What's The Hashimoto Diet?
The Hashimoto diet is a dietary plan that’s used to treat the symptoms of the disease that goes by the very same name. It’s a pathology that mainly affects the thyroid, but also causes a general state of inflammation.
This situation is characterized by affecting our intestinal permeability, which is why certain products with high fiber content can cause digestion problems. Thus, it’s necessary to reduce the consumption of some foods and increase the consumption of others that generate a positive impact.
What does the Hashimoto diet consist of?
One of the main guidelines of this meal plan consists of restricting foods with lectins, such as legumes, and some nuts, such as peanuts. These substances can increase intestinal permeability. Hence, they increase the symptoms of systemic inflammation. This is confirmed by an article published in the magazine, Acta Neurologica Scandinavica.
Nonetheless, overcooked legumes can be eaten from time to time since this method inactivates lectins.
Moreover, it may be advisable to increase your intake of fermented dairy products. These have probiotics in their composition; bacteria capable of selectively colonizing the intestine and generating a benefit on the host. Additionally, they favor the formation of short-chain fatty acids at the intestinal level, which have a distinct anti-inflammatory nature.
On the other hand, it’s crucial to guarantee the supply of vitamin D. It’s been proven that this nutrient is capable of modulating inflammation and reducing the symptoms of the disease.
For this reason, it’s convenient to include foods such as eggs, oily fish, and enriched dairy products in the diet. However, don’t forget that frequent exposure to sunlight is the best way to ensure that this nutrient reaches the proper levels.
Foods not recommended in the Hashimoto diet
While it’s appropriate to maximize the intake of foods that regulate inflammation and favor the intestinal microbiota, it’s also advisable to restrict the intake of those that generate the opposite effect.
With that in mind, the suppression of alcohol consumption is key. This substance is capable of causing hormonal alterations, which isn’t advisable at all. Besides that, it’s not appropriate to consume ultra-processed foods with a high content of simple sugars and trans fats.
We must also keep in mind that Hashimoto’s disease is one of the most common causes of hypothyroidism. Hence, it’s important to exclude from the diet all those foods that can promote weight gain.
The excessive contribution of omega-6 fatty acids can also be counterproductive. We can find them in seed oils, and they’re capable of increasing our systemic inflammation.
This situation could aggravate joint pain that derives from the pathology. To counteract, it’s optimal to increase the consumption of omega-3 fatty acids, present in oily fish, since they produce the opposite effect.
See your doctor if you have Hashimoto symptoms
It’s important that you go to the doctor’s office if you suffer any of the symptoms of Hashimoto’s disease on a frequent basis. This way, the doctor will be able to make a diagnosis and prescribe medication. The most common symptoms are usually the following:
- Dry skin.
- Brittle nails.
- Hair loss.
- Weight gain.
- Joint and muscle pain.
- Excessive menstrual bleeding.
- Depression.
- Weakness.
- Constipation.
The Hashimoto diet, an effective plan
Along with the pertinent pharmacological treatment, the Hashimoto diet is effective in treating the symptoms of this disease. It can even be beneficial to include a supplement to keep the inflammation under control. Vitamin D supplements, omega-3 supplements, or melatonin supplements are all good options.
Moreover, don’t forget to avoid the consumption of all those products that can trigger inflammatory cascades. Such is the case of alcohol or industrial ultra-processed foods. Both sweets and foods high in trans-fatty acids are not advisable.
Lastly, keep in mind that if you suffer from the characteristic symptoms of this disease, it’ll be appropriate for you to go to the doctor to obtain an accurate diagnosis. Pharmacological treatment is usually necessary to avoid complications that affect your quality of life.
All cited sources were thoroughly reviewed by our team to ensure their quality, reliability, currency, and validity. The bibliography of this article was considered reliable and of academic or scientific accuracy.
- Wang X., Liu GJ., Gao Q., Li N., et al., C type lectin like receptor 2 and zonulin are associated with mild cognitive impairment and alzheimer’s disease. Acta Neurol Scand, 2020. 141 (3): 250-255.
- Krysiak R., Szkrobka W., Okopien B. The effect of vitamin D on thyroid autoinmmunity in levothyroxine treated women with hashimoto’s thyroiditis and normal vitamin D status. Exp Clin Endocrinol Diabetes, 2017. 125 (4): 229-233.