Is Gluten to Blame for Your Thyroid Condition?

If you’re struggling with thyroid issues, you’ve probably tried everything. You’ve taken the medications, made the lifestyle changes, and even tweaked your diet. But have you ever considered the powerful connection between gluten and thyroid health? In my New York Times bestseller, The Autoimmune Solution, I dive deep into the health hazards of gluten for those with autoimmunity. 

However, there’s something many people don’t realize. Gluten isn’t just a problem for those with celiac disease or food sensitivities. It’s particularly damaging to the thyroid. What’s more, it can trigger inflammation, hormone imbalances, and even autoimmune attacks on your body. In fact, eliminating gluten is one of the most important steps to restoring thyroid function and reclaiming your energy. In this article, I’ll break down the gluten and thyroid connection and why I recommend that all my thyroid patients cut gluten for good.

The Autoimmune Connection

To understand why gluten is so harmful to your thyroid, we need to understand something about Hashimoto’s and Graves’ disease. These are the two most common types of thyroid dysfunction. They are autoimmune in nature. This means that your immune system is mistakenly attacking your thyroid. Consequently, it affects your levels of thyroid hormones. 

People with Graves’ disease have hyperthyroidism. This means they have too much thyroid hormone. Those with Hashimoto’s disease have hypothyroidism. In other words, they have an underactive thyroid gland.

Shockingly, many people with thyroid disorders don’t even know if their condition is autoimmune-related or not. This is because conventional doctors don’t routinely check for thyroid antibodies in blood tests. I cover this much more in-depth in my New York Times bestseller book, The Thyroid Connection.

The important thing to know is that if you have thyroid dysfunction, there’s a good chance that it’s autoimmune. That’s why understanding the link between gluten and thyroid health is so important. I recommend asking your doctor to check your thyroid antibodies next time she checks your thyroid blood levels. You can find a full list of recommended thyroid tests and optimal ranges in this post, as well as in my book The Thyroid Connection.

So, if most thyroid dysfunction is caused by autoimmunity, what causes the autoimmunity in the first place? The answer is complex. That’s why my first book is dedicated entirely to understanding and overcoming all types of autoimmune diseases.

However, without a doubt, there is a significant connection between gluten and thyroid. (1) Gluten wreaks havoc on your gut, increases your inflammation, and can directly cause your immune system to attack your thyroid. This is not a myth! Let’s take a look at how and why that is.

Gluten, Leaky Gut, and Autoimmune Thyroid Disease

Thanks to the pioneering research of Dr. Alessio Fasano, we know that leaky gut is one of the primary triggers for all autoimmune disorders. (2) This includes autoimmune thyroid disease. As you might guess by its name, leaky gut occurs when your gut (specifically your small intestine) becomes permeable. This allows particles to leak from your digestive tract and travel freely through your bloodstream.

Gluten was one of the main causes of leaky gut in people I saw in my clinic. This was true even among people who didn’t have celiac disease. When you eat gluten-containing food, the gluten proteins go through your stomach to the small intestine. There, your body can respond by producing zonulin. This chemical signals the tight junctions of the intestinal walls to open up and stay open in a condition called leaky gut.

Leaky gut can also be caused or made worse by gut infections such as Candida overgrowth or SIBO. Medications such as antibiotics, steroids, and birth control pills, and a high-stress lifestyle can contribute to leaky gut.

Now that your small intestines are open and permeable this allows toxins, microbes, and partially digested food to leak into your bloodstream. Left untreated, your immune system goes on high alert to neutralize all of these threats. Because your gut is still leaky, the threats just keep on coming.

Your body enters a state of chronic inflammation. Your immune system becomes so stressed and confused that it begins attacking your own tissue by mistake! This happens even if you don’t have a gluten intolerance. Now you’re on the path to developing Hashimoto’s disease or any other autoimmune disease. This is all thanks to a phenomenon called molecular mimicry. Let’s take a closer look at how it works. 

Molecular Mimicry, A Case of Mistaken Identity

Whenever your body is exposed to a bacteria, virus, or another pathogen, your immune system memorizes its structure, specifically its protein sequence. Then, it can recognize it in the future and mount a defense.

Nevertheless, the immune system’s recognition system isn’t foolproof. If a molecule’s structure and protein sequences are similar enough, the immune system can be fooled into attacking look-a-like molecules that are actually your body’s tissue. As a result, it can cause autoimmune disease. (3)

Unfortunately, your thyroid is at risk for rogue autoimmune attacks. This is because to your immune system, gluten and thyroid cells look very similar. Moreover, 50% of people with gluten sensitivity experience molecular mimicry with casein (a protein found in dairy). This is known as cross-reactivity. This means your body reacts to your original trigger and also to another trigger that resembles the first one.

Every time you eat gluten and dairy, their proteins can escape into your bloodstream, triggering an attack from your immune system. In fact, because of the molecular mimicry phenomenon, your thyroid tissues end up in the crosshairs as well.

Even in patients who have non-autoimmune thyroid problems, the molecular mimicry phenomenon still impacts thyroid function. This is why I recommend all my patients with thyroid dysfunction eat only gluten-free foods, even if they are not autoimmune.

How to Repair the Damage Caused by Gluten

The bottom line is that if you have thyroid dysfunction, you should ditch gluten for good. Research continues to highlight the strong connection between gluten and thyroid disorders. Once you’ve cut gluten from your diet, your gut can begin to repair. Your inflammation will decrease, and your body will slow down and eventually stop its rogue attacks on your thyroid. 

Eliminating gluten is a crucial first step, but true healing goes beyond just removing the trigger. To fully restore gut health and support your thyroid, you need a comprehensive approach that repairs the damage and strengthens your digestive system. That’s where the 4R approach to repairing leaky gut comes in.

The 4R Approach to Repairing Your Gut

The 4R approach is a proven method for repairing your gut. By following this protocol, you’ll be well on your way to relief. Here are the recommended steps:

1. Remove the bad 

• Inflammatory foods: Gluten, dairy, refined sugar, processed foods, alcohol, and artificial additives.

• Gut infections: Overgrowth of harmful bacteria (SIBO), yeast (Candida), parasites, and other pathogens that disrupt gut balance. My SIBO Support Protocol can help you with this. 

• Medications that harm gut health: Antibiotics, NSAIDs (like ibuprofen), steroids, and birth control pills.

2. Restore what’s missing

• Digestive enzymes, such as my Complete Enzymes, to help break down food properly.

• Stomach acid (HCl) and bile acids for better protein and fat digestion.

• Nutrient-dense foods that provide essential vitamins and minerals for gut repair.

3. Reinoculate

• Probiotics: Beneficial bacteria that help rebuild and maintain a healthy gut microbiome. Try my probiotic capsules to repopulate your gut microbiome.

• Prebiotics: Fiber-rich foods (like garlic, onions, and asparagus) that feed good bacteria and encourage their growth.

• Fermented foods: Sauerkraut, kimchi, yogurt, and kefir, which provide natural probiotics.

4. Repair the gut

• L-glutamine: An amino acid that helps rebuild the intestinal lining.

• Collagen and bone broth: Try my Spectrum 5 Collagen to support gut barrier integrity.

• Zinc, vitamin D, and omega-3 fatty acids: To reduce inflammation and promote healing.

• Herbs like aloe vera, licorice root, and slippery elm: To soothe the gut lining and support mucosal repair.

Reverse Chronic Illnesses So You Can Take Back Your Health!

Are you ready to beat your symptoms, regain your energy, and feel like yourself again? Whether you have Hashimoto’s, Graves’, or any of the hundreds of other autoimmune diseases, I want you to know you CAN reverse your condition!

Tens of thousands of people worldwide have already taken back their health using my New York Times Bestsellers, The Autoimmune Solution and The Thyroid Connection. Are you ready to join them?

In each book, you’ll learn how to address the true underlying causes of your symptoms. You’ll use simple yet proven dietary and lifestyle changes. Best of all, you’ll get step-by-step, four-week plans to practice all of the principles and truly make optimal health a way of life!

Put the information from these books to work with The Autoimmune Solution™ Protocol. In it, you’ll find everything you need to support you on your journey to relief from autoimmune disease. This rescue kit has a collection of nine supplements, such as Coconut Charcoal, Complete Enzymes, Leaky Gut Revive, and Probiotic 100 Billion. In addition, you’ll receive easy-to-follow recipes, shopping lists, a supplement schedule, and so much more.  

Take the first step toward feeling great today! The gluten and thyroid connection is clear—eliminating gluten and supporting your gut health can help restore balance, reduce inflammation, and improve thyroid function. Don’t wait for symptoms to worsen—start making simple yet powerful changes now. With the right tools and guidance, you can reclaim your energy, reverse autoimmunity, and feel like yourself again!