If you avoid fats out of fear of heart disease, you may be surprised to learn that carbohydrates, not fats, are the culprits in heart disease. Carbs raise inflammation, thus raising the risk of heart disease. It also fans the flames of autoimmune Hashimoto’s low thyroid.

Scientists and doctors have blamed dietary fats — especially saturated fat — for heart disease for decades. As such, we’ve been advised to follow a low-fat, high-carb diet rich in grains for healthy hearts.

We now know this advice is based on outdated observational studies. None of the studies link high-fat diets to heart disease. In fact, numerous recent studies have debunked the theory.

We now know a diet heavy in grains can be inflammatory and trigger autoimmune diseases such as Hashimoto’s low thyroid if you are sensitive to them.

Low-fat, high-carb diets, which have been promoted for decades by medical organizations, actually play a strong role in epidemics these days of obesity, type II diabetes, lipid abnormalities,  and metabolic syndromes.

Restrict carbs, not fat, for better heart and low thyroid health

Carbohydrates, not fats, are the true cause of heart disease and make it difficult to manage Hashimoto’s low thyroid for many people.

Extensive studies since 2002 show limiting your consumption of carbohydrates rather than fats is a better way to lower heart disease risk.

In fact, as carbohydrate intake goes up, the risk of heart disease grew stronger.

High-carb diets also promote inflammation and exacerbation of autoimmune Hashimoto’s low thyroid.

How to learn if you have Hashimoto’s low thyroid

Many patients are not diagnosed with hypothyroidism or Hashimoto’s until after several years and going through several doctors. It is a demoralizing journey richly illustrated in my book The Truth About Low Thyroid: Stories of Hope and Healing for Those Suffering With Hashimoto’s Low Thyroid Disease, through real-life stories from patients in my practice. Managing Hashimoto’s goes far beyond using thyroid medication as you must work to stop the immune system from attacking the thyroid. For more information on identifying and managing Hashimoto’s low thyroid, contact my office.

About Dr. Josh Redd, Chiropractic Physician — Utah, Nevada, Arizona, Idaho, and New Mexico functional medicine

Dr. Joshua J. Redd, DC, MS, DABFM, DAAIM, author of The Truth About Low Thyroid: Stories of Hope and Healing for Those Suffering With Hashimoto’s Low Thyroid Disease, is a chiropractic physician and the founder of RedRiver Health and Wellness Center with practices in Utah, Arizona, and New Mexico. He sees patients from around the world who suffer from challenging thyroid disorders, Hashimoto’s disease, and other autoimmune conditions. In addition to his chiropractic degree, Dr. Redd has a BS in Health and Wellness, a BS in Anatomy, and a MS in Human Nutrition and Functional Medicine.  He speaks across the nation, teaching physicians about functional blood chemistry, low thyroid, Hashimoto’s, and autoimmunity. You can join his Facebook page here.