Vitamin D helps lower thyroid antibodies that cause an under active thyroid gland.

Hashimoto’s thyroiditis is the most common autoimmune disease in the world. It occurs when the immune system produces antibodies that attack the thyroid gland, mistaking it for a harmful invader. Over time, the antibodies cause destructive damage to the thyroid gland, leaving it unable to manufacture sufficient hormones. At that point most patients need to take thyroid hormone replacement, the most common ones being Synthroid or Armor.

Research published in the journal Hellenic Journal of Nuclear Medicine investigated the relationship with this disease and vitamin D status. A total of 218 patients were studied. They all had Hashimoto’s thyroiditis (confirmed by the presence of antibodies in their bloodstream) but they still had normal thyroid hormone levels. If nothing was done about the antibodies, they would eventually develop an under active thyroid gland.

The findings were interesting. The majority (85.3 percent) of the Greek Caucasian individuals with Hashimoto’s thyroiditis had low blood levels of vitamin D [25(OH)D]. The lower their vitamin D, the higher the anti-TPO thyroid antibodies in their blood. Four months of vitamin D supplementation produced a significant drop in anti-TPO antibodies. This means the disease process can be arrested and these people can prevent developing an under active thyroid and requirement for lifelong medication.

Vitamin D is very important in the management of Hashimoto’s thyroiditis (and Graves’ disease), but so too is selenium, iodine and zinc. These nutrients help to protect the health of the thyroid gland, enhance hormone production and reduce antibody levels. I have combined them all in Thyroid Health capsules. For more information about the treatment of all thyroid conditions, see the book Your Thyroid Problems Solved.

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