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A Literature-Informed Nutrition Patient Communication Toolkit for Hashimoto’s Thyroiditis

Author

Kieren Ritter, Nova Southeastern UniversityFollow

Submission Date

6-5-2025

Document Type

Capstone

Degree Name

Master of Nutrition Science (MS)

First Mentor

Stephanie Petrosky, D.C.N., M.H.A., RDN, LDN, FAND, FNAP

Second Mentor

Joel Exebio, PhD, RDN, LDN

Keywords

Hashimoto’s thyroiditis, thyroid, diet, nutrition toolkit, autoimmune management

Abstract

This project is intended to help bridge the gap in nutrition education and treatment for the autoimmune disease Hashimoto’s thyroiditis (HT). Current research was synthesized and converted into a communication tool for adults diagnosed with HT. The toolkit was based on 33 articles, from three databases, that passed the inclusion and exclusion criteria for analysis. The education toolkit was intended to be practical and valuable for below a high school reading level. The aforementioned articles reviewed the effects of dietary changes on HT with vitamin D, selenium, gluten removal, dietary patterns such as the Mediterranean diet and Autoimmune Protocol, and food sensitivities. It was observed that nutrition plays a role in the modulation of thyroid and autoimmune markers. Still, there are many unclear relationships between nutrition and HT. The toolkit transformed this information into an appealing and informative collection of handouts, though it still needs to be validated before use. Further research is needed to explore nutrition and HT in detail, but this project seeks to provide a basis for clinical recommendations and future study direction.

NSUWorks Citation

Kieren Ritter. 2025. A Literature-Informed Nutrition Patient Communication Toolkit for Hashimoto’s Thyroiditis. Capstone. Nova Southeastern University. Retrieved from NSUWorks, . (33)
https://nsuworks.nova.edu/hpd_com_nutrition/33.