This article is about a topic that’s very close to my heart. When I found out that I had Hashimoto’s Thyroiditis, I was devastated. I knew it was genetic, so it seemed as though I had just been given a life sentence of illness and low energy.

But, after doing some research, I realised that there was more to the story.

Hashimoto’s Thyroiditis is genetic, yes, but it’s also epigenetic. This means that it’s a malleable trait. The genes involved don’t stay active all the time. They’re meant to turn on and off in response to signals from the environment and the body. So, while there is a heritable aspect of Hashimoto’s Thyroiditis, there’s also a component that’s largely dictated by the environment. And, while you can’t change your genes, you can change your environment. It is not a life sentence. Far from it.

Let me explain.

What is Hashimoto’s Thyroiditis?

Hashimoto's thyroiditis is the most common cause of hypothyroidism, or low thyroid production, in many parts of the world. The thyroid gland is a small, butterfly-shaped gland in the neck that produces thyroid hormones. Thyroid hormones play a crucial role in energy production in all of our cells. If your thyroid stops working or you have to have it removed, you literally won’t be able to get energy from food. You simply cannot survive without the thyroid gland. People who have it removed take synthetic thyroid hormones daily to ensure their survival. Some people also take a more natural form of thyroid hormone, derived from pig thyroid.

Hashimoto’s Thyroiditis leads to chronic inflammation of the thyroid, often resulting in reduced thyroid function and the production of autoantibodies, such as thyroid peroxidase (TPO) and thyroglobulin (TPG) antibodies. Because it involves chronic inflammation and the production of autoantibodies, inflammatory molecules that attack the self, it’s classified as an autoimmune disease. Autoimmune diseases are inflammatory conditions in which the adaptive immune system is chronically overactive, causing self-harm.

Common Symptoms of Hashimoto’s

Fatigue
Weight Gain
Mood disorders, including anxiety and depression
Insomnia and dysregulated sleep
Muscle fatigue and weakness
Cold intolerance
Constipation
Joint and muscle pain
Menstrual irregularities in women
Enlarged thyroid (goiter)
Bradycardia (slow heart rate) and possibly palpitations and shortness of breath
Brain fog and trouble concentrating

Understanding the genetic basis of Hashimoto's thyroiditis, along with the roles of methylation and epigenetics, provides critical insights into healing the thyroid. What I’m about to share with you will help you understand how to manage and reverse symptoms like low energy and aches and pains, stabilise your mood and achieve weight loss with Hashimoto’s.

Genetic Basis of Hashimoto's Thyroiditis

As you know, autoimmune diseases are genetic. But just having the genes for a particular autoimmune disease doesn’t guarantee that you’ll get it. We know this from studies in identical twins, where sometimes one twin will develop an autoimmune disease while the other can go their whole life and be perfectly healthy.

That said, there are particular genes known to be involved in the various autoimmune diseases, including Hashimoto’s Thyroiditis. Let’s take a quick look at some of them. These are all genes that play roles in the immune system. They’re part of your body’s inbuilt defence mechanism.

In normal circumstances, these genes are meant to turn on and off according to signals from the body and the environment. But in autoimmune diseases, these genes stay active for extended periods of time, often pulling other genes into action with them and creating an inflammatory storm.

Specific variants of these genes associated with autoimmune diseases and some specifically with Hashimoto’s Thyroiditis. If you have these specific variants, your chances of getting Hashimoto’s Thyroiditis is increased, because these are genes that produce a particular immune response that is more likely (but not guaranteed!) to result in self-harm.

HLA Genes and Autoimmunity

The human leukocyte antigen (HLA) complex is a group of genes that plays a crucial role in the immune system. It helps the body distinguish between self and non-self. Specific HLA gene variants, particularly HLA-DR and HLA-DQ, have been strongly associated with an increased risk of developing Hashimoto's thyroiditis. These genes influence the presentation of thyroid antigens to immune cells, thereby initiating an autoimmune response against the thyroid gland.

Non-HLA Genes

Several non-HLA genes have also been implicated in the susceptibility to Hashimoto's thyroiditis. These include genes involved in immune regulation, thyroid function, and inflammation:

CTLA-4 (Cytotoxic T-Lymphocyte-Associated Protein 4):CTLA-4 is a molecule that helps keep the immune system in check by reducing its activity. Changes (polymorphisms) in the CTLA-4 gene can increase the risk of developing autoimmune thyroid diseases, such as Hashimoto's thyroiditis.

PTPN22 (Protein Tyrosine Phosphatase, Non-Receptor Type 22): This gene makes an enzyme that reduces the activity of T-cells in the immune system. Changes (variants) in the PTPN22 gene have been connected to several autoimmune diseases, including Hashimoto's thyroiditis.

FOXP3 (Forkhead Box P3): FOXP3 is important for regulatory T cells (Tregs), which help keep the immune system in balance. Mutations in the FOXP3 gene can cause Tregs to malfunction, leading to autoimmune diseases.

The genes outlined above explain the mechanisms of action in Hashimoto’s Thyroiditis. These are the genes that cause the symptoms associated with Hashimoto’s. But this doesn’t explain why these genes get activated in the first place. Nor does it why some people are more likely to get an autoimmune disease (or several autoimmune diseases) than others. We all have an immune system - we couldn’t survive without it. But you likely were’t born with your autoimmune disease. It’s something that has developed later on in your life. Which begs the question:

What makes one person’s immune system go haywire while another person’s is perfectly fine?

To understand that, we need to dig a little deeper into the epigenetic component of Hashimoto’s Thyroiditis.

Role of Methylation in Hashimoto's Thyroiditis

DNA Methylation and Gene Expression

DNA methylation is one of three processes that modifies our DNA in a way that usually turns genes on and off according to what’s happening in the world around us and within our own body. This is a natural part of how our cells control which genes are active.

In autoimmune diseases like Hashimoto's thyroiditis, these DNA modifications can be faulty. When the patterns of DNA methylation are abnormal, genes that should be turned off might get turned on, or genes that should be on might get turned off. This can lead to the immune system mistakenly attacking the thyroid gland, contributing to the development of the disease.

Some of us have genes that lead to a greater chance of abnormal methylation. For instance, I am homozygous (this means I have two copies) for a variation of gene called MTHFR C677T. This gene puts me at a far greater risk of developing autoimmune disease than most people.

Research shows that the most problematic variation of the MTHFR gene (the one that I have) is found at a prevalence rate of up to 40% amongst people with autoimmune disease, whereas it is only found at a prevalence of around 10-15% amongst the general population.

This highlights a strong link between methylation issues and autoimmune diseases.

Methylation of Immune-Related Genes

In Hashimoto's Thyroiditis, certain genes that are usually controlled by methylation can become less regulated (hypomethylation). This means these immune-related genes can become overly active. When this happens, the immune system may start attacking the thyroid more aggressively. Likewise, hypermethylation, when genes which should be active are silenced, can also cause problems.

For example, genes responsible for producing inflammatory molecules called cytokines might lose their methylation control. This loss can cause these genes to produce more cytokines than normal, leading to increased inflammation and damage to the thyroid gland. This overactive immune response is a key part of what causes the thyroid problems seen in Hashimoto's thyroiditis.

Methylation and TPO Antibodies

TPO antibodies target thyroid peroxidase, an enzyme essential for thyroid hormone production. Abnormal methylation of the TPO gene can lead to its aberrant expression. This triggers an immune response that results in the production of TPO antibodies. Elevated levels of TPO antibodies are a hallmark of Hashimoto's thyroiditis and are often used diagnostically to confirm the disease.

Epigenetics and Environmental Triggers

Epigenetic modifications, including those controlled via DNA methylation, can be influenced by environmental factors. Factors like diet, emotional wellbeing, movement, the health of the environment around you, and sleep all underpin the concept of Ecological Nutrition.

These lifestyle factors can all alter epigenetic marks, thereby modulating gene expression and contributing to the onset and progression of Hashimoto's thyroiditis.

For example, chronic stress has been shown to influence DNA methylation patterns, particularly in genes related to immune function and inflammation. Stress-induced epigenetic changes can exacerbate autoimmune responses and worsen Hashimoto's thyroiditis. Managing stress through mindfulness, therapy, and lifestyle changes can be a crucial part of healing the thyroid.

Meanwhile, dietary components can significantly impact epigenetic modifications. Nutrients such as folate, vitamin B12, and choline are involved in the methylation cycle and can influence DNA methylation patterns. A diet rich in these nutrients can support proper methylation processes and potentially modulate autoimmune responses in Hashimoto's thyroiditis.

Healing the Thyroid: Practical Approaches

Understanding Your Methylation Genes

There are a number of other problematic variations of methylation genes related to autoimmune disease and other inflammatory conditions. Below is a list of the methylation genes most commonly associated with autoimmune diseases, including Hashimoto’s. You can do gene testing to find out if you have any or all of these, so that you can better manage your risk. The cheapest way of doing this is to get a genetic test done with Ancestry.com or 23andMe. You can then analyse your data for these methylation polymorphisms with any online tool or a practitioner such as myself, who can help you understand these genes and how they may be impacting you.

MTHFR C677T
MTHFR A1298C
MTRR A66G
COMT Val158Met
DNMT3B
TET2

Supporting Proper Methylation Through Diet

A nutrient-dense diet that supports methylation can be beneficial for individuals with Hashimoto's thyroiditis and any other autoimmune disease. Foods rich in vitamins B6, B9, and B12, along with adequate protein intake, are crucial for maintaining proper methylation. I’m not a big proponent of any particular dietary pattern - I believe that optimal nutrition is individual and should be guided by our choices, along with our current health status and goals. But there’s no getting around the fact healthy, whole foods are the least damaging to our health and contain the micro and macronutrients our bodies needs to perform at their best.

Here is a list of foods you should focus on to improve methylation.

Beef, including the organs meats such as liver, are particularly rich sources of B vitamins. Muscle meat also provides important precursors to molecules used in the methylation process.
Green leafy vegetables are fabulous sources of B vitamins, especially B9. However, B9 is water-soluble, so it’s best to buy organic so that you don’t need to wash them.
Fermented legumes are an excellent source of B6, B9, and protein.
If you love seafood as much as I do, you’re in luck. It’s a great source of B12 and protein, though less rich in B6 and B9.

You can also supplement with some of these nutrients if need be. In fact, if you’re vegetarian or vegan, I strongly recommend that you do supplement with a bioavailable form of B12, such as methylcobalamin. B12 isn’t naturally found in any plant foods, so is often found to be deficient in diets that contain little or no plant foods. However, unless you know for sure that you’re deficient in any of these micronutrients, I would suggest working with a health practitioner to make sure that you don’t end up over-supplementing, as this can cause problems too.

Supporting Methylation Through Lifestyle

As stress and other lifestyle factors can impact methylation, it’s important to maintain a healthy lifestyle. You need to take care of yourself so that your body can function in the most optimal way. Improving your sleep, practicing relaxation and gentle forms of movement like yoga, keeping your environment clean and toxin-free, spending time in nature, getting sunlight - these are all things that can also help with proper methylation while also sending a signal to your immune system that you’re safe, there’s no threat, and therefore no need to attack.

Conclusion

The genetic basis of Hashimoto's thyroiditis involves a complex interaction between HLA and non-HLA genes that control immune responses. Abnormal methylation patterns and environmental factors also influence these genes, leading to the disease's development and progression. By understanding these mechanisms, we can gain valuable insights into healing the thyroid through diet and lifestyle changes that support proper methylation and reduce autoimmunity.

Take charge of your thyroid health today by learning about your genetic makeup and making dietary and lifestyle changes that promote proper methylation and reduce autoimmunity.

***

Want to work with me one-on-one to get a personalised plan to support you on your journey to better health? Get in contact and take the first steps today by booking via the button below.

BOOK NOW

Is Hashimoto’s Thyroiditis Genetic?