@article{Li2026, 
author = {Jiaomei Li and Qingling Huang and Kaixin Pan and Shuzhen Sun and Yuxuan Zhang and Yicheng Wang and Shufeng Fan and Qin Zhu and Songtao Li},
title = {Effect of calorie restriction on thyroid antibodies and symptoms in Hashimoto’s thyroiditis patients: a randomized controlled trial},
year = {2026},
journal = {Food Science and Human Wellness},
keywords = {Hashimoto's thyroiditis, Calorie restriction, Thyroid antibody, Symptoms, Immune dysfunction, Inflammation},
url = {https://www.sciopen.com/article/10.26599/FSHW.2026.9251040},
doi = {10.26599/FSHW.2026.9251040},
abstract = {Hashimoto's thyroiditis (HT) is an autoimmune disease, characterized by abnormal elevation in thyroid peroxidase antibody (TPO-Ab) and/or thyroglobulin antibody (TG-Ab). The antibody titers are positively correlated with multiple symptoms despite adequate hormone substitution. However, no specific treatment exists to reduce the levels of antibodies. We carried out a randomized controlled trial to determine the effect of calorie-restricted (CR) diet on Hashimoto disease. Results showed that serum TPO-Ab (-191.46 KU/L, 95% CI: -278.35 to -104.58) and TG-Ab (-49.30 KU/L, 95% CI: -99.12 to 0.53) in the CR group were sharply reduced, accompanied by an improvement in thyroid gland shown by magnetic resonance imaging. The CR group exhibited significant alleviation of non-hypothyroid symptoms, with this improvement positively correlating with the reduction of thyroid antibodies. Moreover, CR also improved immune dysfunction, as well as decreased levels of pro-inflammatory biomarkers and serum lipids. These findings provide evidence that calorie restriction may serve as a potential adjuvant treatment strategy for patients with HT.}
}