Bread, grains and cereals have become the staple of our lives. Most people have some form of breakfast cereal, with added vitamins and iron, nowadays and they always say they are good for you!
Yet recently a TV show in the UK showed that added iron, in breakfast cereals is actually metal filings that can be detected by a magnet. Do you really want to eat metal, even if it has been made edible?
One of the things I found important in changing my diet was that there is a huge connection between having a problem thyroid and eating our daily bread. I knew I felt bloated and tired after a meal containing bread. A swollen stomach, feeling bloated but I never connected it to joint pain, breathing, my skin and brain which are all symptoms of my Hashimoto’s thyroiditis.
This gives you some idea as to gluten intolerance and the impact on your body. What I still didn’t understand was why it was connected to my thyroid till I found this quote…..
It states that hypothyroidism is an autoimmune disease in 90% of cases and that there is a connection between autoimmune thyroid disease (AITD) and gluten intolerance.
‘What explains the connection? It’s a case of mistaken identity. The molecular structure of gliadin, the protein portion of gluten, closely resembles that of the thyroid gland. When gliadin breaches the protective barrier of the gut, and enters the bloodstream, the immune system tags it for destruction. These antibodies to gliadin also cause the body to attack thyroid tissue. This means if you have AITD and you eat foods containing gluten, your immune system will attack your thyroid.
Even worse, the immune response to gluten can last up to 6 months each time you eat it. This explains why it is critical to eliminate gluten completely from your diet if you have AITD. There’s no “80/20″ rule when it comes to gluten. Being “mostly” gluten-free isn’t going to cut it. If you’re gluten intolerant, you have to be 100% gluten-free to prevent immune destruction of your thyroid.’
Tests are not accurate, because they test for anti-bodies in the blood stream but these antibodies are only actually found in the gut. The same as testing thyoxine in your blood, when actually you need it testing in your cells to get the true picture and those tests are not available!
Some research has shown that 1 in 3 Americans are gluten intolerant. That 8 in 10 are genetically predisposed to gluten intolerance.
Back to the beginning. I didn’t realise that coming off gluten was so important to my body and its defence of my thyroid. Nor did I know that it was perhaps also affecting my inflammation in the joints, skin, respiratory tract and brain – without any obvious gut symptoms.
Now you know, what are you going to do about gluten for your own health and perhaps even your children’s. Thyroid disease is now coming under scrutiny of being a genetic disorder that passes down from generation to generation. Don’t pass on the harm, help the body defend.
Follow this link to read more about this research.
Gill Brookshaw - Recover your Life 