Can a gluten-free diet help Hashimoto's thyroiditis in Celiac disease patients?

Hashimoto's thyroiditis (HT) and celiac disease (CD) often occur together because they share autoimmune roots. If you have both conditions, sticking to a gluten-free diet (GFD) is essential for managing celiac disease. The question is whether the GFD also helps your thyroid. Current research suggests that for people with confirmed CD, a GFD may provide some indirect benefit to the thyroid by reducing overall inflammation, but the evidence is not strong enough to promise a clear improvement in thyroid function or antibody levels.

What the research says

A 2025 systematic review and meta-analysis looked at the effects of a GFD in people with Hashimoto's thyroiditis who do NOT have celiac disease. It found that the evidence was very uncertain regarding changes in thyroid hormones (TSH, fT3, fT4) and antibodies (anti-TPO, anti-Tg). For example, anti-Tg antibodies decreased slightly, but anti-TPO antibodies actually increased with the GFD, and the quality of the evidence was low ¹⁰. This suggests that for non-celiac HT, a GFD is not clearly helpful.

For people with both celiac disease and Hashimoto's, the picture is different. A narrative review notes that in celiac disease, gluten is a known trigger, and a lifelong GFD is the standard treatment. When a person has both CD and HT, improving intestinal inflammation with a GFD may indirectly benefit the thyroid ². However, the same review states that evidence remains insufficient to recommend routine gluten withdrawal for all patients with HT without confirmed CD ².

Another meta-analysis from 2023 focused on patients with HT but no symptoms or histology of celiac disease. It found a trend toward reduction in thyroid antibodies after about 6 months on a GFD, but the results did not reach statistical significance. For TgAb, the effect size was -0.39 (p=0.06), and for TPOAb it was -0.40 (p=0.07), meaning the reductions were not convincing ⁸.

A 2017 review also discusses that a diet low in gluten may be considered for HT patients with or without CD, but it emphasizes that more investigation is needed ⁹. Overall, the research suggests that if you have celiac disease, following a strict GFD is crucial for your gut health and may also help your thyroid, but it is not a guaranteed treatment for Hashimoto's.

What to ask your doctor

• Should I have my thyroid function (TSH, fT4) and antibodies (TPO, Tg) checked regularly while on a gluten-free diet?
• If I have both celiac disease and Hashimoto's, how strictly do I need to follow the gluten-free diet to possibly benefit my thyroid?
• Are there any nutritional deficiencies (like iodine, selenium, vitamin D) I should watch for on a gluten-free diet that could affect my thyroid?
• Could my persistent thyroid symptoms be related to accidental gluten exposure, even if my gut feels fine?
• Would you recommend any additional dietary changes or supplements to support my thyroid health alongside the gluten-free diet?