A Simple Plan to Diagnose and Treat Low Thyroid Function

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Article Title:

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A Simple Plan to Diagnose and Treat Low Thyroid Function

Article Description:

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Low thyroid function affects more than 30 million women and 15

million men. And it can lead to problems losing weight, decreased

sex drive, depression, anxiety, thinning hair, and poor quality,

thick, cracked fingernails.

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861 Words; formatted to 65 Characters per Line

Distribution Date and Time: 2008-03-24 14:00:00

Written By: Mark Hyman, M.D.

Copyright: 2008

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A Simple Plan to Diagnose and Treat Low Thyroid Function

Copyright © 2008 Mark Hyman, M.D.

The UltraWellness Blog

http://www.ultrawellness.com/blog/insulin-resistance

It’s an epidemic problem -- and you could have it.

Low thyroid function affects more than 30 million women and 15

million men. And it can lead to problems losing weight; decreased

sex drive; depression; anxiety; thinning hair; and poor quality,

thick, cracked fingernails.

So what’s responsible for low thyroid function and why are so

many people affected?

Chronic thyroid problems can be caused by many factors, including

environmental toxins such as pesticides, which act as hormone or

endocrine disruptor\'s and interfere with thyroid hormone

metabolism and function.

In one study, people released pesticides from their fat tissue as

they lost weight.

This interfered with their thyroid function and caused

hypothyroidism. The toxins slowed metabolism and prevented them

from losing more weight.

This study is significant, because it shows exactly how toxins

interfere with thyroid function.

Heavy metals such as mercury can also affect thyroid function. I

see many people with chronic hypothyroidism and other thyroid

problems because mercury interferes with normal thyroid function.

The other big factor that interferes with thyroid function is

chronic stress. The more stress you are under, the worse your

thyroid functions. Correcting poor thyroid function must address

the effects of chronic stress and provide support to the adrenal

glands.

The next major factor that affects thyroid function is chronic

inflammation. The biggest source of this chronic inflammation is

gluten, the protein found in wheat, barely, rye, spelt, and oats.

This common allergen affects about 10 to 20 percent of the

population. This reaction occurs mostly because of our damaged

guts, poor diet, and stress.

I also think eating so-called enfoods, such as hybridized

and genetically modified grains with very strange proteins, makes

us sick.

Our bodies don’t recognize these foods and create antibodies to

fight them. This chronic inflammatory response interferes with

thyroid function -- and contributes to the epidemic of

inflammatory diseases in the developed world.

Lastly, nutritional deficiencies play a big role in thyroid

dysfunction. These include deficiencies of iodine, vitamin D,

omega-3 fats, selenium, zinc, vitamin A, and the B vitamins.

There are so many reasons for low thyroid function, yet

conventional doctors tend to ignore them.

One young female patient of mine had more than 30 percent body

fat and was unable to change her body, no matter how hard she

worked. She ate perfectly, exercised with a trainer every day --

and her body still wouldn’t budge.

She also had a slightly depressed mood and other vague symptoms.

So I treated her with a low dose of Armour Thyroid, which is a

natural thyroid replacement.

What happened?

Well, she not only lost 20 pounds and improved her body

composition, but her mood improved and all her other symptoms

went away.

I knew she had low thyroid function because I did the right

tests.

Most doctors just check something called the thyroid-stimulating

hormone (TSH), which doesn’t give a full picture of the thyroid.

In fact, even the interpretation of this test is incorrect most

of the time.

The newer guidelines of the American College of Endocrinology

consider anybody with a TSH level over 3.0 as hypothyroid. Most

doctors think that only anything greater than 5 or 10 is worth

treating.

Unfortunately, this leaves millions suffering unnecessarily.

Other tests, including those for free T3, free T4, and thyroid

antibodies, are essential.

I also look for associated problems such as gluten intolerance,

food allergies, and heavy metals, as well as deficiencies of

vitamin D, selenium, vitamin A, zinc, and omega-3 fats.

Low thyroid function is one of the most common problems I see,

and treating it properly makes one of the biggest differences in

my patients’ quality of life.

Unfortunately, by using the old guidelines and thinking,

conventional medicine misses millions who suffer with

hypothyroidism.

In fact, in one study, researchers tested everybody who walked

through the gates of a county fair with conventional thyroid

testing. They found that according to even conservative

conventional standards, half of all the people who had

hypothyroidism were undiagnosed, untreated, and suffering.

Once you have confirmed that a sluggish thyroid is contributing

to your symptoms, the good news is that there are many, many,

many things you can do to help correct thyroid problems.

I have developed a seven-step plan to address hypothyroidism:

1. Identify and treat the underlying causes of hypothyroidism,

like food allergies, gluten, heavy metals, nutritional

deficiencies, and stress.

2. Support your thyroid with optimal nutrition, including foods

that contain iodine, zinc, omega-3 fats, selenium, and more.

3. Eliminate adrenal exhaustion and minimize stress by engaging

in a comprehensive stress management program.

4. Engage in thyroid stimulating exercise, which boosts thyroid

function.

5. Use supplements to help enhance thyroid function, including

all the nutrients needed for proper thyroid metabolism and

function.

6. Use saunas and heat to eliminate stored toxins, which

interfere with thyroid function.

7. Use thyroid hormone replacement therapy to help support your

thyroid gland.

I believe a comprehensive approach is needed to address chronic

thyroid issues and to diagnose them. Most of the options for

healing by conventional care are quite limited and only provide a

partial solution. But by following my seven-step plan you can

achieve optimal health and UltraWellness.

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Mark Hyman, M.D. is a pioneer in functional medicine, practicing

physician and best-selling author. A sneak preview of his book

" The UltraSimple Diet " is available. See The UltraWellness Blog

for more on Hypothyroidism:

http://www.ultrawellness.com/blog/Hypothyroidism