| By hypothyroidism, the thyroid gland is producing too | | | | produce hormones (for example Hashimoto's disease). |
| less hormones to stimulate the metabolism, or the | | | | *Sometimes the production of T3 by conversion from |
| body is not able to utilize the hormones. The lack of | | | | T4 is impaired. The total amount of hormones may be |
| thyroid hormones slows down the metabolism and | | | | normal in these cases, but the body is still lacking T3, |
| thus all the activities in the body, giving a combination of | | | | and gets the symptoms of hypothyroidism. |
| many symptoms related to slowness of bodily | | | | *Iodine deficiency can cause hypothyroidism, since the |
| processes. | | | | thyroid hormones contain iodine. In Europe and |
| Hypothyroidism is common, but the frequency of the | | | | America the food is seldom short in iodine, but bad |
| condition is not well determined. Some authorities | | | | nutrition may result in iodine deficiency. |
| estimate that 0.5% of the total American population | | | | *Surgery or radiation at the thyroid area can destroy |
| have the disease to some degree. The frequency is | | | | enough tissue to cause hypothyroidism. |
| much greater among people over 50 years of age | | | | *Injury or disease in the pituitary or of the part of the |
| than among young people. | | | | brain controlling the pituitary may cause a decrease in |
| | | | | secreted thyrotropin, and then the thyroid will respond |
| THE SYMPTOMS AND COMPLICATIONS OF | | | | by producing less of its own hormones with |
| HYPOTHYROIDISM | | | | hypothyroidism as a result. |
| The most common early symptoms are: Mental and | | | | *Some people have symptoms of hypothyroidism |
| physical fatigue, weakness, weight gain or over-weight, | | | | even though the amount of thyroid hormone in the |
| and depression. | | | | blood is normal. One of the symptoms is raised levels |
| One or more of these symptoms also use to appear | | | | of thyrotropin, indicating that the body signals need for |
| early: Constipation, sensitivity to coldness, cold hands | | | | more thyroid hormones. This variant may be caused |
| and feet, thick tongue, decreased sweating, dry hair, | | | | by conditions elsewhere in the body that make it |
| thin brittle hair, thin brittle nails, muscle and joint pain, pale | | | | difficult for the hormone to reach their destination in the |
| or yellowish skin, rashes and itching. | | | | cells. In many of these cases the immune system |
| One or more of these symptoms usually appear later: | | | | produces anti-bodies against the thyroid hormones. |
| Poor memory, slow thought process, drowsiness, slow | | | | This variant is called sub-clinical hypothyroidism, and |
| speech, thinning of eyebrows, hoarseness, low blood | | | | responds to the same treatment as ordinary |
| pressure, poor circulation, dry and flaky skin, decreased | | | | hypothyroidism. |
| taste and smell, menstrual irregularities, skin thickening, | | | | *Some types of food can contribute to a depressed |
| puffy face, puffy hands and feet, swelling of | | | | thyroid function or aggravate hypothyroidism when |
| extremities, overall swelling, muscle spasms, muscle | | | | eaten raw in great amounts: Brussel sprouts, broccoli, |
| atrophy, joint stiffness. | | | | corn oil, cabbage, cauliflower, kale, kohlrabi, radishes, |
| In children or young persons hypothyroidism may give | | | | rutabaga, soy and turnips. By cooking these |
| developmental problems, like disturbed tooth | | | | vegetables, the depressing effect is decreased |
| development and short stature. | | | | *Factors suspected for causing hypothyroidism are: |
| Hypothyroidism increases the risk of elevated | | | | The artificial sweetener aspartame, mercury pollution, |
| cholesterol levels, heart disease and diabetes (diabetes | | | | dental fillings containing mercury, fluoride and heavy |
| mellitus). This occurs even by moderately decreased | | | | metal pollution. |
| thyroid production. | | | | |
| | | | | HOW CAN HYPOTHYROIDISM BE TREATED |
| THE THYROID GLAND AND ITS HORMONES | | | | For serious hypothyroidism caused by tissue |
| To understand the hypothyroidism, some knowledge | | | | destruction, external supplement of thyroid hormones is |
| about the thyroid gland and its hormones is essential. | | | | necessary. |
| The thyroid gland produces hormones that accelerate | | | | When the condition is caused by lack of iodine in the |
| and in other wise regulate metabolism. A part of | | | | diet, dietary changes and iodine supplements will be a |
| metabolism is the process of breaking down energy | | | | part of the treatment. |
| containing nutrients, and using the energy to produce | | | | Less serious, but painful hypothyroidism is sometimes |
| molecules that all the processes and activities in the | | | | also treated with hormone supplements. In these |
| body use as fuel. Another part is the production of | | | | cases it is difficult to find the right dose, and treatment |
| molecules that the body use as building materials. | | | | may result in hormone poisoning. |
| The thyroid makes four hormones: Thyroxin (T4), | | | | You can sometimes alleviate hypothyroidism by |
| triiodothyronine (T3), diiodothyronine (T2) and | | | | reducing the amount of food suspected for depressing |
| monoiodothyronine (T1). The hormones contain iodine, | | | | the thyroid function: Brussel sprouts, broccoli, corn oil, |
| and the figures tell about the number of iodine atoms in | | | | cabbage, cauliflower, kale, kohlrabi, radishes, rutabaga, |
| each hormone molecule. T3 is not made directly, but is | | | | soy, soy products and turnips. However, these food |
| produced from T4. T3 is a more efficient hormone | | | | types are valuable in many ways, so it is probably not |
| than T4. Therefore this conversion is important. | | | | wise to cut them out totally. Also try to avoid artificial |
| The pituitary, a gland under the brain, produces a | | | | ingredients like the sweetener aspartame, conserving |
| hormone called thyrotropin or thyroid stimulating | | | | additives and fluoride. |
| hormone (TSH) that enhances the activity of the | | | | Changing out mercury dental fillings and avoiding |
| thyroid gland. If the body has too less thyroid hormone | | | | mercury or heavy metal exposure may help to |
| in the blood, the pituitary produces more thyrotropin. | | | | ameliorate the condition. |
| This makes the thyroid gland speed up its own | | | | You may also alleviate the condition by eating food |
| production. By a too heavy thyroid hormone | | | | that stimulates the thyroid function according to |
| concentration, less thyrotropin is produced by the | | | | practical experience: Chia seed, dulse, fish from the |
| pituitary, and the thyroid gland slows down. This | | | | ocean, flax seed, pumpkin seed, seaweed, coconut |
| feed-back mechanism regulates the metabolism of the | | | | and brewer yeast. |
| whole body. | | | | You can find nutritional supplements to help for |
| | | | | hypothyroidism. The compositions of these products |
| THE MECHANISMS AND CAUSES OF | | | | vary: |
| HYPOTHYROIDISM | | | | *They may contain building materials that the thyroid |
| By hypothyroidism the body does not get enough | | | | uses to make its hormones, for example: iodine, |
| thyroid hormone, or the hormones do not work | | | | acetyl-L-tyrosine or L-phenylalanine. |
| effectively in the body. This causes the metabolism to | | | | *They may also contain vitamins and minerals that |
| slow down. When the metabolism decreases, the | | | | stimulate the mechanism of hormone production by |
| processes in the body do not get enough fuel and | | | | being a part of necessary enzymes, or by helping the |
| building materials, and all the body activities will | | | | absorption of the ingredients that hormones are made |
| therefore slow down. Energy containing nutrient will | | | | from, like: Magnesium, zinc, selenium, copper and |
| also be stored as fat, since they are not broken down. | | | | vitamin E. |
| Serious variants of hypothyroidism are called | | | | *They may furthermore contain constituents that |
| myxedema. This is a rare condition. However, less | | | | stimulate tissue regeneration by being part of tissue |
| serious, but painful variants are common. There are | | | | building enzymes, and thus helping to restore a |
| several reasons for hypothyroidism, each giving a | | | | degraded thyroid, for example: Folic acid or folate, |
| variant of the disease: | | | | vitamin B2 (riboflavin), B3 (niacin), B5 (pantothenic acid |
| *An autoimmune reaction against the thyroid tissue | | | | or pantothenate), B6 (pyridoxine), B12 (cyanocobalamin) |
| can destroy the capability of the thyroid gland to | | | | and molybdenum. |