Comparison of the Effect of Gluten-Free-Lactose-Free / Aronia Melanocarpa Supplemented Diet on Leptin, Ghrelin Levels and Inflammatory Status in Patients With Hashimoto Thyroiditis

Hashimoto's thyroiditis (HT) is the most common cause of chronic hypothyroidism in areas with sufficient iodine, stemming from an autoimmune response against thyroid peroxidase and/or thyroglobulin. It is the most prevalent autoimmune thyroid disease and a leading cause of overall hypothyroidism. Even when they reach euthyroidism, 82% of treated women with HT still have excess body weight, and 35% of them are obese. Thyroid dysfunction can affect the function of adipose tissue and lead to metabolic disturbances. Leptin can stimulate thyroid-stimulating hormone secretion, while thyroid-stimulating hormone can influence leptin release from adipose tissue. Additionally, HT patients often exhibit high levels of C-reactive protein and interleukin-6, suggesting an association between increased thyroid-stimulating hormone levels and the inflammatory process, which may contribute to comorbid disease risk in individuals with HT. Nutrition can serve as a complementary treatment for HT by affecting thyroid functions and having anti-inflammatory properties. Dietary interventions may involve eliminating gluten, lactose, or certain food components, or focusing on an anti-inflammatory dietary pattern while preventing nutritional deficiencies. Therefore, this study is a randomized controlled, single-blind trial designed to evaluate the effects of a gluten-free, lactose-free diet and a diet enriched with Aronia Melanocarpa, both individually and in combination, as well as healthy dietary protocols, on autoantibody levels, leptin, ghrelin, oxidative response, and weight loss in patients with Hashimoto's thyroiditis. The study aims to recruit a minimum of 80 participants aged 18-65 years, diagnosed with Hashimoto's thyroiditis at Istanbul Medical Faculty Hospital. In the initial face-to-face interview, participants will provide sociodemographic information, dietary habits, anthropometric measurements, and dietary intake records through a questionnaire. The study involves the inclusion of Aronia Melanocarpa in the diet (high anthocyanin content, 69.24 mg/100 ml), a gluten-free and lactose-free diet, both interventions being applied together, and the application of only healthy nutrition protocols to patients over an 8-week period, with serum assessments of thyroid-stimulating hormon, free T4, free T3, anti-thyroid peroxidase, anti-Tg, interleukin-6,anti tumor necrosis factor alpha, C-reactive protein and leptin-ghrelin levels at the beginning and end of the study. The goal is to create recommendations for patients, improve their quality of life, and establish sustainable nutritional interventions.