The Importance of a Gluten-Free Diet in Hashimoto's Disease
Diseases that develop when the immune system sees the body's own tissues and cells as foreign agents and attacks them are called autoimmune diseases. One of these, Hashimoto's disease, affects the thyroid glands and can cause hypothyroidism when it progresses. When the thyroid gland, which produces thyroid hormones that are involved in all kinds of metabolic functions in the body, is damaged by Hashimoto's disease, disorders are seen in all of these functions. For this reason, it is very important for patients to comply with medical treatments and take various precautions to protect the thyroid gland.
What Does Hashimoto's Disease Mean?
Hashimoto's disease develops when the immune system targets the thyroid gland and destroys the cells located there. The thyroid gland, located just below the part of the neck known as the Adam's apple, is involved in many different functions such as obtaining energy from food in the body and regulating the basal metabolic rate. In Hashimoto's patients, the cells responsible for hormone production in the thyroid gland begin to slowly die due to the given autoimmune response. Therefore, as the disease progresses, there is a possibility of developing a deficiency of thyroid hormones, also known as hypothyroidism.
What are the symptoms of Hashimoto's disease?
Hashimoto's disease is a disease that does not develop suddenly, but progresses slowly over the years. For this reason, Hashimoto's disease symptoms may not be noticed until the disease reaches a certain level of progression. Common symptoms include:
- Fatigue
- Permanent sleepiness
- Chills
- Muscle weakness, pain and stiffness in joints
- Dry skin, brittle nails, hair loss and weakening
- Facial pallor and swelling
- Irregular and excessive menstrual bleeding in women
- Memory and concentration problems
- Constipation
- Depression
- Slowing of the heart rate
- Enlargement of the thyroid gland (goiter) in advanced stages
What Causes Hashimoto's Disease?
The exact cause of Hashimoto's disease, which is caused by autoimmune attacks, is not yet known. However, genetic predisposition is seen as an important risk factor for Hashimoto's and many other autoimmune diseases. It is also thought that stress, infections, excessive iodine intake, exposure to radiation and various chemicals increase the likelihood of developing Hashimoto's disease. People with different autoimmune diseases such as type 1 diabetes, celiac disease, and lupus are also more likely to develop Hashimoto's disease than other individuals.
What Triggers Hashimoto's Disease?
Some scientific studies have shown that some foods in the diet increase the autoimmune response that is effective in Hashimoto's disease and as a result trigger the disease. Some of these are:
- Grains containing gluten
- Dried legumes such as chickpeas and beans
- Some types of fruits such as strawberries, grapes, nectarines
- Oils such as soybean and sunflower oil
- Meat from hormone-treated livestock
- Dairy products
- Some farmed fish and shellfish
- Beverages such as tea and coffee
- Ready-made foods containing preservatives
- Sugar
What Should People With Hashimoto's Disease Eat?
Many people with Hashimoto's disease are sensitive to various types of foods, especially gluten. Some studies have shown that patients' complaints can be significantly reduced with a gluten-free diet. For this reason, Hashimoto patients should focus on gluten-free grains as much as possible. Grains such as wheat, barley, and rye can be removed from the diet and gluten-free grain alternatives can be consumed instead. Gluten-free oatmeal, organic coconut flour, organic rice flour, carob flour, oat flour, almond flour, chia seeds, and raw buckwheat flour, which are included in the Güzel Ada Gıda product portfolio, are among the healthy gluten-free products that can be preferred. In addition, refined sugar should be completely removed from the diet if possible, and the use of ready-made and processed foods should be limited as much as possible. Attention should be paid to vitamin D and selenium intake, and food sources containing these such as natural sea fish, eggs, and natural meats should be consumed regularly.
What kind of bread should Hashimoto patients eat?
Gluten, which is known to cause autoimmune reactions, can cause discomfort in a significant portion of Hashimoto patients who are already prone to these reactions. This can trigger the disease and increase the damage to the thyroid gland. Although a gluten-free diet has not yet been scientifically determined as a requirement for all Hashimoto patients, it is thought that a gluten-free diet can be a useful option for relieving symptoms and reducing the likelihood of triggering the disease in these patients. Gluten-free bread making can be made a habit by using gluten-free flour alternatives such as oat flour and buckwheat flour, which are among the products of Güzel Ada Gıda. In addition, different gluten-free recipes can be prepared with products such as almond flour, chia seeds, and coconut flour, and the carbohydrate sources of the diet can be diversified with different flavors.
If you have Hashimoto's disease, you can choose from the many gluten-free product alternatives in the Güzel Ada Gıda product portfolio and contribute to controlling your disease with a gluten-free diet.
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