Table of ContentsView AllTable of ContentsThyroid HormoneThyroid ConditionsThyroid CancerCan Alcohol Affect Thyroid Medications?
Table of ContentsView All
View All
Table of Contents
Thyroid Hormone
Thyroid Conditions
Thyroid Cancer
Can Alcohol Affect Thyroid Medications?
Alcohol can affect thyroid function, but the specifics are unclear. Some studies show that moderate alcohol use decreases the risk of hypothyroidism (underactive thyroid).Other studies report that alcohol causes cellular toxicity, which results in a direct suppression of thyroid function.
To decide what’s right for you, it is best to speak with a healthcare professional regarding the consumption of alcohol and your overall health.
This article goes over the different ways that alcohol might affect your thyroid function. It also discusses the conditions that can affect your thyroid function and how drinking alcohol might contribute to them.
Verywell / Jessica Olah
How Alcohol Affects Thyroid Hormones
The thyroid gland produces three hormones:
Studies have found that alcohol causes direct cellular toxicity of thyroid cells, leading to reduced production of T3 and T4 hormones.Heavier alcohol use is associated with a more significant reduction of T3 hormones.
How Alcohol Affects Thyroid Conditions
Several studies have found that people who drink alcohol in moderation are less likely to develop autoimmune hypothyroidism and Grave’s disease.Moderate consumption is usually defined as one glass (for females) to two glasses (for males) of wine per day.
It’s important to note that these studies are not focused on causation, but rather simple association. Alcohol consumption has other significant harmful effects, so it is not recommended to enhance thyroid health based on studies that show loose associations.
If you have a thyroid condition, you should drink alcohol in moderation. Heavy drinking may worsen your symptoms. Talk to your healthcare provider about the medications you take to treat your condition and whether or not it’s safe to drink alcohol while using them.
How Alcohol Affects Thyroid Cancer
Studies have found that light to moderate alcohol use may have a protective effect againstthyroid cancer.
However, heavier drinkers and people who have been drinking for more than 10 years don’t seem to experience as much or any protective benefit from drinking alcohol. Research has found that people who consume large amounts of alcohol and have been doing so for 30 years or more have an increased risk of thyroid cancer.
Alcohol is not known to affect the way levothyroxine works. However, it may make certain side effects such as headaches and sweating worse.If you drink alcohol, you should always discuss possible interactions with your healthcare provider whenever you start a new medication.
Summary
Alcohol can affect thyroid function, but the research isn’t clear on whether it can provide benefits, result in harm, or some of both. Some studies suggest that moderate alcohol use may protect against thyroid disease and thyroid cancer, but more research is needed.
If you have thyroid disease or a family history of thyroid disease, talk to your healthcare provider about alcohol and whether it is safe for you to consume.
6 SourcesVerywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.Wiersinga WM.Clinical relevance of environmental factors in the pathogenesis of autoimmune thyroid disease.Endocrinol Metab (Seoul). 2016;31(2):213-22. doi:10.3803/EnM.2016.31.2.213Honnamurthy JB, Shivashankara AR, Avinash SS, John Mathai P, Malathi M.Effect of interaction between duration of alcohol consumption and alcohol dependence on thyroid function test: Cross sectional observational study.Indian J Clin Biochem. 2018;33(1):61-68. doi:10.1007/s12291-017-0645-6Institute for Quality and Efficiency in Health Care.How does the thyroid gland work?Wang X, Cheng W, Li J, Zhu J.A meta-analysis of alcohol consumption and thyroid cancer risk. Oncotarget. 2016;7(34):55912-55923. doi:10.18632/oncotargetwang Y, Lee KE, Weiderpass E, et al.Acute high-dose and chronic lifetime exposure to alcohol consumption and differentiated thyroid cancer: T-CALOS Korea.PLoS One. 2016;11(3):e0151562. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0151562National Health Services.Levothyroxine.
6 Sources
Verywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.Wiersinga WM.Clinical relevance of environmental factors in the pathogenesis of autoimmune thyroid disease.Endocrinol Metab (Seoul). 2016;31(2):213-22. doi:10.3803/EnM.2016.31.2.213Honnamurthy JB, Shivashankara AR, Avinash SS, John Mathai P, Malathi M.Effect of interaction between duration of alcohol consumption and alcohol dependence on thyroid function test: Cross sectional observational study.Indian J Clin Biochem. 2018;33(1):61-68. doi:10.1007/s12291-017-0645-6Institute for Quality and Efficiency in Health Care.How does the thyroid gland work?Wang X, Cheng W, Li J, Zhu J.A meta-analysis of alcohol consumption and thyroid cancer risk. Oncotarget. 2016;7(34):55912-55923. doi:10.18632/oncotargetwang Y, Lee KE, Weiderpass E, et al.Acute high-dose and chronic lifetime exposure to alcohol consumption and differentiated thyroid cancer: T-CALOS Korea.PLoS One. 2016;11(3):e0151562. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0151562National Health Services.Levothyroxine.
Verywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.
Wiersinga WM.Clinical relevance of environmental factors in the pathogenesis of autoimmune thyroid disease.Endocrinol Metab (Seoul). 2016;31(2):213-22. doi:10.3803/EnM.2016.31.2.213Honnamurthy JB, Shivashankara AR, Avinash SS, John Mathai P, Malathi M.Effect of interaction between duration of alcohol consumption and alcohol dependence on thyroid function test: Cross sectional observational study.Indian J Clin Biochem. 2018;33(1):61-68. doi:10.1007/s12291-017-0645-6Institute for Quality and Efficiency in Health Care.How does the thyroid gland work?Wang X, Cheng W, Li J, Zhu J.A meta-analysis of alcohol consumption and thyroid cancer risk. Oncotarget. 2016;7(34):55912-55923. doi:10.18632/oncotargetwang Y, Lee KE, Weiderpass E, et al.Acute high-dose and chronic lifetime exposure to alcohol consumption and differentiated thyroid cancer: T-CALOS Korea.PLoS One. 2016;11(3):e0151562. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0151562National Health Services.Levothyroxine.
Wiersinga WM.Clinical relevance of environmental factors in the pathogenesis of autoimmune thyroid disease.Endocrinol Metab (Seoul). 2016;31(2):213-22. doi:10.3803/EnM.2016.31.2.213
Honnamurthy JB, Shivashankara AR, Avinash SS, John Mathai P, Malathi M.Effect of interaction between duration of alcohol consumption and alcohol dependence on thyroid function test: Cross sectional observational study.Indian J Clin Biochem. 2018;33(1):61-68. doi:10.1007/s12291-017-0645-6
Institute for Quality and Efficiency in Health Care.How does the thyroid gland work?
Wang X, Cheng W, Li J, Zhu J.A meta-analysis of alcohol consumption and thyroid cancer risk. Oncotarget. 2016;7(34):55912-55923. doi:10.18632/oncotarget
wang Y, Lee KE, Weiderpass E, et al.Acute high-dose and chronic lifetime exposure to alcohol consumption and differentiated thyroid cancer: T-CALOS Korea.PLoS One. 2016;11(3):e0151562. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0151562
National Health Services.Levothyroxine.
Meet Our Medical Expert Board
Share Feedback
Was this page helpful?Thanks for your feedback!What is your feedback?OtherHelpfulReport an ErrorSubmit
Was this page helpful?
Thanks for your feedback!
What is your feedback?OtherHelpfulReport an ErrorSubmit
What is your feedback?
