Dr Izabella Wentz has a protocol for reversing Hashimoto’s disease. This week I received from her a pitch for her protein powder that contained some interesting data on protein I thought you might like to read:
Before I received my Hashimoto’s diagnosis, I used to start each day with a protein smoothie.
In some ways, this was a very positive habit, but in other ways, it was very much detrimental to my health.
Protein is an essential macronutrient and helps us to build up our body to ensure that all vital processes are taking place. Protein is an important source of amino acids such as glutamine and L-tyrosine, which repair gut cells and create thyroid hormones, respectively.
People eating the Standard American Diet or vegan and vegetarian diets may not get enough protein and can be at risk for protein deficiency. Some symptoms include: fatigue, trouble losing weight, brain fog, blood sugar imbalance, trouble building muscle, muscle wasting, intestinal permeability and hair loss. Sound familiar?
The Right Amount of Protein
For general health purposes, you should be consuming about 0.45-0.55 grams of protein per day, for each pound you weigh. (The official calculation is done by kilograms of body weight: 1.0-1.2 grams of protein per kilogram). This translates to roughly 50 grams of protein per day for a person who weighs 100 pounds.
Higher protein intake, of 0.55 grams to 0.68 grams per pound of body weight per day, is recommended for most older adults who have acute or chronic diseases (1.2-1.5 grams of protein per kilogram of body weight). In this case, a person who weighs 100 lbs should aim for 54-68 grams of protein per day.
Generally, the more active you are, the more protein you need. Bodybuilders especially need more protein, as much as 1 gram of protein per pound, so a 100 pound person would want to aim for 100 grams of protein each day!
Older people with severe kidney disease (who are not on dialysis) are an exception to this rule; these individuals may need to limit protein intake as their kidneys may not be able to properly process the protein.
Benefits of Protein Smoothies
Having a protein packed smoothie in the morning can help kick off our daily nutrition and keep our blood sugar balanced, as well as help the thyroid gland (if low protein was a contributing factor). A protein powder mixed with blended foods can provide the body with predigested nutrition, allowing for better absorption of nutrients, even when our digestion isn’t perfect.
The Right Kind of Protein
However, the wrong kind of protein can be detrimental as well. Back in the day, I used to put whey protein and yogurt in my smoothies, not realizing that I was sensitive to dairy! Dairy proteins casein and whey are highly reactive for up to 80 percent of people with Hashimoto’s. My “healthy breakfast” was causing my carpal tunnel, acid reflux, irritable bowel syndrome and causing my thyroid gland to attack itself. Within three days of getting off dairy, my acid reflux and irritable bowel syndrome disappeared, the carpal tunnel took a few months to resolve, and over time, I saw my thyroid antibodies reducing as well!
Most protein powders on the market contain soy and dairy, which are two very reactive proteins for people with Hashimoto’s. While egg white proteins are also an option and can be less reactive, unfortunately, those with Hashimoto’s who start using them often find themselves with new onset egg reactions, because egg whites are difficult to digest for people with intestinal permeability.
The protein powders that are best tolerated by people with Hashimoto’s, in my experience, are hemp protein, pea protein and hydrolyzed beef protein.
Hemp protein is vegan, gluten, dairy and soy free, but it has a strong taste that doesn’t blend well with most foods and can be an issue for some with estrogen concerns.
Pea protein is vegan, gluten, dairy and soy free, and has a mild taste. However, it is not compatible with the Autoimmune Paleo diet.
Beef protein, on the other hand, is Paleo and Autoimmune Paleo friendly. The protein is derived from grass-fed meat, but it doesn’t actually have that strong beefy taste! It actually has a nice, mild taste that can be compared to the taste of collagen or whey protein.
In contrast to collagen (which is also well tolerated by people with Hashimoto’s), beef protein is a complete protein, meaning it contains the essential amino acids we need to survive. (Collagen protein is not a complete protein, so while it’s a great add-on to smoothies, I wouldn’t recommend it as a base for smoothies, unless you’re adding another complete protein source as the base). I came across the beef protein option when I was personally looking for a protein powder that I could put into smoothies.
Beef protein is gluten free, soy free and is also free of casein and whey, two very reactive proteins found in dairy products.
Hydrolyzed beef protein offers a special advantage, as it is less likely to cause additional food reactions due to the hydrolysis process, which breaks the protein into tiny pieces. I recommend using hydrolyzed beef protein for building up your body in my new book, Hashimoto’s Protocol, in the Adrenal Recovery and Gut Balance Protocols.
https://thyroidpharmacist.com/
Toms Blog on Life and Livingness