  I’m not criticizing this presenter, as she just didn’t target coffee, as she also stated that it’s okay to consume most other things in moderation as well.

However, every circumstance is different.  For example, I’ve stated numerous times how I’m not an extremist when it comes to gluten.  While I believe that most people should go on a gluten free trial, and realize that some people do need to avoid gluten on a permanent basis, I don’t think that every single person with an autoimmune thyroid condition needs to avoid gluten for the rest of their life.  If someone avoids gluten and is doing better, then obviously they should continue to avoid it for awhile.  This still doesn’t mean they will need to avoid it on a permanent basis, as some people can reintroduce gluten into their diet once the inflammation is gone, which of course can take a good amount of time.  Of course many of the gluten-based products are genetically modified, which only causes more problems with food allergies, and so one really should minimize their consumption of these products anyway.

Would You Like Cream and Sugar In Your Coffee?

This blog post isn’t about gluten, but instead is about coffee.  And when it comes to the caffeine, if someone has problems with their adrenal glands then I personally think it’s best to avoid coffee altogether until the health of their adrenal glands is restored.  Others will disagree and state that drinking one cup of coffee per day is fine.  And by one cup I’m of course referring to eight ounces, and not a huge cup of coffee you can buy at Starbucks or Dunkin Donuts.  In any case, some people with compromised adrenals can drink one eight ounce cup of coffee and do fine, while others won’t do fine.  The problem is that I don’t know who will do fine, and who won’t be okay, which is why I think it’s a good idea to cut it out altogether.

As you know, the problem with coffee isn’t just the caffeine.  Many people need to add cream and sugar to the coffee.  So for the person with weak adrenals, the sugar can cause some big problems.  Of course this depends on how much sugar is added, as some people will add three or four packets of sugar to each cup of coffee, while others are happy with one packet of sugar.  Others use artificial sweeteners, which is a topic for another blog post (I actually have written about this in the past).  The cream also is something people can react to, although there are some organic creamers people can use.

Besides the impact the caffeine and any added cream or sugar can have on one’s health, one also needs to consider that many different chemicals are found in coffee.  One of these chemicals is Acrylamide, which is a possible carcinogen.  This is controversial, and apparently there isn’t as much Acrylamide in brewed coffee as in instant coffee.  But just remember that this is just one of many chemicals found in coffee.

Is Drinking Organic Coffee Better?

If someone is going to drink coffee, I do recommend for them to drink organic coffee, since it doesn’t have all of the chemicals that non-organic coffee has.  Of course the caffeine will still be a factor, although some people switch to organic decaffeinated coffee.  If someone does this and minimizes the amount of cream and sugar they add, then this definitely is better than getting a big cup of coffee at McDonalds or Starbucks.  But some people don’t want to give up the caffeine, and as I stated earlier, for some people this isn’t a problem, but for others it can affect their recovery.

How about drinking tea?  Once again, due to the caffeine you want to be careful about drinking too much tea.  Toxins can also be an issue as well, and so anyone with thyroid or adrenal issues also needs to be careful about drinking too much tea on a daily basis.  I realize for some people it is boring to drink nothing but water, and of course there is controversy with water consumption as well.  But I still would try to consume mostly purified water, and minimize your consumption of both coffee and tea.

In summary, many people with thyroid and autoimmune thyroid conditions can drink one cup of coffee without a problem.  Heck, some people might even be able to drink more than one cup of coffee per day without having any issues.  On the other hand, some people really do need to avoid the coffee and tea, and this is especially true when the adrenal glands are compromised.  For those who absolutely refuse to give these beverages up, at least consider switching to an organic brand so you’re not exposed to the chemicals, try not to drink more than one eight ounce cup per day, and also try to minimize the amount of cream and sugar you add to your coffee or tea.

Many of the vitamins and minerals are directly important to one’s thyroid health.  For example, minerals such as iodine and selenium play important roles in the formation of thyroid hormone, and other minerals and vitamins have both direct and indirect effects on the thyroid gland.  In addition to being important to one’s thyroid health, these vitamins and minerals have other vital roles.

These days it is almost impossible to get all of the essential vitamins and minerals through the food you eat.  That’s not a problem though, as there are always vitamins and minerals to take, right?  Without question, vitamins and minerals can help greatly, and I do recommend for everyone to at least take a multivitamin and multimineral, along with an essential fatty acid supplement.  However, even this usually isn’t enough to prevent vitamin and mineral deficiencies from occurring.  And it almost always isn’t sufficient to correct an existing deficiency.

Many decades ago, the Recommended Daily Allowance (RDA) was created by the United States government, as they were supposed to be nutritional guidelines for us to follow.  These essentially were estimates of the nutrients most people required in order to prevent nutritional deficiencies from developing.  However, over the years it has become clear that these guidelines aren’t completely accurate.  In fact, many people who meet the RDA requirements still have moderate to severe nutritional deficiencies.  So while it’s important to obtain a sufficient amount of vitamins and minerals from diet and nutritional supplements, most people need to get more than what the RDA suggests.

How Was The RDA Created?

To be fair, the RDA wasn’t just created randomly, as each vitamin and mineral was specifically looked at, and then recommendations were made based on age, gender, and numerous other factors.  Every now and then this was updated, and in the 1990s the RDA was replaced with the RDI (Reference Daily Intake), although for the most part the values are the same.

In addition to not being sufficient to maintain one’s health or correct any existing deficiencies, following the RDI usually won’t prevent any diseases from developing.  This includes cancer, heart disease, and of course thyroid and autoimmune thyroid conditions.  While numerous factors can lead to a development of these conditions, one’s diet perhaps plays the biggest role.  What’s sad is that many children have nutritional deficiencies, and many acquire these deficiencies during birth.  After all, while a prenatal vitamin is great to take while pregnant, this usually won’t correct any existing mineral or vitamin deficiencies.  As a result, if a pregnant woman has certain vitamin or mineral deficiencies, this very well may be passed down to the baby.

Yet, when I make a recommendation to one of my patients about supplements, it’s not uncommon for someone to look at the bottle and question why the dosage I’m recommending is well above the RDI.  For example, selenium has a lot of important functions, as it is important for immunity, eye health, and also is important for the conversion of T4 to T3.  The RDI for selenium is 70 mcg.  Many people I consult with have a selenium deficiency.  Because of this it is not uncommon for people to need to take much higher dosages of selenium than the RDI.  Part of this depends on the form of selenium they are taking.  For example, if they are taking selenium as part of a whole food supplement, then the dosage might not need to be as high due to the other nutrients and coenzymes present.  On the other hand, if they are just taking a “typical” selenium supplement then they might have to take 400 mcg of selenium, or even a higher dosage than this, depending on the severity of the deficiency.  Of course the same concept applies to other vitamins and minerals as well.

How Can One Determine The Appropriate Dosage?

Okay then, if the RDI isn’t accurate, then how can someone determine the exact dosage someone needs of a specific vitamin or mineral?  First of all, it is just about impossible to know EXACTLY how much of a vitamin or mineral someone needs.  For example, if someone has a magnesium deficiency, you might see one healthcare professional recommend 600 mg of magnesium, while another recommends 800 mg of magnesium.  But you probably won’t see someone recommend 532 mg of magnesium.  Besides it being easier to recommend such a dosage in 100 mg increments, it is extremely difficult to know exactly how much someone needs to take.  Obviously the same concept can be applied to the RDI, as even if this was somewhat accurate, one needs to keep in mind that different people will require different dosages.

So when someone has a deficiency in a specific vitamin or mineral, one of course should see how deficient that person is.  One also should factor in the person’s age and weight.  It also is probably a good idea to obtain a food diary of that person to see what types of foods they are eating.  Even though you usually can’t get all of the vitamins and minerals from one’s diet, the food people eat still needs to be factored in.  But even after considering all of these factors, it still is somewhat of a guessing game, which is why retesting is important.  For example, while vitamin D is something that should be obtained through the sun, many people have such low levels that supplementation becomes necessary.  So if someone gets a blood test for 25 hydroxy vitamin D and has extremely low levels, I will put them on a large dosage of vitamin D3, and then after a few months of supplementing I will want to retest them to make sure the levels have improved and are within the desired range.

Are There Risks Of Overdosing?

The nice thing about the RDI is that one usually doesn’t have to worry about overdosing.  While they might have nutritional deficiencies over time that lead to conditions such as cancer, heart disease, Graves’ Disease, or Hashimoto’s Thyroiditis, the good news is that those who follow the RDI guidelines won’t have to worry about dying due to vitamin A toxicity.  All kidding aside, one does need to be careful not to overdose.  However, it is difficult for this to happen, even when someone self-treats their condition.  And it’s even more unlikely to happen when under the guidance of a competent healthcare professional.  This doesn’t mean that you shouldn’t be careful about the dosages, as even though it is difficult to overdose when taking vitamins and minerals, it does happen from time to time.  Once again, this is why testing and retesting is important, as if someone takes large dosages of the fat soluble vitamins (vitamin A, E, D, etc.) without retesting then there is a chance of overdosing.  This can also happen when taking high dosages of the minerals, such as manganese and selenium.  But if one goes about this cautiously then the risks of overdosing is minimal, and of course there are some great health benefits of supplementing with levels greater than the RDI.

In summary, if someone wants to achieve optimal health, then it’s probably best not to follow the guidelines of the RDI.  This is especially true when trying to address vitamin and mineral deficiencies, as higher dosages are almost always required to correct these.  For those who are concerned about overdosing, this is rare, but it does happen, and is why you want to test initially to see what the levels are, and then retest every now and then.

From time to time someone will ask me about the benefits of coconut oil when it comes to thyroid health. Some claim that taking coconut oil can help stimulate the thyroid gland to produce thyroid hormone, and essentially cure the hypothyroid condition. If this is true then not only will people with hypothyroidism want to know, but of course people with hyperthyroidism and Graves’ Disease would want to know if they should avoid taking coconut oil.

First of all, there doesn’t seem to be enough evidence to prove that coconut oil can cause an increase in thyroid hormone levels. And as far as I know there haven’t been any research studies which followed a large group of people with hypothyroidism and Hashimoto’s Thyroiditis to see the effects of taking coconut oil. Plus, even if coconut oil can help to stimulate thyroid hormone production, this doesn’t mean that taking it will necessary cure most cases of hypothyroidism.

For example, there are some herbs which can help to stimulate thyroid hormone production. A combination of the herbs ashwagandha and bladderwrack can help to accomplish this in some people. As a result, I will sometimes recommend these herbs to my patients with hypothyroid conditions, although since many people with Hashimoto’s Thyroiditis don’t do well with iodine I frequently will hold off on having them take bladderwrack. But either way, giving these herbs alone usually won’t cure the hypothyroid condition. And the same concept applies to coconut oil. After all, I think you would agree that most people with hypothyroid conditions don’t have a deficiency in coconut oil that caused their thyroid or autoimmune thyroid condition to develop. So one still needs to look at the adrenals, hormones, immune system, factor in nutritional deficiencies, etc.

I’m not suggesting that coconut oil can’t help at all with hypothyroidism. I do know some people have claimed it has helped with their hypothyroid condition, and I’ve visited some of the thyroid forums and have read posts from numerous people who took coconut oil and said it increased their metabolism and helped them to feel better. Although I’m skeptical as to whether coconut oil can help to increase thyroid hormone production, I definitely think this type of oil is a healthy alternative to other types of oils, especially when compared to polyunsaturated oils that people commonly consume these days. In fact, I commonly encourage my patients with hypothyroidism or Hashimoto’s Thyroiditis to include coconut oil in their diet, and I frequently add one tablespoon of coconut oil to my smoothies.

Should People With Hyperthyroidism and Graves’ Disease Avoid Coconut Oil?

With regards to hyperthyroid conditions, although I personally didn’t consume coconut oil when I was diagnosed with Graves’ Disease, the last few years I have recommended coconut oil to many of my patients with hyperthyroidism and Graves’ Disease, and it doesn’t seem to cause any problems. Of course if someone with hyperthyroidism or Graves’ Disease prefers to avoid coconut oil just as a precautionary measure then that’s fine. But I don’t think consuming a small amount of coconut oil (i.e. one tablespoon per day) on a regular basis will exacerbate one’s hyperthyroid condition. Perhaps research will come out in the near future which will make me change my mind regarding this, but for now this is where I stand.

In summary, there doesn’t seem to be enough evidence to support that coconut oil can stimulate thyroid hormone production. On the other hand, some people with hypothyroid conditions have noticed an increase in their body temperature when taking coconut oil. However, many of my patients consume coconut oil, and it doesn’t seem to have a huge impact on their metabolism. And the same thing applies for people with hyperthyroidism and Graves’ Disease, as it doesn’t seem as if eating coconut oil worsens their condition.

A copper IUD can be a very effective method of birth control.   This T-shaped plastic device of course needs to be inserted by a qualified healthcare practitioner, such as an OBGYN.  It is a reversible type of contraception, and can remain in place for many years, in some cases exceeding ten years.  One can also use an IUD with hormones, which comes with its own set of risks, but the focus of this post will be on the copper IUD.

How does the copper IUD work?  The complete mechanism isn’t understood, but just having the device in the uterus will greatly decrease the chances of conception.  But the main purpose behind using the copper is that it is spermicidal.  The optimal time to insert the IUD is after menstruation, when the cervix is the softest.

There are a few common side effects with a copper IUD.  Having a copper IUD can lead to menstrual problems, as it can lead to increased menstrual bleeding and/or cramps.  Sometimes perforation of the uterus can happen upon insertion of the IUD, although this is rare.  Expulsion of the IUD is also possible, as this is when the IUD is pushed out of the uterus into the vagina.  There is also an increased risk of pelvic infections when having a copper IUD inserted.

The side effects I listed above are some of the common ones you’d find if visiting some of the common medically oriented websites, such as WebMD.  However, what most of these sites fail to mention is that a copper IUD will affect the copper metabolism in the body.  The same is true of oral contraceptives as well, but once again, the focus here is on the copper IUD.  So having a copper IUD can potentially lead to a copper toxicity problem over the years.  And the thyroid gland is very sensitive to copper.  Some of the side effects of too much copper include depression, anxiety, and according to Dr. Larry Wilson…excessive sexual interest in some women.

This doesn’t mean that every woman who has a copper IUD will experience a copper toxicity issue.  But if you choose to get a copper IUD then you will want to make sure of the following:

1. Get your copper levels tested at least annually. I use a hair mineral analysis test to look at the copper levels, but many times it’s not straight forward.  In other words, it may appear that someone has low copper levels, but sometimes the problem is that the body is unable to utilize the copper properly.  So one can’t just look at the copper levels alone, as they need to look at the other levels.  For example, someone with high copper levels almost always will have low zinc levels, and there usually will be other indicators, such as high levels of mercury.

2. Make sure your adrenals are working properly. The adrenals play a very important role in copper metabolism.  And of course many people have weak adrenal glands, which can be problematic for anyone, including those with a copper IUD.

3. Supplement with zinc. Zinc helps to balance copper.  And just as is the case with any mineral, one wants to be careful not to overdose with zinc.  In fact, even though many people I consult with are low in zinc, it’s probably a good idea to look at these levels as well before taking a separate zinc supplement.

4. Minimize your consumption of copper-based foods. Avocados, beans, certain nuts and seeds, as well as chocolate have a decent amount of copper in them.  This doesn’t mean you need to completely avoid these foods, but you probably will want to minimize your consumption of them.

5. Balance the other minerals. Remember that the minerals are interactive, and while a deficiency a zinc can lead to a copper toxicity problem, imbalances in some of the other minerals can also cause or contribute to a copper imbalance.

So if you have a copper IUD then hopefully you now have a better understanding of the common risks involved, as well as how an excess in copper can affect copper metabolism.  There are of course risks with hormone IUDs and birth control pills as well, and understandably many people don’t want to use condoms and/or diaphragms, and some don’t want to consider natural methods of pregnancy prevention.  But if you choose to get a copper IUD, or already have one inserted, then hopefully the following information will help you to reduce the impact this device has on the copper metabolism, which in turn can affect your thyroid health.