Effects of animal protein intake during pregnancy on autoimmune thyroiditis in pregnant women with mild iodine deficiency

Abstract

Background: Iodine and animal protein may affect thyroid function. In the present study, we explored the association between animal protein intake and thyroid antibody status in pregnant women following universal salt iodisation. Methods: Pregnant women were enrolled using a multistage, stratified random sampling method in Shanghai. In total, 4646 eligible women were interviewed in person. We used a validated food frequency questionnaire and food composition tables to calculate the daily intakes of protein and iodine. We collected urine samples and performed thyroid antibody tests. Results: Positive thyrotropin receptor antibody (TR-Ab) rates were different among animal protein intake groups (p < 0.05). Median urinary iodine concentration (UIC) was higher in the thyroid peroxidase antibody (TPO-Ab) positive group than in the negative group (p < 0.05). The median of total protein intake, animal protein intake and UIC was higher in the TR-Ab positive group than in the negative group (p < 0.05). The median of total protein intake and UIC

Optimising nutritional status for healthy pregnancy

“…Autoimmune thyroiditis is present in 20% of women of childbearing age and, even when there is no evidence of thyroid dysfunction, it has been associated with impaired fetal brain development and greater risk of miscarriage and preterm birth. A study by Wang et al 10 found that there was a relationship between diet and severity of autoimmune thyroiditis in pregnancy. Women with mild iodine deficiency were protected from high anti‐thyroid antibody concentrations by higher intakes of animal protein.…”