Beneficial Impact of Nutritional and Supplemental Changes on the Thyroid Gland Health

Abstract

Diseases associated with hypothyroidism and autoimmune Hashimoto's thyroiditis have been increasing at a significant rate in recent decades, affecting mainly women of mature age. The study aims to assess the beneficial impact of nutritional and supplemental changes on the overall thyroid gland health. The research was conducted in 2022 and 2023 in Bulgarian women. The effect of 90 days lasting changes in nutritional plan on thyroid gland function were estimated by serum levels of thyroid-stimulating hormone (TSH) and free thyroxine (FT4) in 40 women aged from 25 to 45 years, diagnosed with Hashimoto's thyroiditis and was compared to a control group of 40 women of the same age. Restriction of pro-inflammatory and use of anti-inflammatory foods as well as the supplementation with important nutritional components significantly decreased average serum levels of TSH from 4.41 mIU/ml to 2.59 mIU/ml and increased FT4 from 14.17 pmol/L to 15.88 pmol/L at the output date, i.e. after 90 days. It is concluded that adequate changes in the nutritional plan, including compensation of nutritional deficiencies crucial for thyroid gland function together with avoidance of proinflammatory foods have a beneficial influence on TSH and FT4 levels in Bulgarian women with Hashimoto's thyroiditis.