« PREVIOUS POST | LATEST POSTS | NEXT POST »

Currently there is an epidemic of hypothyroidism that most doctors can’t properly diagnose because blood tests aren’t accurate enough. The most common cause of primary hypothyroidism is Hashimoto’s thyroiditis. This is an autoimmune condition in which the body’s immune system attacks its own thyroid cells. This condition is proven by finding thyroid antibodies in the blood.

Allopathic—or as I like to call it—allopathetic medicine thinks that’s the end of the story. If you have thyroid antibodies, therefore you have Hashimoto’s and hypothyroidism. The standard treatment is synthetic thyroid hormone replacement and that’s that.

But the question arises, from inquiring minds that actually use their brains for thinking. What causes the body to attack the thyroid gland? Allopathetic medicine says the cause is unknown.

A relatively unknown cause that I ascribe to is the cross reactivity of candida yeast toxins with thyroid tissue. Yes, it’s possible that an overgrowth of yeast is blocking your thyroid receptors. Read my article, Yeast and Inflammation to understand more about this condition.

I decided to write this blog because recently a well-known nutritionist, Donna Gates, leapt into the thyroid fray in a recent blog: Don’t Make These 2 Common Mistakes with Your Thyroid!

Donna says you shouldn’t supplement with iodine, which is also the allopathetic approach.

For a rebuttal, I went to my friend Dr. Roby Mitchell, who says “Most practitioners are operating from “conventional wisdom” paradigms. Conventional wisdom is misinformation that continues to be perpetuated simply because it continues to get repeated by so called experts. The typical mistake with iodine supplementation is the shallow understanding that its only role is as a substrate for the formation of thyroid hormone. Not so. Every cell in the body needs iodine and iodide is also required to prevent attack from the sea of microbes they are surrounded by. Our bodies are saturated by 10 times more germs than human cells. Iodine supplementation serves the same purpose in the body that its chemical cousin chlorine does in a swimming pool or municipal water supply; it prevents germ overgrowth. Therefore, much more iodide is needed than just for thyroid hormone formation.”

I used to order 24-hr urine tests for iodine on many of my clients. There was not one person who had sufficient iodine in their body. Now I recommend low dose iodine supplementation in the form of Nascent Iodine for most of my clients. See my blog Taking Iodine For Your Thyroid.

Donna also says people are mistaken when they think that thyroid hormone replacement can fix hypothyroidism. And in this instance she is right. She recommends healing the underlying causes of an autoimmune condition by avoiding sugar, grains and processed oils. Which is essentially how I begin to treat thyroid disease.

So, the take home message for thyroid disease is:

1. Read the best overview of thyroid disease, Dr. Mark Starr’s book, Hypothyroidism Type 2: The Epidemic
2. Include Free T3, Free T4, TSH and thyroid antibodies in thyroid tests.
3. Go on a yeast free diet.
4. Take low dose iodine for your whole body, not just your thyroid.

RECOMMENDATIONS: To get well and stay well, join my 2-year online wellness program called Completement Now! The various types of magnesium to take are on my website under Resources. However, the most commonly used magnesium is Natural Calm available at VitaCost.com and most health food stores. Under books you’ll find my eBooks: How to Change Your Life with Magnesium, Future Health Now Encyclopedia and Death by Modern Medicine. For Angstrom Minerals go to HealthShop. For Detoxing I recommend LL’s Magnetic Clay and Magnesium Flakes. For treating yeast overgrowth, IBS and digestive disorders, I recommend Prescript Assist. For Coconut products, whey powder and green powders go to Tropical Traditions. For food-based supplements Grown by Nature offers my readers a 20% discount on your purchases. At checkout, just enter the code: gbn123. For psychological and emotional issues I recommend EFT, the Linden Method (for anxiety) and The Healing Codes.

NOTE: Only you can know if something is helping you. If you don’t feel well on a supposed beneficial product, listen to your body and stop taking it! Knowing when to Not take something is a big part of taking responsibility for your health.

WARNING: I cannot answer personal health questions by email. However, please send general questions that I may be able to answer in my blog. But first, google my name with the condition you are inquiring about and see if I’ve already addressed it somewhere on the web.

« PREVIOUS POST | LATEST POSTS | NEXT POST »