There are multiple ways to test for food sensitivities and ascertain whether gluten intolerance may be playing a part in your thyroid issues. Please see your Naturopath who will suggest the best Food Intolerance test for you.

IgA and IgG

Both IgA and IgG antibodies are tested. These antibodies are created in response to gluten particles in the bloodstream. IgA and IgG are delayed-response antibodies — they aren’t created immediately, making them a good indicator of a long-term sensitivity to gluten. However, a milder case of gluten sensitivity (when antibodies haven’t been created) may be missed, and false negatives can occur if a patient is currently avoiding gluten.

The Gluten Challenge

Hypo-allergenic diets may be the most powerful tool a Naturopathic doctor can prescribe, but no bones about it: these diets can be very difficult and take a long time. The hidden benefit is that the diet you are on during the investigation eliminates your possible triggers, so you should start to feel better right away, even as you uncover the details of your sensitivity.

Luckily, when it comes to auto-immune conditions, removing dairy and gluten are often the main dietary requirements and there are many alternative foods available.

The Elimination Phase

For anywhere from two to six weeks, depending on your individual situation, you’ll remove all dairy and gluten from your diet. During this time, you’ll keep a close eye on your symptoms to see if they resolve or reduce dramatically. If symptoms don’t resolve, you may be asked to remove additional foods: like eggs or soy.

The Challenge Phase

Once your symptoms resolve, you’ll reintroduce each food one at a time. Let’s say dairy first. You’ll have dairy in every meal for three or four days while keeping note of any symptoms or sensitivity reactions. Then you’ll be instructed to stop eating dairy for three days.

If there are no reactions during elimination or in the final phase, a dairy sensitivity can be ruled out. At that point, you can safely add dairy back into your diet.

A Positive Result

Next, you will begin the challenge phase for gluten. Let’s say you did have a symptom response to gluten. At that point, you would be instructed to eliminate gluten from your diet for another three to six months before attempting the challenge again. After a longer break, some food sensitivities are no longer as offensive.

If – on the other hand – your symptoms did return when you reintroduced gluten, your naturopathic doctor may diagnose you with gluten intolerance.

The health of your thyroid affects every cell in your body. If you suspect an autoimmune condition may be affecting how well you feel, please give us a call. As Naturopathic doctors, we have access to a wide array of investigative tools and lab tests to help you uncover what’s really going on – and come up with a tailored plan to help you feel like yourself again

Resources:

Fatourechi V. Subclinical hypothyroidism: an update for primary care physicians. Mayo Clinic proceedings. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2664572/. Published 2009.

General Information/Press Room. Published 2014. American Thyroid Association. https://www.thyroid.org/media-main/press-room/

Ojetti V; Nucera G;Migneco A; Gabrielli M; Lauritano C; Danese S; Zocco MA; Nista EC;Cammarota G;De Lorenzo A;Gasbarrini G;Gasbarrini A; High prevalence of celiac disease in patients with lactose intolerance. Digestion. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/15775678/. Published 2005.

Shahid MA. Physiology, Thyroid Hormone. StatPearls. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK500006/. Published May 18, 2020.