Updated March 21-2020 by Dr Richard Hagmeyer DC, CFMP
How Vitamin D Deficiency Impacts Thyroid Disorders Part I
Every day more and more evidence suggests low levels of vitamin D play a role in Thyroid disease. In fact, vitamin D deficiency is now strongly linked to Hashimotos Disease, the single most common under-active Thyroid and Grave’s Disease, characterized by an overactive thyroid.
While Vitamin D is also know as the “Sunshine vitamin” don’t think for a minute that all you need to do is lay out in the sun and your levels will be back to normal.
Could a Vitamin D Deficiency be the Problem?
Given that Vitamin D is one of the most talked about nutrients, it should come as no surprise that its effect on the thyroid has been studied extensively. The bottom line that has been established by these studies is that a lack of Vitamin D can have devastating effects on the thyroid, as well as the rest of the immune system.
Due to its effect on Th1 and Th2, the primary branches of the immune system, as well as its influence on T-regulatory, or Th3, cells, a deficiency in Vitamin D has been shown to be a contributing factor to thyroid dysfunction.
Vitamin D and Hashimoto’s Antibodies
The researchers found that “people who were deficient in vitamin D were much more likely to have TPO-Ab positive tests, [which is related to having Hashimoto’s].” TPO-Ab is a marker for autoimmune thyroid disease and measures the level of antibodies specific to fighting thyroid-related cells.
The Council newsletter went on to say, “The researchers calculated that those who were severely deficient in vitamin D had nearly twice as high the risk of a positive TPO-Ab test compared to those who were sufficient.”
In our next post, we will discuss the role of Vitamin D supplements and how your bodily functions affect absorption of this vital nutrient.
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