Prevalence of Hyperthyroidism According to Type of Vegetarian Diet

Overview

Journal Public Health Nutr

Publisher Cambridge University Press

Date 2014 Sep 30

PMID 25263477

Citations 9

Authors

Serena Tonstad

Edward Nathan

Keiji Oda

Gary E Fraser

Affiliations

Soon will be listed here.

Abstract

Objective: Vegetarian diets may be associated with low prevalence of autoimmune disease, as observed in rural sub-Saharan Africans. Graves' disease, an autoimmune disorder, is the most common cause of hyperthyroidism. We studied prevalence of hyperthyroidism according to dietary pattern in a population with a high proportion of vegetarians.

Design: Cross-sectional prevalence study. The association between diet and prevalence of hyperthyroidism was examined using multivariate logistic regression analyses controlling for sociodemographic characteristics and salt use.

Setting: The Adventist Health Study-2 conducted in the USA and Canada.

Subjects: Church members (n 65 981) provided demographic, dietary, lifestyle and medical history data by questionnaire.

Results: The prevalence of self-reported hyperthyroidism was 0·9 %. Male gender (OR=0·32; 95 % CI 0·26, 0·41) and moderate or high income (OR=0·67; 95 % CI 0·52, 0·88 and OR=0·73; 95 % CI 0·58, 0·91, respectively) protected against hyperthyroidism, while obesity and prevalent CVD were associated with increased risk (OR=1·25; 95 % CI 1·02, 1·54 and OR=1·92; 95 % CI 1·53, 2·42, respectively). Vegan, lacto-ovo and pesco vegetarian diets were associated with lower risk compared with omnivorous diets (OR=0·49; 95 % CI 0·33, OR=0·72, 0·65; 95 % CI 0·53, 0·81 and OR=0·74; 95 % CI 0·56, 1·00, respectively).

Conclusions: Exclusion of all animal foods was associated with half the prevalence of hyperthyroidism compared with omnivorous diets. Lacto-ovo and pesco vegetarian diets were associated with intermediate protection. Further study of potential mechanisms is warranted.

Citing Articles

Effects of a Vegetarian Diet on the Development of Thyroid Disorders.

Prudencio-Brunello C, Palencia R, Yangzom D, Boddapati P, Nair A Cureus. 2024; 16(10):e71360.

PMID: 39534826 PMC: 11556367. DOI: 10.7759/cureus.71360.

Exploring Diet-Based Treatments for Atrial Fibrillation: Patient Empowerment and Citizen Science as a Model for Quality-of-Life-Centered Solutions.

Kuipers M, Laurila R, Remy M, van Oudheusden M, Hazlett N, Lipsky S Nutrients. 2024; 16(16).

PMID: 39203809 PMC: 11357055. DOI: 10.3390/nu16162672.

The relationship between thyroid and human-associated microbiota: A systematic review of reviews.

Virili C, Stramazzo I, Bagaglini M, Carretti A, Capriello S, Romanelli F Rev Endocr Metab Disord. 2023; 25(1):215-237.

PMID: 37824030 PMC: 10808578. DOI: 10.1007/s11154-023-09839-9.

Autoimmune Thyroid Disorders: The Mediterranean Diet as a Protective Choice.

Ruggeri R, Barbalace M, Croce L, Malaguti M, Campenni A, Rotondi M Nutrients. 2023; 15(18).

PMID: 37764737 PMC: 10535745. DOI: 10.3390/nu15183953.

Preliminary Observation of the Changes in the Intestinal Flora of Patients With Graves' Disease Before and After Methimazole Treatment.

Yang M, Zheng X, Wu Y, Zhang R, Yang Q, Yu Z Front Cell Infect Microbiol. 2022; 12:794711.

PMID: 35402292 PMC: 8989835. DOI: 10.3389/fcimb.2022.794711.

References

Rizzo N, Jaceldo-Siegl K, Sabate J, Fraser G . Nutrient profiles of vegetarian and nonvegetarian dietary patterns. J Acad Nutr Diet. 2013; 113(12):1610-9. PMC: 4081456. DOI: 10.1016/j.jand.2013.06.349. View

Brix T, Kyvik K, Hegedus L . Validity of self-reported hyperthyroidism and hypothyroidism: comparison of self-reported questionnaire data with medical record review. Thyroid. 2001; 11(8):769-73. DOI: 10.1089/10507250152484619. View

Hendriks L, Looij B . Hyperthyroidism caused by excessive consumption of sausages. Neth J Med. 2010; 68(3):135-7. View

Jaceldo-Siegl K, Knutsen S, Sabate J, Beeson W, Chan J, Herring R . Validation of nutrient intake using an FFQ and repeated 24 h recalls in black and white subjects of the Adventist Health Study-2 (AHS-2). Public Health Nutr. 2009; 13(6):812-9. PMC: 3417357. DOI: 10.1017/S1368980009992072. View

Tonstad S, Butler T, Yan R, Fraser G . Type of vegetarian diet, body weight, and prevalence of type 2 diabetes. Diabetes Care. 2009; 32(5):791-6. PMC: 2671114. DOI: 10.2337/dc08-1886. View

Bes-Rastrollo M, Sabate J, Jaceldo-Siegl K, Fraser G . Validation of self-reported anthropometrics in the Adventist Health Study 2. BMC Public Health. 2011; 11:213. PMC: 3079646. DOI: 10.1186/1471-2458-11-213. View

Bahn Chair R, Burch H, Cooper D, Garber J, Greenlee M, Klein I . Hyperthyroidism and other causes of thyrotoxicosis: management guidelines of the American Thyroid Association and American Association of Clinical Endocrinologists. Thyroid. 2011; 21(6):593-646. DOI: 10.1089/thy.2010.0417. View

Hagen K, Gjeitung Byfuglien M, Falzon L, Olsen S, Smedslund G . Dietary interventions for rheumatoid arthritis. Cochrane Database Syst Rev. 2009; (1):CD006400. DOI: 10.1002/14651858.CD006400.pub2. View

Duntas L . Environmental factors and thyroid autoimmunity. Ann Endocrinol (Paris). 2011; 72(2):108-13. DOI: 10.1016/j.ando.2011.03.019. View

10.

Kverka M, Tlaskalova-Hogenova H . Two faces of microbiota in inflammatory and autoimmune diseases: triggers and drugs. APMIS. 2012; 121(5):403-21. DOI: 10.1111/apm.12007. View

11.

Fraser G . Vegetarian diets: what do we know of their effects on common chronic diseases?. Am J Clin Nutr. 2009; 89(5):1607S-1612S. PMC: 2677008. DOI: 10.3945/ajcn.2009.26736K. View

12.

Hedberg C, Fishbein D, Janssen R, Meyers B, McMillen J, MacDonald K . An outbreak of thyrotoxicosis caused by the consumption of bovine thyroid gland in ground beef. N Engl J Med. 1987; 316(16):993-8. DOI: 10.1056/NEJM198704163161605. View

13.

Hollowell J, Staehling N, Flanders W, Hannon W, Gunter E, Spencer C . Serum TSH, T(4), and thyroid antibodies in the United States population (1988 to 1994): National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES III). J Clin Endocrinol Metab. 2002; 87(2):489-99. DOI: 10.1210/jcem.87.2.8182. View

14.

McCarty M . Upregulation of lymphocyte apoptosis as a strategy for preventing and treating autoimmune disorders: a role for whole-food vegan diets, fish oil and dopamine agonists. Med Hypotheses. 2001; 57(2):258-75. DOI: 10.1054/mehy.2000.1318. View

15.

Ardestani A, Yazdanparast R . Flavonoids as potential therapeutic agents for type 1 diabetes. Med Hypotheses. 2007; 69(4):955. DOI: 10.1016/j.mehy.2007.02.001. View

16.

Cooper D . Hyperthyroidism. Lancet. 2003; 362(9382):459-68. DOI: 10.1016/S0140-6736(03)14073-1. View

17.

Procaccini C, Carbone F, Galgani M, La Rocca C, De Rosa V, Cassano S . Obesity and susceptibility to autoimmune diseases. Expert Rev Clin Immunol. 2011; 7(3):287-94. DOI: 10.1586/eci.11.18. View

18.

Chighizola C, Meroni P . The role of environmental estrogens and autoimmunity. Autoimmun Rev. 2011; 11(6-7):A493-501. DOI: 10.1016/j.autrev.2011.11.027. View

19.

Butler T, Fraser G, Beeson W, Knutsen S, Herring R, Chan J . Cohort profile: The Adventist Health Study-2 (AHS-2). Int J Epidemiol. 2007; 37(2):260-5. DOI: 10.1093/ije/dym165. View

20.

Golkowski F, Buziak-Bereza M, Trofimiuk M, Baldys-Waligorska A, Szybinski Z, Huszno B . Increased prevalence of hyperthyroidism as an early and transient side-effect of implementing iodine prophylaxis. Public Health Nutr. 2007; 10(8):799-802. DOI: 10.1017/S1368980007585939. View