Dr. Ward Bond - Nutritional Living Television, Inc.

Understanding Hypothyroidism – Part 1

Welcome to part one of my three part series on Hypothyroidism. About 50% of people with health issues have some sort of endocrine problem. Many have thyroid issues. In primary hypothyroidism, the thyroid is the basic issue.

With secondary hypothyroidism, the basic problem is with other glands that affect the thyroid. About 80% of those with thyroid problems are women. American men and women are continually dosed with estrogen or estrogen-like compounds in drugs, food (especially soy), water, and air. Excess estrogen interferes with the conversion of T4 to the active T3. Add to this our exposure to chlorine and fluoride in our water. Both of these block the activity of iodine. Also, most Americans have an iodine deficiency. Many have protein deficiencies. The above assessments are based on research by Dr. Harry Eidenier.

Believe it or not…soy, chlorine, fluoride and estrogen will block thyroxine (T4) from the thyroid leading to many cases of hypothyroidism. The list of symptoms below are associated with hypothyroidism.

• Morning headaches that wear off during the day.
• Low morning underarm temperature. (Adrenal, pituitary or other issues such as elevated estrogen can also cause this.)
• Depression.
• Dry or brittle hair, or hair that falls out.
• Dry or itching skin.
• Sensitivity to cold. Thyroid is the heater.
• Slow wound healing.
• Joint stiffness.
• Poor circulation.
• Cold or numbness of the hands or feet.
• Loss of the outside portion of the eyebrows.
• Increase in weight even on a low calorie or low carbohydrate diet.
• Reduced initiative.
• Mental confusion.
• Poor memory.
• Ringing in the ears along with decreased blood pressure and/or slow pulse. (This can also be an adrenal problem.)
• Muscle cramps while at rest.
• Catching colds or other infections easily. Difficulty recovering from infections.
• Requiring excessive sleep (more than 8 hours).
• Chronic digestive problems. This is often low stomach acid.
• Edema, especially in the face.
• Constipation.

Tests provide about half of the needed information. Out of 100 patients with the above symptoms, about 10 will have genuine (primary) hypothyroidism. The rest will mostly be excessive adrenal (cortisol) output blocking conversion from T4 to active T3, or low pituitary function leading to low thyroid function. Some cases are excess estrogen or low adrenal function.

Next week, we’ll look at the difference between TSH, T4 and T3. These are vital areas of proper thyroid function. Be healthy and be blessed!

Ward W. Bond, Ph.D.