Healing Hashimoto’s Disease naturally
You might be familiar with Hashimoto’s thanks to Sarah Wilson, TV personality and founder of I Quit Sugar, who has battled this condition and is successfully managing it naturally.
Have you heard of Hashimoto’s? What about Hashimoto Thyroiditis? Ok, so does Hypothyroidism sound familiar? Hashimoto’s is one of the most common causes of underactive thyroid or Hypothyroidism and from my experience in clinic, Hashimoto’s incidence is on the rise.
What is Hashimoto’s?
Hashimoto’s is an autoimmune condition where the immune system becomes confused and starts to attack the thyroid gland. The result? Your thyroid then produces less thyroid hormone, often to the point where a synthetic hormone replacement needs to be taken.
What causes Hashimoto’s?
No one really knows, BUT there are a lot of suspected culprits! Recent research suggests the increasing number of chemical and toxins in our modern environment may trigger this autoimmune condition, other studies have shown bacteria, infections, gut parasites or even the Epstein Barr virus could be to blame. Hashimoto’s is also associated with vitamin D deficiency and other autoimmune diseases and women are seven times more likely to have Hashimoto’s then men. Another likely trigger, like many other conditions, is stress.
Symptoms of Hashimoto’s disease?
Hashimoto’s progresses slowly over years, the issue with this is that symptoms may not seem obvious right away. The main symptoms include fatigue and difficulty losing weight, both of which are common in our busy and stressful lives. People with Hashimoto’s feel the cold more, experience constipation, depression, dry skin, brittle nails and hair loss, fertility and menstrual issues are also common.
Treating Hashimoto’s naturally
The conventional treatment for Hashimoto’s is the prescription of thyroid hormone replacement medication – but this simply masks the symptoms and does not actually get to the root cause.
Natural remedies for Hashimoto’s Disease focus on supporting and restoring thyroid function, while working to down regulate the autoimmune response, which is attacking the thyroid. It is a complex process that involves balancing your immune system, whilst supporting healthy thyroid function with diet, lifestyle and natural medicines.
Your first port of call is testing! Have your Naturopath or doctor request some tests to determine what your starting point is. This blood test should include TSH, T4, T3, antibodies and if you are under high levels of stress, it’s a good idea to also test Reverse T3.
Your Naturopath will then you guide you through the process of natural treatment, however there are some things you can begin to implement straight away.
We recommend our modified elimination diet as the first step to reduce foods that may be placing pressure on your gut and immune system. It involves removing gluten, dairy, processed foods, additives and preservatives, as well as alcohol, caffeine and sugar. Removing these items will give your system time to heal. Aim for a diet rich in wholefoods, think a variety of fresh vegetables and fruit, wild-caught fish, probiotic rich foods (sauerkraut, kefir, kimchi) and gut healing foods like bone broth.
Finally, it’s important to support your immune system with natural medicines such as specific probiotics, herbal medicines, therapeutic quality Zinc and Vitamin C, while a practitioner grade Fish Oil can work to reduce inflammation associated with autoimmune conditions.
Think you may have a sluggish thyroid? Call the clinic on 02 4961 4075 to speak with one of our experienced Herb Bar Naturopaths. They offer free 10minute mini consultations and guide you to getting your thyroid to function optimally again!
Do you want to find out how natural health can help treat your thyroid condition and discover some of the super foods to eat and diet principles to follow to help balance your immune system?
Click here to access our free guide – Natural Remedies for Thyroid Health.
