TPOAb & TGAb (Thyroid Antibodies)

Getting to the Root, Not Just Treating the Symptoms.

By Elizabeth Andrews, Functional Medicine Practitioner | Greater by Nature

As a Functional Medicine practitioner working with clients around the world, I’ve seen firsthand how thyroid antibodies—particularly TPOAb (thyroid peroxidase antibodies) and TGAb (thyroglobulin antibodies)—are often overlooked or misunderstood in conventional thyroid care.

A "normal" TSH doesn’t always mean optimal thyroid health.

When thyroid antibodies are elevated, the immune system is already attacking the thyroid. This is a clear sign of autoimmunity, and it often precedes overt hypothyroidism by years. Rather than waiting for complete thyroid dysfunction, Functional Medicine asks: Why is the immune system attacking the thyroid in the first place?

Here are just a few root-cause strategies I explore with my international clients:

1. Gut Health, a compromised gut lining ("leaky gut") and dysbiosis are strongly linked to autoimmune thyroid conditions. Healing the gut can be a game-changer.

2. Chronic Infections, hidden infections like Epstein-Barr virus (EBV), H. pylori, or Lyme can trigger or perpetuate immune dis-regulation.

3. Nutrient Deficiencies, key nutrients such as selenium, zinc, vitamin D, and magnesium are crucial for immune balance and thyroid function.

4. Gluten Sensitivity, for many with autoimmune thyroiditis, gluten is a major immune trigger. Identifying and eliminating dietary triggers is often foundational.

5. Toxic Load, from heavy metals to endocrine-disrupting chemicals, accumulated toxins can provoke immune confusion.

6. Stress & Trauma, chronic stress and unresolved trauma shift immune regulation and can activate latent autoimmune conditions.

The presence of thyroid antibodies is not a sentence—it’s a signal.

I’m passionate about empowering clients with in-depth testing, root-cause insight, and truly personalised protocols that help calm the immune system and preserve thyroid tissue—often years before medication would traditionally be considered.

If you or someone you know has been told "your labs are fine" but still feel far from thriving, thyroid antibodies could be the missing piece.

Let’s keep advancing the conversation—because optimal thyroid health is about more than numbers on a lab report.

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