Thyroid Health

By John L. Stump, DC, PhD, EdD

Did you know that there are foods that have been proven to either speed up, or slow down, your thyroid function?  One of the foods that have been shown to inhibit thyroid function is soy, one of the largest grown crops in America.  

Do you have cold hands and feet? Did you wake up with another headache this morning that went away as the day went on? Are you fatigued? Is your cholesterol higher than you would like it to be? Are you lethargic, depressed, and confused with a foggy sensation in your brain? Welcome to the classic world of subpar thyroid function.

Some of the more common conditions patients present to my office can be precipitated by low thyroid function. Let me explain to you a common pattern: cold hands and feet, as mentioned above, are a body signal named Raynaud’s Disease – it is really a by-product of poor quality fuel combustion causing your body to start conserving blood flow reducing the need to press the thyroid to work. Your thyroid is analogous to the gas pedal in your car; when you run out of fuel, even though you are pressing the pedal, the vehicle does not accelerate optimally. Have you ever run out of gas at 3 o’clock in the afternoon? I want to explain to you the series of events that creates this phenomenon.

This is what happens daily for most individuals: Let’s say you had a “carb” lunch with a cookie desert. Your adrenal gland, or “fuel pump”, is forced to release cortisone to stop the excessive insulin being released by the pancreas. The excessive insulin hard presses the thyroid for more fuel to be released, but the adrenal gland is exhausted because of being pressed one too many times and the pancreas is struggling to complete its own job description. The whole mechanism of low thyroid, adrenal fatigue and pancreas exhaustion are a part of the triad of poor health being experienced by most of our population, including most of you reading this tip!!

The overburdened and stressed adrenal, thyroid and pancreas loop is one of many cycles that can sabotage thyroid function daily. There are other factors compounding the low thyroid dilemma, one of them includes inadequate sources of nutrients for the thyroid to function at peak performance. Your thyroid needs/requires the right factors to burn optimally: iodine, minerals, Omega Oils, protein, calcium and vitamins – just to name a few. Up to this point I have only mentioned the burden factor that impairs function. If you compound that with just low iodine alone you will understand why so many people suffer with low thyroid function and/or a lifetime of medication.

Subpar thyroid function is one of the leading reasons many suffer with emotional challenges. Yes, you read that right! Low thyroid function is a common factor in depression. Thyroid function has a direct impact on your emotional health. I always ask patients with a laundry list of medications on their intake forms including “psycho-active meds” if they have cold hands and feet; they generally do. I want to share with you data that will help you wrap your brain around why we have challenges with thyroid function. Iodine, as I briefly mentioned, is needed with an amino acid or protein called Tyrosine and combines to make thyroid hormone. Tyrosine, by the way, is a natural antidote for depression. There are other factors regarding the cause of depression. I have many patients who have been on thyroid meds for years, without any major improvement of their health. However, you should never go off of your anti-depressants, or any other medication for that matter, without consulting the prescribing physician or one knowledgeable in assisting optimal emotional function. By the way, thyroid medication can increase osteoporosis in menopausal women.

Children can also be plagued with thyroid stress. A common body signal in children is “growing pains”. These children are often low in iodine. And you honestly thought they were just whiners!! I see many unhappy children today who I know from my own personal experience that a low thyroid can cause pain throughout the body resulting in constant migrating pain. Thyroid hormone is necessary for optimal calcium movement in the body. There are other calcium moving factors including vitamin D, too much sugar and soda. Dairy and trans fat or snack food consumption with trans fat alters the thyroid from working. It is possible for a child to have poor thyroid possibilities that, if not corrected over time, will increase the potential to have memory issues and even ADHD and autism. I was at a seminar this past year where the professor suggested that low iodine could even result in major genetic disruption leading to Down’s Syndrome.

Review these low thyroid body signals.

Cold hands and feet

Wide spaced teeth

Thin hair

Loss of outer eye brow hair

Morning headache

High cholesterol

Depression

Constipation

Fatigue

Night time urination

Now that you have assessed yourself, how many did you have? If you marked more than six you would do best to have a TSH, T3 and T4 serum blood test. If you do not have a physician to make the request, you can always call our office and we will suggest one in your area. I just consulted with a young lady who is in her early twenties suffering with constipation and stress/anxiety whose blood results show poor conversion of the T4 à T3 levels. She also suffered with constipation. Your liver and colon are two major organs/glands where the conversion occurs. Low levels of selenium, manganese and iron, commonly seen on mineral tissue analysis are deficient with stress and precipitated by an acid environment which depletes the body of these critically needed nutrients.

I have noticed that patients with the body signals mentioned above are exposed to an abundance of a group of “anti-thyroid” nutrients in the halide group: bromine, fluorine and chlorine. Bromine commonly is found in white bread, hot-tubs, pools, select sodas and some medications. Fluorine is in your drinking water, toothpaste and mouthwash. Chlorine is in your tap water, shower and bath. I want you to know that over time these chemicals compete and deplete your body of the critically needed iodine.

I want to close this tip with this: I would suggest that if you have a suspicion that you or someone you know/love has a low thyroid you need to study up and take proactive steps to improve the function as soon as you can. I have learned that over time a subpar thyroid function is a common factor in the breast cancer pattern. I could type pages on the subject. We have been able to help so many with thyroid function problems naturally. Please pass this on to a friend - it could be a matter of living a healthy life, or always being fatigued and sick.

Any questions regarding this article please write to the author at the following: mailto:bamashogun@aol.com or visit www.alternative-concepts.com or www. Baldwincountynow.com.