Re: thyroid disorders --what is up?

[Guest guest]

Carolyn,

I'm in the middle of reading " Let Food be your Medicine " by Bieler and so far

from him I'm getting the following ideas: He talks about three lines of defense

for the body to keep itself healthy. The first is the intestines, the second,

the liver and the third is the endocrine glands (thyroid, pituitary and adrenals

primarily). It is easy to see how our intestines fail (all the people eating bad

food, over using antibiotics causing dysbiosis, toxic bowels, weakening the body

because of undernourishment, toxins, and microbes which overgrow because we are

too weak to keep them under control etc). The body starts getting more toxins in

the blood which then overburdens the liver. When these first two defenses very

stressed, the endocrine glands start over-reacting to all the toxins - over

secreting and finally failing to perform well from exhaustion.

I don't know exactly what to recommend as far as specifics go, but it seems to

me that the primary focus (for anyone) needs to be detoxifying the body and

nourishing it well. Vegetable juices, broths, raw products, etc.

Also, a few years ago I read a book called " Ancient Secret of the Fountain of

Youth " by Kelder with forward by Bernie Siegel. It is a

a very short, simple book explaining this man's search for health. He goes into

exercises (which are like Yoga) which he learned from healthy, old monks. The

exercises help the endocrine glands function better (this is one of the main

things they are doing - there is one specifically for the thyroid). I know

people who swear by these exercises. I've never actually tried them but was just

thinking about them the other day. It is a cheap book which may give you an

adjunct therapy to your diet.

Barb

Hello,

I searched the archives to see if thyroid problems have been discussed here

before and didn't find much. I hope this isn't deemed off-topic, but I am

really interested in hearing your opinions about the prevelance of thyroid

disorders in this lovely modern world. Put simply: why the heck do so many

people have thyroid problems!? I have heard that anywhere from 6-10% of people

(in world?) have thyroid problems. Crazy, I think.

Personally, I have been diagnosed with Hashimoto's recently. I won't go into

the particulars of my case (I am still sorting it all out in my mind and can't

even articulate all the numbers yet). I have been on Armour for two years or

so, just recently switched to Westhroid.

But my questions for this forum mostly revolve around the diet connection:

** An endocrinologist recently told me -- when I asked him why he thought so

many people had thyroid problems -- that we are just diagnosing it more

nowadays. (I felt like screaming when he said that...) He did acknowledge that

radiation exposure and other factors come into play. But mostly the message was

: " Who knows? Let's just give people drugs and thank our lucky stars for Western

medicine. " It seems like no one really talks about WHY so many people have

thyroid problems nowadays. Anyway, can anyone point me to some information on

this subject?

** Diet: what do you all recommend for someone who is hypothyroid? I am

sure of course that an NT diet in general is helpful, but I am looking for a

targeted approach. I have heard that the virgin coconut oil is helpful for

hypothyroidism? True?

** Do any of you feel that hypothyroidism can be CURED... in the sense of

rebalancing and healing the gland and endocrine system so one doesn't need to

take thyroid hormone (synthetic or natural) ? Through diet?

** I recently read an article by Shomon, the thyroid " guide " at

about.com . She wrote of a study from Greece that showed a connection between

the antibodies which indicate Hashimoto's and antibodies associated with a

foodborne bacteria called " Yersinia enterocolitica " --- from raw milk, seafood

(esp. oysters) etc etc.... Anyway, I thought of this group when I read that

article. :-) Any thoughts? you can find that article at:

www.thyroid-info.com/articles/yersinia.htm

Well, any thoughts are appreciated as I am really struggling with my health

and I respect everyone's wisdom here. I have read NT and have looked up

" thyroid " in the index and read much of what she says, but I guess I am looking

for a " chapter " of sorts that sums up the diet/thyroid connection.

Not that I am expecting any of you busy people to write me a " chapter " .. but

that would be nice! :-)

Thanks,

Carolyn

[Guest guest]

oops! The name of the book is " Food is your Best Medicine " . I knew I typed it

wrong but forgot to correct it before I sent the message.

Barb

Carolyn,

I'm in the middle of reading " Let Food be your Medicine " by Bieler and so far

from him I'm getting the following ideas: He talks about three lines of defense

for the body to keep itself healthy. The first is the intestines, the second,

the liver and the third is the endocrine glands (thyroid, pituitary and adrenals

primarily). It is easy to see how our intestines fail (all the people eating bad

food, over using antibiotics causing dysbiosis, toxic bowels, weakening the body

because of undernourishment, toxins, and microbes which overgrow because we are

too weak to keep them under control etc). The body starts getting more toxins in

the blood which then overburdens the liver. When these first two defenses very

stressed, the endocrine glands start over-reacting to all the toxins - over

secreting and finally failing to perform well from exhaustion.

I don't know exactly what to recommend as far as specifics go, but it seems to

me that the primary focus (for anyone) needs to be detoxifying the body and

nourishing it well. Vegetable juices, broths, raw products, etc.

Also, a few years ago I read a book called " Ancient Secret of the Fountain of

Youth " by Kelder with forward by Bernie Siegel. It is a

a very short, simple book explaining this man's search for health. He goes

into exercises (which are like Yoga) which he learned from healthy, old monks.

The exercises help the endocrine glands function better (this is one of the main

things they are doing - there is one specifically for the thyroid). I know

people who swear by these exercises. I've never actually tried them but was just

thinking about them the other day. It is a cheap book which may give you an

adjunct therapy to your diet.

Barb

Hello,

I searched the archives to see if thyroid problems have been discussed here

before and didn't find much. I hope this isn't deemed off-topic, but I am

really interested in hearing your opinions about the prevelance of thyroid

disorders in this lovely modern world. Put simply: why the heck do so many

people have thyroid problems!? I have heard that anywhere from 6-10% of people

(in world?) have thyroid problems. Crazy, I think.

Personally, I have been diagnosed with Hashimoto's recently. I won't go

into the particulars of my case (I am still sorting it all out in my mind and

can't even articulate all the numbers yet). I have been on Armour for two

years or so, just recently switched to Westhroid.

But my questions for this forum mostly revolve around the diet connection:

** An endocrinologist recently told me -- when I asked him why he thought

so many people had thyroid problems -- that we are just diagnosing it more

nowadays. (I felt like screaming when he said that...) He did acknowledge that

radiation exposure and other factors come into play. But mostly the message was

: " Who knows? Let's just give people drugs and thank our lucky stars for Western

medicine. " It seems like no one really talks about WHY so many people have

thyroid problems nowadays. Anyway, can anyone point me to some information on

this subject?

** Diet: what do you all recommend for someone who is hypothyroid? I am

sure of course that an NT diet in general is helpful, but I am looking for a

targeted approach. I have heard that the virgin coconut oil is helpful for

hypothyroidism? True?

** Do any of you feel that hypothyroidism can be CURED... in the sense of

rebalancing and healing the gland and endocrine system so one doesn't need to

take thyroid hormone (synthetic or natural) ? Through diet?

** I recently read an article by Shomon, the thyroid " guide " at

about.com . She wrote of a study from Greece that showed a connection between

the antibodies which indicate Hashimoto's and antibodies associated with a

foodborne bacteria called " Yersinia enterocolitica " --- from raw milk, seafood

(esp. oysters) etc etc.... Anyway, I thought of this group when I read that

article. :-) Any thoughts? you can find that article at:

www.thyroid-info.com/articles/yersinia.htm

Well, any thoughts are appreciated as I am really struggling with my health

and I respect everyone's wisdom here. I have read NT and have looked up

" thyroid " in the index and read much of what she says, but I guess I am looking

for a " chapter " of sorts that sums up the diet/thyroid connection.

Not that I am expecting any of you busy people to write me a " chapter " .. but

that would be nice! :-)

Thanks,

Carolyn

[Guest guest]

Carolyn,

The references that Barb makes to Beiler and the sequence of

endocrine disturbance is accurate. The discussion of intestinal

dysbiosis, liver toxicity and endocrine stress is accurate. However

I have found while this is definetly consistently present in

hypothyroid it is not primary and here's the reason hypothyroid is

so prevalent throughout the world especially in the west, which

really should be called hypometabolic because it is far more about

the entire edocrine system as a whole than it is just about the

thyroid. The thyroid in this situation is just the link in the whole

chain that is the endocrine system that most obviously breaks down

however you'll be hard pressed to take a clinical look at a

hypothyroid case and not find adrenal, ovarian, liver and other

issues right along side.

The real source I find on this issue begins in utero with women

utilizing the typical refined grains and sugar. Most western women

have miserable blood sugar profiles and worsen it with the use and

abuse of these products. When you are trying to build a baby with a

blood sugar problem you are akin to running a marathon with a

tourniquet around your thigh. These blood sugar issues are not

genetically passed but instead environmentally passed from mother to

child. I do not mean this to blame the mother as she has been

victimized by this for generations herself. As the mothers blood

sugar handling problem goes so goes the blood sugar handling of her

baby. Now the baby is born and the diet that baby is given is either

breast milk filled with refined sugars and grains from mom or even

worse Nestle formulas. As this child grows they are fed the same SAD

diet their parents were raised on. Obviously this to some degree is

WAP's and NT's mo. Or anti-mo as the case may be, I know you're

familiar with this dietary insanity so I'll move on.

The reason this creates such chaos hormonally is this;

Eat sugar/refined carb - absorbed ridiculously fast into blood -

pancreas dumps insulin - sugars cannot be transported fast enough

into the live or muscle tissue and is ultimately stored as fat - more

importantly though is this as the blood sugar rises rapidly it also

drops rapidly - the adrenals are then asked to drive the blood sugar

to a stable position. This is fine once in a while as it is a

survival mechanism but when you consider that sugars are being

consumed by mom, baby and dad pretty much at every meal every day,

the body cannot do this. The adrenal excess activity will drive up

blood levels of cortisol which makes it impossible to convert T4 into

T3 so at least initially the thyroid is working fine however when T4

conversion doesn't happen its production is reduced as it goes

unconverted. In addition when the adrenal activity is so high

stomach hcl (acid) production is shut off. When food is consumed and

hypochlorhydria is present food rots in the stomach, is passed from

the stomach not fully broken down is incompletely assimilated and

creates all types of intestinal dysbiosis including but not limited

to toxic bowel, IBD, leaky gut and on and on and it is here where

Beilers observations come in. This is why most people with endocrine

problems no matter what the endocrine gland will do very well on

slightly more protein and minimal to no grains and sugar. However

the caveat here is if the digestion particularly the stomach acid

issue is not addressed there will just be more toxic bowel issues and

progress will be hampered. My description of mechanisms here is

extremely truncated however I think you'll get what's being said. If

you have any more questions please feel free to post me here or just

email me direct anytime.

Sincerely,

Dr. Marasco,BS,DC

Cincinnati, Oh

> Hello,

>

> I searched the archives to see if thyroid problems have been

discussed here before and didn't find much. I hope this isn't deemed

off-topic, but I am really interested in hearing your opinions about

the prevelance of thyroid disorders in this lovely modern world. Put

simply: why the heck do so many people have thyroid problems!? I

have heard that anywhere from 6-10% of people (in world?) have

thyroid problems. Crazy, I think.

>

> Personally, I have been diagnosed with Hashimoto's recently. I

won't go into the particulars of my case (I am still sorting it all

out in my mind and can't even articulate all the numbers yet). I

have been on Armour for two years or so, just recently switched to

Westhroid.

>

> But my questions for this forum mostly revolve around the diet

connection:

>

> ** An endocrinologist recently told me -- when I asked him why he

thought so many people had thyroid problems -- that we are just

diagnosing it more nowadays. (I felt like screaming when he said

that...) He did acknowledge that radiation exposure and other factors

come into play. But mostly the message was : " Who knows? Let's just

give people drugs and thank our lucky stars for Western medicine. "

It seems like no one really talks about WHY so many people have

thyroid problems nowadays. Anyway, can anyone point me to some

information on this subject?

>

> ** Diet: what do you all recommend for someone who is

hypothyroid? I am sure of course that an NT diet in general is

helpful, but I am looking for a targeted approach. I have heard that

the virgin coconut oil is helpful for hypothyroidism? True?

>

> ** Do any of you feel that hypothyroidism can be CURED... in the

sense of rebalancing and healing the gland and endocrine system so

one doesn't need to take thyroid hormone (synthetic or natural) ?

Through diet?

>

> ** I recently read an article by Shomon, the thyroid " guide "

at about.com . She wrote of a study from Greece that showed a

connection between the antibodies which indicate Hashimoto's and

antibodies associated with a foodborne bacteria called " Yersinia

enterocolitica " --- from raw milk, seafood (esp. oysters) etc

etc.... Anyway, I thought of this group when I read that article. :-

) Any thoughts? you can find that article at: www.thyroid-

info.com/articles/yersinia.htm

>

>

> Well, any thoughts are appreciated as I am really struggling with

my health and I respect everyone's wisdom here. I have read NT and

have looked up " thyroid " in the index and read much of what she says,

but I guess I am looking for a " chapter " of sorts that sums up the

diet/thyroid connection.

>

> Not that I am expecting any of you busy people to write me

a " chapter " .. but that would be nice! :-)

>

> Thanks,

> Carolyn

>

>

>

[Guest guest]

--- In @y..., " drmichaelmarasco " <mmarasco@c...>

wrote:

>Now the baby is born and the diet that baby is given is either

> breast milk filled with refined sugars and grains from mom or even

> worse Nestle formulas.

Dr. Marasco, I know what you were trying to say by this, but I'll

still allow myself to do a little nitpicking here. I seriously doubt

that breast milk can filled with refined sugars and grains. What I

think happens is that the milk is deficient in nutrients due

overconsumption of refined sugars.

Carolyn,

I'd like to add links to several articles that add to and expand a

little what's been said by Dr. Marasco and Barb:

- http://www.mercola.com/2001/jul/14/insulin.htm - Insulin and Its

Metabolic Effects;

- http://askwaltstollmd.com/stress.html - Modern Medical

Interpretation of Stress - an expanded understanding of stress

- http://askwaltstollmd.com/relax.html - how to dissolve stored stress

- http://askwaltstollmd.com/lgs.html - about LGS and its connection

to chronic stress

- http://www.vrp.com/ - search for neuroendocrine there (use its

library search feature) and you will get back a list of articles

several of which comprise a series on Neuroendocrine Theory of Aging;

- http://www.vrp.com/scripts/vrpMoreNews.asp?ART=735 - about a role

HCl plays in health and degeneration

- http://www.vrp.com/scripts/vrpMoreNews.asp?ART=696 - about a

Digestive Failure Theory of Aging

There are herbs that help rebalance the whole endocrine system. Maca

is one of them. You can learn about it at

http://www.wholeworldbotanicals.com/royalmaca.html. Be sure to read

its Detailed Information section. Something to keep in mind: the

founder of that web site told me that maca does *not* appear to calm

down an overactive thyroid.

Roman

[Guest guest]

roman, considering you know you are nitpicking and you know that this

is not a scientific treatsie I am writing here, in spite of the fact

that I probably more accurately would have said " filled with the

effects of refined sugars and grains " you should find something

better to do when the group is so slow on a friday night other than

nitpicking ;- )

I would however disagree with your assumption. Although certainly

there will be nutrients missing which is the correct aspect of your

assumption, you must recognize that mothers milk is a hormonal

delivery system and the more disturbed and dysfunctional her hormonal

system is you can bet that the balance of power in her milk is

equally disturbed. You will have higher levels of

carbohydrates/sugars in the milk and they will be more rapidly

absorbed just as the sugars and grains the mother is consuming. This

is exactly how the blood sugar problem is passed onto the child. Ask

any mother who has nursed and she will tell you unequivocally that

food flavors and properties (ie. hot pepper, garlic) are passed

directly in the milk and you can bet your bottom dollar that sugars

and their properties are passed DIRECTLY in the milk. The blood

sugar issue is not one of genes it is one of feeding both in and out

of utero for generations.

DMM

> >Now the baby is born and the diet that baby is given is either

> > breast milk filled with refined sugars and grains from mom or

even

> > worse Nestle formulas.

>

> Dr. Marasco, I know what you were trying to say by this, but I'll

> still allow myself to do a little nitpicking here. I seriously

doubt

> that breast milk can filled with refined sugars and grains. What I

> think happens is that the milk is deficient in nutrients due

> overconsumption of refined sugars.

>

> Carolyn,

>

> I'd like to add links to several articles that add to and expand a

> little what's been said by Dr. Marasco and Barb:

>

> - http://www.mercola.com/2001/jul/14/insulin.htm - Insulin and Its

> Metabolic Effects;

> - http://askwaltstollmd.com/stress.html - Modern Medical

> Interpretation of Stress - an expanded understanding of stress

> - http://askwaltstollmd.com/relax.html - how to dissolve stored

stress

> - http://askwaltstollmd.com/lgs.html - about LGS and its connection

> to chronic stress

> - http://www.vrp.com/ - search for neuroendocrine there (use its

> library search feature) and you will get back a list of articles

> several of which comprise a series on Neuroendocrine Theory of

Aging;

> - http://www.vrp.com/scripts/vrpMoreNews.asp?ART=735 - about a role

> HCl plays in health and degeneration

> - http://www.vrp.com/scripts/vrpMoreNews.asp?ART=696 - about a

> Digestive Failure Theory of Aging

>

> There are herbs that help rebalance the whole endocrine system.

Maca

> is one of them. You can learn about it at

> http://www.wholeworldbotanicals.com/royalmaca.html. Be sure to read

> its Detailed Information section. Something to keep in mind: the

> founder of that web site told me that maca does *not* appear to

calm

> down an overactive thyroid.

>

> Roman

[Guest guest]

Mike-

Quite so. In fact, I'm alarmed by the number of people who believe

mother's milk is _supposed_ to be thin and sweet, tasting sort of like

sweetened low-fat cow's milk! I have several friends who've nursed their

babies on milk like that, and I just silently tear my hair out.

>You will have higher levels of

>carbohydrates/sugars in the milk and they will be more rapidly

>absorbed just as the sugars and grains the mother is consuming. This

>is exactly how the blood sugar problem is passed onto the child. Ask

>any mother who has nursed and she will tell you unequivocally that

>food flavors and properties (ie. hot pepper, garlic) are passed

>directly in the milk and you can bet your bottom dollar that sugars

>and their properties are passed DIRECTLY in the milk. The blood

>sugar issue is not one of genes it is one of feeding both in and out

>of utero for generations.

-

[Guest guest]

Roman,

Thank you very, very much for taking the time to write out all those links....I

will definitely read them, soon. I just found out from my mother that she only

breast fed me for three months and then used formula for ?? the next several

months. AND she was fed formula. And then she fed us a SAD diet, although she

also cooked some decent meals for us. I am not angry at her, but very sad about

it all, esp. since I am living with chronic pain and fatigue every day - a

constant reminder. I was born in 1965... did the formula she was using have soy

in it? Or is that the key thing I should be worrying about? Wait, I shouldn't

be worrying! STRESS! ack. Anyway, I admit, the more I read and learn about

diet the more depressed i become about my poor health. And, yes, I do get

pretty darn irritated when I see SAD eaters off being active and seemingly

healthy while I seem to have been dealt a more sensitive constitution and can't

work, or play, as I wish.

Thanks again for the links.

Carolyn

----- Original Message -----

From: r_rom

Sent: Saturday, March 23, 2002 1:30 AM

Subject: Re: thyroid disorders --what is up?

>Now the baby is born and the diet that baby is given is either

> breast milk filled with refined sugars and grains from mom or even

> worse Nestle formulas.

Dr. Marasco, I know what you were trying to say by this, but I'll

still allow myself to do a little nitpicking here. I seriously doubt

that breast milk can filled with refined sugars and grains. What I

think happens is that the milk is deficient in nutrients due

overconsumption of refined sugars.

Carolyn,

I'd like to add links to several articles that add to and expand a

little what's been said by Dr. Marasco and Barb:

- http://www.mercola.com/2001/jul/14/insulin.htm - Insulin and Its

Metabolic Effects;

- http://askwaltstollmd.com/stress.html - Modern Medical

Interpretation of Stress - an expanded understanding of stress

- http://askwaltstollmd.com/relax.html - how to dissolve stored stress

- http://askwaltstollmd.com/lgs.html - about LGS and its connection

to chronic stress

- http://www.vrp.com/ - search for neuroendocrine there (use its

library search feature) and you will get back a list of articles

several of which comprise a series on Neuroendocrine Theory of Aging;

- http://www.vrp.com/scripts/vrpMoreNews.asp?ART=735 - about a role

HCl plays in health and degeneration

- http://www.vrp.com/scripts/vrpMoreNews.asp?ART=696 - about a

Digestive Failure Theory of Aging

There are herbs that help rebalance the whole endocrine system. Maca

is one of them. You can learn about it at

http://www.wholeworldbotanicals.com/royalmaca.html. Be sure to read

its Detailed Information section. Something to keep in mind: the

founder of that web site told me that maca does *not* appear to calm

down an overactive thyroid.

Roman