Nutrition News

Your Thyroid and Weight Gain
By Dr. Jeff Bartlett

If weight loss is a motivational factor for you at Curves, we suggest you pay special attention to this article. We are well aware that the medical and nutritional communities have recently directed a great deal of attention to the thyroid gland and its relationship to successful weight management. It is evident that many people with hypothyroidism also struggle with extra weight that is difficult to lose even on a strict diet. First and foremost, before we discuss this relationship between weight gain and thyroid dysfunction, we must state that proper nutrition and exercise is the number one determining factor of one's weight management success. This article will address the fact that an insufficiently nourished thyroid might be a contributing factor to weight management problems, especially among women, in the US today. Therefore, this is a very important message for our Curves ladies.

How do I know if I'm affected by hypothyroidism?

Common symptoms of hypothyroidism include:

• cold hands and feet, low body temperature, sensitivity to cold, a feeling of always being chilled, headaches, insomnia, dry skin, puffy eyes, hair loss, brittle nails, joint aches, constipation, mental dullness, fatigue, frequent infections, hoarse voice, ringing in the ears, dizziness, loss of libido, and weight gain.

Please realize that these symptoms are very subjective and do not diagnose nor determine your level of thyroid function. However, if you are experiencing some of these symptoms and you are struggling to lose weight, we suggest that you go and talk to your medical doctor and discuss your options to get tested. The customary test for the thyroid function is the TSH test, but according to Dr. Joseph Mercola,"90% of patients diagnosed with underactive thyroids have a completely normal TSH level." He suggests that there appears to be a strong correlation between a threshold value of TSH above 1.5 and the diagnosis of hypothyroidism. Most of his patients who had TSH levels above 1.5 seem to respond quite well to natural therapies that either improve or replace thyroid function, and we will discuss these options later.

What is causing this epidemic?

While more research needs to be done, it is generally accepted that diet plays a major role in thyroid health. We've also discussed in our past articles that the rise of industrialization, corporate farming, and mass production of food has drastically altered our food supply. Hopefully our readers are becoming well aware of the detrimental effects of refined sugars and grains on our health. These foods are very taxing on the thyroid gland, and we tend to consume them in large quantities. Another factor that has been well publicized in the past few decades, is that low iodine intake leads to low thyroid function and eventually to goiter. The most likely solution was to introduce iodized salt to our diet; however this has not eliminated the problem. Maybe one reason for this is that we are consuming too many foods known as goitrogens that block iodine. Two goitrogens that are quite prevalent in the Western diet are peanuts (peanut butter) and soybeans (soybean oil), which are used most often in prepared foods as textured vegetable protein. We are not stating that you should not eat these foods, but we do recommend lowering your consumption level.

Other influential factors are environmental stressors such as chemical pollutants, pesticides, mercury, and fluoride. A growing body of evidence suggests that fluoride, which is prevalent in toothpaste and water treatment, may impede the performance of the thyroid gland. Additionally, mercury may diminish thyroid function because it displaces the trace mineral selenium, and selenium is involved in the conversion of thyroid hormone T4 to T3.

What can we do about it?

1. If you have been diagnosed with hypothyroidism and are taking medication, please talk to your doctor about what options there are, and we recommend doing your due diligence to investigate the use of natural hormones versus synthetic ones. As always we advocate natural products first!
2. If you want to be proactive about your thyroid health, we suggest taking some form of organic iodine, which can be found at a local health food store or Whole Foods. Look for organically bound iodine that comes from non-commercially harvested seaweeds. A suggested dose is approximately 5 grams a day or roughly one ounce per week.
3. Reduce grain intake and increase resistance strength training exercise to effectively lose weight.
4. Focus on lowering your soy and fluoride consumption to lower the potential harm to your thyroid.
5. Consider buying coconut oil. Coconut oil is known to raise basal body temperatures, boost metabolism and promote weight loss.

References:

1. Dr. Joseph Mercola D.O. , Internationally respected Wellness advocate.
2. Beneficial effects of virgin coconut oil on lipid parameters and in vitro LDL oxidation. Clin Biochem. 2004 Sep; 37(9):830-5
3. J Nutr 2003 Nov; 133(11):3422-7