In previous a previous post, we looked at the role of blood sugar imbalances on the thyroid and the thyroid axis. The endocrine gland that is in control of sugar balance in the body is, of course, the pancreas.
The Earth Element
The pancreas is part of the Earth Element in Chinese Medicine. In this post, which is an excerpt from my book, Roadmap to Remission, we explore some of the important concepts related to the Earth Element and how they affect the thyroid axis.
Okay, so now let’s take a look at the Earth Element and its sphere of influence. As I said, the yin organ is the spleen, and the yang organ is the stomach.
The endocrine gland associated with the Earth Element is the pancreas. In fact, a lot of what the ancient Chinese ascribed to the spleen sounds, in my opinion, very much like the pancreas.
The other parts of the system that represent the Earth Element are the mouth, saliva, flesh, or muscles. It governs the sense of taste.
The spleen governs digestion and keeps the blood circulating. We know that it is also responsible for cleaning old and dead red blood cells from the bloodstream. It also stores platelets that aid in clotting and coagulation.
The ancient Chinese recognized the spleen as an important organ for immune function. We know now that it also stores monocytes—the Pacman white blood cells—and that B and T cells are made and mature in the spleen.
Remember in the last chapter when we spoke about certain immune cells producing TSH? Well, some of those cells come from the spleen.
The sense organ associated with the spleen is the mouth and health issues involving the spleen sometimes manifest on the lips and the corners of the mouth.
The negative emotion of the spleen is worry or obsessive thinking, and the energy or vitality of the Earth Element is intent.
This energy is linked with mental and physical activity of the body. Lack of desire or difficulty with coordination and movement of the body may reveal an issue with intent and, therefore, the spleen.
This difficulty with coordination is a problem with moving and articulating the limbs, and it is associated with poor utilization of nutrients by the muscles.
What are they talking about? It could be insulin utilization—the state of insulin resistance that we spoke about in the last chapter.
Almost all cells in the body have insulin receptors. So intent involves a major mental component and is also under the influence of insulin, but not always for the purpose of just utilizing glucose. Insulin can also help with the uptake of certain amino acids.
One interesting example of this relationship involves serotonin.
The brain’s ability to absorb serotonin is enhanced by insulin. If you become insulin resistant, what happens emotionally? You lose this intent, you become depressed, and you crave carbs to try and make you feel better.
Do you see how this is all connected? These are examples of spheres of influence.
In a spiritual sense, this intent affects the digestive functions of thought that allows for the processing and assimilation of our life experiences in a nourishing way.
Unbalanced function leads to brooding, worry, and excessive thought patterns, such as obsessive compulsive disorders. People who think obsessively can become stuck in a pattern of thinking for thinking’s sake alone, and they don’t get nourished by their experiences, because they can’t move on.
One of the health issues that is problematic for the spleen is dampness. Internally, this can take the form of phlegm. Phlegm is made in the spleen and then sent up to the lung.
Metaphorically, dampness is an accumulation of everything that should be nourishing, but instead has become a burden. In a psychological sense, it manifests as lethargy, boredom, mental sluggishness, obsessive thinking, and brooding.
On a physical level, phlegm dampness accumulates in the spleen, stomach, lungs, and large intestines. Sweetness is the flavor of the Earth Element. We’ve seen the problems excess sugar can cause.
Well, from a spiritual/psychological standpoint, this phlegm dampness represents the excessive need to give or receive sympathy. Therefore, it’s spiritual phlegm. It is giving too much and not taking care of yourself or demanding too much so that it becomes a burden to others.
That’s the beauty of Chinese Medicine. It looks at the connection between things, mind, body and spirit are not separate. They all influence one another.
In this contentious election season, there are going to be winners and there are going to be losers. Whenever you lose something, whether it’s a friend, loved one or your team or candidate is not victorious, then you can experience grief.
In Chinese medicine, traditionally, it is believed that emotions impact different parts of our bodies more than others and the metal element (which includes the lung and large intestine) is thought to be vulnerable to the impact of grief.
The Nei Jing, or The Yellow Emperor’s Classic of Medicine, a classic text that dates back 2,200 years, describes the lungs as minister and chancellor. It helps the heart to regulate the body’s qi or energy.
The lungs govern the wei qi, which guards our outer most boundary, and prevents all that doesn’t match our true self from getting inside to our core.
Grief is the negative emotion of the lung, and grief can weaken them.
My father died when I was nine. The next year I got pneumonia. Maybe it was a coincidence or maybe there is some connection.
The lungs are very vulnerable to dryness, as well. If this boundary to self becomes too dry, then finding our true self can become more difficult.
If the lungs become too moist, then phlegm builds up and blocks our connection to the essence of life.
In health the lungs are thought to empower us to stay connected to the essence of life even after the material things disappear.
For example, after the loss of a loved one, a healthy lung can empower a connection to the spirit of that person.
But if the lung is weak, you could become fixated on the loss, become lost in that grief, and lose appreciation of the present moment.
This grief can become manifest as phlegm, a chronic cough, constant dripping sinus, like internal tears.
Phlegm is a very important thing in Chinese medicine. Like qi, it has a number of different definitions.
Good phlegm clears pathogens; it’s the first line of defense. Bad phlegm, (“Bad Phlegm!”), accumulates in the joints, the kidneys, the brain, and the thyroid in the form of nodules.
In the Chinese character of phlegm, we see the character that means inflammation. Phlegm can also represent the antibody response to pathogens that cross react to healthy tissues.
This kind of phlegm impairs cellular immune function leading to chronic disease.
Understanding the Large Intestine’s Role
The large intestine is the yang partner to the lung. According to the Nei Jing, the large intestine is responsible for transit. All waste products go through this organ.
This is true of waste moving through the large intestine, which returns to the earth. It’s also true metaphorically.
The large intestine constructs a barrier between self and non-self by sorting out the things we take in and then determining which acquired influences need to be kept and which need to be let go.
With autoimmune disease, so much of which begins and is perpetuated in the intestines, the barrier between self and non-self, is lost.
We lose self tolerance. And a lot of this happens in the intestines.
Failing to respond in a balanced way to loss in life (and not just loss of a loved one—any loss: a job, a relationship, a pet, an election), the large intestine reacts to the presence of grief and longing.
This grief can become distorted and it can be difficult to let go in that you keep holding on to things that no longer serve you. And what happens?
Diarrhea—where you loose important minerals, or constipation where you are literally holding onto things that no longer serve you.
This condition can make you pessimistic, cynical, and generally negative. It can make you judgmental of others.
Leaky gut or intestinal permeability is caused by a breakdown of the intestinal lining and cell walls.
Many researchers believe that it is one of the root causes of autoimmunity and the loss of self tolerance. (We will explore this in depth in the section on the Earth Element )
Leaky gut may also have an emotional root. It can make you feel not properly valued by others.
You see how this is all connected?
The ancient Chinese believed that emotions are not just things that we feel, they have real physical consequences and can profoundly impact our health and well being.
This is also why cultivating practices like meditation can be so valuable. You learn to not be ruled by your emotions and by observing them instead, you can also learn how to separate them from your physical body.
That can be a very valuable skill.
As always, we appreciate your comments, shares and insights.
Qi Gong Exercise for the Metal Element (The Immune System)
Reach for Happiness
This exercise focuses on bringing more energy and blood flow to the lungs. In Chinese medicine, the lungs are one of the most important organ systems for creating energy and sustaining health and well-being.
It has its origin in a famous statue of Buddha, in which he is portrayed with his hands above his head just like the photo above.
As we learned in the chapters on the Metal Element, the lungs and large intestines are united by the immune system. They both have an enormous number of lymph glands in and around them, as you can see in this illustration.
The Metal Element: Immune System
So focusing on healing these areas can have a very positive effect on the immune system for calming, regulating, and balancing the immune system. All things that a valuable for people with Hashimoto’s.
This exercise is also good for digestive problems; heart, lung, spine, or back problems; and a stiff neck and eye problems. It helps also bring more blood flow to the brain, increases lung volume, and increases blood flow back to the heart.
How to Do It:
Begin with the natural standing posture. Feet shoulder length apart, hands hanging relaxed at your side.
Inhale and gently sweep your hands out to your sides, to the front and bring your hands to meet at your abdomen, just below your navel.
Your palms should be facing up towards the sky, with your fingertips pointing up towards each other. As you sweep your hands up imagine that you are holding a ball of energy, keep your arms rounded and your armpits open.
Next raise your hands, lifting the energy ball slowly and steadily up to your chest. Keep your arms about six to eight inches from your body to keep the movement open. Gently hold the energy ball and imagine that you must balance it or it will fall.
Next turn, turn the palms down and rotate your thumbs underneath and push your hands out above your head. Keep your fingers interlocking and again imagine that you are balancing an energy ball and pushing it far into the sky.
At the end of this movement stand up on your tip toes as far as your balance allows. Push up for one or two seconds as you completely exhale. Then inhale as deeply as you can while staying relaxed.
Finally, exhale again, unlock your fingers and return your head and eyes to a forward position. Let your arms float outward as if gently pushing down a couple of big balloons.
Repeat the entire Qi Gong exercise three times, once or twice a day. When you are finished try to maintain the posture and height that got from doing the exercise.
From Liu, Master Hong. The Healing Art of Qi Gong Healing. New York: Warner, 1997.
Star Anise can be used to make a tea for cold & flu symptoms.
Hey People
Today, I thought we’d start a new type of post that we’ll doing periodically and that is featuring herbs and other treatments that are used in Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM).
In today’s tip, I wanted to highlight Star Anise, known as Da Hui Xiang in Chinese.
This is an herb that is traditionally combined with other herbs and used as a pain reliever, and digestive aid (it is especially effective for treating nausea and indigestion).
It has a lovely licorice like flavor and you can find it in dried form at many Hispanic and Asian markets.
Another interesting thing to note is that Star anise is the major source of the chemical compound shikimic acid.
This compound is used to make the anti-influenza drug oseltamivir(Tamiflu).
And for all you trivia fans …in 2005, a temporary shortage of star anise was caused by its use in the production of Tamiflu.
So, that means it also has anti-viral properties and can be a good tea for aiding in the prevention and treatment of the flu.
Since pain, digestive complaints and colds and flus can all be issues for people with Hashimoto’s, we recommend this as a tea that you can keep around the house and drink regularly.
How to prepare it:
Use 2 star anise per cup of filtered water.
Bring water to a boil. Add the star anise, turn down the heat.
Cover and simmer for 15 to 20 minutes for a strong cup of tea.
Doesn’t really need sweetening, and the flavor will be quite strong when you simmer it for this amount of time.
Simmering for this amount of time will release the medicinal properties and covering it will preserve the aromatic oils.
For a gentler cup of tea, simmer for 5 minutes.
Have a great day! Unless you have other plans. 🙂
Please share with anyone you think might enjoy this.
Hashimoto’s: The Liver and the Thyroid
Hashimoto’s can cause a host of problems all over the body, but one place in particular where we can see it’s influence is on the liver and gall bladder.
In this post we explore these relationships and explain why a healthy liver is so important for healing your Hashimoto’s.
The body is not a machine, like our earth it is a group of interacting ecosystems that all talk to one another and influence each other in both good and bad ways.
The liver and the thyroid are a perfect example of this. Here is a brief breakdown of how they interact:
* 60% of thyroid hormone is converted from T4 to T3 in the liver. Both T3 and T4 are glucoronidated and sulfated there. (More on that in a minute).
* Thyroid hormone influences the way that cholesterol and other lipids are synthesized and broken down (and where does this happen? – yes, the liver). With Hashimoto’s and hypothyroidism, this is often slowed down resulting in high cholesterol and other lipids like LDL and triglycerides.
* Thyroid hormone affects detoxification pathways in the liver and affects insulin growth factor and cytochrome P450 enzymes which metabolize lots of drugs and environmental toxins. When this slows you can have toxins build up.
* On the autoimmune side, research has shown a link between autoimmune thyroid and autoimmune liver diseases.
*Very high levels of thyroid hormone (T3) can raise bilirubin levels and can actually be toxic to the liver because it damages mitochondria.
The liver has several pathways through which it metabolizes hormones, filters toxins, and cleans the blood. Byproducts from these processes are dumped into the gall bladder to help get them out of the body.
Low thyroid function slows down this whole process, making the liver and gall bladder sluggish and congested and helping to make gallstones.
Gallbladder x-rays in hypothyroid patients can show a bloated gall bladder that contracts sluggishly. This slows down the flow of bile which can lead to slower breakdown of fats and cholesterol and other toxins that are broken down in the liver.
This whole process can also lead to the formation of gall stones. Many people with Hashimoto’s have gall bladder issues.
Thyroid hormones are converted into their usable form in the liver (60% happens there), you can see how low thyroid function can create a vicious cycle.
Hypothyroidism messes with liver function and fewer thyroid hormones become active. So it goes until you have all of the common symptoms of too little thyroid hormone: fatigue, brain fog, joint pain, hair loss, weight gain, depression, etc.
Thyroid hormone is converted primarily through 2 processes:
Glucornidation and sulfation, let’s break these down:
According to Dr. Datis Kharrazian, DC, these processes are supported in the following ways:
Glucoronidation
Glucoronidation is an important process for converting thyroid hormone.
This pathway is supported by B vitamins, magnesium, and glysine, click here to learn about food sources of B vitamins and magnesium.
Sulfation
Sulfation involves binding things partially broken down in the liver with sulfur containing compounds. It is one of the major detoxification pathways for neurotransmitters, toxins, and hormones (like thyroid hormones). Vitamin B6 and magnesium are important for sulfur amino acid metabolism, as are foods containing sulfur such as: eggs, cheese, meat, poultry, nuts and legumes. Click here to learn more about food sources of vitamins and minerals.
Its important to choose animals products wisely, buy organic whenever possible because organic foods have far fewer toxins like antibiotics, hormones, and pesticides which can all cause problems of their own.
Another important point about sulfating is that it requires sulfate which is often poorly absorbed by the digestive system, especially by people with Hashimoto’s who often suffer from intestinal permeability or leaky gut syndrome. Sulfate is the oxidized, inorganic form of sulfur produced by an oxidation step called (you guessed it) sulfoxidation.
This step is made possible by an enzyme that is called sulfite oxidase which uses the essential mineral molybdenum, click here to see food sources of molybdenum. Problems with sulfoxidation can be seen in people who are sensitive to foods that contain sulfites (garlic) or dugs and food additives (in dried fruit and herbs, preservatives, in salad bars used to keep vegetables looking fresh).
(These people may also have an abnormally strong odor in their urine after eating asparagus. For these people one should consider molybdenum supplementation or organic sulfates like sodium sulfate or magnesium sulfate.)
In Chinese medicine, we view interactions in the body in the context of body, mind and spirit. This can be really helpful to see how these physical problems can affect you emotionally and psychologically.
In the book, Between Heaven and Earth by Harriet Beinfeld, L.Ac. and Efrem Korngold, L.Ac., the liver is described as something like a military commander in the body. It formulates tactics and strategies, moving blood and energy (qi) throughout the body.
The thyroid is part of the endocrine system which is viewed as qi and is derived from the yang energy of the kidneys. So the ancient Chinese recognized this relationship and how important one is for the other. The liver needs that qi to have the energy to do its job, and if it is clogged or blocked it can’t facilitate the movement of that energy throughout the body.
When the liver gets stuck or clogged, the most common emotion that people experience is anger. This can be directed outwardly at people you know (usually people closest to you: family, co-workers, or friends), or this anger can be directed inwardly and result in depression and feeling of self-hatred and low self-worth. Or sometimes you have a combination of these two.
It is also interesting to note that in Chinese medicine the nervous system, tendons and ligaments and the eyes are thought to be part of the sphere of influence of the liver. So many people with Hashimoto’s also have issues in all of these areas: eye problems, tendon issues, and cognitive issues affecting the brain.
Gall Bladder Issues Make You Unable to Make Decisions
The Gall Bladder stores and secretes bile, this stimulates flow through the stomach and intestines and is very important in helping us to absorb and eliminate different foods as well as different ideas and concepts.
So proper bile flow and production also help us with proper judgment, clear thinking and decision making. If there are Liver/Gall Bladder issues we can end up taking actions without thinking them through, or making decisions and not following through on them or simply getting stuck, unable to decide what to do.
Here are some important herbs for helping the liver and gall bladder.
Ginger: this common food contains chemicals that have been shown to increase bile secretion and to reduce cholesterol levels by up regulating an enzyme responsible for bile acid production (cholesterol-7-alpha-hydorxylase).
Dandelion: The root of this common weed promotes the production of bile and its delivery to the gall bladder. It causes the gall bladder to contract and release bile.
Milk Thistle: This herb increases the solubility of bile and has been shown to significantly lower cholesterol concentrations in the gall bladder. It has potent anti-oxidant activity which supports detoxification and it prevents depletion of glutathione in the liver, which is often depleted in people with Hashimoto’s. It also has anti-inflammatory properties and it promotes protein synthesis to replace damaged liver cells.
Panax ginseng:This herb has been shown in several studies to have numerous positive impacts on liver function. It has been shown to reverse fatty liver in animals and can be really helpful in cleaning toxins out of the liver. It also has really important benefits for the immune system like promoting Kupffer cells (specialized immune cells located in the liver) and can be beneficial in balancing the immune system by increasing key proteins like IL-8.
Herba sargassi, Laminaria Kun Bu: These seaweeds have important detoxification properties and can be used to treat metabolic toxicosis with arthritis, rheumatism, dermatitis and psoriasis. They are quite mild and have very few if any side effects. In addition, they are rich in trace minerals and are helpful in reducing swelling, particularly in the lymphatic glands.
A word of caution with seaweeds: They contain iodine which can be problematic with some Hashimoto’s folks.
Fructus Gardeniae: This herb is the seed pod of the gardenia plant. It has potent anti-bacterial and anti-viral properties and can be used to reduce liver and gallblader congestion and infections.
Caution: Liver infections can be quite serious, consult a trained physician if you suspect that you have any form of hepatitis or liver disease.
Rhubarb Root: This herb is a potent laxative that can be used to treat acute gall bladder and pancreatic infections. It has potent anti-bacterial, anti-fungal and anti-viral properties.
Dosage is critical with this herb and too much can cause gastric pain and diarrhea. Never use during pregnancy or lactation or with gout, hemorrhoids or oxalic acid stones. Consult a trained professional before using this herb.
Herbs That Help With Anger and Irritability
There is a very effective herbal formula in Chinese Medicine whose name is translated as Rambling Powder. The name comes from the title the first chapter of a book by Zhuang Zi, “Rambling Without A Destination” that includes stories about wandering freely with an open mind. It is a reference to how this combination of herbs can help one feel less constrained emotionally, feel happy and less stressed.
It has several variations and contains a number of herbs that are very helpful for the liver including buplerum, mint, atractylodes and more. With modifications, it has also been used successfully to treat eye issues, hypertension, hepatitis, anemia, depression, irritability and anger.
Hashimoto’s has so many moving parts and affects so many systems of the body that you really need to have a treatment strategy that looks at all these different areas and gives you solutions for all of them.
That’s why I developed my program: Healing Hashimoto’s: The 5 Elements of Thyroid Health. In in we explore the 5 major systems of the body and learn how they impact us physically, emotionally and spiritually.
Because true healing requires more than simply taking a few pills or herbs. It requires a complete overhaul of your body, mind and spirit. And it is a tremendous opportunity for growth and for healing all aspects of your life. Click here to learn more.
Between Heaven and Earth, Harriet Beinfeld, L.Ac. and Efrem Korngold, L.Ac., Ballantine Books, New York, 1991
Chinese Herbal Medicine Formulas and Strategies, Dan Bensky & Randall Barolet, Eastland Press, 1990
Why Do I Still Have Thyroid Symptoms When My Lab Tests Are Normal? Datis Kharrazian, DC, Morgan James Publishing, 2010
The Thyroid, A Fundamental and Clinical Text, Ninth Edition, Lewis E. Braverman and Robert D. Utiger, 2005 Lippincott Williams and Wilkins
Severe hyperthyroidism induces mitochondria-mediated apoptosis in rat liver.
Upadhyay G, Singh R, Kumar A, Kumar S, Kapoor A, Godbole MM.
Source: Department of Endocrinology, Sanjay Gandhi Postgraduate Institute of Medical Sciences, Lucknow, India.
Laukkarinen J, Kiudelis G, Lempinen M, Raty S, Pelli H, Sand J, Kemppainen E, Haglund C, Nordback I. Increased prevalence of subclinical hypothyroidism in common bile duct stone patients. J Clin Endocrinol Metab. 2007 Nov;92(11):4260-4. Epub 2007 Aug 28
Inkinen J, Sand J, Nordback I. Association between common bile duct stones and treated hypothyroidism. Hepatogastroenterology. 2000 Jul-Aug:47(34):919-21