SEPTEMBER 22, 2011 IODINE AND HYPOTHYROIDISM

"Attitude is a little thing that makes a big difference. " Winston Churchill

For the last seventeen years I have lived by the motto, Gratitude not Attitude. Maybe Mr. Churchill meant to say Gratitude . My quote has saved me in many situations. Life is about gratitude. You just have to realize it. If you think about it, it will make sense. What are you grateful for? I never liked rain and wearing a yellow slicker raincoat as a child. Today I love the rain. It feeds the plants. Today I love to wear chic raincoats (never the color yellow). I am grateful for life in general. I never used to see the beauty in a day.

Why do you have an attitude? Perhaps it goes deeper than your present attitude. Think about it!

The thyroid is an H shaped gland within the neck area. It lies over the second to fourth tracheal rings. It is regulated by the hypothalamus-pituitary axis. It is highly vascular and a major player in an important biofeedback mechanism.

The hypothalamus secretes TRH (thyroid releasing hormone) which in turn causes the anterior pituitary to secrete TSH. This TSH (thyroid stimulating hormone) causes the the thyroid to secrete two thyroid hormones, T3 and T4. The amount of hormones released depends on the amount of TSH.

This is important to understand. The normal TSH level is .27 - 4.0. If the TSH is less than 0.2 you would think lower means hypo, BUT a TSH less than 0.2 is HYPERTHYROIDISM OR OVERACTIVE THYROID.

If the TSH is greater than 4.0 you might think higher means hyper BUT a TSH greater than 4.0 is HYPOTHYROIDISM OR UNDERACTIVE THYROID.

Why is the thyroid so important? The thyroid hormones (T3 and T4) secreted from the thyroid control the body's metabolic rate, rate of oxygen consumption as well as energy expenditure under resting conditions. These hormones also contribute to growth (especially T3) and overall calorigenic effect. So yes... these are very important.

The symptoms of low thyroid function can come from any of 3 sources: 1. thyroid gland failure; 2. A deficieincy of TRH and/or TSH; and 3. Inadequate supply of iodine. The multi-system effect of decreased thyroid function is numerous. Hypothyroidism affects every single system of the body. There are metabolic effects (fatigue, depression), nervous system effects (chronic headaches), skin problems (dry skin, cold intolerance), immune system effects (immune depression) and other systems. Some of the other symptoms include miscarriage, menstrual irregularities, food sensitivities, low body temperatures, slow wound healing, hair loss and difficulty concentrating. These are just a few.

Perhaps after reading this you might think you have a sluggish thyroid gland (hypothyroid).

Although this has been discussed before, hearing it again is always beneficial. We need iodine. Most Americans are low in iodine ( just as we are low in Vitamin D3). It is essential to have iodine for the thyroid. Some individuals have remedied the low iodine by adding iodized salt to their food. I do not particularly like this remedy.

Do this: 1. Eat some Kelp. I am not a kelp lover but there is a variety of kelp out there: Icelandic kelp, Norwegian kelp, Giant Pacific Kelp and Hijki . I know that kelp can improve many symptoms of a low thyroid. It will definitely decrease inflammation and arthritic pain. Some studies suggest that kelp reduces heart damage (atherosclerosis).

I like the brown seaweed especially a Fucus species, Bladderwrack. As a Registered Herbologist I have formulated an herbal tincture with bladderwrack, called herbal SLIM tea, http://www.herbalslimtea.com/

The dose of iodine needed for the human body is 150-300 mg. For those who do not want to ingest seaweed you can always find kelp tablets or capsules and start that way. Start slowly with the kelp capsules and even the seaweed. Some kelp has a higher iodine content than others. Icelandic kelp has a greater amount of iodine (8000 ppm) than most other kelp.

Until tomorrow...