Hypothyroidism: Hashimoto’s Thyroiditis

40% of women in U.S. have Hashimoto’s Thyroiditis, and it is 8 times more in women than in men. Symptoms include memory loss, cold intolerances, brittle nails, fine hair, poor metabolism, weight gain, and low libido.

Conventional medicine treats front to back, treating symptoms but not necessarily root causes of maladies. Functional medicine treats back to front, addressing the root causes and resulting in improved symptoms.

Hypothyroidism is a multi-system problem and an autoimmune disorder, but conventional doctors usually only recognize the low level of TSH (thyroid stimulating hormone) and treat this problem with a single drug called Synthroid. Their approach fails to address the source of the issue, which can be any of the following:

• Gluten tends to cause leaky gut. We have a protein in our gut called Zonulin, which is used to keep the tight junctions in the intestines intact; think of it as a gatekeeper. As these junctions get looser and looser, bacteria, viruses and toxins start going through those junctions and into our bloodstream causing a surge of inflammation; Hashimoto’s is one possible result of this event. The good news is that we can check Zonulin levels with a simple blood test.
• Increased postpartum estrogen levels can cause the immune system to over activate and attack the thyroid gland.
• Toxins like fluoride, chlorine, bromide cause a reduction in iodine, a key mineral for the thyroid’s proper functioning.
• Reactivation of viruses like Epstein-Barr and parasites like Lyme disease can trigger an immune-mediated reaction that causes antibodies to attack the thyroid.
• Stress, hormone imbalances, and insulin-resistance.

To treat hypothyroidism functionally we need to remove, repair, replace, and rebalance:

• Remove gluten, soy, corn, eggs, fluoride
• Repair damage to the immune system from viruses and parasites and stress using an NRF2 activator (email me for more information)
• Replace deficient nutrients like iodine, zinc, selenium, magnesium, vitamin D
• Rebalance hormones

Take heart — there is hope and help for people who live with hypothyroidism!