Effect of probiotics or prebiotics on thyroid function: A meta-analysis of eight randomized controlled trials
I want to emphasize that higher doses may be more effective than lower doses, but choosing a probiotic supplement with specific strains is more important. I will talk more about genius, species, and strains shortly, so you can understand the difference. You definitely want to choose a probiotic that has specific strains listed. Unfortunately, a lot of the probiotics out there just list the species. I just mentioned here, a lot of them will say Lactobacillus acidophilusand Bifidobacterium bifidum.
However, there are also several limitations to consider in this meta-analysis. Firstly, the pooled population included a limited number of subjects as some clinical trials had small sample sizes. Additionally, the duration of treatment in many trials was relatively short.
What cancels out levothyroxine?
This effect could be explained considering the known anti-inflammatory property of VSL#3®, through the decrease in circulating pro-inflammatory cytokines (43). Thus, considering that deiodinases expression and activity can be modulated by cytokines (44–48), probiotics could interfere with THs deiodination. This result reinforces the hypothesis that VSL#3® is able to influence THs metabolism, although a final and significant difference in hormonal levels is not detected.
When they outnumber the probiotics, they may start to bore into the gut wall, leading to intestinal permeability. I will say that I like the CFU to be between billion, which I already mentioned. I also mentioned that I want to take a probiotic supplement with a specific strain listed. There are a lot of companies out there that don’t do this, but there are companies that do as well.
- I want to briefly talk about soil-based probiotics, which are also known as spore-based probiotics.
- Recent data have suggested that microbes influence thyroid hormone levels through the regulation of iodine uptake, degradation, and enterohepatic cycling 12.
- Additionally, the composition of the gut microbiota has an influence on the availability of essential micronutrients for the thyroid gland.
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Now, don’t take this literally because it’s not true that every disease begins in the gut. This is probably the most well known species, and it is resistant to gastric acid and bile salts, along with pepsin and pancreatin. The strains Lactobacillus acidophilus LA-5 and LA-14 have been shown to inhibit certain pathogens (8) (9). Proton pump inhibitors (PPIs) have also been reported to reduce levothyroxine absorption, presumably, through an increase in gastric pH, thus reducing dissolution of the levothyroxine tablets. The bulk of evidence suggests that PPIs reduce levothyroxine absorption, 2-4, 6 although one small study failed to find an interaction between levothyroxine and omeprazole. 7 In the outpatient study cited in the introduction, almost 70% of the interacting drugs were PPIs.
Finally, the last set of probiotic species to look for includes the bifidobacterium and lactobacillus strains. If you are like most people then you probably assume that probiotics contain healthy bacteria that are meant to populate and live inside of your intestinal tract once you take them. I don’t think I need to convince you that better gut health equals better thyroid health so I won’t spend much time there. Certain foods, such as a fiber-enriched diet or soy-based foods, can make levothyroxine therapy less effective.
Table 1. Characteristics of the studies included in this review.
It’s important to note that up to 50 percent of people with Hashimoto’s may have SIBO — and the overgrowth, in up to 75 percent, may be comprised of Lactobacillus or Streptococcus bacteria. However, one study was completed where a probiotic supplement (VSL#3) was taken at least 2 hours afterSynthroid. The study showed that, when synthroid purity compared to individuals that did not take the probiotic, there was no difference in thyroid-stimulating hormone (TSH), fT3 (free triiodothyronine), and fT4 (free tetraiodothyronine) levels. Let’s go ahead and talk about species commonly used in supplements.
- First of all, not everybody has symptoms, so you can’t always go by symptoms.
- Many factors influence LT4 absorption, such as food and beverages (3–5), drugs (6–13), and pathological conditions impairing the digestive tract absorptive ability (7, 14, 15).
- It also ensures you take your probiotic supplements with a cold or room-temperature beverage and food, which is the correct way to take them.
- The second factor you need to be aware of is the viability of the microorganisms.
- Patients with primary hypothyroidism were randomly assigned to the study (VSL#3® + LT4) and the control group (LT4).
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VSL#3® is a multistrain probiotic supplement available in packets. The compound was chosen considering its highest concentration among commonly used probiotics-containing products. Because the use of probiotics as a supplement is very popular and hypothyroidism is also a common medical problem, it was important to investigate the potential effect of probiotics on Levothyroxine absorption. It is important to mention some of the limitations of this study; for example, intake of probiotics at the same time with Levothyroxine was not studied and only the abovementioned probiotics were investigated. This study showed that the use of particular probiotics (Lactobacilli and Bifidobacteria) if taken two hours after Levothyroxine, does not cause any change in TSH and thyroid hormone level.
Rhamnosus GG is also beneficial for intestinal dysbiosis. Pylori then taking a probiotic supplement with the strains L. If someone has a urinary tract infection then the strains L. 4) Probiotics may compete for nutrients that would otherwise be utilized by pathogens. Certain medications and supplements decrease absorption of thyroid hormone and should be taken 3-4 hours after taking thyroid hormone. These include fiber supplements, calcium and iron supplements, proton pump inhibitors (omeprazole/Prilosec and lansoprazole/Prevacid), soy products, and multivitamins with minerals.
The health benefits of probiotics are also strain-specific, so taking any probiotic off the shelf won’t guarantee results. Nature Made® recommends taking your probiotic supplement once a day with cold or room-temperature water and a meal. It’s always best to pick a regular meal to take your supplements with, whether it fits better into your schedule in the morning or night. Taking your supplements with breakfast every day makes it much easier to keep up with your supplement routine, as you are adding it to a pre-established schedule rather than creating something entirely new. It also ensures you take your probiotic supplements with a cold or room-temperature beverage and food, which is the correct way to take them. It is important to note that no vitamins and minerals (supplements) can provide the same nutritional benefits as a healthy balanced diet.
