By Carlos M Viana, CCN, OMD
The word thyroid comes from the Greek “thura” which means “door,” which is what the thyroid looks like. Your thyroid gland is the largest endocrine gland and is situated in the front of the neck. Your thyroid gland secretes iodine- rich hormones thyroxin and triiodothyronine which regulate your metabolism rate; but its effects are felt all over the body.
Thyroid glands that are not functioning optimally produce a myriad of symptoms. Many people experience unexplained cold hands and feet, low body temperature, sensitivity to cold, a feeling of always being chilled, headaches, insomnia, dry skin and hair, puffy eyes, hair loss, brittle nails, joint aches, constipation, mental dullness, fatigue, frequent infections, PMS symptoms, hoarse voice, ringing in the ears, dizziness, depression, fluid retention, anxiety and panic attacks, allergies, asthma, acne, skin hives, loss of libido, and weight gain, which is sometimes uncontrollable. In fact, an insufficiently nourished thyroid might be a major cause of weight problems, especially among women, in the West today.
Research indicates that up to 10 percent of Westerners have a thyroid problem that has most likely gone unrecognized. If you are experiencing any of the symptoms above your doctor could send you to check your thyroid function through a blood test. Unfortunately, the test results may not be accurate. This is because test “averages” do not show how all of us are unique. Your individual thyroid hormone levels are not like anyone else’s.
Thyroid tests will not give you an accurate indication of your ideal thyroid hormone level, because they are missing a critical piece of information which is your peak thyroid level when you were young and healthy. Should your thyroid test results indicate that you are in the “normal” range…say 5.5…but when you were younger you would have tested at a 9, then indeed, your thyroid is quite under active for you. At 5.5 you may feel very tired yet your doctor will tell you that your test results are “normal.”
You can only truly compare you with you, and not a range of others. It would be ideal if we were tested when we were in our late teens and twenties and our peak levels were recorded at the topmost physical time in our life. Then, as we age, we could test ourselves again to ensure that our hormone levels remain at this peak level.
The second reason that the tests are often inaccurate is because they only show what your thyroid hormone levels are on the day of testing. Your thyroid is a “tricky” organ to both diagnose and treat since its hormone levels fluctuate all the time. What you eat each day has a tremendous and immediate impact on it, and how much hormone it secretes.
A third reason for their inaccuracy is that the tests do not indicate if your thyroid hormone is actually entering your cells. Your thyroid may be manufacturing plenty of hormone but your cells can become resistant to the hormone and not able to utilize it. This condition is called Wilson’s Syndrome. If you have low body temperature and some of the symptoms listed above you could have this condition.
In our clinic we see a lot of hypo or low functioning thyroids. The first solution is to put our patients on their metabolic or blood type food list. Because of today’s diet, people will likely never experience outstanding thyroid health, unless they are encouraged to change their eating habits. Your thyroid can be nourished better with a diet that includes the good fats (olive oil, pumpkinseed oil, real, unsalted butter, cod liver oil, and egg yolks) and mineral-rich foods (dark green leafy vegetables, sea salt and ocean veggies). Supplements that help in building a strong thyroid are kelp and selenium.
Most thyroid patients are women and many with low progesterone are often misdiagnosed as thyroid deficiency. Thyroid and sex hormones each affect the other. We often attend women with bulging eyes, racing heartbeat, and a swollen neck by naturally stimulating their progesterone production. Adding zinc to your daily supplement routine is important for sexual health.
Irregular periods, often leading to needless hysterectomies, are unfortunate common aspects of hypothyroidism; and breast disease. Too little thyroid production may cause increased prolactin levels and persistent estrogen stimulation. Prolactin is the hormone that stimulates the production of breast milk. Levels rise normally during pregnancy and breastfeeding. Abnormal changes in prolactin production can slow or stop your menstruation and you may find that you are producing milk from your breasts when you are not pregnant.
Get The Point! Your thyroid may not be working at its optimum if you are experiencing some of the symptoms mentioned above. If the guardian in your throat isn’t handling the job anymore, maybe it’s time for a change of guard. Take control of your health by opening the door to diet and lifestyle changes. Don’t settle for “averages.” We are all different; we offer specialized hormone and other testing. Let us prepare a personal plan to fortify your health.
CARLOS VIANA, Ph. D. is an Oriental Medical Doctor (O.M.D.) having studied in Shanghai, China; a Board Cert. Clinical Nutritionist (C.C.N.), a fellow member of the Board Certified Association of Addiction Professionals (C.Ad.), the Chairperson of the Latin American Committee of the International Academy of Oral Medicine and Toxicology (IAOMT), a Rejuvenating Cell Therapist and specializes in Anti-Aging Medicine, has a weekly radio program, writes and lectures extensively. For information: VIANA NATURAL HEALING CENTER NV, Kibaima 7, Aruba, TEL: 585-1270, Web Site: www.vianaheal.com. Q
