A strong link exists between celiac disease -- an inherited intolerance to the protein gluten -- and your thyroid. A significant minority of people diagnosed with celiac disease also have thyroid disease involving either an overactive or an underactive thyroid. It's possible that there are genetic links between Grave's disease -- a form of overactive thyroid -- to celiac disease. However, it's not clear whether treating your celiac disease by following a gluten-free diet can help you improve your thyroid condition.
Basics
Both celiac disease and some forms of overactive thyroid disease stem from problems involving an overactive immune system. In celiac disease, your immune system reacts to gluten ingestion by mistakenly attacking your intestinal lining, leading to poor nutrient absorption and severe gastrointestinal symptoms. When you have an overactive thyroid, your immune system attacks your thyroid, causing it to make too much thyroid hormone.
Symptoms
When you have an overactive thyroid, your metabolism speeds up significantly, leading to a rapid, unsteady heart beat, shortness of breath, anxiety, shakiness and insomnia. You might eat too much but still lose weight, and you might develop a goiter, which is a noticeable lump in your throat due to your enlarged thyroid gland. There are several types of overactive thyroid disease, but only one -- Grave's disease -- is caused by attacks on your thyroid gland by your own immune system. The others involve tumors in your thyroid and problems in other parts of your endocrine system. Your doctor can tell you if you have Grave's disease or another type of thyroid disease.
Research
People with either celiac disease or Grave's disease have a higher risk of developing the other condition, according to research published in the February 2000 edition of the medical journal "Digestive Diseases and Sciences." The researchers looked at 172 patients with thyroid problems caused by the immune system, and found celiac disease in 3.4 percent of those people -- a rate close to four times' higher than the general population.
Considerations
The researchers in the "Digestive Diseases and Sciences" study recommended that everyone diagnosed with an autoimmune thyroid disease be screened for celiac disease. It's possible -- although unproven -- that adopting a gluten-free diet can help people with celiac disease reduce the amount of thyroid medication they take to treat their overactive thyroid condition. However, following a gluten-free diet involves eliminating many food choices -- all products that contain wheat, barley and rye -- so you shouldn't try to go gluten-free unless your doctor tells you to do so.
References
- Columbia University Celiac Disease Center: What Are CD and DH?
- University of Maryland Medical Center; Hyperthyroidism; Feb. 4, 2010
- "Digestive Diseases and Sciences"; Usefulness of Screening Program for Celiac Disease in Autoimmune Thyroiditis; Irene Berti, M.D.; February 2000
- "Nature Genetics"; Novel Celiac Disease Genetic Determinants Related to the Immune Response; K. Hunt; April 2008
