What did @mccallmcpherson actually say?
The creator laid out four interventions she claims can reduce Hashimoto's thyroid antibodies: removing gluten or dairy from the diet, using low-dose naltrexone (LDN), supplementing with glutathione, and taking selenium. She framed these not as symptom management but as tools to achieve genuine antibody reduction, saying she personally witnessed TPO antibodies drop "500 points in three months" with LDN alone. The word she used repeatedly was "reverse" — a loaded term in autoimmune medicine that most clinicians handle with a lot more caution than she does here.
To her credit, she did say to measure antibodies at baseline and recheck at three months, which is clinically reasonable. She also noted LDN is worth considering "especially in more severe cases," not as a blanket recommendation. That nuance matters, even if it got lost in the broader framing of the video.
Does the science back this up?
Partially, yes. The selenium claim has the strongest backing. The LDN claim has real but modest evidence. The glutathione claim is the weakest of the four. The diet claim sits somewhere in the middle, depending heavily on the individual.
Selenium is the clearest win. Multiple randomized controlled trials, including Toulis et al. (2010, Thyroid) and a meta-analysis by Wichman et al. (2016, Thyroid), found that 200 mcg of selenomethionine per day significantly reduced TPO antibody levels in Hashimoto's patients over three to six months. This is not fringe science. It's reasonably well-replicated.
LDN has more limited but genuinely interesting data. Younger et al. (2014, Clinical Rheumatology) showed anti-inflammatory effects via glial modulation, and small observational studies in autoimmune populations suggest benefit. But randomized trial data in Hashimoto's specifically is thin. Her "500 point drop" anecdote is not evidence.
Glutathione's role in thyroid autoimmunity is largely theoretical. There is no robust clinical trial showing that topical or oral glutathione reduces TPO or TgAb levels in Hashimoto's patients. The idea that low glutathione correlates with active autoimmunity has some biochemical logic, but correlation is not intervention evidence.
What did they get wrong (or right)?
The word "reverse" is doing a lot of heavy lifting here, and it shouldn't be trusted uncritically. Reducing antibody titers is not the same as achieving remission, and remission in Hashimoto's does not mean the underlying immune dysregulation is gone. It may mean it's quieted, temporarily or otherwise.
She also says dairy is "the most common inflammatory food in people with Hashimoto's." That claim is not well-supported in controlled research. Gluten elimination has more study behind it, particularly in patients who are also positive for celiac or non-celiac gluten sensitivity (Sategna-Guidetti et al., 2001, Journal of Clinical Endocrinology and Metabolism). Dairy's role is largely anecdotal or extrapolated from general gut-inflammation literature.
The glutathione-on-the-thyroid claim is a real problem. There is no peer-reviewed evidence supporting transdermal glutathione applied to the thyroid gland as a method of reducing autoimmune activity. Presenting this alongside selenium, which has actual trial data, gives it a credibility it has not earned.
What she got right: selenium, the baseline-and-recheck protocol, and LDN as a legitimate option worth discussing with a physician. These are defensible positions rooted in real evidence, even if imperfectly framed.
What should you actually know?
Hashimoto's is a spectrum condition. Some people with high antibodies have normal thyroid function for decades. Others deteriorate quickly. The interventions discussed here will not work equally for everyone, and more importantly, none of them replace monitoring by a physician who actually orders labs.
LDN is a prescription medication. In the U.S., it requires a licensed provider to prescribe it, and it is typically used off-label for autoimmune indications. Discussing it with your doctor is appropriate. Sourcing it independently is not. The creator doesn't say to do that, but viewers should understand the distinction clearly.
Selenium supplementation at 200 mcg has the most evidence here, but more is not better. Selenium toxicity (selenosis) is real and can cause hair loss, nail brittleness, and neurological effects at chronic high doses. The therapeutic window is narrow. Do not take multiple selenium-containing supplements simultaneously without tracking total intake.
If your antibodies drop, that is a meaningful signal. But it does not mean your thyroid is structurally recovering. Ultrasound findings, free T4, TSH, and symptoms together tell a more complete story than antibody numbers alone. Treat the person, not just the number.