Hashimoto's & DAMPS signaling - let's talk about Vitamin D and leaky gut.
Also Cardiometabolic Protocol for microbiome support, with my Fullscript affiliate account.
The last post got too long. I have a better understanding of Hashimoto's and why Izabella Wentz, PharmD is cautious after reading her explainer post. Her ebook didn't cover the iodine question.
See: Iodine: Good or Bad for Thyroid Health?, Izabella Wentz, PharmD, (thyroidpharmacist.com)
There is good reason to be cautious and iodine restrictions may be needed and helpful. I did strictly avoid iodine for many years after having went hyperthyroid. But I started getting hypothyroid symptoms again and craving seaweed. I added that back and then iodine supplements and it seemed helpful. My TSH and thyroid antibodies were okay when last checked.
Where there seems to be over caution or misinterpretation of a root cause is in Izabella’s theory that it is iodine excess in the thyroid causing too much hydrogen peroxide which then can cause tissue damage if there is inadequate selenium or glutathione to act as antioxidants. DAMPS signaling to white blood cells supposedly is causing autoimmune antibodies to form against the thyroid tissue, and therefore iodine intake is the cause of autoimmune thyroid antibodies…if there is a lack of selenium or glutathione.
That means the root problem is lack of selenium and glutathione and the real solution then is not iodine avoidance, but selenium intake and support of glutathione production which includes adequate protein intake and a diet rich in Nrf2 promoting foods and good sleep and light habits for circadian cycle support.
The right genetic predisposition might be someone with trouble somewhere in glutathione production, but if DAMPS signaling is the theoretical cause of the thyroid autoimmune antibodies forming, why is intestinal permeability needed too? If molecular mimicry from a leaky gut is the cause .. then DAMPS signaling due to excess hydrogen peroxide wouldn't be that root cause.
The answer to that is gluten and molecular mimicry which she mentions in part elsewhere, but in the graphic and quote iodine is getting all of the blame. Vitamin D and its role in promoting self tolerance in the regulatory T cells is also not mentioned in the graphic. Anyone with low vitamin D would be more at risk for autoimmune antibodies forming against dietary proteins allowed into the body through leaky tight junctions - but that is not said here. Iodine is being blamed in the graphic, or while the lack of selenium and glutathione is mentioned, the solution being promoted, and is standard, seems to be to limit iodine rather than increase glutathione and selenium.
The graphic has some leaps in that the autoimmune antibody formation is being blamed on the oxidation caused by iodine in the thyroid gland.
The other leap made within the article is that a careful count is made of the minimum amount of iodine the thyroid needs, 52 mcg, and not much more than that is recommended — no mention is made of the rest of the glands in the body. Or if a woman has large breasts and needs more iodine for her mammary glands than average.
Izabella Wentz, PharmD states that most people with Hashimoto's don't have iodine deficiency, but some do and fibrocystic breast disease is indicative of low iodine. She still only recommends the minimal 150 mcg or maybe 200 mcg.
My thought: Japanese people who get Hashimoto's may not be eating ginger.
The article, Nutritional Management of Thyroiditis of Hashimoto by Danailova, et al., 2022, includes a summary statement about genes that have been found to be associated with autoimmune thyroid risk:
TH = Thyroiditis of Hashimoto's
Melatonin is mentioned as helpful and good light habits is a need - avoid blue light, get sunshine in the morning, blackout dark at night, dim light in the evening. Roughly.
Inositol is a B vitamin with inhibitory roles in the brain. It can be calming for epilepsy or anxiety.
Table 1 goes into more detail about the role a key nutrient plays in thyroid function. Protein inadequacy counts and soy is a goitrogens so the Japanese diet has they going against their thyroid health.
The healthy guy microbiome is necessary for reasons other than preventing leaky tight junctions - pomegranate peel helps reduce the autoimmune Th17 Tcells:
We need to support our Lactobacillaceae and Bifidobacterium species of gut bacteria. Bifidobacterium spp are the group targeted by chimeric spike effects. It is a beneficial butyrate producing group.
An example probiotic product is:
UltraFlora® BiomePro; by Metagenics. Take 1/day; “This product contains a complex of eight clinically-studied probiotic strains to support gastrointestinal health and immune health. It does not need refrigeration. Proprietary Blend ... 105 billion CFU††
Lactobacillus acidophilus NCFM †††, Lactobacillus rhamnosus GG, Lactobacillus plantarum Lp-115, Bifidobacterium lactis Bl-04, Bifidobacterium lactis Bi-07†††, Lactobacillus paracasei Lpc-37, Lactobacillus rhamnosus HN001, Bifidobacterium lactis HN019.”
*Available through my Fullscript account in a new protocol based on the recommendations of Ovation Labs/Metagenics. I added a few extra nutrients and microbiome support products from other brands and added some critique or background information.
Cardiometabolic Protocol - Metagenics Brand products primarily, with a few I added. (Fullscript - you would need to make an account.)
I have a document version in my Sync file.
Readers can order supplements at 20-25% off through a wholesale professional dispensary by signing up under my account. (Sign up here.) You will be able to order from protocols I have shared or order from the catalog. Supplements by the company Ortho Molecular Products will need to have a plan/recommendation from me to allow purchase and the system notifies me if you want to order one. Look for a plan from me after you place the request - give me a day or two to get the email. Orders over $50 get free shipping. *Affiliate links, thank you for purchasing if you do, I make a small amount of money from your purchase.
Pregnancy Support Protocol: This link should take you to a prenatal protocol with product examples that you could order if desired. It includes a referenced protocol by Fullscript, to which I added additional iodine and a substitute prenatal multi that has less iron - still lots though.
A new feature offered by Fullscript is the ability to enter all of your current supplements and the total amounts are added up for a grand total of them all. That can be nice in case mixed products are leading to too much of a good thing - too much of some nutrients can become a negative. It would also allow me to see what you are using if you wanted my input. (Add your supplements here.)
This group of writers know about the role of vitamin D in autoimmune disease.
Nutritional Management of Thyroiditis of Hashimoto by Danailova, et al., 2022, is a really helpful paper. It has lots of useful Tables of various types of research associated with thyroiditis. One lists ginger and other nutrients or phytonutrients found to be beneficial for treating autoimmune thyroid conditions.
Vitamin D is also not mentioned prominently in a research article about DAMPS signaling in the creation of autoimmune antibodies in Systemic Lupus Erythmatosis. (SLE). (Olson, et al., 2022)
Disclaimer: This information is being provided for educational purposes within the guidelines of Fair Use and is not intended to provide individual health guidance.
Reference List
(Danailova, et al., 2022) Danailova Y, Velikova T, Nikolaev G, Mitova Z, Shinkov A, Gagov H, Konakchieva R. Nutritional Management of Thyroiditis of Hashimoto. Int J Mol Sci. 2022 May 5;23(9):5144. doi: 10.3390/ijms23095144. PMID: 35563541; PMCID: PMC9101513. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC9101513/
(Olson, et al., 2022) Lyra B. Olson, Nicole I. Hunter, Rachel E. Rempel, Bruce A. Sullenger, Targeting DAMPs with nucleic acid scavengers to treat lupus, Translational Research, Vol 245, 2022, pp 30-40, ISSN 1931-5244, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.trsl.2022.02.007. https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S193152442200041X
Wentz, Izabella, Iodine: Good or Bad for Thyroid Health?, Jan. 15, 2021, ThyroidPharmacist.com, https://thyroidpharmacist.com/articles/iodine-hashimotos/
JD - Excellent sleuthing.