I believe, many thyroid patients are aware that one can do things to bring thyroid antibodies down. And that high levels of antibodies is not a good thing. You can read my post on antiodies and symptoms here. Many know that gluten is not good for us, and that selenium is good and that what we eat matters. In this post I will share with you, what science has shown really works.
It’s important to be aware, that people who have true Hashimotos have higher antibody levels than us with Atrophic Ord’s. Doctors call everything Hashimotos, but there are in reality many different autoimmune thyroiditis. The two most common are Hashimotos and Ord’s. Hashimotos starts with a goiter (one doesn’t need to be aware of it) and Ord’s not. In Hashimotos the gland stays large, only infiltrated by B and T lymphocytes. Whereas in Ord’s, the gland shrivels up over time.
Why do I talk about this? Because all thyroid antibodies are produced inside the gland. By the said B lymphocytes. So as the gland atrophies in Ord’s, less and less antibodies are produced. This means, we with Ord’s will have lower antibody levels. Often people don’t know what kind of AITD they have. But if you find it difficult to reduce your antibodies, you might have Hashimotos. Remember, we can only do our best. I have hardly any antibodies anymore, I have very little thyroid tissue left.
is absolutely necessary for hormone production. Both the TPO enzyme and the deiodinase enzymes are selenium enzymes.
But selenium is also important for the antibody levels. I am not sure where exactely is a good selenium level. There are three Norwegian doctors who argue, that we need much higher selenium levels than what is currently advised (1). Upper reference is often 1.8 or 1.9 umol/L. These doctors argue, that upper reference should be at 3 umol /L. Toxic level is at 3.5 umol/L. I have read somewhere that high levels of Selenium can inhibit the conversion of T4 to T3, but I can’t find that study again. At least, you don’t need to worry about being a little over range.
A safe dose is 200 mcg/day. As much as 400 mcg is considered safe. Some people eat brazil nuts for selenium. But you should be aware, that the selenium content can vary from very little to very much. I have a study on it under odds-and-ends
