Thyroid and intestinal diseases have been known to co-exist. Hashimoto’s thyroiditis and Graves’ disease are the most common autoimmune conditions.
Your thyroid is responsible for multiple functions including your metabolism. This is supported by the good bacteria in the gut. Your intestine is responsible for almost 20% of the total conversion of thyroid hormones.
In addition to this, the gut bacteria can increase the bioavailability of iron in the gut by producing short-chain fatty acids and also regulates how much iodine you use and how it is broken down and circulated in the body.
This causes an increase in the inactive T3 levels and a reduction in the active T3 levels which contributes to the dysfunction of the thyroid.
This is explained by the intestinal barrier getting damaged (which increases permeability), allowing antigens to pass more easily and activate the immune system.
This damage also influences the absorption of micronutrients like iodine, iron and copper, which you need for thyroid health.
Stress comes in all shapes and sizes, and one source is your gut. Inflammation in your gut, whether through dysbiosis, immune response or gastrointestinal disease, will increase circulating cortisol, which if prolonged can hurt your T3.
These processes are largely dependent on the production of primary bile acids in gallbladder. When you consume fats, these primary bile acids are secreted from the gallbladder into your small intestine. This is where gut bacteria metabolize them into “secondary bile acids” which increase the activity of the deiodinase enzymes.
These bile acids are dependent upon the mineral selenium. This is mineral is often depleted in patients with gut and thyroid health issues. And hypothyroidism has also been shown to stop bile flow from the gallbladder which further affects T4/T3 conversion. This bile is also naturally antimicrobial, which further explains the connection between thyroid disease and specific bacterial gut infections.
Your thyroid also plays a role in production of stomach acid which can result in symptoms like gastro-esophageal reflux disease, nutrient deficiencies, and other digestive issues like bacterial and fungal overgrowth.
Research has also shown that hypothyroidism causes gastrointestinal dysfunction by significantly reducing gatroesophageal movement, and thus, it is recommended thyroid function be checked in patients with indigestion.
Studies also show the link between atrophic gastritis and autoimmune thyroid disease
People with autoimmune thyroiditis, have a highly sensitive immune system in which the immune responses are directed against self antigens, and diseases that result from exposure to foreign particles.
When this is happening, inflammation takes place which can be triggered due to a bad diet.
So when we are consuming bad foods like sugar or refined starches, we are creating gut dysbiosis by producing inflammation in the gut lining. This results from the bad bacteria accumulating in our gut which not only reduces the thyroid conversions but also creates impaired absorption of the essential nutrients in the gut which are important for the function of thyroid.
So in a healthy person, if a bad diet persists for long, it can create dysbiosis resulting in an underactive thyroid. And in an autoimmune patient, a healthy diet should be even more emphasized given to their hypersensitivity.
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