I have been a bit absent with blog updates in the past month as I dealt with a personal health crisis. Thankfully, I am doing well following a complete thyroidectomy and radioactive iodine treatment to treat thyroid cancer (papillary thyroid carcinoma.) What does this have to do with gluten? Maybe nothing, but after some research I felt compelled to share the information I found which links the thyroid gland and gluten.
In all of my research about celiac disease, the connection to autoimmune diseases came up frequently. I will admit that considering my laundry list of other gluten related symptoms and ailments, I was surprised I had no autoimmune disease. Well as it turns out pathology from my thyroidectomy showed that in fact I did have the autoimmune thyroid disease, Hashimoto's. Interestingly, I had no symptoms of the disease.
When I dug into researching the thyroid gland, Hashimoto's disease and thyroid cancer, the connection to gluten I found was fascinating. Specifically, the link between autoimmune thyroid disease and celaic disease is well documented. If you have an autoimmune thyroid disease such as Hashimoto's or Grave's you should be screened for celiac disease. However even without a diagnosis of celiac, there are many who would argue a person with an autoimmune thyroid disease should avoid all gluten.
I don't pretend to understand the science end of things, but apparently the structure of the protein in gluten, gliadin, closely resembles that of the thyroid gland. If your immune system is looking to attack gluten it may also mistakenly go after your thyroid gland. Many experts agree that part of treating thyroid disease is to eliminate gluten. It may not reverse the damage done but could help prevent further damage or the onset of other autoimmune diseases. Also, the connection between undiagnosed/untreated celiac disease and thyroid cancer will hopefully warrant more studies in the future.
The purpose of this blog is not to serve as a source for specific research findings or for debate. It is simply to share my experience and what I have uncovered in hopes of propelling others to find an answer they or their doctors may be overlooking. Don't take my word for it - ask questions, do some research, advocate for yourself. You just may find that you are one of the people who could be better off gluten.
Have you been diagnosed with thyroid disease or thyroid cancer? Share your experience regarding your thyroid and gluten in the comments below.
Disclaimer: I am not and do not claim to be a medical professional or expert. I do not intend for the information that I share to take the place of medical advice. If you have a medical condition you should seek the advice and care of a medical professional. Educate yourself and ask questions to find out if they recommend testing BEFORE you remove gluten from your diet.
In all of my research about celiac disease, the connection to autoimmune diseases came up frequently. I will admit that considering my laundry list of other gluten related symptoms and ailments, I was surprised I had no autoimmune disease. Well as it turns out pathology from my thyroidectomy showed that in fact I did have the autoimmune thyroid disease, Hashimoto's. Interestingly, I had no symptoms of the disease.
When I dug into researching the thyroid gland, Hashimoto's disease and thyroid cancer, the connection to gluten I found was fascinating. Specifically, the link between autoimmune thyroid disease and celaic disease is well documented. If you have an autoimmune thyroid disease such as Hashimoto's or Grave's you should be screened for celiac disease. However even without a diagnosis of celiac, there are many who would argue a person with an autoimmune thyroid disease should avoid all gluten.
I don't pretend to understand the science end of things, but apparently the structure of the protein in gluten, gliadin, closely resembles that of the thyroid gland. If your immune system is looking to attack gluten it may also mistakenly go after your thyroid gland. Many experts agree that part of treating thyroid disease is to eliminate gluten. It may not reverse the damage done but could help prevent further damage or the onset of other autoimmune diseases. Also, the connection between undiagnosed/untreated celiac disease and thyroid cancer will hopefully warrant more studies in the future.
The purpose of this blog is not to serve as a source for specific research findings or for debate. It is simply to share my experience and what I have uncovered in hopes of propelling others to find an answer they or their doctors may be overlooking. Don't take my word for it - ask questions, do some research, advocate for yourself. You just may find that you are one of the people who could be better off gluten.
Have you been diagnosed with thyroid disease or thyroid cancer? Share your experience regarding your thyroid and gluten in the comments below.
Disclaimer: I am not and do not claim to be a medical professional or expert. I do not intend for the information that I share to take the place of medical advice. If you have a medical condition you should seek the advice and care of a medical professional. Educate yourself and ask questions to find out if they recommend testing BEFORE you remove gluten from your diet.
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