Introduction to Thyroid Health and the Causes of Thyroid Pathology – Part 1

Thyroid Health

This blog is to help you understand how your thyroid functions effectively. It is written for the layperson, and is easy to understand. It is designed to educate the patient and enable them to feel empowered. It will help indicate where the block in their thyroid journey is and what they need to focus on to change the status quo.

Fundamentally our hormonal systems (thyroid is an integral part of metabolism) are taking strain and are not as effective as they should be as our bodies are intoxicated with endocrine disruptors, xenoestrogens and a very deficient nutritional supply. How can we expect our bodies to perform optimally when we put substandard food and toxins which block the metabolic pathways in our body?

I compare this to a car owner getting frustrated with his car as it is continually breaking down, because he runs it on poor quality petrol and services it too infrequently.

  • To ensure optimum thyroid function our bodies have to be clear of heavy metals such as arsenic, lead, mercury and cadmium that add to the toxic load.
  • In autoimmune thyroid conditions intestinal hyperpermeability is the start of the assault on the immune system in the gut, which is where 70% of our immune function is held.
  • A large majority of the female population is exposed to hormonal stimulants in hormonal birth control pills and injections, hormones from the meats we eat from pesticides and current livestock farming practice. These build up overtime when our liver’s detox function is impaired and sets off a negative feedback system in the brain to tell the body not to produce any more thyroid hormone- even though in essence the body is deficient. We end up with high levels of estrogen and subsequently our thyroid gland reduces thyroid hormone production.
  • Offending foods (food intolerances and allergies need to be addressed and eliminated)
  • The body has a hierarchy of organ systems with differing importance. (i.e. the brain is more important than the lungs or the skin, so the body will try and protect the brain more than the lungs or skin.) Another way of saying this, is the body will attempt to store and eliminate all poisons, pathogens etc. through the organs of less Importance.
  • Sleep is paramount in thyroid pathology as the thyroid and its hormones are influenced by melatonin, the sleep hormone.
  • Sleep also allows the process of autophagy to continue, which is a natural process the cell employs in order to remove unnecessary and dysfunctional components of its metabolism, incl. inflammation, poisons, pathogens with the help of the lymph. It helps each cell to recover optimally, like you would feel after a good night’s sleep.
  • Stress is almost ubiquitous in our lives today and has a negative or downregulating effect on the thyroid via the cortisol hormonal pathway, so addressing your stress responses is paramount in thyroid disease treatment.
  • Something we don’t easily consider is the effect Electro magnetic frequencies have on our body. The increased amount of radiation exposure is cumulative and increasing in our environments daily with exposure to cell phones, WIFI, blue light screens, even electrical wiring, fluorescent light bulbs, 5G and overhead wires are all affecting our bodies biological function. This affects autoimmunity, fertility, heart disease and hormonal function. It is also difficult to quantify this radiation without a meter, because it is invisible for all intents and purposes. It may benefit you if you are able to test how your home and specifically your sleeping quarters is affected by EMF radiation as this is where you sleep and your body goes through regenerative autophagy.

I HOPE THAT THIS SHORT BLOG has given you a little insight to how important your environment is when addressing thyroid problems. Feel empowered to read up on more blogs for your thyroid condition so you can ensure that you beat this thyroid disease epidemic…empower yourself.

Click here to read more from Dr Anthony De Pontes

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