Articles - Functional Medicine

Hashimoto’s Disease: The Infection Connection

Dr. Nikolas Hedberg Autoimmune Disease, Hashimoto's Disease, The Dr. Hedberg Show, Thyroid May 25, 2018Epstein-Barr Virus, Hashimoto's disease, Hashimoto's disease virus, Hashimoto's infections, Hashimoto's Thyroiditis, helicobacter pylori, Herpes 6, Lyme disease, Yersinia enterocolitica

Hashimoto’s disease can have many triggers including iodine, low birth weight, pregnancy, smoking, mercury, drugs, stress, leaky gut, environmental toxins, and of course infections. This article will focus on the connection between infections and Hashimoto’s disease.

The infection connection and Hashimoto’s disease is something I have been investigating since 2005 when I first learned about the connection between Yersinia enterocolitica and Hashimoto’s disease. Since then, I’ve been researching the infection connection to Hashimoto’s disease and science continues to shed more light on this area.

Hashimoto’s Thyroiditis and Black Cumin Seed Oil Continues to Impress

Dr. Nikolas Hedberg Autoimmune Disease, Hashimoto's Disease, The Dr. Hedberg Show, Thyroid, Weight Loss May 18, 2018black cumin seed oil, Free T3, Hashimoto's disease, Hashimoto's Thyroiditis, hypothyroidism, nigella sativa, thyroid antibodies, thyroid peroxidase, TSH

In a previous article, I covered a study that showed black cumin seed (Nigella sativa) was extremely beneficial for Hashimoto’s thyroiditis. Another exciting paper was just published which looked specifically at black cumin seeds and their effect on lipids, glucose metabolism, and anthropometric variables including body weight and body mass index (BMI).

The authors start by discussing the connection between hypothyroidism and lipids such as cholesterol, triglycerides, and LDL. High cholesterol levels are a hallmark sign of hypothyroidism which is interesting because some patients are prescribed cholesterol-lowering medication without a proper thyroid evaluation. One of the signs of successfully managing hypothyroidism is observing the drop in cholesterol levels as thyroid function improves. Hypothyroidism also increases the risk of heart attack and stroke.

Aloe vera and Hashimoto’s Disease

Dr. Nikolas Hedberg Autoimmune Disease, Hashimoto's Disease, The Dr. Hedberg Show, Thyroid May 11, 2018May 18, 2018aloe barbadensis, aloe vera, autoimmune thyroid, Free T3, Free T4, Hashimoto's disease, Hashimoto's Thyroiditis, hypothyroidism, leaky gut syndrome, Subclinical hypothyroidism, thyroid

Aloe vera is one of the oldest medicinal plants we know of that was used by the ancient Egyptians who called it “the plant of immortality.” And 200 years ago Greek scientists considered Aloe vera a “universal panacea.” Aloe vera is technically named Aloe barbadensis and you most likely have heard of using Aloe topically for burns or internally for soothing an inflamed gut.

I’ve used Aloe vera over the years as one of the compounds in a gut-healing supplement I use for leaky gut, inflammatory bowel, SIBO, constipation, and irritable bowel syndrome. It works extremely well at reducing inflammation and repairing inflamed and damaged mucus membranes in the gut and the urinary tract. I have also used it quite successfully with the bladder pain caused by interstitial cystitis.

Does the Ketogenic Diet Cause Hypothyroidism?

Dr. Nikolas Hedberg The Dr. Hedberg Show, Thyroid, Weight Loss May 4, 2018May 7, 2018Free T3, Free T4, Hashimoto's disease, hypothyroidism, ketogenic diet, ketones, ketosis, Reverse T3, thyroid, Total T3, TSH

The ketogenic diet is currently sweeping the internet and the diet book world as the best thing since sliced bread for everything under the sun. Unfortunately, you can’t eat bread on the ketogenic diet and it really can be difficult to follow for some people.

Since I work with many patients who have Hashimoto’s disease and hypothyroidism, I wanted to investigate whether the ketogenic diet can cause hypothyroidism or decrease thyroid function. Let’s jump into the research and see what it has to say.

Hashimoto’s Thyroiditis and Selenium Supplementation

Dr. Nikolas Hedberg Autoimmune Disease, Hashimoto's Disease, The Dr. Hedberg Show, Thyroid April 27, 2018April 23, 2018gluten, Hashimoto's disease, Hashimoto's Thyroiditis, hypothyroidism, iodine, selenium, Selenomethionine, thyroid antibody levels

Did you know that the thyroid gland has the highest concentration of selenium compared to any organ in your body? Selenium is a powerful and essential trace mineral actually first discovered by the Swedish chemist Berzelius in 1817. Selenium mainly acts as an antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and it is involved in the production and activation of thyroid hormone.

Selenium protects the thyroid from oxidative damage but a deficiency can lead to an increase in the weight of your thyroid which can be compounded by an iodine deficiency. When you’re deficient in selenium, you actually lose iodine more quickly so these two substances must work in perfect balance.

Does a Low-Carbohydrate Diet Help Hashimoto’s Disease?

Dr. Nikolas Hedberg Autoimmune Disease, Hashimoto's Disease, The Dr. Hedberg Show, Thyroid, Weight Loss April 20, 2018autoimmune paleo diet, autoimmune thyroid, gluten-free diet, goitrogens, Hashimoto's disease, Hashimoto's Thyroiditis, low-carbohydrate diet, thyroid antibody levels

Does a low-carbohydrate diet work best for Hashimoto’s disease? There are a number of diets out there claiming to be the best for Hashimoto’s thyroiditis but as with any condition, there is no single best diet for everyone. A recent paper entitled, “Effects of low-carbohydrate diet therapy in overweight subjects with autoimmune thyroiditis: possible synergism with ChREBP” looked at how effective a low-carbohydrate diet can be for Hashimoto’s disease. Let’s dig into what the researchers found.

What are Optimal Hashimoto’s Thyroiditis Antibody Levels?

Dr. Nikolas Hedberg Autoimmune Disease, Hashimoto's Disease, The Dr. Hedberg Show, Thyroid April 12, 2018April 20, 2018anti-thyroglobulin, autoimmune disease, autoimmune thyroiditis, hashimoto's antibody levels, Hashimoto's disease, Hashimoto's Thyroiditis, hypothyroid, thyroid, thyroid peroxidase

One of the most common questions I get is, “What are optimal Hashimoto’s thyroiditis antibody levels?” For years, many patients and clinicians have been chasing thyroid peroxidase (TPO) and anti-thyroglobulin (TG) antibody levels in an attempt to get them as low as possible or even undectable as a measure of success. This can leave many people frustrated and stressed about their condition. Some individuals feel that these levels should become undetectable in order to consider the condition in complete remission. But is this entirely true or necessary?

What is the Best SIBO Test?

Dr. Nikolas Hedberg Digestion, The Dr. Hedberg Show April 6, 2018glucose vs lactulose, gut microflora, hydrogen and methane breath testing, irritable bowel syndrome, leaky gut syndrome, microbiome, microbiota, SIBO, small intestinal bacterial overgrowth

In this episode of The Dr. Hedberg Show, I interview Gary Stapleton of Aerodiagnostics Laboratory answering the question, “What is the best SIBO test?” We covered a lot of ground about the ins and outs of SIBO breath testing including the best methodology, glucose vs. lactulose, how to properly perform the test, proper test interpretation, hydrogen sulfide, when to retest and much more.

Hashimoto’s Thyroiditis and the RDW Test

Dr. Nikolas Hedberg Autoimmune Disease, Hashimoto's Disease, The Dr. Hedberg Show, Thyroid March 30, 2018March 31, 2018autoimmune disease, Hashimoto's disease, Hashimoto's Thyroiditis, hyperthyroidism, hypothyroidism, red blood cell distribution width, selenium, thyroid, thyroiditis

Sometimes very simple tests provide a significant amount of valuable information when it comes to Hashimoto’s thyroiditis. One simple blood test is the red blood cell distribution width or RDW test which is included in the complete blood count (CBC). A recent study found that patients with Hashimoto’s thyroiditis have higher levels of RDW.

Dr. David Brady Interview

Dr. Nikolas Hedberg Autoimmune Disease, The Dr. Hedberg Show March 23, 2018March 28, 2018autoimmune disease, autoimmune thyroiditis, autoimmunity, Hashimoto's disease, hypothyroid, leaky gut, microbiome, microbiota, thyroid

In this episode of The Dr. Hedberg Show, I interviewed Dr. David Brady about the new GI-Map test by Diagnostic Solutions Laboratory. We discussed many topics including autoimmune disease, stool testing, stealth infections, gut infections, the gut microbiome and much more.

I’ve posted a transcript of the show below for those who prefer to read rather than listen.

← Previous