# Dietary changes for children with Hashimotos? How important is it?



## MomofHashi (Jun 10, 2013)

My 5yo daughter was just diagnosed last week, I keep reading I should remove gluten from her diet? How much of this is true? What is your opinion? How many of you have changed your diet (not for weightless reasons). Also refined sugars are a big one as well. Not sure where to go from here.


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## joplin1975 (Jul 21, 2011)

I think you should get her tested for gluten sensitivity. Is she is gluten sensitive, remove the gluten. If not, no reason.

I had/have Hashi's, am not gluten sensitive, and never changed my diet for that reason.

Refined sugars are a health issue for everyone so I would definitely recommend removing those. My approach has been to stay as healthy, but as balanced as possible. I've never done well with extremes...but keep in mind while Hashi's is common, our experiences are very individual. What works for one won't work for others.


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## bigfoot (May 13, 2011)

Echoing the above. Get her tested for both Celiac disease AND gluten sensitivity. They are not one in the same. For example, I have Hashi's, tested negative for Celiac, but had a major gluten sensitivity. Removing all gluten has helped tremendously (especially with brain fog and skin). The Celiac test is a blood draw, but the gluten sensitivity is a saliva test (at least when I did it). I'm not sure if they have a blood test for gluten sensitivity or not at this point. Might want to ask first. Just be sure to test *before* removing gluten, otherwise the results will be skewed.

There are a flood of new GF products hitting the market. I can tell you that GF breads have come a long, long way, even just in the last year. While eating a ton of GF carbs isn't a good idea, having the occasional bread, pizza, or pasta dish can really boost your spirits. And as far as wheat/gluten, they put it in everything from ice cream to refried beans. Really have to watch the labels and ask lots of questions at restaurants.

I'd recommend reading up on going Paleo; it's less of a diet and more of a lifestyle. Even if you don't follow it 110%, it is a good guideline. End result is that all these extra carbs, sugars, super-glutens, junk foods, processed foods, etc. is not the best for us. We have been conditioned to think lots of grains are good and fats are bad. In fact, it's just the opposite. Might want to check out "Primal Body-Primal Mind" -- no connection to the author, but it is a great read and was recommended to us by our naturopath. We've also discovered as a byproduct of roughly following Paleo that now, instead of craving sugars throughout the day, we crave fats and meats.

Dairy is also another trouble spot, as is soy. Dairy products can lead to inflammation in some folks. Soy is a no-no with thyroid problems, as it can exacerbate them. Same goes for soy sauce, and it contains wheat... if you want an alternative, look for GF soy sauce (tamari). And oats, while some are said to be GF, are best avoided if possible. There are two schools of thought on oats; while they are good for reducing overall inflammation, another theory is that the Hashi's antibodies tend to see them as invaders, too. Lots of veggies are good, but be aware that eating a lot of fiber can result in folks needing a little more thyroid medication, since it is absorbed in the GI tract. And avoid cruciferious veggies if you can (or cook them well)... broccoli, cauliflower, bok-choy, etc.

There are a lot of fascinating lines being drawn between childhood diseases and illnesses, especially those with cognitive or inflammation problems, and dietary and environmental conditions. Something I hope, and bet, will expand in the years to come.

Good luck with all of this and let us know how you make out!


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## LindyLou (May 2, 2013)

There is also a company that tests for gluten sensitivity out of Texas called Enterolab. This is done through a stool test that checks for IGA reactivity. I am one who is very sensitive to gluten although from all the different tests I have taken including the one I have just mentioned - I showed no reactivity. I am suspecting a mast cell issue with this however I could not convince my GI doctor to stain for mast cells with the last colonoscopy. Stating she can't have her patients ordering tests. Oy Vey! What I do know is having microscopic colitis the only treatment that seems to work is long term steroid use however once the steroids are eliminated unless your diet has been modified your condition will return. Even tho as stated I don't know what type of reaction it is I encounter, by eliminating gluten my colitis symptoms are more controllable. When I finally received my Hashi's diagnosis, the first thing out if my endo's mouth was "you have to eliminate gluten. The colitis is autoimmune in nature and as I research my medical conditions, I find that for almost all autoimmune diseases gluten elimination is necessary for aid in remission.


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## lainey (Aug 26, 2010)

It's my opinion that eliminating gluten is just the "in" thing to do at the moment. True celiac makes up a very small percentage of the population.

If you want to have the child tested, by all means do--but she must still be eating gluten to do so. Otherwise, eliminating gluten from a child's diet without real reason is unnecessary IMHO.

Diet won't change the Hashimoto's, but will help with any potential weight problems that come with it. Children are notoriously fussy at this age, and there is not a real reason to make food a battle ground by putting her on a "special" diet. The key thing would be getting her to eat healthy foods and have plenty of active play time.


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## bigfoot (May 13, 2011)

Agree wholeheartedly. All it takes is a Hollywood celebrity or Dr. Oz to espouse the latest trend, and it takes right off. But I will respectfully disagree that a negative Celiac test means that you have the green light to consume gluten. There are folks walking around (myself included) who have benefited greatly from a gluten sensitivity test, and subsequent elimination of gluten from the diet. It's definitely not psychosomatic, as my stomach can attest to.


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## nvsmom (Sep 30, 2012)

I am a celiac with hypothyroidism. 6% of hypothyroid patients will have celiac disease compared with less than 1% of the regular population. Conversely, well over 10% of celiacs (I've seen stats up to 20%) have hypothyroidism of some sort. There is a strong link and it's good to get tested.

Somewhere between 6-30% of the entire population has Non-Celiac Gluten Intolerance (NCGI); I believe the actual number is closer to the 6-10% end. Those people will have all the same symptoms as a celiac minus the intestinal villi damage. That includes the inflammation that gluten will cause in those individuals which can exacerbate conditions like Hashi's. Inflammation tends to make any autoimmune problem worse.

The celiac tests are:
tTG IgA and tTG IgG
EMA IgA
DGP Iga and DGP IgG (newer tests that are better at finding celiac disease in kids)
total serum IgA (a control as 5% of celiacs are low in IgA)
AGA IgA and AGA IgG (older less reliabl tests BUT the only blood test that shows gluten sensitivity rather than villi damage and may show NCGI - this is not widely accepted yet)

She must be eating gluten in the weeks prior to testing or the tests will be invalid.

This report discusses the tests and how good they are at detecting celiac (sensitivity) and how often a positive test indicates celiac (specificity). There's an easy to read chart on page 12. http://www.worldgastroenterology.org/assets/export/userfiles/2012_Celiac Disease_long_FINAL.pdf

At celiac.com there is a helpful forum where gluten sensitivity questions can be asked. The people there are very helpful.

Best wishes.


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## bigfoot (May 13, 2011)

Lots of great info there, thanks!


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