Eating lots of sugary, refined carbs over time may make inflammation worse and mess up the immune system in people who already have an autoimmune thyroid condition.

Cutting back on carbs and cutting out sugary foods may help people with autoimmune thyroid disease feel better by stabilizing their metabolism and lowering body-wide inflammation.

For people who are overweight and have Hashimoto’s thyroiditis, cutting back on carbs for three weeks might lower certain antibodies linked to thyroid inflammation — like a sign that the diet could be calming down the immune system’s attack on the thyroid.

Eating fewer carbs and more protein might help reduce blood sugar swings and inflammation, which could make symptoms of an overactive thyroid caused by the immune system feel better.

For overweight people with Hashimoto’s thyroiditis, cutting out carbs for three weeks might lower harmful antibodies in the blood, help them lose a little weight, and reduce their BMI — as if the diet is calming down their immune system and helping their body burn fat.