Jump to content

  • Welcome to Celiac.com!

    You have found your celiac tribe! Join us and ask questions in our forum, share your story, and connect with others.


  • Celiac.com Sponsor (A1):
    Celiac.com Sponsor (A1-M):

  • Get Celiac.com Updates:
    Support Our Content
    eNewsletter
    Donate

Kelp Vs. Spirulina

Lalama

By Lalama
in Related Issues & Disorders

Recommended Posts

Lalama Apprentice
Lalama
Posted

I was wondering if any of you would suggest Spirulina for hypothyroid as a pose to iodine? My thyroid hormone is only slightly off and the doctor prescribed kelp. I am trying to stay away from too much iodine however due to d.h. I realize the Spirulina contains some idoine but not as much. I have also heard that iodine in the long run may not be good for hypothyroid (which I read about in the book Why Am I Still Having Thryoid Symptoms). Any advice in general on treating Hypothyroidism naturally would greatly be appreciated!

Celiac.com Sponsor (A8):
Celiac.com Sponsor (A8):

Celiac.com Sponsor (A8-M):


cassP Contributor
cassP
Posted

I was wondering if any of you would suggest Spirulina for hypothyroid as a pose to iodine? My thyroid hormone is only slightly off and the doctor prescribed kelp. I am trying to stay away from too much iodine however due to d.h. I realize the Spirulina contains some idoine but not as much. I have also heard that iodine in the long run may not be good for hypothyroid (which I read about in the book Why Am I Still Having Thryoid Symptoms). Any advice in general on treating Hypothyroidism naturally would greatly be appreciated!

its only my guess that Spirulina would not do much at all to help... isnt Spirulina good for vitamin A &/or vitamin K? but i dont know about iodine. kelp is great for iodine.

so how off were your numbers???

now let me just share my AMATEUR opinion. from what ive learned from doctors i respect, and a recent visit i had with an alternative doctor-> the thyroid needs the iodine to function. this alternative doctor gave me a tincture bottle with Liquid Iodine. i take 3 1/2 droppers a day. (on top of my Armour). im also eating 3 Brazil Nuts a day for the Selenium. (selenium helps calm down any thyroid antibodies, and helps u convert your T4 to T3.

back to the iodine. there MUST be a difference in the sources & quality of iodine- because ive taken fucus bladderwrack (kelp) and now this iodine liquid- and none of my DH spots have activated. NOW- when i was on Synthroid & Cytomel- i did have a few instances where the DH on my forarms erupted into a FIREY HOT pain for about a day. so, idk what to tell u... the thyroid DOES need the iodine.

also, are you gluten free?? gluten can trigger and aggravate those antibodies (both for hypo & hyper). also Fluoride leaches iodine out of the body making it hard for the thyroid to work.. and also cyanide & ciggarette smoke can be anti-thyroid.

did that help? sorry i blabbed so long

Lalama Apprentice
Lalama
Posted
  • Author

Thanks for your response! I am gluten free and casein free. My blood work for thyroid came back in the normal range-but I had all the symptoms of hypo and 5 people in my family have it). I went to a naturopatic doctor and he tested my thyroid using a meriden stress analysis and found my thryoid to be slightly weak and told me it was primary hypothyroid. Many of my family members with underactive were treated with synthroid and iodine-which helped in the beginning but then as time went out things got worse. A friend of mine suggested I read this book that said for those with Hashimotos-that iodine use should be avoided. So after reading the book and seeing my family members getting worse I was thinking of going a different route and treating it naturually-but not so sure yet. It talks a bit about it on this site... Open Original Shared Link

cassP Contributor
cassP
Posted

Thanks for your response! I am gluten free and casein free. My blood work for thyroid came back in the normal range-but I had all the symptoms of hypo and 5 people in my family have it). I went to a naturopatic doctor and he tested my thyroid using a meriden stress analysis and found my thryoid to be slightly weak and told me it was primary hypothyroid. Many of my family members with underactive were treated with synthroid and iodine-which helped in the beginning but then as time went out things got worse. A friend of mine suggested I read this book that said for those with Hashimotos-that iodine use should be avoided. So after reading the book and seeing my family members getting worse I was thinking of going a different route and treating it naturually-but not so sure yet. It talks a bit about it on this site... Open Original Shared Link

ill check that link after i eat... but the doctors that i respect totally say the iodine helps. my suspicion lies with the Synthroid.. so many people have gotten worse on Synthroid-> whether they also have Grave's like me? or they have a RT3 problem, or if Synthroid really is as bad as all the health people are saying.. idk..

but ill look at that link in a bit. i think dr. oz said the same thing about avoiding iodine- but i also dont agree with everything he says...

and- I SPOKE TOO SOON-> today my R forearm has been erupting with DH :(

cassP Contributor
cassP
Posted

ok, read some of it.. im not so sure im sold on it- yet i am concerned. his reasoning that the iodine activates the TPO enzyme and therefore aggravates the antibodies... it sounds plausible and scary.. but isnt it possible that it activates the enzyme to work- and then if they thyroid is working, then the antibodies would calm down, no?

to me it's like- u know: L-Glutamine & Butyrate help the small intestine cells to work better.. but this doesnt mean that they overstimulate our ttg or antigliadin... it just helps our actual cells work.

idk?

also- his one story about the patient who had her Hashimoto's antibodies at 128 or something... and the doc wanted her to take Synthroid- but she refused, and then opted to take Kelp... then her antibodies shot up another 100 points... i would assume this is because she did not take the T4 supplement- and so her TPO antibodies went up because her thyroid was continuing to struggle to fight to make the hormone... and the more inflamed the thyroid gets- the more the antibodies flare up. that would be my take on it.

there's also other things involved that aggravate those antibodies- eating gluten/wheat or soy... smoking.. fluoride..

?? idk,.... i hope he's not right, because i am taking the iodine at the moment. the DH is really annoying.. as long as im not covered in purple/red spots like on internet pics- im just going to accept it for now... my Hashi & Grave's antibodies were way way higher than my ttg... so its a priority for me.

Lalama Apprentice
Lalama
Posted
  • Author

also- his one story about the patient who had her Hashimoto's antibodies at 128 or something... and the doc wanted her to take Synthroid- but she refused, and then opted to take Kelp... then her antibodies shot up another 100 points... i would assume this is because she did not take the T4 supplement- and so her TPO antibodies went up because her thyroid was continuing to struggle to fight to make the hormone... and the more inflamed the thyroid gets- the more the antibodies flare up. that would be my take on it.

That's a good point-it is really difficult to figure what the root cause of that would be. It's hard when everyone is saying something different...so I decided to take the Kelp but at a lower dose then the doctor told me to take and i'll see how it goes. I have had a little bit of a dh break out...but I'll take it day by day for now. And of course will be sticking to dairy, gluten and soy free diet.

cassP Contributor
cassP
Posted

also- his one story about the patient who had her Hashimoto's antibodies at 128 or something... and the doc wanted her to take Synthroid- but she refused, and then opted to take Kelp... then her antibodies shot up another 100 points... i would assume this is because she did not take the T4 supplement- and so her TPO antibodies went up because her thyroid was continuing to struggle to fight to make the hormone... and the more inflamed the thyroid gets- the more the antibodies flare up. that would be my take on it.

That's a good point-it is really difficult to figure what the root cause of that would be. It's hard when everyone is saying something different...so I decided to take the Kelp but at a lower dose then the doctor told me to take and i'll see how it goes. I have had a little bit of a dh break out...but I'll take it day by day for now. And of course will be sticking to dairy, gluten and soy free diet.

have you had your antibodies tested???? what were all your thyroid numbers like??? have you been officially diagnosed? or does your doc just think you have a "sluggish" thyroid???

there are all kinds of things to take for the thyroid besides just something with iodine. like i said- im eating 3 brazil nuts a day for the selenium. selenium lowers the antibodies & helps your body convert T4 to T3. avoiding gluten & soy helps the thyroid too.

there are more things to take- but i am avoiding them for now- because they can drastically affect your TSH number- and im still working with my Endo for the right med dosage. those supplements are:

L-Tyrosine

L-Carnitine

Guggul

my bff who has all the symptoms, but her TSH is "normal" so the doc wont help her or test her TPO antibodies... she bought a natural dessicated thyroid supplement at Whole Foods and has been taking that- but i am sure that will affect her numbers too.

good luck :)

Celiac.com Sponsor (A8):
Celiac.com Sponsor (A8):

Celiac.com Sponsor (A8-M):


Lalama Apprentice
Lalama
Posted
  • Author

have you had your antibodies tested???? what were all your thyroid numbers like??? have you been officially diagnosed? or does your doc just think you have a "sluggish" thyroid???

there are all kinds of things to take for the thyroid besides just something with iodine. like i said- im eating 3 brazil nuts a day for the selenium. selenium lowers the antibodies & helps your body convert T4 to T3. avoiding gluten & soy helps the thyroid too.

there are more things to take- but i am avoiding them for now- because they can drastically affect your TSH number- and im still working with my Endo for the right med dosage. those supplements are:

L-Tyrosine

L-Carnitine

Guggul

my bff who has all the symptoms, but her TSH is "normal" so the doc wont help her or test her TPO antibodies... she bought a natural dessicated thyroid supplement at Whole Foods and has been taking that- but i am sure that will affect her numbers too.

good luck :)

To be honest, I'm not sure what my numbers were? My primary care doctor told me they were normally and my naturopath doctor told me it was a bit sluggish. I am going to look into a selenium supplement and ask my doctor about that. I had symptoms like hair thinning, cold hands and finger nails breaking and I use to have fatique ecspecially in the morning-but that has gotten a ton better since gluten free.

I appreciate your advice though-I don't want to mess around with my body when things are only a little off. There are so many other ways to treat...just need to do a little research. Time will tell=)

cassP Contributor
cassP
Posted

To be honest, I'm not sure what my numbers were? My primary care doctor told me they were normally and my naturopath doctor told me it was a bit sluggish. I am going to look into a selenium supplement and ask my doctor about that. I had symptoms like hair thinning, cold hands and finger nails breaking and I use to have fatique ecspecially in the morning-but that has gotten a ton better since gluten free.

I appreciate your advice though-I don't want to mess around with my body when things are only a little off. There are so many other ways to treat...just need to do a little research. Time will tell=)

just be careful with the selenium- you can overdose on it!

cassP Contributor
cassP
Posted

okay- its sunday night, and ive been on the net.. cause im suffering big tonight-

still confused as ever... but ive been reading tonight that excess iodine suppplementation is a big no no for Grave's and sends them into overdrive (and ive got Grave's :( ) ive been major HYPERTHYROID past 2 days :(

but Iodine supplementation can reverse Fibrocystic Breast (which i have really bad)... in fact it is extremely common for Hypothyroid women to also have Fibro Breast- because both are associated with Iodine deficiency.

great... now what am i supposed to do???? i need some magic witch doctor to kill off all my Grave's antibodies- so i can just concentrate on the Hashi... i seriously feel physically bipolar- and cant breathe most of the time :(

Lalama Apprentice
Lalama
Posted
  • Author

I'm sorry to hear that-that's frustrating. I feel like I need to be my own doctor everytime I go to the doctor. That's interesting about the connection with thyroid and fibroids because I had a fibroid removed from one of my breasts about 3 years ago-before knowing my thyroid was off. I noticed that since cutting out refined sugars and dairy (in addition to gluten)to stablize my blood sugar that this issue has improved somewhat.

Also, this is kind of interesting-I have a friend that swears by unrefined Coconut oil. I have been doing some research on Extra Virgin Coconut Oil and how it can help balance the thyroid out. I occasionally use it for cooking-but was thinking to experiment with adding a little bit to my diet each day to see if this helps to give my thryoid the extra boost it needs. I'm not going to go crazy-but in healthy amounts and it has a lot of other benefits as well, check it out.

My doctor also told me to do cardio at least 3 times a week and to keep my heart rate up for at least 20 mins...normally I just walk a mile a couple times a week. I guess intense workouts are really good for hypothyroid. So I just started that-I guess it's a matter of, a little bit of this and a little bit of that ;)

OlyHiker Newbie
OlyHiker
Posted

I

cassP Contributor
cassP
Posted

I

Lalama Apprentice
Lalama
Posted
  • Author

what in the WORLD???? really???? this is the FIRST time i have ever heard anything remotely negative about spirulina... im so confused

Archived

This topic is now archived and is closed to further replies.

Go to topic listing

  • Get Celiac.com Updates:
    Support Celiac.com:
    Join eNewsletter
    Donate
  • Celiac.com Sponsor (A17):
    Celiac.com Sponsor (A17):



    Celiac.com Sponsors (A17-M):



  • Recent Activity

    1. knitty kitty
      - knitty kitty replied to Jane02's topic in Gluten-Free Foods, Products, Shopping & Medications
      9

      Desperately need a vitamin D supplement. I've reacted to most brands I've tried.

      @Jane02, I hear you about the kale and collard greens. I don't do dairy and must eat green leafies, too, to get sufficient calcium. I must be very careful because some calcium supplements are made from ground up crustacean shells. When I was deficient in Vitamin D, I took high doses of Vitamin D to correct the deficiency quickly. This is safe...
    2. Jane02
      - Jane02 replied to Jane02's topic in Gluten-Free Foods, Products, Shopping & Medications
      9

      Desperately need a vitamin D supplement. I've reacted to most brands I've tried.

      Thank you so much @knitty kitty for this insightful information! I would have never considered fractionated coconut oil to be a potential source of GI upset. I will consider all the info you shared. Very interesting about the Thiamine deficiency. I've tracked daily averages of my intake in a nutrition software. The only nutrient I can't consistently...
    3. knitty kitty
      - knitty kitty replied to Jane02's topic in Gluten-Free Foods, Products, Shopping & Medications
      9

      Desperately need a vitamin D supplement. I've reacted to most brands I've tried.

      Hello, @Jane02, I take Naturewise D 3. It contains olive oil. Some Vitamin D supplements, like D Drops, are made with fractionated coconut oil which can cause digestive upsets. Fractionated coconut oil is not the same as coconut oil used for cooking. Fractionated coconut oil has been treated for longer shelf life, so it won't go bad in the...
    4. Scott Adams
      0

      Penobscot Bay, Maine: Nurturing Gluten-Free Wellness Retreat with expert celiac dietitian, Melinda Dennis

      until
      Hello! Join me and treat yourself to a four-day, three-night restorative gluten-free retreat in a peaceful, private coastal retreat setting near Penobscot Bay in Maine. Dates: April 10-13, 2026 Enjoy engaging classes...
    5. Scott Adams
      - Scott Adams replied to Jane02's topic in Gluten-Free Foods, Products, Shopping & Medications
      9

      Desperately need a vitamin D supplement. I've reacted to most brands I've tried.

      I do not know this, but since they are labelled gluten-free, and are not really a product that could easily be contaminated when making them (there would be not flour in the air of such a facility, for example), I don't really see contamination as something to be concerned about for this type of product.
  • Celiac.com Sponsor (A19):

  • Member Statistics

    • Total Members
      133,332
    • Most Online (within 30 mins)
      7,748
    Nicolah
    Newest Member
    Nicolah
    Joined
  • Celiac.com Sponsor (A20):
  • Celiac.com Sponsor (A22):

  • Forum Statistics

    • Total Topics
      121.6k
    • Total Posts
      1m
  • Celiac.com Sponsor (A21):

  • Who's Online (See full list)

  • Upcoming Events

  • Posts

    • knitty kitty
      Desperately need a vitamin D supplement. I've reacted to most brands I've tried.

      By knitty kitty · Posted

      @Jane02, I hear you about the kale and collard greens.  I don't do dairy and must eat green leafies, too, to get sufficient calcium.  I must be very careful because some calcium supplements are made from ground up crustacean shells.  When I was deficient in Vitamin D, I took high doses of Vitamin D to correct the deficiency quickly.  This is safe and nontoxic.  Vitamin D level should be above 70 nmol/L.  Lifeguards and indigenous Pacific Islanders typically have levels between 80-100 nmol/L.   Levels lower than this are based on amount needed to prevent disease like rickets and osteomalacia. We need more thiamine when we're physically ill, emotionally and mentally stressed, and if we exercise like an athlete or laborer.  We need more thiamine if we eat a diet high in simple carbohydrates.  For every 500 kcal of carbohydrates, we need 500-1000 mg more of thiamine to process the carbs into energy.  If there's insufficient thiamine the carbs get stored as fat.  Again, recommended levels set for thiamine are based on minimum amounts needed to prevent disease.  This is often not adequate for optimum health, nor sufficient for people with absorption problems such as Celiac disease.  Gluten free processed foods are not enriched with vitamins like their gluten containing counterparts.  Adding a B Complex and additional thiamine improves health for Celiacs.  Thiamine is safe and nontoxic even in high doses.  Thiamine helps the mitochondria in cells to function.  Thiamine interacts with each of the other B vitamins.  They are all water soluble and easily excreted if not needed. Interesting Reading: Clinical trial: B vitamins improve health in patients with coeliac disease living on a gluten-free diet https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/19154566/ Safety and effectiveness of vitamin D mega-dose: A systematic review https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/34857184/ High dose dietary vitamin D allocates surplus calories to muscle and growth instead of fat via modulation of myostatin and leptin signaling https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/38766160/ Safety of High-Dose Vitamin D Supplementation: Secondary Analysis of a Randomized Controlled Trial https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/31746327/ Vitamins and Celiac Disease: Beyond Vitamin D https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC11857425/ Investigating the therapeutic potential of tryptophan and vitamin A in modulating immune responses in celiac disease: an experimental study https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/40178602/ Investigating the Impact of Vitamin A and Amino Acids on Immune Responses in Celiac Disease Patients https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC10814138/
    • Jane02
      Desperately need a vitamin D supplement. I've reacted to most brands I've tried.

      By Jane02 · Posted

      Thank you so much @knitty kitty for this insightful information! I would have never considered fractionated coconut oil to be a potential source of GI upset. I will consider all the info you shared. Very interesting about the Thiamine deficiency.  I've tracked daily averages of my intake in a nutrition software. The only nutrient I can't consistently meet from my diet is vitamin D. Calcium is a hit and miss as I rely on vegetables, dark leafy greens as a major source, for my calcium intake. I'm able to meet it when I either eat or juice a bundle of kale or collard greens daily haha. My thiamine intake is roughly 120% of my needs, although I do recognize that I may not be absorbing all of these nutrients consistently with intermittent unintentional exposures to gluten.  My vitamin A intake is roughly 900% (~6400 mcg/d) of my needs as I eat a lot of sweet potato, although since it's plant-derived vitamin A (beta-carotene) apparently it's not likely to cause toxicity.  Thanks again! 
    • knitty kitty
      Desperately need a vitamin D supplement. I've reacted to most brands I've tried.

      By knitty kitty · Posted

      Hello, @Jane02,  I take Naturewise D 3.  It contains olive oil.   Some Vitamin D supplements, like D Drops, are made with fractionated coconut oil which can cause digestive upsets.  Fractionated coconut oil is not the same as coconut oil used for cooking.  Fractionated coconut oil has been treated for longer shelf life, so it won't go bad in the jar, and thus may be irritating to the digestive system. I avoid supplements made with soy because many people with Celiac Disease also react to soy.  Mixed tocopherols, an ingredient in Thornes Vitamin D, may be sourced from soy oil.  Kirkland's has soy on its ingredient list. I avoid things that might contain or be exposed to crustaceans, like Metagenics says on its label.  I have a crustacean/shellfish/fish allergy.  I like Life Extension Bioactive Complete B Complex.  I take additional Thiamine B 1 in the form Benfotiamine which helps the intestines heal, Life Extension MegaBenfotiamine. Thiamine is needed to activate Vitamin D.   Low thiamine can make one feel like they are getting glutened after a meal containing lots of simple carbohydrates like white rice, or processed gluten free foods like cookies and pasta.   It's rare to have a single vitamin deficiency.  The water soluble B Complex vitamins should be supplemented together with additional Thiamine in the form Benfotiamine and Thiamine TTFD (tetrahydrofurfuryl disulfide) to correct subclinical deficiencies that don't show up on blood tests.  These are subclinical deficiencies within organs and tissues.  Blood is a transportation system.  The body will deplete tissues and organs in order to keep a supply of thiamine in the bloodstream going to the brain and heart.   If you're low in Vitamin D, you may well be low in other fat soluble vitamins like Vitamin A and Vitamin K. Have you seen a dietician?
    • Scott Adams
      Desperately need a vitamin D supplement. I've reacted to most brands I've tried.

      By Scott Adams · Posted

      I do not know this, but since they are labelled gluten-free, and are not really a product that could easily be contaminated when making them (there would be not flour in the air of such a facility, for example), I don't really see contamination as something to be concerned about for this type of product. 
    • trents
      Desperately need a vitamin D supplement. I've reacted to most brands I've tried.

      By trents · Posted

      Contact them.
×
×
  • Create New...

Important Information

NOTICE: This site places This site places cookies on your device (Cookie settings). on your device. Continued use is acceptance of our Terms of Use, and Privacy Policy.