How to Reverse Hypothyroidism and Hashimoto’s

It is estimated that more than one in four people in the U.S. have thyroid dysfunction. Most are women and most are under-diagnosed.

This is a big deal when you consider thyroid hormones regulate how fast your metabolism works, heart rate, constipation, energy and weight gain. Thyroid abnormalities tend to peak during puberty, pregnancy and perimenopause, so undesired changes can be erroneously thought of as “just getting older”, when there’s actually a reversible condition.

Many people get under-diagnosed because of a 40 year old, outdated protocol. The standard test might show “normal” levels, but you still don’t feel well. Other times the test shows levels are off, but the thyroid supplement doesn’t help, or needs to continually be increased. The old protocol leads many doctors to prescribe an antidepressant or put patients on a statin drug to mask symptoms. Meanwhile, the root cause goes unaddressed.

I’d like to introduce you to some doctors that are calling out the inadequacies of the old protocol and going after the root cause instead; with remarkable success. I’ll also show you what symptoms might be thyroid-related, the right lab tests to request and how to reverse hypothyroidism and Hashimoto’s.

Let’s meet the thyroid superstar docs

Here are some functional medicine doctors who specialize in reversing thyroid problems. There are MANY more, but each of these have written books detailing their approach and published volumes of content online.

Dr. Izabella Wentz, PHARM D

• Author of Hashimoto’s Protocol: A 90-Day Plan for Reversing Thyroid Symptoms and Getting Your Life Back
• Author of Hashimoto’s Thyroiditis: Lifestyle Interventions for Finding and Treating the Root Cause
• Producer of the documentary called The Thyroid Secret that was released in 2017. See all episodes below.
• Reversed her own Hashimoto’s and offers a tremendous amount of free content online

Dr. Amy Myers, M.D.

• Author of The Thyroid Connection: Why You Feel Tired, Brain-Fogged, and Overweight — and How to Get Your Life Back
• Author of The Autoimmune Solution: Prevent and Reverse the Full Spectrum of Inflammatory Symptoms and Diseases
• Reversed her own Grave’s Disease

Dr. Aviva Romm, M.D.

• Author of The Adrenal Thyroid Revolution: A Proven 4-Week Program to Rescue Your Metabolism, Hormones, Mind & Mood
• Author of ADRENAL THYROID DIET COOKBOOK:: Recipes T0 help Fight against Overweight, Brain Fog, Hormonal Imbalance and live a healthy lifestyle.
• Went to college at age 14(!), she is a Yale-trained M.D., leader in the fields of natural medicine for women and children and president, for over a decade, of the leading professional association for herbalists in the US.

Dr. Sara Gottfried, M.D.

• Author of The Hormone Cure: Reclaim Balance, Sleep, Sex Drive and Vitality Naturally with the Gottfried Protocol
• Author of The Hormone Reset Diet: Heal Your Metabolism to Lose Up to 15 Pounds in 21 Days
• Author of Younger: A Breakthrough Program to Reset Your Genes, Reverse Aging, and Turn Back the Clock 10 Years.
• A Harvard-trained M.D. and gynecologist. She reversed her own hypothyroidism and has helped over 10,000 others with her protocol.

Types of thyroid dysfunction

When your thyroid gland is under-functioning or sluggish, it’s called hypothyroidism. An over-functioning thyroid is referred to as hyperthyroidism (hypo and hyper).

Hypothyroidism

Hypothyroidism defines a state of sluggish thyroid function and metabolism. 90% of the time, thyroid imbalances are due to under-functioning.

Symptoms of hypothyroidism

• weight gain even though eating habits haven’t changed
• fatigue, sometimes exhaustion, even after sleeping 8-10 hours
• weight gain or the inability to lose weight
• cold intolerance (always feel a little cold), or having a body temperature consistently below 98.5
• constipation
• sluggishness / low energy
• dry skin
• brittle nails
• joint and muscle aches (even carpal tunnel syndrome and tendonitis)
• decreased breast milk volume
• brain fog, poor concentration, or poor memory
• depression
• anxiety
• feeling moody
• low sex drive
• PMS
• hair loss or coarse, dry hair
• snoring, or hoarse voice
• generalized swelling
• excessively low heart rate
• high cholesterol
• fertility problems and miscarriages
• cravings for sugar and carbohydrates
• puffy face
• heavier than normal or irregular menstrual periods
• waking up too early and unable to fall back to sleep

Dr. Gottfried says, “If you have the triad of weight gain, fatigue and depression–think thyropause. It’s a common cause of these symptoms especially for women starting in their 40s.”

Causes of hypothyroidism

• Approximately 95% of hypothyroidism is caused by an autoimmune attack of antibodies. When the cause is autoimmune related, the condition is named Hashimoto’s.
• Excess use of thyroid suppressing medications can be the cause. This fact highlights the need for adequate testing and accurate diagnosis.
• Low thyroid function can be a genetic condition. Thyroid related genes can include FOXE-1, FOXE-2 and TG.
• Severe iodine deficiency can be the cause. Thyroid hormones need iodine to exist.
• Hypopituitarism is a condition where the pituitary gland doesn’t put out enough TSH, perhaps due to head injury, blood loss, a pituitary tumor, radiation or environmental factors.
• Lyme disease, which is typically caused by perpetual exposure to mold in the environment or in foods like coffee.  The U.S. has no mycotoxin standards for coffee.
• Obviously, having the thyroid surgically removed or destroyed by doctor-induced radiation will produce permanent hypothyroidism.

Hashimoto’s (also called Hashi’s)

If your thyroid is under-functioning, there’s a high probability you have Hashimoto’s Disease. That means your thyroid gland is under antibody attack from your own immune system.

“Depending on the source, estimates are that between 90-97% of those with hypothyroidism in the United States have Hashimoto’s.” Dr. Izabella Wentz

Sadly, the majority of people diagnosed with hypothyroidism are given pills and sent on their way without ever being tested for Hashimoto’s. They have no idea the underlying cause is an autoimmune condition that can be halted or reversed with nutrition and environmental changes. This is especially tragic because masking symptoms, or destroying the thyroid via surgery or radiation, does nothing to reverse the underlying condition that caused thyroid dysfunction in the first place.

If the underlying autoimmune cause is not dealt with, the antibodies remain active to perpetually attack other organs. Your thyroid will merely be the first soldier to fall.

It’s also possible to have Hashimoto’s but not yet have hypothyroidism. Dr. Wentz: “Studies have found that thyroid antibodies indicative of Hashimoto’s can be present for as long as a decade before the person develops impaired thyroid function. I suspect that they can be elevated for much longer, and it may take a person many decades to learn that he/she has hypothyroidism due to inadequate use of the TSH screening test.”

Hyperthyroidism

‘Hyper’ means the thyroid gland is over-functioning and that metabolism is running on overdrive.

Symptoms of hyperthyroidism

• rapid heartbeat
• anxiety
• nervousness, hyperactivity
• irritability or moodiness
• sweating or sensitivity to high temperatures
• insomnia
• hand trembling (shaking)
• insatiable appetite
• diarrhea
• hair loss
• weight loss
• missed or light menstrual periods
• protruding eyes or exophthalmos

Graves’ disease (called Basedow’s disease in Europe) is often the underlying cause of hyperthyroidism. Daniel J. Toft MD, PhD explains the mechanics. “In Graves’ disease, your immune system creates antibodies that cause the thyroid to grow and make more thyroid hormone than your body needs. These antibodies are called thyroid-stimulating immunoglobulins (TSIs). The TSIs bind to thyroid cell receptors, which are normally “docking stations” for thyroid-stimulating hormone (TSH—the hormone responsible for telling the thyroid to produce hormones). The TSIs then trick the thyroid into growing and producing too much thyroid hormone, leading to hyperthyroidism.”

Graves’ is far less common, but there are many commonalities between the protocols to reverse Graves’ and Hashimoto’s.

How your thyroid is supposed to work

According to Dr. Myers, “The thyroid, a butterfly-shaped gland in the center of your neck, is the master gland of metabolism. How well your thyroid is functioning is inter-related with every system in your body. If your thyroid is not running optimally, then neither are you.”

You can picture thyroid function like a group of musicians performing together. A symphony orchestra is essentially a group of people working together to convert notes on paper into emotion-filled music. Your thyroid makes up much of your metabolism orchestra, following signals and carrying out timely conversions. We’ll walk through how it works, but don’t be intimidated by the terms and steps. Rather, notice that there are many points where wrong notes can happen. I want you to see why one lab test that only measures one part of the process is not enough to tell you whether all the players are together and in-tune.

Let’s begin with the hypothalamus. This part of your brain is in the front of your head and coordinates systems that work without you paying attention to them. Think of it as the conductor for body temperature, thirst, hunger and emotions. Your hypothalamus produces Thyroid (or Thyrotropin) Releasing Hormone (TRH) that signals the pituitary gland to synthesize and secrete Thyroid Stimulating Hormone (TSH).

You’ve probably already heard of TSH because it’s often the only thyroid level tested. You need to know your TSH level, but it’s only one player in the orchestra.

TSH tells your thyroid gland to produce more or less of Thyroxine (usually called Free T4, FT4 or just T4) and Triiodothyronine (Free T3, FT3 or T3).

A healthy thyroid produces about 80% FT4 and 20% FT3. FT4 is a prohormone, which means it isn’t yet in an activated form. FT4 needs to be converted to FT3 to be “switched on”. Dr. Myers says, “It is the Free T3 that really matters in all of this, since it’s the only hormone that can attach to a receptor and cause your metabolism to rise, keep you warm, keep your bowels moving, mind working, and other hormones in check.”

Free T3 correlates to how you feel, but most doctors never measure it.

Sometimes the body will conserve energy by converting excess FT4 into an inactive form of FT3 known as Reverse T3 (RT3). On any given day, you may convert anywhere from 20-50% of your FT4 into RT3 because of factors including stress, sickness, injury, mercury toxicity, cold exposure, diabetes, aging or even drugs like beta blockers. You can think of Free T3 as the gas and Reverse T3 as the brakes. Dr. Myers calls RT3 the brakes because it can, “…attach to the receptors for Free T3 in order to slow down your metabolic processes.” RT3 is incapable of delivering oxygen and energy to cells like FT3 does.

The thyroid also produces T2 (Diiodothyronine), which Dr. Joseph Mercola describes as, “…the least-understood component of thyroid function and the subject of a number of ongoing studies.”

In the context of all these steps and conversions, you can see why only measuring the TSH step can be misleading.

Six key thyroid tests for Hashimoto’s and hypothyroidism

Here’s the list of tests to ask your doctor for.

1. Thyroid Stimulating Hormone (TSH)
2. Free T4
3. Free T3
4. Thyroid Peroxidase Antibodies (TPO Antibodies / TPOAb)
5. Thyroglobulin Antibodies (TG Antibodies /TgAb)
6. Reverse T3 (rT3)

Be sure to request a copy of the results. Also, be aware that your doctor might resist ordering more than the TSH test and may not be familiar with the nuances of interpreting the other tests. I intend no disrespect to doctors. Doctors Wentz, Romm, Myers and Gottfried all say they didn’t learn how to reverse Hashimoto’s in their conventional medical schooling. That knowledge came from their Functional Medicine training.

It’s possible to order your own thyroid panels from Direct Labs or Ulta Lab Tests, which is affiliated with Dr. Wentz. Pricing appears comparable between the two.

A small percentage of people can have Hashimoto’s without detectable thyroid antibodies in the blood. A thyroid ultrasound is another method of detecting Hashimoto’s. If the ultrasound reveals nodules on the thyroid, Dr. Wentz will order a fine needle aspiration (FNA). That’s where a very tiny needle is inserted into the thyroid gland to pull out some cells that can be viewed under a microscope. A pathologist can look to see if there are large amounts of immune cells within the thyroid gland. This is obviously more invasive than other thyroid tests, and therefore not ordered unless all the other tests are negative but you still have symptoms.

Optimal thyroid hormone levels that correlate with thriving

When you get your labs back, they will typically reference a normal range. Very often the lab definition of normal means an average of the measurements processed in that one facility that may include a sick population. When the thyroid ranges were set, the results were compromised by the inclusion of elderly patients and others with low thyroid function. Instead, we want to compare our readings to those found by functional medicine practitioners to be optimal. The optimal range is where the docs see their patients thriving without symptoms.

TSH range that correlates with thriving

Dr. Amy Myers: 1-2 UIU/ML or lower. Armour (from pigs) or compounded T3 can artificially suppress TSH. An alternative to Armour would be desiccated (dried and powdered) bovine thyroid.

Dr. Aviva Romm: “Many integrative and functional medicine doctors find that their patients feel their best at an upper limit of 1.5-2 mU/L.”

Dr. Izabella Wentz: .5-2 uIU/ml – “Thyroid medications containing T3 (Armour Thyroid, compounded T4/T3, Thyrolar and Cytomel) can skew thyroid function test results, making people seem overdosed when they are indeed dosed correctly.” Note that Armour is made from pigs. An alternative to Armour would be desiccated (dried and powdered) bovine thyroid.

Why would TSH be high? Dr. Romm has a great illustration. “Think of it like this: You are TSH. Your best friend’s house is the thyroid gland. When you go to visit your friend you knock on her front door. If she doesn’t answer, what do you do? You knock louder to get a response. In just the same way, the TSH amps up to knock louder, hoping to get an answer.”

Occasionally TSH levels can be low. According to Dr. Romm, stress can suppress the pituitary gland enough to interfere with the production of TSH. If that is the case, you’ll want to address adrenal function first, as it’s an upstream problem affecting thyroid.

Free T4 range that correlates with thriving

Dr. Amy Myers: FT4 >1.1 NG/DL

Dr. Aviva Romm: FT4 >1.1

Free T3 range that correlates with thriving

Dr. Aviva Romm: FT3 >3.2

Dr. Amy Myers: FT3 > 3.2 PG/ML

Dr. Wentz: “An elevated reverse T3 may suggest that a person may benefit from a higher dose of T3 while working on stress reduction and other triggers that may elevate reverse T3.”

Thyroid Antibodies range that correlates with thriving

Dr. Amy Myers: < 4 IU/ML or negative (TPOAb – TgAb)

Dr. Aviva Romm: < 4 or negative

Thyroid antibodies are produced by the immune system. Dr. Romm says, “Thyroid antibody testing is ordered to diagnose autoimmune thyroid disease and distinguish it from other forms of thyroid dysfunction.” The antibodies will show up on your lab results as:

• Thyroid Peroxidase Antibodies (TPO Antibodies / TPOAb) – the most common antibody present in up to 95% of those with Hashimoto’s
• Thyroglobulin Antibodies (TG Antibodies /TgAb) – found in 80% of those with Hashimoto’s

Dr. Romm: “If positive, antibody testing can be repeated every six months to trend improvement while you are working with an integrative physician to address possible underlying causes.”

Reverse T3 (rT3) range that correlates with thriving

Dr. Aviva Romm: RT3 < 10:1 ratio RT3:FT3

Dr. Amy Myers:  RT3 less than a 10:1 ratio RT3:FT

RT3 Ratio Calculator

Dr. Gottfried: “Bonus prize if you keep your reverse T3 (RT3) in the lower half of the normal range!”

Interpreting your thyroid lab results

Here’s a simplified chart you can use to help interpret common results.

TSH	FT4	FT3
below 0.3 uIU/mL	greater than 1.1 NG/DL	greater than 3.2	May indicate thyroid medication overdose
below 0.3 uIU/mL	1.1 NG/DL or lower	3.2 or less	May indicate thyroid medication underdose
above 2 uIU/mL	less than 1.1 NG/DL	less than 3.2	Indicates hypothyroidism due to a possible communication breakdown between thyroid and pituitary
1-2 uIU/mL	greater than 1.1 NG/DL	around 3.2 or lower	T4 to T3 conversion problems. May benefit from T4/T3 combination medication.
1-2 uIU/mL or higher	greater than 1.1 NG/DL	greater than 3.2	cellular resistance to FT3
lower half of 1-2 uIU/mL	greater than 1.1 NG/DL	greater than 3.2	optimal

Dr. Romm has found sometimes it’s necessary to repeat the tests. “I will also sometimes recheck test results for TSH, FT3, and FT4, if normal in a newly symptomatic patient, in 6-12 weeks, because I’ve occasionally seen initial testing be normal then a short time later, voila – the tests come back confirming the problem.”

Additional tests if diagnosed with hypothyroidism

Dr. Romm:  “If labs return showing that there is hypothyroidism, then I also test for deficiencies of selenium, iron, and zinc and make sure there is adequate dietary intake or supplementation if needed, and look for environmental factors that can interfere with iodine utilization, for example, fluoride and bromide exposures from water and flame-retardant products, respectively. I will then also start to look more closely for other underlying causes, for example, gluten intolerance, heavy metal exposure, and other environmental triggers.”

Six primary causes of Hashimoto’s

World-renowned gastroenterologist, Dr. Alessio Fasano, M.D. of Harvard says there are three things needed for an autoimmune disease to manifest:

1. The right genes
2. The trigger
3. Intestinal permeability

Dr. Wentz points out six primary triggers that lead to intestinal permeability:

• Gluten sensitivity
• Gluten sensitivity and cross reactive proteins like rice, quinoa and corn – Others may react to dairy, eggs, nuts, seeds or nightshades.
• Zinc and glutamine depletion due to prolonged stress or low consumption of animal protein – She says some vegans go into remission from Hashimoto’s after reintroducing animal proteins.
• Parasites – 30-70% of Americans may be infected with parasites. As I write this, I am in the middle of a parasite cleanse protocol using Black Walnut.
• Small Intestinal Bacterial Overgrowth (SIBO) – Dr. Wentz says, “This overgrowth can be caused by antibiotic overuse and starchy foods, among others.”
• Fungal infections – According to Dr. Wentz, “The fungus Candida can cause intestinal permeability and has been implicated in autoimmune disease and food sensitivities.”

Dietary sources that support thyroid

• Iodine – Sea vegetables such as 1 tablespoon of dulse flakes daily
• Selenium – 1-2 Brazil nuts each day. Brazil nuts have the highest concentration of selenium by far. Dr. Wentz says, “Thyroid antibodies have been shown to be reduced by 50% in three to six months with dosages of about 200 micrograms of selenium.”
• Zinc – Beef, oysters, dark meat chicken, cashews, pumpkin seeds, almonds
• Iron – pastured red meat, pastured and organic chicken
• Vitamin D3 – Skin exposure to direct sunlight between 10 AM and 4 PM. Windows block the needed UVB, so there can’t be anything between your skin and the sun. You can also supplement Vitamin D3.
• B Vitamins – leafy greens, calf liver, eggs, pastured red meat, pastured and organic chicken, wild-caught salmon, raw macadamia nuts, raw almonds, avocados, sweet potatoes, broccoli, asparagus, carrots, strawberries, raspberries.
• Probiotics – Sauerkraut and kimchi. Hands down, enzyme-enhanced, lacto-fermented vegetables, fruits, beverages and condiments are the most cost-effective way to get probiotics. A serving of sauerkraut that costs $0.10 can have as many organisms as whole bottles of $50 probiotic capsules. Probiotics are best taken about a half hour before you eat or with your meal.
• Adaptogentic herbs – Adrenal glands and thyroid work hand and hand, so it’s important to support your adrenal glands. This can be accomplished with adaptogentic herbs, a little extra salt in the morning (in water) and managing stress.
• While not dietary, sweat helps you detox through your skin and plenty of high quality sleep helps pretty much everything.

It’s possible to find some of these nutrients in a multi-vitamin, but it’s usually safer and more beneficial to get nutrients from food. Food provides the correct ratio of accompanying enzymes, fiber and accompanying vitamins and minerals to help your body absorb and use nutrients. If you do go for a supplement, try to supplement only where deficient with the goal of transitioning to food when your body is ready. And wouldn’t you rather put your money into great food instead of capsules?

What to avoid if you have hypothyroid, Hashimoto’s or hyperthyroid

• Avoid fluoride, bromide, and chloride. They interfere with iodine. These harmful substances can be found in diet, fluoridated water, toothpaste or other environmental exposures. I use a Berkey water filter system to take fluoride out of my water. Don’t forget the fluoride filters and shower filter.
• Avoid gluten (in wheat, barley and rye) and gluten cross-reactive foods like dairy, oats, corn, millet and even coffee.  My elimination diet will guide you through what to eliminate. If you already have Hashimoto’s, extend it to three months.  After that, check to see if your thyroid antibodies go back to normal and your thyroid function begins to recover.
• Dr. Wentz warns, “Some supplements can be harmful if taken without proper lab testing and medical supervision. For example, spirulina and echinacea can cause new onset autoimmune conditions; high dose iodine can increase the autoimmune attack on the thyroid; and adrenal hormones can cause breakouts, swelling, palpitations, joint pain, and brain fog (personal experience, ouch!).”
• Avoid coffee around the time you take any thyroid medication. Dr. Sara Gottfried says, “I tell my patients to take their thyroid hormone first thing in the morning with a small sip of filtered water, and nothing else to eat or drink for 20 to 60 minutes after.”
• Avoid stress but also learn to cope with it better. Begin with a “fear transfer“.
• Avoid amalgam fillings. A biological dentist can safely remove any amalgam fillings you may have. The International Academy of Biological Dentistry & Medicine maintains Standards of Practice for safe mercury amalgam removal. Biological Dentistry is a a specialty within the dental profession.
• Cruciferous vegetables get  a bad rap because massive uncooked quantities can interfere with iodine. Since as many as 97% of hypothyroid cases are due to Hashimoto’s and not iodine deficiency, this concern has been blown out of proportion. Watch your intake of cruciferous vegetables if you have an iodine deficiency. 1-2 servings per day are fine as long as they have been cooked, according to Dr. Josh Axe. The veggies to cook are arugula, bok choy, broccoli, brussel sprouts, cabbage, cauliflower, collard greens, kale, mustard greens, radish, turnip and watercress.
• Avoid chemical exposures. One of the most studied and documented disruptors of hormones, receptors, transports, enzymes and metabolism is exposure to chemicals. A single non-organic strawberry can legally contain hundreds of times the amount of chemicals it takes to disrupt numerous hormonal pathways, including mechanisms necessary to convert FT4 to FT3.  I have documented the consequences of chemical exposures extensively in a post called Why I Buy Organic and Why You Might Want to Also. My Wellness Repair Plan specifies food certified as USDA Organic and also recommends chemical-free personal care products. It is necessary to remove chemical exposures so hormonal conversions, like T4 to T3, can be allowed to re-activate.

Supplements that actually help Hashimoto’s

Low dose Naltrexone (LDN)

Naltrexone is a medication and technically not a supplement. Dr. Wentz says, “When used in low doses, Naltrexone has been found to reduce the autoimmune attack on the thyroid.” She explains, “Low Dose Naltrexone (LDN) helps reduce antibodies and stabilize immunity. It balances the immune system by increasing the amount of T-regulatory cytokines and modulating TGF-B. This leads to a reduction of Th17, which is a major promoter of autoimmunity.”

Dr. Wentz has seen women with thyroid antibodies in the 1000s range able to get them down to around 100 and even get off medications completely. But it can be hard to find. Dr. Wentz says, “I recommend reaching out to your local compounding pharmacist to find out which doctors in your area are knowledgeable about prescribing LDN.”  More about LDN.

Chris Kresser M.S., L.Ac, has a great series of posts on Low T3 Syndrome. One of his concluding recommendations is, “In most cases I don’t recommend pharmaceuticals because they tend to suppress symptoms without improving function. LDN, however, actually improves the function of the body by upregulating endogenous endorphin production and balancing the immune system.”

LDN works best when the doses are gradually adjusted for optimum results and also in the context of a leaky gut diet.

Betaine with Pepsin

Dr. Wentz surveyed 2232 people with Hashimoto’s and found 50-70% have a deficiency in stomach acid, a condition that can hinder absorption of calcium, B12, protein, and iron.

Betaine with Pepsin can help shore up your ability to break down food for the body to absorb. Dr. Wentz suggested Betaine HCl Pepsin by Pure Encapsulations, which is a brand I also use personally and can recommend.

If you have no gallbladder or are experiencing some gallbladder dysfunction, try NOW Super Enzymes. They have Betaine, Pepsin and several other natural ingredients to assist the breakdown of fats and protein. I take NOW Super Enzymes prior to every meal since I had my gallbladder removed many years ago before learning it wasn’t necessary.

Dosing instructions from Dr. Wentz: “The best way to find your target dose for Betaine is to start off with one capsule with a protein-containing meal. If you don’t feel anything, increase the dosage by one capsule with the next protein-containing meal. This rate of increase is continued until a slight burning sensation in your esophagus is felt. Then you know that you have too much stomach acid and need to decrease the dosage by one capsule.”

Systemic enzymes

Dr. Wentz found systemic enzymes can help normalize TSH as well as reduce or eliminate antibodies. She explains, “They work by helping to break down circulating immune complexes, which can trigger autoimmune disease. Basically, an immune complex is where an antibody and antigen combine forces to damage our immunity. Breaking these immune complexes apart is very important in getting into remission because when they can’t attack the immune system, our bodies are given a chance to heal.”

She recommends Pure Encapsulations Systemic Enzyme Complex as well as Wobenzym PS by Douglas Laboratories. It is important to take these systemic enzymes away from food – at least 45 minutes before a meal or 1 ½ hours after a meal. According to Dr. Wentz, “If you take them with food, they will be used for the digestion process instead of getting into the bloodstream to work against the immune complexes.”

It’s not bad to also have them with food, but they need to be away from food for the TSH and antibody reduction.

Dr. Wentz also says, “Support your liver with plenty of green vegetables, green juices, fiber and supplements like Amino-D-Tox, NAC and Homocysteine Factors (especially if you have the MTHFR gene variation).” She begins her protocol with the liver because she found about 80% of people can feel significantly better in 1-2 weeks when they switch to a diet that gently supports the liver.

Can Hashimoto’s be cured?

There isn’t a cure, but the symptoms can be reliably reversed in as little as 90 days. Dr. Wentz says in her new book, “I’m talking about eliminating all of your symptoms, restoring your energy levels, getting you on target to a healthy weight, growing your hair back and helping you feel alive again.”

I purchased and highly recommend her book: Hashimoto’s Protocol: A 90-Day Plan for Reversing Thyroid Symptoms and Getting Your Life Back

Can thyroid tissue regenerate?

I noticed Dr. Wentz replied to variations of this question often on her blog. She says, “Thyroid tissue can regenerate, but the rate at which it does is not always predictable. Thus, some are able to stop the autoimmune attack on their thyroid and regain normal thyroid function. Others can reduce the dose of medications, and others will need to stay on the medications indefinitely. I’m currently working on some protocols to help with tissue regeneration. Reversing Hashimoto’s means different things to different people. For some, it means a reduction in symptoms and for others it means a reduction in your antibodies.”

Begin the Wellness Repair Plan

Getting an accurate diagnosis can be vindicating, but a diagnosis is not a cure. Finding the right hormone replacement or supplement can make you feel good again very quickly, but that might not be changing what caused the problem to begin with. To reverse hypothyroidism and Hathimoto’s, you’ll ultimately have to deal with the cause.

The Wellness Repair Plan is my collection of teaching from functional medicine practitioners and scientists who are successfully helping people reverse chronic conditions like Hashimoto’s, diabetes, rheumatoid arthritis, acne and many more.

Combined with this post, the Wellness Repair Plan will help you with liver, adrenal and gut support. I’ll show you the hidden sources of chemicals in your food so you can detox and begin to get your hormones balanced. I also have herbal protocols for SIBO, Candida and parasites; common triggers that lead to Hashimoto’s.

If Hypothyroidism, Hashimoto’s, hyperthyroidism and Graves could be optional, wouldn’t you want to opt out? The solution may be at the end of your fork.

Additional Resources

Dr. Bryan Walsh explains thyroid hormones.