KELP FOR A SLOW THYROID? and Link: The Heart Scan Blog

. Just to let all you folks who have been wondering about what to do re your slow thyroid. . . You can get Iodine supplements from the pharmacy or the health food store which will balance out all the negatives of the foods that are bad for a slow thyroid as mentioned in the below post. Also, I have been reading that Kelp pills are good for your thyroid. Two of Dr. William Davis' posts very edifying here they are:

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SPONTANEOUS COMBUSTION, VAMPIRES, AND GOITROGENS

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What do the following have in common:

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Lima beans, Flaxseed, Broccoli, Cabbage, Kale, Soy, Millet, Sorghum?

. They are all classified as goitrogens, or foods that have been shown to trigger goiter, or thyroid gland enlargement. Most of them do this either by blocking iodine uptake in the thyroid gland or by blocking the enzyme, thyroid peroxidase. This effect can lead to reduction in thyroid hormone output by the thyroid gland, which then triggers increased thyroid stimulating hormone (TSH) by the pituitary; increased TSH acts as a growth factor on the thyroid, thus goiter. . Add to this list of goitrogens the flavonoid, quercertin, found in abundance in red wine, grapes, apples, capers, tomatoes, cherries, raspberries, teas, and onions. Most of us obtain around 30 mg per day from our diet. Quercetin, often touted as a healthy flavonoid alongside resveratrol (e.g., Yang JY et al 2008), has been shown to be associated with reduced risk for heart disease and cancer. Many people even take quercetin as a nutritional supplement. . Quercetin has also been identified as a goitrogen (Giuliani C et al 2008). . What to make of all this? . Most of these observations have been made in in vitro ("test tube") preparations or in mice. Rabbits who consume a cabbage-only diet can develop goiter. . How about humans? The few trials conducted in humans have shown little or no effect. In most instances, the adverse effects of goitrogens have been eliminated with supplemental iodine. In other words, goitrogens seem to exert their ill thyroid effects when iodine deficiency is present. Restore iodine . . . no more goitrogens (with rare exceptions). . Should we as humans adopt a diet that avoids apples, grapes, tomatoes, red wine, tea, onions, soy etc. on the small chance that we will develop goiter? . I believe that we should avoid these common food-sourced goitrogens with as much enthusiasm as we should be worried about spontaneous combustion of humans or the appearance of vampires on our front porches. We are as likely to suffer low thyroid activity from quercetin or other "goitrogens" as we are to experience the "mitochondrial explosions" that are purported to set innocent people afire.

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Wednesday, May 20, 2009

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GOITER, GOITER EVERYWHERE

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The results of the recent Heart Scan Blog poll are in.

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The question:

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Do you used iodized salt?

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The responses:

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Yes, I use iodized salt every day94 (28%)

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Yes, I use iodized salt occasionally56 (16%)

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No, I do not use any iodized salt41 (12%)

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No, I use a non-iodized salt (sea salt, Kosher)126 (37%)

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No, I use a non- or low-sodium substitute15 (4%)

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Thanks for your responses.

. If only 28% of people are regular users of iodized salt, that means that the remainder--72%--are at risk for iodine deficiency if they are not getting iodine from an alternative source, such as a multivitamin or multimineral.

. Even the occasional users of salt can be at risk. The common perception is that occasional use is probably sufficient to provide iodine. This is probably not true and not just because of the lower quantity of ingestion. Occasional users of salt tend to have their salt canister on the shelf for extended periods. The iodine is then lost, since iodine is volatile. In fact, iodine is virtually undetectable four weeks after a package is opened. . In my office, now that I'm looking for them much more systematically and carefully, I am finding about 2 people with goiters every day. They are not the obvious grotesque goiters of the early 20th century (when quack therapies like the last post, the Golden Medical Discovery, were popular). The goiters I am detecting are small and spongy. Yesterday alone I found 5 people with goiters, one of them visible to the eye and very distressing to the patient. . It seems to me that iodine deficiency is more prevalent than I ever thought. It is also something that is so simple to remedy, though not by increasing salt intake. Kelp tablets--cheap, available--have been working quite well in the office population. My sense is that the Recommended Daily Allowance of 150 mcg per day for adults is low and that many benefit from greater quantities, e.g., 500 mcg. What is is the ideal dose? To my knowledge, nobody has yet generated that data. . Thyroid issues being relatively new to my thinking, I now find it incredible that endocrinologists and the American Thyroid Association are not broadcasting this problem at the top of their lungs. This issue needs to be brought to the top of everyone's attention, or else we'll have history repeating itself and have goiters and thyroid dysfunction galore.

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. Check out the info about thyroids and other info from this doctor's blog by clicking on my title.

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NOTE:..Dr. Davis says "NOTHING in his blog should be viewed as medical advice."