What Is Sabotaging Your Thyroid Hypothyroidism Treatment

“Overcoming Hypothyroidism: The
Ultimate Guide to Recovery”

Free Chapter

by Petra Mitova

ThyroidDiseaseSucks.com

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Copyright © 2012 ThyroidDiseaseSucks.com

What’s Sabotaging Your Thyroid?
Most doctors nowadays want you to believe that treating hypothyroidism is
as simple as taking a pill every morning. The body doesn’t really work that
way, however. There’s always a reason behind a condition and there are
many different factors that affect the health of your thyroid. Even though
your hypothyroidism might have been caused by one initial problem, that
one problem quickly creates a domino effect and before you know it, you
could be dealing with a number of problems that all need to be fixed in
order to heal your thyroid. Here are some common factors that play a role in
developing hypothyroidism:

1. Leaky Gut
The leaky gut syndrome is a name given to a very common health
disorder in which the basic organic defect is an intestinal lining which is
more permeable (porous) than normal. The abnormally large spaces
present between the cells of the gut wall allow the entry of toxic material
into the blood stream that would, in healthier circumstances, be repelled
and eliminated.

You might think you don’t have leaky gut because you have no digestive
problems. I’m here to tell you that if you have Hashimoto’s, you do have a
problem within your digestive system. You might not realize it but there is a
connection between your thyroid and your digestive system, and a food
intolerance can also present with inflammation in the joints, skin,
respiratory tract and brain, without any obvious gut symptoms.

The gut becomes leaky in the sense that bacteria, fungi, parasites and their
toxins, undigested protein, fat and waste normally not absorbed into the
bloodstream in the healthy state, pass through a damaged,
hyperpermeable, porous or "leaky" gut. This can be verified by special gut
permeability urine tests, microscopic examination of the lining of the
intestinal wall as well as the bloodstream with phase contrast or darkfield
microscopy of living whole blood.

The leaky gut syndrome is almost always associated with autoimmune disease
and reversing autoimmune disease depends on healing the lining of the
gastrointestinal tract. Any other treatment is just symptom suppression.

Copyright © 2012 Overcoming Hypothyroidism: The Ultimate Guide to Recovery

Physicians are increasingly recognizing the importance of the gastrointestinal
tract in the development of allergic or autoimmune disease. Understanding
the leaky gut phenomenon helps us with safe and effective therapies to
bring the body back into balance. Due to larger than normal spaces between
the cells of the gut wall, larger than usual protein molecules are absorbed
before they have a chance to be completely broken down as occurs when the
intestinal lining is intact. The immune system starts making antibodies
against these larger molecules because it recognizes them as foreign,
invading substances. The immune system starts treating them as if they had
to be destroyed. Antibodies are made against these proteins derived from
previously harmless foods. Human tissues have antigenic sites very similar
to those on foods, bacteria, parasites, Candida or fungi.

The antibodies created by the leaky gut phenomenon against these antigens
can get into various tissues and trigger an inflammatory reaction when the
corresponding food is consumed or the microbe is encountered.
Autoantibodies are thus created and inflammation becomes chronic. If this
inflammation occurs at a joint, autoimmune arthritis (rheumatoid arthritis)
develops. If it occurs in the thyroid gland, autoimmune thyroditis may be
the result. If it occurs in the brain, myalgic encephalomyletis (a.k.a. chronic
fatigue syndrome) may be the result. If it occurs in the blood vessels,
vasculitis (inflammation of the blood vessels) is the resulting autoimmune
problem. If the antibodies start attacking the lining of the gut itself, the
result may be colitis or Crohn's disease. If it occurs in the lungs, asthma is
triggered on a delayed basis every time the individual consumes the food
which triggered the production of the antibodies in the first place. It is easy
to see that practically any organ of the body tissue can become affected by
food allergies created by the leaky gut. Symptoms, especially those seen in
conditions such as chronic fatigue syndrome, can be multiple and severely
debilitating.

For example, Hashimoto’s sufferers are often advised to eliminate gluten
from their diet. Several studies show a strong link between autoimmune
thyroiditis (both Hashimoto’s and Graves’) and gluten intolerance. The link is
so well-established that researchers suggest all people with thyroiditis be
screened for gluten intolerance, and vice versa. What explains the
connection? It’s a case of mistaken identity. The molecular structure of
gliadin, the protein portion of gluten, closely resembles that of the thyroid
gland. When gliadin breaches the protective barrier of the gut, and enters


the bloodstream, the immune system tags it for destruction. These
antibodies to gliadin also cause the body to attack thyroid tissue. One reason
gluten intolerance goes undetected in so many cases is that both doctors
and patients mistakenly believe it only causes digestive problems. But gluten
intolerance can also present with inflammation in the joints, skin, respiratory
tract and brain – without any obvious gut symptoms.

I show you exactly how to fix your leaky gut in the “You Are What You Eat”
Chapter.

2. Dysglycemia
Dysglycemia refers to abnormal blood sugar levels from any cause which
results in disease. Hyperglycemia is a condition in which glucose levels are
higher than usual; hypoglycemia is a condition in which blood glucose levels
are lower than normal. Low blood sugar decreases the conversion of T4 to
active T3 in your liver, and it signals your body to increase the stress
hormone, cortisol, which breaks down your muscle tissue in order to keep
your blood sugar from dropping to dangerously low levels. Insulin
resistance is a condition where the natural hormone insulin, becomes less
effective at lowering blood sugars. The resulting increase in blood glucose
may raise levels outside the normal range and cause adverse health effects.

Insulin is a thyroid growth factor that stimulates proliferation of thyroid cells
in culture. A 2008 study of 111 euthyroid women determined that higher
circulating levels of insulin cause increased thyroid proliferation. The clinical
manifestations are larger thyroid volume and the formation of nodules.
Thus, the thyroid gland appears to be another victim of the insulin
resistance syndrome.

In order to improve thyroid function, dysglycemia must be addressed. An
easy and healthy way to maintain your blood sugar levels steady is to eat
plenty of ripened fruit. It’s naturally high in potassium, which helps
regulate your blood sugar by reducing the amount of insulin that your body
needs to properly absorb the sugar. In fact, the sugar from fruit is a
powerful blood sugar regulator. And this is because it has the unique ability
to either increase or decrease your blood sugar depending on what your
body needs. It also reduces your tendency to store fat.


Sugar from fruit is different from other forms of sugar which cause your
blood sugar to rise rapidly, and this in turn causes your body to secrete a
large amount of insulin in order to remove the sugar from your bloodstream.
Another important factor in managing your blood sugar levels is to reduce to
a minimum polyunsaturated fats from your diet, which can lead to insulin
sensitivity and eventually, diabetes. Another useful tip is that many people
need to eat something before they go to bed in order to help them maintain
their blood sugar levels throughout the night. In fact, low blood sugar is an
extremely common cause of night waking and insomnia. This is because
when blood sugar is low, stress hormones rise. And oftentimes, adrenaline
will rise high enough to wake you up. Some people might argue that eating
before bed might cause weight gain. I don’t agree with that, I always have a
snack before bed and sleep throughout the night without waking up whereas
before, when my last meal was around 6pm I used to wake up hungry
several times a night. I follow a special diet and even though I was
diagnosed with hypothyroidism, I have not gained a single pound. In the
chapter “My Diet” I give you my exact meals schedule and tell you how to
maintain healthy blood sugar levels, what foods to avoid and what foods to
include in your daily diet.

3. Unbalanced Estrogen Levels
Estrogen dominance is a metabolic state where the level of estrogen outweighs
the level of progesterone in the body. Estrogen is everywhere in our
environment – you’d have to virtually live in a bubble to escape the excess
estrogens we're exposed to through pesticides, plastics, chemicals, birth control
pills, industrial waste products, car exhaust, meat, soaps and much of the
carpeting, furniture and paneling that we live with indoors every day. It applies
to both men and women, as men accumulate estrogen as well. Excessive
estrogen has been shown to play a role in the development of hypothyroidism.
Estrogen inhibits the thyroid’s ability to secrete hormones, and these
unsecreted hormones tend to build up in the thyroid.
Your body doesn’t get the hormones you need and you become hypothyroid.
So you can see how important it is to not only treat your thyroid but address
all the other issues you’re having.

There are several things you can do to reduce your exposure to estrogen
that comes from the environment. Avoid plastic containers for storing food,
and especially if you are heating or freezing it – that’s when the largest


amounts of toxic chemicals leach in your food. Avoid phyto-estrogenic foods
such as broccoli, soy bean products, certain teas, chocolate, coffee and
wine, sesame seeds, wheatberries, fenugreek, oats, barley, dried beans,
lentils and yams. Consider a different form of birth control pills - women who
use estrogen-containing birth control pills are at a 3- to 6-fold increased risk
of developing blood clots. Blood clots may lead to deep vein thrombosis,
heart attack, or stroke. Try to buy organic food as much as possible –
herbicides and pesticides are big sources of environmental toxins in our
bodies.

There are also foods that act like a sponge, soaking up the excess
estrogen within your digestive tract and preventing your body from
reabsorbing it. I talk about this in more detail in the “What to Eat” chapter.

4. Congested Liver
The liver is one of the most vital organs in our body and also one of the
hardest working ones. The main symptom related to any liver disease is
tiredness. The main function of the liver is to remove toxins from the body,
which can include varied chemical as well as physiological substances.
When the liver is overloaded with work then it can face problems in clearing
toxins from your body, which results in congested liver or liver congestion.

Your thyroid makes mostly T4 (the inactive hormone) and a little bit of T3
(the active form). About 70% of T3 in your body is converted from T4 by
your liver, so if your liver isn’t functioning properly, it wouldn’t convert
these hormones efficiently and that leads to hypothyroidism. T4 then
accumulates in the body, and a signal is sent to the thyroid to stop
producing so many hormones, slowing it down even further.

Another issue with a congested liver is that it can no longer properly store
sugar. This stored sugar plays an important role in your ability to maintain
steady blood sugar levels throughout the day. When that happens, your
blood sugar level drops, your body gets stressed and sends a signal to
your adrenals to release stress hormones.

In order to keep your liver healthy, try to reduce your exposure to toxins as
much as you can. Your liver also needs nutrients in order to convert thyroid
hormones. One such mineral is selenium; 200 mcg of selenium per day has
been also shown to reduce TPO-ab and TG-ab in Hashimoto’s patients in


several studies. I show you what other vitamins and supplements to take to
maintain proper thyroid function in the “Vitamins and Supplements” chapter.

5. Stress
Stress produces an adrenaline rush in the fight or flight response. Chronic,
prolonged stress suppresses our immunity and makes us vulnerable to
illness and disease. Under normal conditions, your body maintains a
balanced state of health. But, when exposed to constant and chronic stress,
the system breaks down. You become vulnerable - not only to stress
symptoms like headaches or nausea, but also to long-term immune system
disorders and other diseases and illnesses. In fact, nearly 70% of all
illnesses and diseases can be attributed to stress, says StressAffect.com.
But stress isn’t confined to just emotional stress as many people think;
stress can be physical, dietary, environmental, etc.

So how does this affect your thyroid? Stress hormones inhibit the conversion
of T4 to T3, and increase the production of Reverse T3 (rT3) which stops
your body from using T3 (the active thyroid hormone). When under stress
your body naturally slows down your thyroid and shuts down non-essential
body functions – for example, digestion is slowed, and your immune system
is weakened. Your body does this so you can “survive” or outlast the stress,
which is actually helpful if you really are in danger.

But in modern society stress is an integral part of life, and we don’t know
how to turn it off. When stress is excessive, prolonged and chronic, it
actually breaks down our body’s defense mechanism and leaves you open
and vulnerable to disease and illness. You may find that you get colds more
often, or you come down with the flu.

I discuss the effects of stress in more detail in the “The Role of Stress in
Hashimoto’s Disease” chapter, as well as some methods and techniques
to help you relieve and reduce stress.

6. Too Much Exercise
While exercise is essential for maintaining your health and well-being, too
much exercise can have the opposite effect. In fact, many professional
athletes suffer from hypothyroidism, because the physical stress they
place on their bodies leads to adrenal fatigue, which in turn leads to


hypothyroidism. Oftentimes hypothyroid patients have issues with weight
gain, so they think that exercise will help them lose the extra weight. But
too much exercise or the wrong kind of exercise only makes you even more
hypothyroid. Intense exercise requires your body to use up a lot of sugar
rather quickly but if your liver can’t properly store sugar then you don’t have
enough sugar to burn. In that case your body will have to increase stress
hormones to break down your muscle tissue to use as sugar. In the end
you’re left with even less muscle and more fat, especially around your
abdomen. Several studies have even showed that over-exercising can stop
your body from producing the active thyroid hormone immediately. So if
you’re considering an intense workout, you might want to reconsider that.

You should never exercise on an empty stomach or early in the morning.
That’s when your stress hormones are highest, and exercise will cause them
to rise even higher for longer periods of time. Eating breakfast in the
morning and balancing your blood sugar is generally when your stress
hormones return to normal. Walking, Yoga, bike-riding, swimming, deep
breathing, meditation, or stretching are fine. Don’t engage in vigorous or
intense aerobic exercise, which depletes the adrenals. I discuss this subject
in more detail in “The Importance of Sun, Fresh Air and Exercise” and “The
Adrenals – The Workhorses of Your Body” chapters.

7. Dental Problems
You’re probably wondering what your teeth and dental problems have to do
with your thyroid. Most people don’t realize that bacteria from your mouth,
untreated cavities and root canals can spread throughout your body and
make you very sick. Failing to brush your teeth twice a day can
significantly increase the risk of developing heart disease, according to a
new study, led by Professor Richard Watt from University College London.

What’s more, approximately 80% of the population has inside their mouths
the most toxic non-radioactive substance on the planet. This known poison is
mercury, and it comprises 50% of all "silver" amalgam fillings that are
placed in people’s mouths during routine dental procedures. According to
scientists Sharma and Obersteiner at Utah State University, mercury is even
more toxic than aluminum, lead, cadmium or arsenic. They state that
mercury is "a strong protoplasmic poison that penetrates all living cells of
the human body. Mercury is a powerful biological poison with no necessary
biological function." The harmful effects of mercury on the body are almost


too numerous to count. In many cases it can take up to twenty-five years for
disease symptoms from mercury poisoning to manifest.

I myself had 5 mercury fillings which were placed on my teeth 20 years ago. I
had all of them removed in May 2012 by a holistic dentist, and noticed a
considerable improvement in my health in the following months. Surface
particles of elemental mercury from amalgams are acted upon by oral and
intestinal bacteria to produce methyl mercury, an even more toxic form of
mercury that targets the pituitary gland, thyroid gland, and the brain.

Research has implicated amalgams (silver dental fillings) as a contributing
factor in developing Hashimoto’s. Dental amalgam is the largest source of
mercury in most people with amalgam fillings and it is well documented:
www.flcv.com/damspr1.html. That most with many chronic health problems
significantly improve after amalgam replacement is also well documented:
www.flcv.com/hgremove.html & www.flcv.com/hgrecovp.html. A new study
concluded that “Removal of dental amalgam decreases anti-TPO and anti-Tg
autoantibodies in patients with autoimmune thyroiditis.”

Research conducted as early as a decade ago reported that old fillings
viewed under an electron microscope showed holes where the mercury had
evaporated, releasing 40% of the mercury into the body over a ten year
period. The U.S. environmental protection safety limits for mercury exposure
are 10 micrograms per day, yet mercury released from fillings can
contribute up to three times this amount, just from the simple acts of
chewing, brushing the teeth, or drinking hot liquids. Studies show that the
average person makes and swallows 1.5 liters of saliva a day. Yet, if they
have as few as four amalgams present in their mouth, their saliva is so high
in mercury they cannot legally spit into the toilet in the USA. In fact,
amalgam that has been drilled out of teeth must be collected by a special
toxic waste disposal company in three airtight metal containers locked one
inside the other and labeled with a skull and crossbones. Yet this material is
considered safe when placed in our mouths?

Mercury and toxic metals block enzymes required to digest milk casein and
wheat gluten, resulting in dumping morphine-like substances in the blood
that are neurotoxic and psychotic. That might explain why some hypothyroid
patients report “feeling like crazy.” Another interesting fact is that selenium
helps remove mercury from the body, as well as it lowers TPO-ab (thyroid


peroxidase antibodies) and TG-ab (Thyroglobulin antibodies) count
in Hashimoto’s patients.

I discuss this matter in more detail in the “It All Comes Down to the
Gut” chapter.

I hope you enjoyed reading this free chapter and decided to take the first
steps towards reversing your hypothyroidism. If you’d like to download the
book “Overcoming Hypothyroidism: The Ultimate Guide to Recovery” head
over to ThyroidDiseaseSucks.com and order your copy to get instant
access to all the information that helped me regain my health. If you
choose not to order it, at least apply the things you learned in this free
chapter, and I’m sure you’ll see positive results.

To your recovery,

Petra Mitova


What Is Sabotaging Your Thyroid Hypothyroidism Treatment

What Is Sabotaging Your Thyroid Hypothyroidism Treatment

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What Is Sabotaging Your Thyroid Hypothyroidism Treatment