Saturday, January 17, 2009

Hormonal Imbalances: Oprah, Steve Jobs




Hashimoto's Hypothyroidism and Oprah Winfrey

I love Oprah. My sister 'M' loves Oprah. It would be a gigantic understatement to say that all my girlfriends and co-workers love Oprah.

Now, with that said, I feel extremely, deeply saddened when I see the most well connected woman and influential/popular educator sooooo disconnected with her health and hormones. Have you been there? Unable to control your body or weight? Like a typical Oprah nut, I spent a few nights madly emailing her about year ago in Jan 2008 about vitamin D and weight loss and optimal health (and my 50# weight loss story). Where did it go? Filed in the big phat Oprah-empire round file??


Who has not been in her precise shoes?

Read about Oprah's Thyroid Club HERE (NY Times).

Hashimoto's hypothyroidism is one of the most common female (and male) afflictions of the late 20th and 21st centuries. Nearly every one of my diabetes patients has Hashimoto's.

Why??

Why are 45+ million Americans burning their Thyroid to a toast, like Oprah?

In my 20's -- stressed, eating dorm food, trying do everything 'right', instead of gaining the freshman 'fifteen', I gained F-O-R-T-Y lbs (b/c... hey... can you say overachiever?).
[Another college curiosity was observing how my hormones/ cycles/ periods became imperceptibly and immutably N*SYNC with my female dorm-mates. Mense shifts are apparently secondary to pineal gland and pheromones (link and other refs from an astute friend, thanxxx dude). Recall, pheromones are picked up by the nose- vomeronasal system and subsequent hypothalamus/limbic brain (paleopallium).]


What was going on with that college weight gain, mood fluctuations, difficult concentrating, sluggishness, coarse hair/skin, skin tag growth/insulin resistance, cold intolerance, resistance to weight loss/exercise, high cholesterol, mental fog and general feeling of clinical cr*ppiness??

I wish I knew back then...



Oprah... let's try to clue you in, my honeybun... from my sad life lessons.

For me, in hindsight, there were a few situations that may parallel Oprah's, that are backed up by the medical literature that cause thyroid dysfunction.



How to Give Yourself Hashimoto's Thyroiditis 101:

--lack of sunlight/vitamin D/indoor habitation
--mental stress
--more mental stress
--sleep deprivation... (excessive mochas/lattes at Berkeley cafes)
--excessive 'social' calendar
--inherent family history of autoimmune disorders (who doesn't??)
--wheat, wheat, and more wheat ingestion ('comfort foods' craved in times of high cortisol/stress, right? how did I know the carbs were killing me?)
--lack of nutritious food containing EPA DHA, vitamin A, sat fats, minerals, iodine, etc
--lack of play, exercise, movement (or ?overtraining perhaps for Oprah's case)
--weight gain -- which begins an endless self-perpetuating vicous cycle of all the above (Is it stressful to balloon out for no apparent reason? YES)





Of course, it turns out there is a hheeeyyuuggee link between sunlight/vit D/melatonin and the neuroendocrine system.



These four research groups below discuss how our Hypothalamus-Pituitary-Thyroid-Gonad Axis is tightly affected by melatonin, Thyroid Hormones, neuropeptides like brain tachykinins, and our reproductive sex steroids (Estrogen and Testosterone).


Melatonin influences on the neuroendocrine-reproductive axis.
Díaz López B, Díaz Rodríguez E, Urquijo C, Fernández Alvarez C. Ann N Y Acad Sci. 2005 Dec;1057:337-64.
The neuroendocrine-reproductive axis designates the functional activity of the hypothalamus-pituitary-gonadal axis. A delicate synchronization of many inputs at these three different levels is vital for normal reproductive function. From the median basal hypothalamus, the median eminence releases gonadotrophin releasing hormone into the portal circulation to reach the anterior pituitary gland.


Evidence for pineal gland modulation of the neuroendocrine-thyroid axis.
Vriend J. Neuroendocrinology. 1983;36(1):68-78.
Although melatonin administration has been reported to inhibit blood T4 levels in both rats and hamsters, under certain experimental conditions melatonin administration can be demonstrated to have a counter-antithyrotrophic effect resulting in increased blood levels of T4 and thyrotrophin... The effects of melatonin on the neuroendocrine-thyroid axis are similar to its effects on the neuroendocrine-gonadal axis, leading to the hypothesis of a common site of action for the thyroid and gonadal effects of melatonin.


Modulation of the hypothalamo-pituitary-gonadal axis and the pineal gland by neurokinin A, neuropeptide K and neuropeptide gamma.
Debeljuk L, Lasaga M. Peptides. 1999;20(2):285-99.
Tachykinin concentrations in the hypothalamus and pituitary are regulated by steroid hormones. In the hypothalamus, estrogens and testosterone increase tachykinin concentration. In the anterior pituitary gland, estradiol and thyroid hormones markedly depress tachykinin concentrations.



REVIEW. Melatonin and the thyroid gland.
Lewinski A, Karbownik M. Neuro Endocrinol Lett. 2002 Apr;23 Suppl 1:73-8.
The confirmation of these relations in clinical studies in humans meets numerous difficulties, resulting - among others - from the fact that, nowadays, human beings, as well as certain animal species, used in experimental studies, have been living far away from their natural and original habitat. It makes almost impossible to compare the results obtained in particular studies performed in different species, on the pineal-thyroid interrelationship.
(Yes...we may be jacking up our hormones with artificial light, computer screens and TV.)




Oprah Likely Needs Vitamin D

Vitamin D ties everything together. The above two pictures come from the below research article (Sunlight--can it prevent as well as cause cancer?). The authors review: "The active form, 1.25D,, is a full member of the endocrine system, and as such interacts with virtually every organ in the body (31, 32). Especially noteworthy is its interaction with the sex and pituitary hormones (32-34), e.g.,the promotion of l-a-hydroxylation of 25D, by prolactin (34), since some of these interactions provide a mechanism for participation of 1.25D, in the control of cell growth in the reproductive organs . . . The Darwinian view of evolution suggests that loss of body hair in Homo sapiens should have some survival advantage, and it is difficult to think of reasons other than that this provides ready access of sunlight to the skin . . . lack of sufficient sunlight contributes to the known high incidence of carcinoma of the prostate in black American men and to the more aggressive progression of carcinoma of the breast in black women."



Vitamin D interacts with all the steroid nuclear receptors especially Thyroid Receptors and Vitamin A/Carotenoid Receptors (The concept of multiple vitamin D signaling pathways. Carlberg C. J Investig Dermatol Symp Proc. 1996 Apr;1(1):10-4.)

Oprah has a few risk factors for low blood vitamin D:
--stress -- our body burns up Vitamin D to maintain cellular processes under stress and infections
--wheat consumption (Stephan discusses this very well: Vitamin D and Celiac/Gluten Sensitivity) (and ?leaky gut prevent absorption of fat soluble vitamins)
--pigmented skin
--indoor lifestyle
--makeup/sunscreen
--living north of the 37th latitude where UVB solar radiation (the activating wavelength for vitamin D) is scarce for 40-50% of the calendar year
--age


Unless Oprah is receiving bio-identical hormone replacement, then her natural steroid sex hormones are likely to be 'off' and this would affect her Thyroid as well. Women from age 35 yo and up start experiencing declines in sex hormone due to the atresia (dissolving) of the eggs in the ovaries, one of the main sources of Estrogen and Testosterone. After Menopause (average age: 51 yo), nearly all the eggs are gone. Again, as the above emphasizes, the lack of significant sex hormones will profoundly affect the Hypothalamus-Pituitary-Thyroid glands.



What can help Oprah's Thyroid and take her to optimal health?
--Richard, at Free the Animal Oprah's Recipe For Failure -- And My Solution For Success, started this conversation and many of his fans chimed in.
--Scott Miller wrote:

"Here are ten quick mistakes I see her making that will sabatoge her efforts:
[1] Eating starches and grains.

[2] Eating low fat foods (like the egg whites rather than full eggs)
[3] Eating too often...How many omnivores in nature eat five times per day, regularly, like clockwork?
[4] Using fat-free dressings.
[5] A stunning lack of variety in salad-type vegetables (pretty much always romaine lettuce).
[6] Having a killer temptation like those blue chips in the house.
[7] Stead-pace aerobics violate the power law of human conditioning.
[8] And doing aerobics too often.
[9] Slow-twitch-fiber-only strength training.
[10] Strength training too often. "


Besides the paleolithic lifestyle, Oprah could use some natural neolithic bio-identical hormone replacement, starting with the big 'D':
--Vitamin D to blood [25(OH)D = 70 ng/ml] which will probably require about 8000 IU daily in the morning (Cannell doses 1000 IU per 25 lbs -- Oprah reports weight is ~200 lbs)
--Cortisol Reduction -- rest, relaxation, meditation, turn off the Crackberry
--Correct hGH Deficiency-- eat enough fat/protein, carb restrict, sleep well and enough, induce some strain/pain/gain on the muscles, food deprivation 18-36 hr 2-3x/wk
--Correct excess insulin -- stop wheat
--THYROID Replacement-- correct gradually to tolerance and mood, energy, cognition (Dr. Davis goal TSH: 1.0; Free T3: upper nl)
--Estrogen (estriol E3 primarily) -- restore to personal youthful levels prior to peri- and menopausal changes; provides cognition (our brains are FULL of estrogen-receptors), mentation/memory, skin/hair/mucuous membrane functioning, immunity, etc
--Natural Progesterone -- calms and restores all the other cycles (Avoid Provera, Levonorgestrol, which are progestins, man-made, associated with cancer and lower HDL 20-30%)
--Testosterone -- yes women need this just like men... provides confidence, vitality, well-being, affiliation, motivation, zest, in addition to libido
--DHEA-S
--Melatonin





How to Stop the Autoimmune Process of Hashimoto's

When one of our organs is jacked how do we recover it? Can we induce our immune system to heal and restore function? Certainly! With time, appropriate nutrients and stimulus, I believe depending on the extent of the incurred damage, our bodies have the capacity to regenerate itself. With Vitamin D repletion and Wheat-Cessation, I have observed a trend of improved TSH (including my own from 1.3-1.9 to 1.0 when my 25(OH)D stays above 60 ng/ml). Why? Vitamin D interacts intimately with thyroid, vitamin A/carenoid and other steroid hormone controls, including the sex hormones.

These below nutrients and lifestyle changes have been shown to aid the Thyroid to heal and restore functionality:
-stopping wheat which triggers our immune systems: innate+humoral
-stopping wheat which triggers genetic expression of stress responses
-stopping wheat which results in rapid rises of insulin
-stopping gluten/wheat/barley/rye
-stopping beans, peanuts, legumes (lectins)
-stopping dairy (which contain opioid-like proteins like wheat)
-stopping grains (rice, corn, etc) -- which are all grass-derived (*ha * I didn't say WEEDS but that's what I mean)
-proper nutrients which are the building-blocks of the Thyroid Gland and Thyroid Enzymes: proteins (taurine, leucine, arginine, OKG, L-carnitine, etc), minerals (IODINE, Mg, Zn, Se, Chromium, Bo, etc)
-B-vitamins (including α-lipoic acid)
-Vitamin D3 (goal 25(OH)D=70 ng/ml)
-Vitamin E (tocopherols, tocotrienols)
-Vitamin K1 K2
-Vitamin A
-Carotenoids (grassfed meat, wild seafood, Krill oil/Astaxanthin)
-EPA + DHA (ditto) -- high dose if extreme inflammation is present
-Antioxidants (Flavonoids, CoQ10, ALCAR/α-LA, Pycnogenol, etc)
-Avoid dietary and environmental toxins (nitrite preservatives, plastic, petroleum, bisphenol, heavy metals (Lead, Mercury), endocrine disrupters, pesticides, dioxins, etc)





Hashimoto's Thyroiditis Related to Autoimmune Genes

All autoimmune conditions are related to differences in our immune system. Even Migraines are associated with a certain type of immunity variation (Prevalence of HLA DQB1*0602 allele in patients with migraine). Hashimoto's is strongly tied to HLA DR5 types, vitamin D receptor anomalies, and CYP1 alpha hydroxylase (vitamin D activation enzyme) variations. It turns out also that Addison's Disease is tied to the same Cyp enzyme variant or what is known as a polymorphism.
A promoter polymorphism of the CYP27B1 gene is associated with Addison's disease, Hashimoto's thyroiditis, Graves' disease and type 1 diabetes mellitus in Germans.
Association of vitamin D receptor gene 3'-variants with Hashimoto's thyroiditis in the Croatian population.
Vitamin D receptor gene polymorphisms are associated with risk of Hashimoto's thyroiditis in Chinese patients in Taiwan.
Vitamin D receptor genotype is associated with Addison's disease.
Vitamin D 1alpha-hydroxylase (CYP1alpha) polymorphism in Graves' disease, Hashimoto's thyroiditis and type 1 diabetes mellitus.
Vitamin D receptor gene polymorphisms in Hashimoto's thyroiditis.
[Genetic markers in thyroid autoimmune diseases]





Steve Jobs: Addison's Disease?

Via Apple headquarters, Mr. Jobs issued a statement reporting that he was receiving treatment for 'protein wasting' for what doctors believed was caused by a 'hormonal imbalance.' He states he does not have cancer. Could Mr. Jobs be suffering from the same ailment as our late great president John F Kennedy? Mr. Jobs was reported to consume a vegetarian diet which are often devoid of EPA and DHA -- protectors against autoimmune disease as well as pancreatic cancer (see below). EPA and DHA are long chain omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA) which ONLY come from animal sources. EPA and DHA are like Comcast and DSL -- they provide the reliable high-spped connections for electronic conductions in our nervous systems (compare v. lame lowtech modem/omega-6). Our brain is comprised of inordinate amounts of DHA and EPA. Every cell membrane. Unfortunately humans do not induce enough of the enyzmes to convert vegetarian omega-3 ALA to EPA + DHA in our bodies. If you are not stressed, then it is unlikely to matter. ALA from vegetarian sources would sufficiently maintain health. Most people however undergo some degree of stress or oxidative damage from daily living (like...umm...breathing or... hard breathing at Crossfit or HIIT). Although Mr. Jobs apparently did not have the most aggressive form of pancreatic cancer, he had surgery a few years ago for a neuroendocrine tumor in the pancreas. Addison's may also originate from metastatic tumors to the adrenal glands.

Has Mr. Jobs been under stress? Maybe...
(1) Cancer survivor
(2) Rolled out the best neolithic tech advances of our times: iPOD, iPHONE
(3) Apple innovator/revivor/evolver

o Modulatory effects of EPA and DHA on proliferation and apoptosis of pancreatic cancer cells.
o Omega-3 fatty acids improve liver and pancreas function in postoperative cancer patients.
o Fish oil and treatment of cancer cachexia.




Do you want Pancreatic Cancer??

Consume a lotta Omega-6 refined veggie oils like Sunflower or Safflower oil
and/or develop Omega-3 Deficiency
and/or eat a lot of Fructose
and/or a USDA Whole Grain Diet:
Opposing effects of n-6 and n-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids on pancreatic cancer growth.
Effect of dietary omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids on development of azaserine-induced preneoplastic lesions in rat pancreas.
Carcinogen-induced lesions in the rat pancreas: effects of varying levels of essential fatty acid.
Effect of dietary intake of fish oil and fish protein on the development of L-azaserine-induced preneoplastic lesions in the rat pancreas.
Dietary glycemic load, added sugars, and carbohydrates as risk factors for pancreatic cancer: the Multiethnic Cohort Study.

Dietary sugar, glycemic load, and pancreatic cancer risk in a prospective study.
Etiology of nonresponsive celiac disease: results of a systematic approach.
Aldolase C in neuroendocrine tumors: an immunohistochemical study.
Dietary fructose enhances the development of atypical acinar cell nodules in the pancreas of rats pretreated with N-nitrosomorpholine.




Hormone Imbalances and Organ Failure

Like Oprah, several hormonal imbalances can lead to organ failure due to an autoimmune process. In Addison's, the organ mainly affected is the adrenal glands which provide Cortisol and other cholesterol-derived hormones to the body. Without a minimal amount of Cortisol, we do not make muscles or store fat. Addison's leads to muscle wasting, weight loss, dizziness, and depression. Excessive Cortisol, on the other hand, causes a condition known as Cushing's where excessive abdominal weight gain, moon-face, thin-skin, muscle wasting, fatigue and insomnia occur.



Other Thyroid Sources:



Hormone Balancing Resources:

  • Dr. Uzzi Reiss, MD OBGYN: Natural Hormone Balance
  • Dr. Michael Colgan, PhD: Hormonal Health -- Nutritional & Hormonal Strategies for Emotional Well-Being & Intellectual Longevity
  • Colgan, The Sports Nutrition Guide
  • Dr.Cheryle Hart, MD OBGYN: Hormones By Hart

18 comments:

Jake said...

People said that they would always try to schedule a dinner early when invited to Steve Jobs' house.

They wanted time to go to a restaurant after the meal. Steve would serve them less nutrition than you would get in a small dinner salad.

He is dying of malnutrition. I also worry about the condition of his family.

Dr. B G said...

Jake,

I worry about his family and young children too.

Mental health has everything to do with nutrition, omega-6 to omega-3 and hormonal balances. I know.

I only hope he gets all the care (spiritual, mental, physical) he needs and then some extra, recover and survive again...then perhaps help us innovate personal health care.

Thanks for your comments.

-G

Jake said...

Do you think that always being hungry is stressful enough to create excessive Cortisol? I think that Steve was always hungry.

Dr. B G said...

Jake,

I think anything excessive creates 'stress' and subsequent chronic cortisol including hunger, starvation, anorexia, caffeine (yes... I can't quit), overtraining (been there too which causes asthma), sleep deprivation, travelling, jet lag, etc.

My observations is that Jobs is a highly functioning, highly driven, mildly OCD pioneer. Maybe something had to give... I believe many of the Silicon Valley icons have plaque, substantial CAC scores, unbalanced lives and internal inflammation. High unbalanced testosterone, long hours, lack of sleep/proper nutrition, lack of vitamin D, etc are the formula for shortened lifespans despite their wealth and so-called advisors.

You can't 'outsource' your health which is how many of my male CEO/entrepeneur patients approach it.

Doesn't work that way.

Jobs would never outsource his 'dream team' for either the iPod or the iPhone, right...?? Did he do his own research for his health predicament? I highly doubt it.

-G

Anonymous said...

As always, Dr. BG, great insight! There is definitely a rel'p between thyroid (disorder and the wheat/grain ingestion that causes it) and melatonin problems (either low production or inabilitly to utilize). Trying to achieve optimal health and your prolific writing most certainly keeps me steadfast on that road! Thx! Marisa

Dr. B G said...

My Dear Marisa,

Thank you so much for your kind words. I believe it is Y-O-U-R brilliance and insights that keep me going! I'm so grateful we're on this path of whole-ness and whole health together... and not alone :)

Love, G

Dr. William Davis said...

Dr. BG--

I love your "How to give yourself Hashimoto's thyroiditis: 101"!

Also, your Hormone of Day, Hormone of Night. I hadn't thought of it that way.

I've got to use your "thyroiditis: 101" in my blog (credited to your creative genius, of course).

JMC said...

Great post, as usual DR. BG.

Regarding Hashimoto's and Paleo, see a recent article by Pedro Bastos on The Paleo Diet newsletter, which I find very interesting:

Hashimoto's thyroiditis (HT) is an autoimmune disease, in which immune cells (T-lymphocytes) mount an attack on cells of the
thyroid gland, which frequently leads to hypothyroidism1. HT is not only the most prevalent autoimmune thyroid disease
(ATD), but it is also the most common autoimmune disease in the world, with a prevalence of 9,460 per 100,000 people1,
affecting more women than men1.
As with other autoimmune diseases, part of the risk of contracting HT is genetic1. It is the interaction between one's genotype
and several environmental factors that results in autoimmune disease. Although to our knowledge there are no trials
investigating the role of specific diets on HT, several lines of evidence suggest that the Paleo Diet could prove beneficial:

1. The Paleo Diet doesn't include gluten containing grains, such as wheat, barley, rye and oats2. This is very important, since these are the main triggers of another autoimmune disease, called celiac disease (CD)2, 3. CD carries an
increased risk for other auto-immune diseases including ATD3-11, which may be explained by the fact that these conditions
share similar HLA haplotypes (genetic markers)12. The association is so strong that researchers from Italy concluded that
anyone showing evidence of ATD should also be screened for CD8.

2. By being a grain and legume free diet, the Paleo Diet minimizes the intake of certain dietary lectins that have been shown to damage intestinal cell walls13. This damage allows passage of bacterial
and dietary proteins (such as yeast and milk proteins, which are also not part of the Paleo Diet) into the blood stream that
should not be allowed there.
These proteins' amino acid sequences resemble amino acid sequences in our body's organs and tissues13. Immune cells
"read" the amino acid sequences on the bacteria and dietary protein, and may begin to associate similar self-proteins with these foreign substances, thus attacking both the bacteria or dietary protein and our own tissues13. Although to our knowledge there are no studies investigating this chain of events in ATD, studies from other autoimmune diseases such as rheumatoid arthritis13 suggest that this may also be the case with ATD.

3. The Paleo Diet decreases the Omega 6/Omega 3 ratio, which tends to calm down inflammation14,15. The
characteristic inflammation of auto-immune diseases typically aggravates these conditions, including HT1.

4. The Paleo Diet provides a generous amount of various antioxidants16 (such as vitamins C and E, carotenoids and various phytochemicals present in fruits and vegetables) and nutrients needed for optimal functioning of
endogenous antioxidant enzymes (such as manganese, zinc and copper, needed for the superoxide dismutases to perform their antioxidant functions, and selenium - Se, which maximizes glutathione peroxidase activities ). This is important,
since oxidative stress is suspected of being involved in ATD17.
Moreover, selenium deficiency plays an important role in autoimmune thyroid diseases18-21, such as HT22. In fact, some trials
have shown that selenium supplementation in doses higher than 100 mcg/day decreases serum concentrations of thyroid
peroxidase antibody (a marker of ATD)20. It should be mentioned that selenium deficiency is likely to occur in CD18, due to
malabsorption, which is one of the characteristics of these diseases. Hence there is one more reason for ATD patients to avoid gluten-containing foods.

Importance of Vitamin D

Another important aspect for ATD patients is optimization of vitamin D status. Vitamin D insufficiency is a common condition, but was very rare among our hunter-gatherer ancestors living in Africa, who received sufficient ultraviolet radiation from the sun to synthesize all the vitamin D3 they needed.
Numerous studies show that vitamin D insufficiency can be involved in the pathogenesis of autoimmune diseases 23, such as
RA, multiple sclerosis and type 1 diabetes. As expected, preliminary research suggests that it may also be involved in HT24,25.

Dietary Recommendations for Hashimoto's

In summary, if you have HT or another autoimmune disease (or if you want to avoid autoimmune disease in the future), you
may benefit from adopting a Paleolithic type diet, with no grains, dairy, legumes, or yeast containing foods. You may also want
to supplement to get adequate omega 3 fatty acids (EPA and DHA) and vitamin D3, and those living in a region of the world
where soils are depleted in selenium27-31 may want to supplement with selenium also.

Recent research by Dr. Cordain also
suggests that autoimmune patients may wish to avoid tomatoes and egg whites, which could also be involved in autoimmunity.

Fully referenced reports on these two foods are available in the How to Treat and Prevent M.S. with
Diet program, listed below.

References are available at http://www.ThePaleoDiet.com/v4n22.shtml

Martin said...

Just discovered your blog, thanks to Dr. Davis. What a great find! Hypothyroidism is my new obsession, and as with so many things like this, I seem to see clues about it's ubiquity all over the place.

I felt like I was suffering from it for ages, had a blood test, and was told by my doctor that everything was "normal". Now that I'm researching, I realize that my TSH of 4.32 was anything but, although I imagine many PCP's would not raise an eyebrow at those levels.

We all have our work cut out for us. Thanks for your work on this front.

Dr. B G said...

Hi Dr. D!

Of course...!! I'm glad it brought you some chuckles!

-G

Dr. B G said...

JMC,

Thank you for the wonderful excerpt! Autoimmune thyroid disease certainly does not occur independently in my observations -- nearly every autoimmune patient has it including Type 2 Diabetes (insulin receptors 'attacked'?), RA, SLE, asthma, depression/fibromyalgia, migraine, and CAD. CAD may indeed have autoimmune origins as well.

I had heard of egg whites being immunogenic but not tomatoes. I wonder if that is because tomatoes are part of nightshades?

Cordain's newsletter seems very informative! Supplementation of minerals is important because there is no geographic region on earth which has all the vital essential minerals and co-factors found in one single place (according to Bruce Ames research).

-G

Dr. B G said...

dubyaemgee,

I hear ya! Many PCPs also would rather just treat the number and not examine the 'root causes' of the suboptimal lab test. However I do see that the tides are changing -- just looking at how Vitamin D is exploding on the medical front. I think for many (like me) Vitamin D replacement alone may greatly correct (undiagnosed) Hashimoto's.

Dr. Davis on his blog mentions how bisphenol and flame retardants (found on our sofas and bedroom furniture) can also contribute to delicate thyroid dysfunction. My cat developed Grave's disease after we started cat food that was in cans lined with plastic (bisphenol? likely). We have to careful about ubiquitious endocrine disruptors like plastic and pesticides.

Hope you find the resources listed here helpful and good luck!

-G

Dr. Nima Rahmany said...

Such an amazing article. I just found your blog. I've been up all night because I can't sleep. I had the most profound aha moment last night and it has caused such an identity crisis inside me that I am brainstorming my next step.
After being fascinated by how the body functions, I decided to become a chiropractor so I can learn to change physiology with manual work. After being in practice for a while, I became fascinated with how the body's state of balance affected the mind... people would come in stressed, get adjusted, and walk out in a state of balance.
After seeing patterns of stressed out patients come in, I was awakened to a certainty that it works both ways... Stressed out state affects the body.
After studying how nutritional and exercise/movement deficiencies affect the body as well, I realized that I am ripping my patients off if I don't teach them about all factors.
When I looked even deeper, last night's realization rocked my world:
Cortisol and Adrenaline levels impact our physiology by creating pathological adaptations. You just said it yourself.
Cortisol and adrenaline levels are 100% controlled by how we move, how we eat (wheat, sugar), and our stress levels.
Here's the kicker....
The stress response is designed for our survival... in the hunter/gatherer days of fight or flight. If the tiger is attacking you, you NEED those stress hormones to survive and create adaptations to increase your chances of making it when you are flee-ing from the attack.
However.....
Whether there IS an attack or not, your BODY RESPONDS EXACTLY THE SAME.

Whether you are running away from a man with a knife, or you are scared not making your mortgage payments on time...
YOUR BODY REACTS THE SAME. But is your life in danger? I'm willing to guess that 99.999999% of the time it's not.
Conclusion? It's not the stressful event, but our perception that creates the "illness" response. What controls our perceptions?
Our beliefs and values.

We can suggest hormones and taking thyroid this and testosterone that...
but are we REALLY dealing with the cause if we don't look closer at our imbalanced perceptions on the stresses of life?
Do we just say "go do something about your stress and get some sunlight and make sure you take bio identical hormones?"

Or do we say... LET'S TAKE A CLOSER LOOK AT HOW OUR IMBALANCED PERCEPTIONS ON THE EVENTS THAT HAVE HAPPENED IN OUR LIFE, BECAUSE THIS IS CONTRIBUTING MORE IN OUR DIS-EASE THAN ANYTHING ELSE.

Even though I've written a novel here, I'm at a loss for words. I have to go to work today, seeing patients, having this realization, and wanting to help further.
You're the first blog I have found.

Any suggestions in what I can do about it? I have to get this message out. It's not rocket science, but it is irrefutable. If we do everything in order, the right way, the way our genes REQUIRE and provide sufficiency in how we eat, move, and balance out our perceptions about our environment, then we need to look no further. We don't NEED to have anything chemical added outside ourselves to correct the imbalance. Our belief systems affect our lifestyle actions and thoughts... it is the BELIEFS that created the imbalance in the first place. What a profound realization. This changes everything about who I am and what I do. OUR HEALTH IS 100% UNDER OUR OWN CONTROL. CHANGE YOUR BELIEFS, CHANGE YOUR LIFE. (Bruce Lipton, Stanford Medicine Phd)
Dr. B.G.... am I missing something here?

Dr. B G said...

Nima,

Yes! (How many expressos did you have?)

I agree... you said...'Cortisol and Adrenaline levels impact our physiology by creating pathological adaptations.'

HOW TRUE!

-G

Shelley said...

Is there any benefit to eating the adrenals of an animal, say a pig, or is it dangerous?

Dr. B G said...

Hey Shelley,

I try to avoid industrial feedlot pork and pork products as much as realistically possible, including the the adrenals or lard.

I believe leaf lard contains some of the adrenals and apparently there are some good 100% pasture raised pork leaf lard available. It is interesting that you bring up eating adrenals. I read in Nourishing Traditions that the native American Indians avoided scurvy by dividing up the adrenal glands from hunted elk and deer for each tribe member; it's rich in vitamin C.

-G

Anonymous said...

So are you going on a no-wheat diet because it's inflammatory? Did you hear about anti-inflammatory food? And people should eat in moderation instead of pleasing every crave that they have. That's so weak. I never crave anything. I eat for nutrition and in moderation. Having a life is for happiness.

Violeta Corona said...

I was diagnosed with low thyroid way back 2005. My doctor started me on 100 mc of synthetic med day. After being on the dose for three months TSH level was down to 1.4 and my area normal range is 0.2-4.5. My doctor decided to keep me on the 100mc synthetics a day to see how i went. 4 weeks later i started to feel alarming symptoms as if i had Hyperthyroid. So I decided to switched to porcine capsule thyroid , so far I gained positive results.