Food intolerance/malabsorption in Hashimoto's thyroiditis.
5 affiliations
- 1Division of Immunology, Otto Loewi Research Center, Medical University of Graz, Graz, Austria; General Internal Medicine Practice, Bruck, Austria. Electronic address: [email protected].
- 2Institute of Clinical Chemistry and Laboratory Medicine, Hospital Hochsteiermark, Leoben, Austria.
- 3Das Kinderwunsch Institut Schenk GmbH, Dobl, Austria.
- 4Institute of Clinical Chemistry and Laboratory Medicine, Hospital Hochsteiermark, Leoben, Austria; Clinical Institute of Medical and Chemical Laboratory Diagnosis, Medical University of Graz, Graz, Austria.
- 5Division of Immunology, Otto Loewi Research Center, Medical University of Graz, Graz, Austria.
Abstract
Context
The clinical significance of the interaction between the gastrointestinal system and the thyroid gland remains unclear. Moreover, a correlation between food intolerance/malabsorption, and thyroid disease, including Hashimoto's thyroiditis, awaits elucidation.Objectives
This study set out with the objective of identifying food intolerance/malabsorption, including Fructose Malabsorption (FM), Histamine Intolerance (HIT), and Lactose Intolerance (LIT), in patients presenting with abdominal symptoms within the Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS) spectrum who had also Hashimoto's thyroiditis.Methods
In this retrospective study, 221 patients with Hashimoto's thyroiditis, defined by elevated Thyroid Peroxidase Antibodies (TPO-Ab), were included. A subgroup of 50 abdominal asymptomatic Hashimoto's patients served as controls. Among 171 patients with abdominal symptoms FM and LIT were diagnosed using hydrogen breath tests, while HIT was defined by reduced serum diamine oxidase levels in combination with clinical response to a histamine-reduced diet.Results
Twenty-two were identified with FM, 40 with HIT and 42 with LIT; 19 had both LIT and FM, 31 had LIT and HIT, and 17 had LIT, FM, and HIT. However, there were no statistically significant differences in TSH or TPO-Ab levels between patients with FM, HIT, LIT, or their combinations (p = 0.739 and p = 0.460, respectively). Thyroid function and TPO-Ab levels were similar between symptomatic and asymptomatic patients.Conclusion
In summary, this study assumes that food intolerance/malabsorption, including FM, HIT, and LIT, may coexist in patients with Hashimoto's thyroiditis who present with IBS-spectrum abdominal symptoms.
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BibTeX
@article{schnedl2026food,
title = {{Food intolerance/malabsorption in Hashimoto's thyroiditis.}},
author = {Wolfgang J Schnedl and Simon Michaelis and Michael Schenk and Dietmar Enko and Sandra J Holasek},
journal = {Clinics (Sao Paulo, Brazil)},
year = {2026},
month = oct,
doi = {10.1016/j.clinsp.2026.101168},
url = {https://europepmc.org/article/MED/42880128},
note = {CC BY},
}
RIS
TY - JOUR
TI - Food intolerance/malabsorption in Hashimoto's thyroiditis.
AU - Wolfgang J Schnedl
AU - Simon Michaelis
AU - Michael Schenk
AU - Dietmar Enko
AU - Sandra J Holasek
PY - 2026
DA - 2026/10/15
JO - Clinics (Sao Paulo, Brazil)
DO - 10.1016/j.clinsp.2026.101168
UR - https://europepmc.org/article/MED/42880128
AB - Context The clinical significance of the interaction between the gastrointestinal system and the thyroid gland remains unclear. Moreover, a correlation between food intolerance/malabsorption, and thyroid disease, including Hashimoto's thyroiditis, awaits elucidation.Objectives This study set out with the objective of identifying food intolerance/malabsorption, including Fructose Malabsorption (FM), Histamine Intolerance (HIT), and Lactose Intolerance (LIT), in patients presenting with abdominal symptoms within the Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS) spectrum who had also Hashimoto's thyroiditis.Methods In this retrospective study, 221 patients with Hashimoto's thyroiditis, defined by elevated Thyroid Peroxidase Antibodies (TPO-Ab), were included. A subgroup of 50 abdominal asymptomatic Hashimoto's patients served as controls. Among 171 patients with abdominal symptoms FM and LIT were diagnosed using hydrogen breath tests, while HIT was defined by reduced serum diamine oxidase levels in combination with clinical response to a histamine-reduced diet.Results Twenty-two were identified with FM, 40 with HIT and 42 with LIT; 19 had both LIT and FM, 31 had LIT and HIT, and 17 had LIT, FM, and HIT. However, there were no statistically significant differences in TSH or TPO-Ab levels between patients with FM, HIT, LIT, or their combinations (p = 0.739 and p = 0.460, respectively). Thyroid function and TPO-Ab levels were similar between symptomatic and asymptomatic patients.Conclusion In summary, this study assumes that food intolerance/malabsorption, including FM, HIT, and LIT, may coexist in patients with Hashimoto's thyroiditis who present with IBS-spectrum abdominal symptoms.
SN - 1807-5932
SN - 1980-5322
ER -