Gluten Free Diet Lowers TgAb but not TPOab

[GlutenFreeGuy]

I read a little blurb in Dr Mark Hyman's book "UltraThyroid" that said he's seen thyroid auto-immune probs brought on by an allergy to gluten (found in wheat and similar grains).

Sure enough, after a 6 week gluten free diet, my TgAb levels went from 64 to 14....
but my TPOab slightly increased to 48.

Does anyone here have any knowledge in this area?

Is there anything I can stop doing or start doing that will reduce my TPOab levels?

[redheadaussie]

There has been talk of a connection in that area for many years. The tragedy is that many people still get auto-immune disease and are not eating wheat!
  Personally I think you might find it coincidental that your TPOab's went up at the same time of having a gluten free diet. The anti-bodies in gluten can and do give rise to many similar symptoms to that of a person with thyroid disease, but the thyroid anti-bodies have nothing to do with gluten.
   I am a gluten intolerant and have Hashimoto's disease. Even with being on a gluten free diet for many years I had no relief from any symptoms, which I believed where from gluten. I was then diagnosed with Hashimoto's.
   It is very common for thyroid disease patients to also have gluten intolerance. But then many also have low Vit D also. It is an interesting connection and one I am sure in future generations of scientists will find an answer to.

[goolarra]

The only thing I've consistently heard helps to reduce thyroid antibodies is selenium (I believe 200 mg per day, but don't rely on my memory for that!).  However, there has never been any large-scale study to prove or disprove the selenium connection.  I have read about a small study recently of an esoteric population in Greece which showed a connection.  It had very few subjects.  As with any other supplement, if you are deficient, it might make you feel better, if not, maybe not so much. However, many people swear by it.

Since Hashi's is an autoimmune disease, if you have one, you are more likely to have another like celiac disease (gluten intolerance).  Antibodies are very specific to their antigen.  Eliminating wheat intake will reduce the celiac antibodies, but has no effect on the thyroid antibodies.  Perhaps, it's just the coincidental effect of "feeling a little bit better all around"?