Google Buzz

Thyroid disorders are usually more common in women.   Women are about 50 times more likely to suffer from an underactive thyroid (hypothyroidism) than men.

Some scientists theorize that hormones, like estrogen, may trigger autoimmune conditions which include problems with their thyroid.   But more recent studies have shown that by competing with estrogens produced by the body, soy isoflavones may also reduce the body’s production of estrogen, and increase clearance of these hormones from the circulation — all of which together reduce the overall amount of estrogen in the body.
[Shu XO, et al. Soy food intake and breast cancer survival. JAMA. 2009 Dec 9;302(22):2437-43.]

Could You Have a Problem Thyroid?

The thyroid gland produces hormones that regulate the way you use energy.   Thyroid hormones influence how well your organ systems perform –  how slow or how fast they produce proteins, use oxygen, and respond to other hormones.

Sometimes thyroid glands fail to function properly.   If your thyroid gland produces less thyroid hormone than normal, you have hypothyroidism, which is an underactive thyroid.   If your thyroid produces more thyroid hormone than normal, you have hyperthyroidism, which is an overactive thyroid.

Also, hypothyroidism and hyperthyroidism tend to run in families.

Hyperthyroidism can also be caused by a thyroid nodule.   There’s no evidence that thyroid problems can lead to thyroid cancer.   However, because thyroid cancer is often the result of ionizing radiation that can damage the thyroid gland, people with thyroid cancer can suffer from an underactive thyroid (hypothyroidism).   Thyroid cancer is only rarely found in people with a history of hyperthyroidism.

What About Fluoride?

Like iodine, fluoride is a chemical that has been deliberately added to your food supply to reduce the risk of dental cavities & improve the quality of dental health.   In many areas fluoride has been added to the drinking water supply.   Also, most toothpastes also contain added fluoride.

However, a number of studies in recent years have found there is a link between fluoride intake and thyroid dysfunctions.   This should not be a surprise considering that fluoride has been used for a long time as the leading treatment of under-active thyroids in clinics & hospitals throughout Europe.  In areas where water supplies have been heavily fluoridated, the daily dose of fluoride is roughly equivalent to what was once used by European physicians to inhibit thyroid function in their patients with hyperthyroidism.

Although there has been no definitive statement recommending that thyroid patients should avoid fluoride consumption, several leading medical groups have recommended further investigation of the impact of fluoride consumption on not just the thyroid gland, but also on the entire endocrine system.

It might be a good idea for thyroid patients to talk to their doctor about whether or not they should switch to a non-fluoridated, all natural toothpaste and to filter their drinking water to reduce some fluoride.

Whether your thyroid is overactive or underactive, or whether you are just trying to maintain optimal thyroid function, it’s important to remember that everything you consume can affect your health in a lot of different ways.

Can Green Tea Help?

Throughout much of Asia, green tea has been a dietary staple for a long time.   More recently, this mild tea has been linked to health benefits like immunity enhancement & cancer prevention.

People looking to maintain a healthy weight or lose weight have been experimenting with green tea.   It is said that green tea has metabolic benefits, helping to prompt the fat-burning processes that help speed up weight loss, but for people with thyroid problems, this benefit could to be problem.

For people who suffer from overactive thyroids (hyperthyroid), consuming green tea IN LARGE QUANTITIES is usually not recommended.   This is because the metabolism boosting properties of green tea could increase the metabolism rate too much, exacerbating some of the symptoms of hyperthyroidism.

Are You Getting Enough Iodine In Your Diet?

Hypothyroidism can be caused by iodine deficiency or problems associated with the pituitary gland.  In 1914, the US Government intervened when a lack of iodine in the atmosphere created a goiter belt and so they added iodine to milk and salt to prevent goiter and other thyroid disorders.   In the United States, health experts say that this policy has prevented millions of thyroid disorders over the last several decades.

But a 2006 study undertaken in China questioned this widespread assumption.   We all need iodine in our diets and since a lot of people are avoiding milk and salt these days, there is always the possibility of an iodine deficiency.   But the study supposedly found that excessive iodine consumption is linked to other thyroid problems.

The rates of autoimmune thyroiditis & hypothyroidism were elevated among the Chinese study subjects & excessive iodine consumption was believed to be the cause.   The researchers did point out, however, that an iodine deficiency, rather than overdose, is the biggest problem in other parts of the world.

Daily amounts of iodine vary with each individual & their activity level & time of year because hot & cold weather effect the amount of iodine the body requires.

GNLD’s uni-packs (Stress 30, Sports 30 and Active 40 Plus) contain 100 mcg of iodine from kelp (66% of the RDA).   Kelp is an algae that reduces absorption of cadmium and may help to remove other toxins.

Nutritional Resources:
“Thyroid Disorders: Who Should Be Tested? Part 1 of 2″
“Have You Thought About Iodine?”
“The Great Iodine Panic of 2011″

The information on these pages is not designed to diagnose, prescribe, cure or treat but rather lists GNLD products that meet the needs of certain situations.
LINK: Read about GNLD productss here.
The opinions on these pages are not the opinions of the author, but rather the author cites the results of clinical studies and the views of world-recognized scientists, biochemists, doctors, toxicologists and board certified nutritionists who do not have any political or monetary interests in the studies being performed.


Tagged with: • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • •

Filed under: GNLD Product Knowledge • Nutritional Information • Words of Wisdom

Like this post? Subscribe to my RSS feed and get loads more!