Thyroid Levels Impact Dementia Risk
A new study published in the journal Neurology has found that high and high-normal thyroid levels are linked to greater risk of developing dementia, but not vascular brain disease.
This is a very interesting finding because (as this previous post illustrates) cognitive decline has been linked with hypothyroidism and high TSH.
This study shows that having too low TSH can also be risk factor (we’ll explore why this might be in a moment). What this also shows us is just how important balance is. There may be a “Goldilocks” zone of TSH and free T4 that’s “just right”.
In this study, researchers led by Layal Chaker, MD, MSc, of Erasmus University Rotterdam, the Netherlands investigated the role of thyroid function in dementia, cognitive decline, and vascular brain disease.
They examined a subgroup of 9446 people (mean age 65) enrolled into this Rotterdam Study. Researchers looked into the link between thyroid-stimulating hormone (TSH) and free thyroxine (free T4) and incidents of dementia.
Here’s what they found: Over the course of follow-up (mean 8 years), 601 patients developed dementia (Alzheimer’s dementia n=487). Higher levels of TSH were found to be associated with lower dementia risk for both the full and normal ranges of thyroid function, independent of cardiovascular risk factors (hazard ratio [HR] 0.90, 95% confidence interval [CI] 0.83–0.98; and HR 0.76, 95% CI 0.64–0.91, respectively).
Participants with higher levels of free thyroxine were found to have greater dementia risk (HR 1.04, 95% CI 1.01–1.07).
Higher levels of TSH were associated with better cognitive scores (P =.021), and in older women, a 5% decrease in absolute 10-year dementia risk. Notably, thyroid function was not found to be associated with subclinical vascular brain disease.
The results, the authors concluded, suggest that thyroid hormone impacts dementia risk through nonvascular pathways.
The researchers offered a couple of other ideas about why this might be including the possibility that excess free thyroxine may affect the way that genes are expressed in important pathways in the brain or that destruction to nerves my be caused by oxidative stress which can cause destruction of brain tissue (which, frankly, makes a lot of sense to me – more on this in a moment).
Also, participants with early signs of dementia may have changes in behavior, like diet, which may alter thyroid function. (As we know diet and behavior are extremely important for maintaining a healthy brain).
“In other words, we may not be observing a true effect of thyroid hormone on dementia risk but rather the opposite,” the authors concluded.
This is one of those instances when looking at research can make you crazy. Too high TSH and hypothyroidism is clearly a potential problem and too low TSH may also be a potential problem.
Age is another factor to consider when trying to wind yourself through this maze. Thyroid hormone is absolutely essential for the developing brain, so if your are pregnant or if you are an infant or young child, it may be more important to have your TSH a little lower (In fact, the American Endocrine Society has recommendations for TSH in each trimester and they can be found in this post.)
As we age, the brain becomes becomes more vulnerable to certain processes and, I think, the chief concern here may be the role of oxidative stress on the mitochondria in the brain.
In thyrotoxicosis (excessively low TSH or a hyperthyroid state), glucose uptake and utilization by muscle is increased as is the breakdown of glycogen (glycogenolysis) and glycogen (a substance that stores carbohydrates) depletion is seen in muscle biopsy samples.
Also, mitochondrial oxidation is increased and lipid oxidation, protein and purine breakdown all occur and this results in lower ATP (our cells energy sources).
And being naturally a little hypothyroid might actually protect your brain from this (but, it can also cause it’s own problems – damned if you do and damned if you don’t!)
And mitochondria are smack dab in the middle of this whole process because they are involved in both energy production and cell death.
Mitochondria are unique in that they both produce energy and make free radicals. They do this in order to monitor cellular health and to make a rapid decision (if necessary) to initiate programmed cell death.
When this process goes haywire in the brain, it can have devastating impacts on nerve cells. And too much free T4 can be one of the factors that drives this.
From http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0925443909002427
Ironically, mitochondria in the brain are really of victims of their own amazing abilities.
If the amount of free radical species produced by them overwhelms the neurons in the brain’s ability to neutralize them, oxidative stress occurs, followed by mitochondrial dysfunction and neuronal damage.
Reactive species generated by mitochondria have several cellular targets including mitochondrial components themselves (lipids, proteins, and DNA). The lack of histones in mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) and the diminished capacity for DNA repair render the mitochondria an easy target to oxidative stress events.
So, they are especially vulnerable to their own attacks. (There has to be a lesson there. 🙂 )
All of this can translate into destruction of brain tissue due to this oxidation which produces free radicals. (In fact, many symptoms of aging are due to these free radicals).
Basically, this all comes down to electrons. These reactive oxygen species are untethered electrons flying around breaking up cells, and wreaking havoc (think bullet in a tin can).
And really, at the end of the day, this mitochondrial dysfunction is a causal link between neurodegeneration caused by both hypo and hyperthyroidism.
So, obviously, this begs the question, How do we preserve and heal the mitochondria in our brains (and the rest of our bodies?)
Stay tuned. We’ll be exploring this in a future post in considerable depth.
Want to Banish Brain Fog and Heal Your Brain? Check out Dr. Datis Kharrazian’s Banish Brain Fog Program ($50 off if you purchase before 10/3/2016).
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4923401/ Endocrine Risk factors for Cognitive Impairment
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/17353866 Hypothyroidism and reversible cognitive decline
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3496329/ Review of 23 studies on subclinical hyperthyroidism and cognitive decline
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3872098/ Role of Thyroid Hormone in Oxidative Stress and Neurodegeneration
http://joe.endocrinology-journals.org/content/176/3/321.full.pdf Hypothyroidism alters mitochondria
http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0925443909002427 Mitochondria Dysfunction and Alzheimer’s
Today’s Hashimoment: Your Healing Might Be Right In Front of You
Hey people!
Today, I wanted to discuss how much of the process of healing is really anchored in the way you choose to experience it.
Hashimoto’s, like many chronic diseases, is not just a physical problem. It’s also an emotional, psychological, and (dare I say it) spiritual challenge.
And a good deal of our progress or lack of progress really depends on our perception of what is happening.
To badly paraphrase Henry Ford, whether you think you can get better or you don’t think you can get better, you’re right.
The other day I was experiencing something that was a bit challenging and I was feeling discouraged and I shared it with a friend and he said, “What if you are closer than you think?”
And I had to stop and pause. And admit he was right.
What if what I was, in that moment, perceiving as failure or disappointment or a set back was actually moving me closer to where I wanted to be?
What if it was actually within reach but I couldn’t see it because I was so focused on that fact that I hadn’t gotten it yet?
Or to put it another way, what if I was actually sitting in the middle of an answered prayer, but I was too preoccupied with everything I didn’t have to notice?
And of course this begs the question, what if I instead stopped to take inventory of all the progress and blessings that I did have and recognize and celebrate them?
All of a sudden my entire perception had changed and the glass became half full (more than half full).
So, I challenge you today to ask yourself, “What if I’m closer than I think…?”
To healing your Hashimoto’s, to having abundant energy, to feeling happy, healthy and loving life again?
“What if I am sitting in the middle of an answered prayer and I actually stopped to appreciate it?”
Just ask yourself those questions and you might find your perception changing too.
Thoughts, comments, shares, likes and more are always welcomed.
Have a great day! Unless you have other plans. 🙂
We’ve had a few posts covering the adrenals this week. In this one, I talk about how they can affect your kidneys and what you can do about it.
Well something that is often overlooked with hypothyroidism and Hashimoto’s is it’s impact on the kidneys (the Water Element in Chinese Medicine)
I’ve had a lot of questions this week about why blood pressure goes up in people who have low blood pressure for years.
Read this post and you’ll learn why.While this is one area that is not often discussed, Hashimoto’s and hypothyroidism can have a big impact on kidney function.Hypothyroidism can cause:
(This can cause creatinine to build up and not be excreted. Creatinine is a chemical waste molecule that is generated from muscle metabolism. )
The kidneys fail to filter waste products from your body properly when your pressure is low, and “angiotensin” is produced, which raises your blood pressure.
Also, a rise in cortisol from your adrenals can raise your blood pressure.
Hypothyroidism can also cause edema.
You can see this swelling under the eyes, or as mild swelling of the hands and feet.
This is caused by several things: decreased kidney function, capillaries becoming more permeable-, poor lymphatic drainage and salt and water retention by the kidneys.
Another area that’s important to think about is the amount of protein in your diet.
As many of you know, we advocate the Autoimmune Paleo approach because this diet can be so effective in healing the gut and calming an overactive immune system.
One problem with this diet with regard to the kidneys is that some people have a tendency to focus too much on the meat. It becomes the all-meat-all-day diet.
This is really hard on the kidneys because they are responsible for filtering out the metabolic wastes that are created when protein is broken down.
So, it’s really important to make sure that you have plenty of vegetables and fruit (preferably organic and if you’re ambitious – grown in your garden).
You don’t need to eat meat with every meal. It’s perfectly fine to have some meals that are vegetable and/or vegetable and a good starch only.
Your kidneys will thank you for it!
Case Study: Anything Is Possible
This case was pretty severe, yet it turned out pretty well.
A 29 year old female who was diagnosed with Hashimoto’s postpartum.
She suffered from fatigue, brain fog and concentration problems, muscle aches and hip and shoulder pain. Also suffered mild depression and thinning hair and nails.
She had both Graves and Hashimoto’s antibodies elevated, high TSH (above 16 at one point). She fluctuated from hyper to hypo symptoms. She reported that these were “crazy cycles” for about 15 months.
She also could not tolerate thyroid replacement hormone at all. She had a very bad reaction to both Synthroid and Armour.
Further investigating revealed signs and symptoms of leaky gut, hypoglycemia and adrenal issues, and high homocysteine levels.
We put her on an Autoimmune Diet, treated her hypoglycemia by making sure she started the day with a good protein and fat combination and didn’t let her sugar crash throughout the day. She ate at regular intervals.
We also treated the leaky gut and worked on the adrenals and helped her adapt to stressors.
And we worked to aggressively reduce the systemic inflammation that’s was at the root of this.
After working together for 3 months, she felt considerable improvement.
She returned to her primary physician, reported what she had done and requested a follow up blood test.
This doctor initially refused because he said that it wasn’t possible that there could be any improvement with that type of treatment.
Diet and the adrenals didn’t matter, etc.
She insisted and finally he relented and ordered the tests. Everything came back within the normal range, (all the antibodies, the TSH and everything else).
She was, of course, elated. The doctor, not so much.
Here is an email she sent me:
“Hello Marc!
I know you didn’t ask me for an update, but everyone deserves praise every now and then:)
Well this is… (her name),…and if you remember you helped me about 18 months ago. I had horrible anti-bodies, leaky gut, adrenal problems, etc.
All of this came after a pregnancy.
Anyways, my thyroid antibodies have not come back, my gut feels amazing (unless I accidentally ingest gluten:)) and I assume my adrenals are working just fine!
In fact I’m pregnant again with my second, and my thyroid is looking good and I’m feeling amazing!!!
I owe this all to you!
So once again thank you so much, you literally changed my life, and keep the facebook posts coming, I love learning all I can about the latest updates!
Wishing you wisdom and happiness!”
A. Greenwood
Brekenridge Mo.
I’m not going to pretend this happens with everyone, nor do I deserve all the credit.
She deserves the credit for persevering, following the plan and believing that something else was possible.
There are also some really important takeaways here.
Firstly, the answer wasn’t just thyroid replacement hormone. This is the answer for some people, but not for everyone.
Especially post partum when things are really in flux and your body is adapting to a new normal.
And as we discussed yesterday, there are also fillers that may be problematic for some people.
This case also shows that sometimes the thyroid isn’t the direct cause of the problems.
Here it was was the inflammatory process, the adrenals and the immune system dysregulation.
It took some digging and detective work to look elsewhere for solutions, but there were pretty clear indications about where they were.
What’s also really encouraging about this is that the changes were sustained over more than a year.
That’s a very good sign.
So if you’re struggling and the solution that has been offered you isn’t working, then don’t be afraid to dig deeper and look for solutions in other systems of the body.
And, bottom line, there is always hope because anything is possible if you believe it to be so!
Low Carb Diet Lowers Thyroid Antibodies
Hey people! I’m always astonished when people share with me that their doctor said, “Diet doesn’t matter, there’s nothing you can do except take thyroid hormone.”
I have literally heard variations of that one sentence over 500 times. I really don’t understand it because in my (and many of my colleagues) clinical experience this is the single most important factor in achieving long term success.
In today’s post I want to share a new research study that suggests otherwise. This was published in the Drug Design, Development and Therapy Journal, Volume 10, 2016.
This study, entitled, Effects of low-carbohydrate diet therapy in overweight subject with autoimmune thyroiditis: possible synergism with ChREBP , looked at “…a total of 180 patients, 84 males and 96 females, aged 30–45 years. All the subjects did not present celiac disease, but Hashimoto’s disease was detected. Moreover, each patient showed others autoimmune symptoms, they are typical Hashimoto’s disease.”
(This isn’t huge cohort, but it’s certainly enough people to give us some decent data.)
All patients had elevated antibodies.
TSH, free T3, free T4 and levels of anti-microsomal, anti-thyroglobulin, and anti-peroxidase Abs were measured. (Which is interesting since anti-microsomal and anti-TPO antibodies are essentially the same ).
They were put on the following: a diet program based on the following proportions: carbohydrates 12%–15%, proteins 50%–60%, and lipids 25%–30%. These patients were instructed to eat large leafy and other types of vegetables and only lean parts of red and white meat, avoiding goitrogenic food. The following items were also excluded from the diet: eggs, legumes, dairy products, bread, pasta, fruits, and rice.
This protein-rich diet plan was implemented for 3 weeks, at the end of which bioimpedance tests, bodyweight measurements, and blood tests (TPO Ab, anti-microsomal Ab, thyroglobulin [TG] Ab, and thyroid hormones) were performed.
There was also a control group that didn’t make any dietary changes and were also tested.
Initial (pre-diet) levels of FT3, FT4, and TSH were not significantly different between the two groups.
In just 3 weeks, these were the results: patients treated as above showed a significant reduction of antithyroid (-40%,P<0.013), anti-microsomal (-57%, P<0.003), and anti-peroxidase (-44%, P<0,029) Abs. Untreated patients had a significant increase in antithyroid (+9%, P<0.017) and anti-microsomal (+30%,P<0.028) Abs. Even the level of anti-peroxidase Abs increased without reaching statistical significance (+16%, P>0064).
In other words, there was a 40% reduction in anti-thyroid, a 57% anti-microsomal and a 44% ant-TPO antibodies. While people in the control group who made no changes showed an in crease of 9% anti-thyroid, 30% anti-microsomal and 16% increase in anti-TPO antibodies.
There was also some weight loss noted about a 5% reduction and a 4% reduction in BMI.
Those antibody reduction numbers are HUGE differences. If they were develop a drug that could do that, it would be a multi-billion dollar discovery.
So, I think it’s safe to say that this type of diet is, at least, worth trying.
I also think there are few things that came up in this study that interesting and worth pointing out. These researchers had the dieters remove goitrogenic vegetables. I have looked into the research on this and I don’t think they have the impact that we have been led to believe.
In my opinion, as long as you steam or blanch or cook them in some way, most of those properties are not an issue. Here’s a good discussion on this.
Basically, with the exception of soy, these vegetables have far more health benefits than problems.
The other thing I thought was fascinating about this study was the discussion of why this may be (I’m a geek when it comes to this and I’m forever curious to learn WHY?)
First thing the researchers note is that “… the aim of this type of diet is to reduce the overall inflammatory state and consequently inflammation of the thyroid gland.” This is an anti-inflammatory diet and test results confirm that.
Also, they note that these results may be “related to the role of the thyroid hormone receptor-α (TRα), found mainly in the liver and white adipose tissues.”
This receptor is involved in fat metabolism and balance. It causes certain genes to be expressed ( such as ChREBP or Carbohydrate-responsive element-binding protein which interacts with carbohydrate expression in DNA.)
In addition, they note “It has also been suggested that TRα could be involved in the transcriptional regulation of lipogenesis in the liver. Activation of these genes determines an increase in the expression of anti-microsomal Abs, which occurs mainly in the REL of hepatocytes, and it has a fundamental role in inflammatory processes.”
In other words, this receptor is involved in fat production in the liver (which is the result of sugar and carbohydrate consumption) AND it increases anti-microsomal antibodies AND it is is important in inflammation.
I have often noted how important blood sugar regulation is for Hashimoto’s patients and I frequently express this to my patients and we work diligently to balance their blood sugar. And this is why it is so important!
They also note” that 83% of patients with a high level of autoantibodies are breath test positive to lactase with a lactase deficit higher than 50%…” This is one of the reasons dairy can be problematic for Hashimoto’s patients as well.
And one final point that was really interesting and which emphasizes the importance of making sure your liver is functioning properly is that “Chronic inflammation of the thyroid gland can also be due to the presence of environmental contaminants that are suspected to disturb activity against the endocrine system, known as endocrine disrupting chemicals.”
These chemicals like PCBs are known endocrine disruptors and have been shown to disrupt thyroid function. These researchers suggest that a rise in anti-microsomal antibodies may be a way for our bodies to defend the thyroid and prevent it from being further destroyed.
What these chemicals do is to disrupt the thyroid receptor that we looked at earlier. And this all happens in the liver. What this study makes us more curious about is how the thyroid gland is involved in lipid metabolism (yes, those of you who know me may see the light going off in my brain- more blog posts to come!).
Bottom Line? A diet based on the reduction of carbohydrate content leads not only to a weight loss, but also a decrease in fat mass and a significant drop of autoantibodies in Hashimoto’s thyroiditis.
So, dear doctor, DIET DOES MATTER!!!!!
Try it people.
Have a great day, unless you have other plans!
Edit:
I recently conducted an informal survey on my Facebook page (http://facebook.com/hashimotoshealing)
I asked people about what worked for them the most in treating their Hashimoto’s symptoms.
The results were rather telling and, I feel, are relevant to this post. Many of them talked about dietary changes being one of the most significant factors in helping to alleviate their symptom.
Here’s a graph of the results:
REAL STORIES FROM REAL PEOPLE:
WHAT’S YOUR STORY?
“I was diagnosed with Hashimoto’s Thyroiditis, PCOS, Chronic Fatigue, Fibromyalgia, and IBS/Leaky Gut Syndrome over three years ago.
I went from running 6 days a week and feeling healthy and full of energy. To slowly deteriorating and becoming more and more sick. I was prescribed five different medications.
I chose to only to be on the Levothyroxine, and even then, the side effects for me only compounded my symptoms.
I was at the lowest in my life, physically emotionally and mentally. The best way to describe it was that it felt like my body was “literally dying”. I felt like I had a “hangover” everyday.
I never felt “right”. I had fatigue and widespread body pain. I would get bad headaches at the base of my skull that included nose bleeds that at times, lasted several hours and would put me in the ER.
Eventually my symptoms went from being just physical. To also affecting me mentally and emotionally. Along with daily foggy brain and stroke like symptoms. I had severe anxiety and depression, along with irritability and outbursts of anger.
I was at a point in my life, that I had more bad days than good. I was so exhausted and beat up. I had lost all hope of ever getting my health, life and well being back. I felt lost. This disease had become my identity. And for me, that was humiliating.
I stumbled across Marc’s Facebook page and could relate with everything he posted. The more curious I got, the more I looked into what he had to say. I thought “What do I have to lose? I’ll order his book and video series and see if this gives me any answers”.
After receiving my copy of Marc’s book Roadmap To Remission in September 2015. My wonderfully supportive but equally frustrated and exhausted husband and I started eating the Paleo/AIP lifestyle right away.
I noticed after a few days. My symptoms were becoming less severe and less frequent. Now a few weeks into it, I still have not had any flare ups.
My energy is coming back. I am no longer having pain, depression, anxiety, heartburn or bowel problems. And I’m even sleeping better at night. And to my pleasant surprise.
The weight is just falling off (with having Hashimoto’s, that was something I had given up hope of ever happening). My husband has also lost weight and has more energy for his demanding career as an Engineer.
As Marc recommends. I am keeping a journal. I find that since I’m feeling so good now. It helps remind me “why” I started this , and helps me stay on track with the things that work and don’t work for me.
I never would have started down my path of healing without the tools necessary that Marc Ryan and his book has provided me. He personally told me that I need to embrace “change” and be willing to “learn” and to not stray from my new “lifestyle”.
I am now enjoying and embracing my new lease on life, one day at a time. I know this is a life long journey that I will be on. But for the first time in years, I am excited about living again and seeing what life has in store for me!
I’m so grateful to Marc Ryan and his book, Roadmap To Remission. He has provided me with the gift of “Hope” and the tools to “Help” me down my path of my “Healing”. TONIA BALL
Hey people!
Here’s a real story about the huge difference diet can make. This was submitted to us by Hillary Bergh, a contributor and recipe-author at furtherfood.com
“Throughout my childhood, I suffered from psoriasis, various skin issues, extreme fatigue, digestive distress, migraines, mood swings, thinning hair, weak nails, and had trouble regulating my body temperature. I saw multiple doctors before I was finally diagnosed with Hashimoto’s Thyroiditis in my teens. I was put on synthetic thyroid and estrogen hormones to manage my condition. While some of the symptoms were reduced, my skin and digestive issues became much worse.
They all told me food was not a factor
My general practitioner, my endocrinologist, and my dermatologist all continued to tell me food was not and could not be a factor–which was a relief. I wanted to believe them because food was my life. My parents owned restaurants, and I was passionate about cooking and wanted a career in food. When I was a teen, my mom did take me to see a naturopath, who suggested I eliminate wheat and gluten. I simply couldn’t do it back then; it was too hard.
I went on to fulfill my dreams of going to culinary school, then baking/pastry school, and then obtained my business degree. Yet, I continued to be plagued by my health issues. I saw various western trained doctors over the years, took medications, used creams – yet saw no improvement, and more often than not, my symptoms worsened.
Hit rock bottom, and started a strict elimination diet
I got so sick that I was forced to spend weeks in bed, and was having increasingly painful symptoms. Finally, a very good friend covered the cost for me to see an acupuncturist for six months, four times per week. I was put on a very strict elimination diet and drank 4oz of a horribly bitter tonic after every meal. Within two weeks, I saw results that exceeded my wildest dreams!
Getting better, reducing meds
As the six month mark approached, I noticed my nails getting stronger, my hair getting thicker, skin issues reducing, no headaches, and had increased energy. I was able to reintroduce many foods, reduce my thyroid dosage, and eliminate my estrogen dosage.
Finding my life’s purpose
Since then, I have received an integrative nutrition health coaching certificate and expanded my knowledge of food as healing. I have been able to combine this newfound knowledge with my culinary education and be a coach to others. It is my life’s purpose to be an example and inspiration to others who are suffering. My health journey is an ongoing adventure and now I can enjoy the ride!”
Awesome! Another great example of why we need to be our own advocates and why the right food choices should be the foundation of any treatment strategy.
A new study from the Journal Chemical Research in Toxicology has released some interesting research on how household dust may contain chemicals that bind to thyroid hormone receptors.
When this happens, of course, it may block your thyroid’s own thyroid hormone or thyroid hormone medication from binding and working properly in your body.
What these researcher did was use compounds already known to bind to human thyroid receptors to help predict which other chemicals might also bind to receptors.
They found five chemicals and one of them, an herbicide, bonded most strongly to thyroid receptors.
According to toxipedia.org, this chemical called 2,4,5-trichlorophenoxyacetic acid (2,4,5-T) in no longer registered for use in the US and was discontinued as an herbicide in 1985. However, like many chemicals it can persist in the environment long after it has been discontinued (http://bit.ly/2cIQAJ2)
It also gained infamy by being one of the compounds in Agent Orange, used in the Vietnam War to destroy the forests of Vietnam where guerrillas were thought to be hiding.
It was used for selective control of weeds in cereal crops and lawns, nettles in pasture and woody weeds in forestry, particularly with conifers since 1945.
Some products that contained it are: Dacamine, Ded-Weed, Farmco Fence Rider, Forron, Inverton 245, Line Rider, T-Nox, Transamine, Brushwood Killer, Brush-Rhap, Brushtox, Esterone, Fruitone A, Reddon, Spontox, Tormona, Tributon, Veon 245, Verton 2T, Visko Rhap Low Volatile Ester, Amine 2,4,5-T for Rice, Super D Weedone, Trinoxol, Weedar, Weedone
And this is just one chemical found in household dust. The research showed that common dust particulars could have an impact on the brain, cardiovascular system, metabolism and other systems regulated by thyroid hormones.
A study released last summer found that certain dust chemicals could be a major factor in obesity.
So what do we do about it?
Obviously, vacuuming your house and dusting with something that catches dust and doesn’t just make it airborne, like a wet rag is a good idea.
Using an air filter might also be an excellent idea. This with HEPA filters are effective in removing airborne particles. I have one in my office (that I just paused to turn on :)) made by IQ Air, that is very effective.
Lastly, glutathione is an antioxidant found in virtually every cell of your body and it is used by the body to help rid itself of many environmental toxins.
It is most effective in IV or lioposomal cream form and can also be taken orally in the form of S-acetyl-L Glutathione, which is mostly absorbed by the liver.
Cordyceps is a Chinese herb that helps the body make and reuse glutathione and pharmacologically it is antibiotic, anticancer, it relieves asthma, stimulates immune function, it stimulates the adrenals, and has been found to increase platelets.
In short, it’s the perfect answer to the scourge of household dust.
That’s all for today, be good, be kind and remember to have compassion for everyone (including yourself!)
Comments, questions, observations, shares, and likes are all encouraged!
References:
Chinese Medical Herbology and Pharmacology by John and Tina Chen, 2004 Art of Medicine Press
http://pubs.acs.org/doi/abs/10.1021/acs.chemrestox.6b00171?source=cen&
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Persistent_organic_pollutant
https://chemicalwatch.com/30214/house-dust-chemicals-activate-receptor-linked-to-obesity?
The heart and cardiovascular system are sometimes profoundly impacted by Hashimoto’s. Here’s a case study of someone with some potentially serious heart issues who was able to turn their life around. (Used with permission)
Patient is a 75 year old female with Hashimoto’s who presented with cardiovascular symptoms including palpitations in the morning, an irregular heartbeat, constipation, sensitivity on her scalp and back of head, and red itchy eyes in the morning.
Laboratory testing revealed an elevated TSH, low T4, low T3 and free T3, high cholesterol, high homocysteine, and hypertension. Her cardiologist also had done a workup and it revealed Atrial fibrillation.
She had recently undergone chelation therapy due to her practitioner finding high levels of lead and pesticides in her body.
We worked to heal her gut and support her liver detoxification pathways. Gave her plenty of anti-inflammatories and glutathione. Got her on a strict Autoimmune Paleo diet.
In addition, we worked to improve thyroid hormone conversion and absorption and to get her TSH into normal range. We also supplemented with B vitamins to bring down the homocysteine levels.
Her is a real email she sent us 6 months later:
“I just came home from the cardiologist, got tested and received a clean bill of health. Yep, he said that everything with my heart is normal and I don’t need to come back! This, after continual Afibbs and suggestion of beta blockers, blood thinners and possible ablation (going into my heart to desensitize trigger tissue).
Marc, your course influenced me and gave me courage to walk your talk. I can’t thank you enough for your help in turning my life around.”
PS: I have found a new friend (I’m not kidding). The name is Hashimoto’s. It knows my body better than anything else. It guides me to healthy eating and healthy living. It is always beside me, watching over me. And when I stray, it gently pushes me onto the right path. But if I don’t listen – it has a strong voice – for my own good. What a pal. I’m blessed.”
Edith S. Maine
Again, we can’t promise these results to everyone, but Edith deserves the credit for following our plan, really following through and making the changes she needed to make.
She also was able to change her thinking about this disease and was actually able to see some blessing in it. That’s truly inspirational to me to see that someone at that age could be open to growing and changing.
Here is some additional commentary she added:
“So this is what I did:
Foremost I kept in mind the most important thing ( in my opinion) something you said in your webinar, don’t listen to test numbers, but listen to how you FEEL. Wow, to me that was big!
I felt that I did not want a disease label slapped on me! And for life?! No way! I’m going to get BALANCED! One organ at a time. My heart to me was most crucial. So I went to town. Yeah, I tried everything. If it didn’t work, I dismissed it.
All summer I worked on the Paleo diet. Triggers were eliminated. My brain cleared up, perhaps since I’m mashing in Rosemary into my sweet potatoes, as well as Tumeric every day.
My sore scalp disappeared when by accident I forgot all my vitamins. I had an overload of vitamins because I was getting them from the healthy (everything organic and colorful variety) foods.
I truly had to adjust my years of conditioning to think a certain way. My body was craving food every two hours. So I said, your desire is my command. I fed it ( only healthy, organic) on demand, no questions asked or contemplated . After a while it told me, enough already! And now I’m eating normal because I respect my body when it gives me a signal.
Seems like it enjoys ginger (freshly grated) tea about half an hour after I eat. So I keep a batch at hand (no plastic jars, only glass). I don’t take fish oil in capsules, felt an overload of swallowing the outer capsule. Take cod liver oil instead (with lemon flavor). Not bad. Also take a condensed berry extract (anthocyanin) and lecithin.”
Wow! Notice how she really learned to listen to her body and trust what she heard. Totally awesome!
The Heart and Thyroid Connection
Hey people!
In the last few days there’s been lots of news coverage of the influence of thyroid hormone and thyroid hormone levels on the heart. All of these news outlets had stories:
This is all because of a new study out of the Netherlands in a medical journal called Circulation. The study found that elevated levels of free T4 may result in an increased risk (1%-4%) of sudden cardiac death, even in normal patients.
When asked why, the theory was that “Our hypothesis was that thyroid hormone levels could increase the risk of sudden cardiac death by affecting cardiovascular risk factors such as blood pressure levels,” said Dr. Layal Chaker, research fellow in endocrinology and epidemiology at Erasmus University Medical Center Rotterdam in the Netherlands, lead author of the study.
I’ve done a bunch of research on this area and I covered it in my book, Roadmap to Remission. One thing I discovered was that the heart is very sensitive to thyroid hormone, especially T3.
This is an excerpt 9IN ITALICS) from the section on the Fire Element, which includes the cardiovascular system. It includes a good, easy to understand explanation for exactly what might cause all of this to happen.
The heart circulates nutrients by pumping blood throughout the body.
When blood is pumped through your body, it puts pressure against the walls of your blood vessels.
Right? This is your blood pressure.
When doctors describe blood pressure, they use two numbers like “120 over 70”. These numbers describe the pressure when your heart pumps blood into your blood vessels (the high number) and the pressure when your heart relaxes (the low number).
Imagine squeezing a ketchup bottle. When you squeeze it to ‘pump’ ketchup onto your plate, the pressure is high. When you stop squeezing, the pressure is low.
Blood pressure can change a lot during the day. It is usually lower while you are relaxing and higher when you are active. Other things like pregnancy, smoking, medication, being stressed and thyroid hormone levels can change your blood pressure.
Usually, with hypothyroid conditions, you’re blood pressure is low and with hyperthyroid conditions it tends to be high. But there are many reasons why this is not always the case, in fact, many Hashimoto’s people actually have high blood pressure.
This is because even though many thyroid patients, or those being treated with T4 meds like Synthroid, can start out with low blood pressure, factors related to having functional hypothyroidism can actually create hypertension and high blood pressure over time.
For example, as we saw when we looked at the Water Element hypothyroidism leads to a host of problems physiologically that cause kidney and cardiovascular problems.
For example, there’s less blood flow to the kidneys, this causes the kidneys to not filter waste products like creatinine from your body properly.
In addition, when your blood pressure is low, and “angiotensin” is produced, this raises your blood pressure.
Also when you are hypothyroid, blood is taken from the extremities into the body, which tends to raise pressure by forcing the same volume of blood into a smaller network of vessels.
This process is brought about by a constriction of peripheral vessels.
Hypothyroid patients produce an excess of noradrenalin from the adrenal gland, which constricts blood vessels all over the body, another effort of the body to deal with the low blood pressure.
This in turn is partly related to the effort by the body to raise blood sugar levels when low. We’ve already discussed this, as well.
These problems may or may not be caused by being overmedicated.
Anxiety, tachycardia (fast heart rate), and high blood pressure that people with Hashimoto’s experience is not always from being hyperthyroid or overmedicated, it may also be from noradrenaline that the body is secreting for energy to compensate for the lack of thyroid hormone.
Unfortunately, what often happens is that they’re prescribed blood pressure medications (such as beta blockers) and/or anti-anxiety medications (such as benzodiazepines).
Neither of these drugs corrects the underlying functional hypothyroidism (low thyroid condition) that caused the symptoms in the first place, and both have side effects. In one study, noradrenaline was three times higher in hypothyroid subjects than normal controls when lying down.
So what was once low blood pressure, now takes a nasty turn towards hypertension, or high blood pressure.
Another….you guessed it, vicious cycle.
Obviously, too high blood pressure can be dangerous. It means that there is too much stress on your blood vessels. This makes the vessels weak and can damage them. Imagine squeezing a ketchup bottle really hard and fast until it breaks.
High blood pressure is a major cause of heart disease.
Ok, so let’s take a look at how else the thyroid impacts cardiovascular function. Firstly, thyroid hormone has a direct impact on cholesterol; with hypothyroidism serum cholesterol increases.
Thyroid hormone stimulates an enzyme called HMG-CoA reductase, the same enzyme that statin drugs inhibit. This speeds up the synthesis and utilization of cholesterol by the body.
Thyroid hormone stimulates the removal of cholesterol by the liver using LDL receptors. In a hypothyroid state, this whole process is slowed and the result is that cholesterol builds up and isn’t cleared as quickly.
Hypothryoidism can also cause homocysteine levels to rise. High homocysteine can lead to inflammation of the arteries and can make you more prone to blood clots, heart attacks and strokes.
We talked about that in the last chapter too, because nourishing certain pathways in the liver can really help bring down high homocysteine.
CRP, another risk factor and inflammatory marker for inflammation in the arteries is also often high with hypothyroidism.
Another odd thing that too little thyroid hormone can cause is lower plasma volume. This is caused by capillaries becoming more permeable and when this happens albumin and water leak into the interstitial spaces.
So here again, we have the makings of a particular dangerous vicious cycle.
In the chapter on the Earth Element, we spoke about how blood sugar problems like metabolic syndrome can create a lot of conditions that make you more likely to develop heart disease.
Well, when you combine that with hypothyroidism, you have a very potent combination that can put you at risk for heart attack and stroke.
Another area that does not get the attention it deserves is the impact of thyroid hormone on the heart and cardiac tissue. One of the things that research is starting to reveal is that thyroid hormone is absorbed differently by different tissues of the body.
In other words not every part of you body is affected the same way by T4 and T3. For example, the pituitary is different than every cell in the body with different deiodinase enzymes and it has more sensitive to thyroid hormone receptors.
Many physicans assume, incorrectly, that thyroid hormone is simply absorbed via diffusion (which is basically like the cell sucking hormone in through a biochemical straw).
However the reality is that the process is energy dependent and called active transport which means it requires the body to use energy to push it into the cells.
In addition, different parts of the body respond differently to T3 and T4. 90% of T3 is absorbed by the stomach while T4 is much less efficient (50 – 90%) and T4 requires much more energy to get absorbed.
T3 affects cardiac muscle cell (myocyte), it affects contraction, T3 also affects the performance of sodium, potassium and calcium channels in the heart.
And what this new study concluded was that “Higher FT4 levels are associated with an increased risk of SCD (sudden cardiac death), even in euthyroid (normal thyroid) participants.” This was an increased risk of 1% – 4%, so don’t panic, that’s not a huge increase.
What this means is that just throwing more thyroid hormone at the problem may not be the answer and can have unintended consequences.
And something else the research has identified is that thyroid autoimmunity can affect the valves of the heart. So, if you have Hashimoto’s and have been diagnosed with heart murmur, an echocardiogram might be a really good idea.
What this also tells us that this is way more than a thyroid problem and issues in other systems of the body must be treated, as well.
And where your heart is concerned it’s super important to take steps to reduce all the risk factors that contribute to cardiovascular disease. And sugar, inflammation and lack of exercise are the big three that put you at risk.
It’s all connected people!
Everything we do or don’t do has consequences. Properly managing and treating your thyroid may also heal your heart and properly managing and treating heart disease may also heal your thyroid.
Not sure what to do? Set up a consult and we’ll discuss how to create a heart healthy program for you.