This article contains findings obtained from research on animals:
- The results from animal research studies should not be directly applied to humans and the results may not generalise to the human population.
- There may be significant differences between species in terms of physiology, physiology, and pharmacology, as well as differences in the way diseases and treatments are modelled in animals.
- Any conclusions drawn from animal research should be considered with caution and in the context of other types of research studies such as observational studies, clinical trials, and reviews of the literature.
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Olive oil and leaf extract derivatives have been demonstrated to stimulate thyroid function in animal studies.
2021 Nutrients Thyroid-Modulating Activities of Olive and Its Polyphenols: A Systematic Review Pang KL, Lumintang JN, Chin KY
Systematic Review Hypothyroidism Olive
In October 2020, a systematic review of literature was conducted to study the effects of olive oil and leaf extract derivatives on thyroid function. The search for relevant information was done using PubMed, Scopus, and Web of Science databases. Evidence was gathered from cellular, animal, and human studies that reported on the impact of these derivatives on thyroid function. 445 articles were identified but only nine were considered based on inclusion and exclusion criteria.
All the chosen articles were animal studies involving the oral administration of olive oil, olive leaf extract, or olive pomace residues. The results consistently indicated that these olive derivatives stimulated thyroid activities in euthyroid or hypothyroid animals. The exact mechanisms by which this occurs remain unknown. From the studies evaluated, olive pomace residue was found unsuitable for health supplementation or pharmaceutical use. Despite encouraging results, there isn't much evidence proving beneficial health effects of olive derivatives in humans, and the therapeutic applications particularly in individuals with hypothyroidism, needs further support through human studies.
Chinese medicine warming and invigorating drugs combined with levothyroxine may improve treatment of hypothyroidism caused by Hashimoto disease more than levothyroxine alone.
2016 Annals of Translational Medicine A systematic review of combinatorial treatment with warming and invigorating drugs and levothyroxine for hypothyroidism caused by Hashimoto disease Xiangwen Cheng, Zixiao Wei, Guangde Zhang, Xin Shao, Bo Li, Rui Gao
Systematic Review Hashimoto Disease Hypothyroidism Thyroid Disease
This systematic review pooled several indices of hypothyroidism caused by HT according to “China’s Guidelines for the Diagnosis and Treatment of Thyroid Disease” and correlation studies. The results showed that the combination of warming and invigorating drugs and levothyroxine increased FT3 and FT4 levels, and reduced TSH, TPOAb, and TGAb levels in patients with hypothyroidism cause by HT more than levothyroxine alone after treatments of 8 weeks or longer. With the exception of FT4, the results were stable.
In conclusion, we cautiously recommend prescribing warming and invigorating drugs along with levothyroxine for the treatment of hypothyroidism caused by Hashimoto disease. However, high-quality evidence is needed to confirm these results. To guarantee evidence quality, a strict study design, which includes a large sample, an unbiased randomization method, full concealment, proper blinding, and appropriate statistical analyses, is vital. In addition, clinical curative effects of TCM, such as TCM syndromes, should be standardized and unified to reduce clinical heterogeneity and methodology heterogeneity. Finally, a strict registration system for clinical trials is required to remove reporting biases.