Madeline Adams
Hashimoto’s thyroid disease is often associated with a vitamin D deficiency. Conversely, taking vitamin D can lead to a significant improvement in the disease.
Hashimoto: Antibodies decrease after taking vitamin D
Anyone who suffers from the chronic inflammatory autoimmune disease of the thyroid called Hashimoto’s can develop a vitamin D deficiency much more easily than a healthy person.
Firstly, Hashimoto’s vitamin D requirement is higher, secondly, less vitamin D is produced in the body and also activated, and thirdly, people with autoimmune diseases suffer more frequently from receptor disorders, which means that there may be enough vitamin D available, this but cannot work. One speaks of a so-called vitamin D resistance.
In view of the third point, the question arises as to whether taking vitamin D3 makes any sense at all. Yes, it seems to be doing very well. As early as 2015, a study found that Hashimoto patients were able to reduce their antibody levels by an average of 20 percent if they took up to 4,000 IU of vitamin D3 per day for over 4 months.
Doctor Reports: Vitamin D Can Get Rid of Hashimoto’s
dr Berndt Rieger – holistic endocrinologist and thyroid specialist – writes on his website (2) that everyone with active Hashimoto’s thyroiditis has a low vitamin D level. As soon as the disease begins to heal, vitamin D also increases. You can even see how active the disease is by looking at the vitamin D level. The vitamin D level can also be used as a marker to see whether a certain treatment measure is working or not.
He has also observed that many people who take vitamin D experience a healing spurt solely through this measure, which frees them from Hashimoto’s thyroiditis. “The antibodies drop, the condition is better, and the thyroid appears less inflamed in the ultrasound, and often even normalizes its shape,” says Rieger.
Antibodies and TSH levels decrease after taking vitamin D
An Iranian study from May 2019 found that the disease was significantly less pronounced in patients taking vitamin D. 42 Hashimoto’s patients were given 50,000 IU of vitamin D3 or placebo weekly for 3 months. In this study, too, there was a significant reduction in the typical Hashimoto antibodies (TPO antibodies, TPO = thyroid peroxidase) and also in the TSH value (an increased value indicates an underactive thyroid gland).
Dr. However, Berndt Rieger advises not to start with high doses immediately with Hashimoto, as this could lead to restlessness and insomnia for days in some patients. On the other hand, it is more advisable to start with a daily dose of 1000 IU and, if necessary, slowly increase this over a period of 6 weeks (e.g. by 1000 IU every three days), provided that the laboratory control has shown that the vitamin D is not below this increases significantly.
What vitamin D level should Hashimoto reach?
The goal should be a 25-OH vitamin D3 value of over 50 µg/l. If the vitamin D level does not change even after taking lower or slowly increasing doses for several weeks, vitamin D resistance could be present.
In order to still achieve an effect, enough vitamin D3 should be taken so that the 1-25-OH vitamin D3 level reaches values in the higher range, i.e. between 50 and 70 µg/l, which in some cases only reaching 20,000 IE may be possible. The 1-25-OH vitamin is the active vitamin D. (Normally the 25-OH vitamin D3 is determined, a storage form of the vitamin that first has to be activated in the kidneys).
Vitamin D3 alone is not enough for Hashimoto!
Of course, vitamin D3 alone is not enough to cure Hashimoto’s. Please read the article on Hashimoto’s holistic therapy concept linked at the top and don’t forget to eat the right food. You will find all relevant information here: The right diet at Hashimoto.
