engleski

Professional advices needed to improve dietary practices in patients with autoimmune thyroid disease

Two most common, often coexisting autoimmune endocrine diseases are Type 1 Diabetes Mellitus (DMT1) and Hashimoto’s Thyroiditis (HT). Dietary recommendations for DMT1 are well known and establiched in the practice, but not for thyroid disorders. The lack of professional recommendations leaves room for self-proclaimed nutrition “experts” to share unverified advices without thinking about the consequences. Dietary practices of DMT1 patients with (DMT1+HT, N=23) and without HT (control group, DMT1, N=31) were assessed with anonymous, study-specific questionnaire. Two DMT1+HT patients excluded milk from their diet after reading about it on the Internet. Gluten-free diet is praciticized by 13.6% of DMT1+HT patients also as a result of the information found online. One DMT1+HT patient reported practicizing “autoimmune” protocol, again found on the Internet. Coexistence of coeliac disease in DMT1 is relatively low, but non-coeliac gluten/wheat sensitivity also increases the risk of autoimmune disease, mainly HT. However, besides shared autoimmune etiology, asymptomatic individuals should not practicize gluten-free diet because it poses a significant risk on individual’s long-term nutritional status. DMT1+HT patients eat more vegetables, especially green leafy vegetables which are important sources of goitrogens. They also tend to add salt to a meal even before tying it (17.4% vs 16.1% ; p=0.008), and kitchen salt is important source of iodine (due to mandatory fortification in Croatia). Professional nutritional advices are much needed to improve knowledge of goitrogens, sources of iodine and point out potentially detrimental dietary practices that can worsen patient’s condition.

autoimmune thyroid disease ; dietary practices ; dietary iodine ; unverified information

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