Denise Richards is Gluten-Free and Thanking Fans Who Noticed Her Enlarged Thyroid

Celiac.com 08/10/2019 - The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills star, Denise Richards, says her health is improving after she switched to a gluten-free diet in response to an enlarged thyroid.

The 48-year old year star is also sending out big thanks to fans who spotted the abnormal growth on her neck during the show’s reunion episodes. “A few of you pointed out after the #RHOBH reunion that my thyroid was enlarged,” Richards wrote on Instagram. “You were right, it was something I ignored until pointed out.”

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Richards said that she is doing better after going gluten-free. “It’s amazing to me in a short time eliminating gluten from my diet how much my thyroid has changed,” she said. “… I had no idea how much our diet really can affect our body and for me how toxic gluten really is…I thank all of you who sent me messages.”

Also known as a goiter, an enlarged thyroid is not harmful in itself, though it can cause some discomfort, and pain when swallowing or coughing. However, while generally harmless, goiters can be an indication of a more serious health issue, such as thyroid, Graves’ or Hashimoto’s disease, or even thyroid cancer. Many of these conditions are associated with celiac disease.

Goiters are more common in women, especially women over 40. Goiters are usually treated with hormone-regulate drugs, surgery. Some mild cases may heal independently. 

Though commonly advocated in various online health and medical forums, a gluten-free diet has not been clinically shown to work, according to Scientific American. 

There is some recent evidence to support a gluten-free diet treatment for goiters. A clinical study published in July 2018 found that switching to a gluten-free diet did help women with autoimmune thyroid disease.

Read more at People.com