More so than any other time in our existence, thyroid disease is running rampant!

Currently over 20 million Americans have it, with underactive thyroid being far more common than overactive.  Women are affected more than men—their risk is about one in eight, and once menopause hits, the risk shoots up to about one in four.

Since thyroid hormones are used by literally every cell in your body, having an underactive thyroid (hypothyroidism) can affect you from head to toe with a myriad of symptoms. 

The most notable sign is when your pooped-out thyroid starts affecting your metabolism…and you begin putting on weight no matter how much you diet and find yourself dragging all day long.

Why in the world?

Unfortunately, there are a good many causes of thyroid disease all around us!

Here are some of the most common:

Autoimmunity

Autoimmune diseases are characterized by your immune system malfunctioning and attacking your healthy cells, tissues and organs. 

When the thyroid is the target, you get Hashimoto’s disease—aka autoimmune hypothyroidism.

Nutrient deficiencies

Your thyroid needs a wide varity of nutrients to do its job properly, and when you’re lacking in what it needs, you will suffer the consequences.

Especially important are zinc and vitamins A, B2, B3, B6, C and E.

Iodine is also essential to thyroid function, but it’s an interesting paradox.  Most of our salt is iodized and Heaven knows the average person gets enough salt in processed and fast foods….so, very few of us are lacking iodine. 

However, too much iodine can backfire on you and interfere with your thyroid’s ability to produce hormones!  People with high-salt, processed food/fast food diets are especially vulnerable.

Water fluoridation

Studies have shown that fluoride is an endocrine disruptor and can impair normal endocrine function. 

In addition to your thyroid, fluoride can also affect your parathyroid and pineal glands, as well as your adrenals, pancreas, and pituitary.

Heavy metals

Heavy metals can disrupt thyroid function, especially mercury. 

Common sources of mercury include vaccines (especially flu shots), dental amalgam fillings, large carnivorous fish like swordfish, cigarette smoking, municipal water supplies, water-resistant fabrics and chlorine bleach.

Certain medications

Certain medications such as steroids, barbiturates, statins and beta blockers can disrupt your thyroid function.

Get tested—and help it bounce back!

Start by seeing a doctor and getting a complete thyroid workup—not just a TSH test.  The TSH is a snapshot test that is more of a measure of pituitary function than thyroid function.   

Ask for these thyroid tests as well:

• Free T4 and Free T3
• Thyroid Antibody Testing
• TRH Stimulation Test (aka TRH Challenge test)
• Reverse T3

Depending on what’s behind your exhausted thyroid, here are some ways to help it bounce back—and feel a whole lot better FAST:

Fight back against autoimmunity

A top-quality vitamin D supplement like Optimum DK Formula with FruiteX-B can help counteract and tame the “overzealous” immune responses taking place with autoimmune conditions.

This is especially important because once someone has an autoimmune disease (and their immune system is already mixed up and hypersensitive), they are extremely likely to develop another one or more!

And considering that vitamin D is a very common deficiency (especially in the Northeast where sunlight is limited), it’s no wonder that autoimmunity is on the rise and people’s thyroids are increasingly affected.

In addition, a full-spectrum probiotic like Super Shield multi-strain probiotic formula can also help encourage proper immune function.  Your gut microbiome houses 70 percent of your immune system, so it’s crucial to ensure that there is a healthy balance of helpful probiotic bacteria to provide strong immune support.

And if you’re bothered by gas, bloating and constipation (and who isn’t these days?), Super Shield can be a huge help there too!  Your friendly gut microbes work hard to help your body carry out digestion, enhance nutrient absorption and keep your BMs running smoothly!

Choose the best hormone replacement

If thyroid hormone replacement has been recommended to you, there two options:

Synthetic hormones (such as Synthroid)—which contains only one thyroid hormone (T4).

Bioidentical thyroid hormones (such as Nature-Throid)—these are made from desiccated pig thyroid glands and contain the complete range of thyroid hormones (T1, T2, T3 and T4).  These are BY FAR the best choice. 

If your doctor is unfamiliar with bioidentical hormones, ask him to research them, or find a doctor who is familiar with them.

Have your nutritional bases covered

Eating a healthy diet and supplementing with a complete multi-vitamin and mineral formula like Super Core can help make sure you have adequate levels of the nutrients your thyroid needs.

Super Core contains health-supportive doses of all the crucial thyroid nutrients I mentioned above, plus its natural antioxidants and anti-inflammatories are helpful to counteract disease-causing free radicals and inflammation!

Also, be sure to take it easy on goitrogens—these are foods that, when eaten raw, can interfere with your body’s ability to absorb and use iodine:

Broccoli	Mustard greens
Brussels sprouts	Rutabaga
Cabbage	Turnips
Cauliflower	Millet
Kale	Peanuts
Radishes	Spinach
Kohlrabi	Soybeans

**Note that these foods are fine if COOKED because cooking inactives goitrogens.

Limit your exposure to fluoride and mercury

Try to eliminate these toxins from your environment (and body)—for example:

• If you smoke, please quit. Get help if you need it. 
• Use chemical-free, chlorine-free, biodegradable laundry and household cleaning products.
• Use filtered water for drinking and bathing.
• Avoid the following types of fish that have high levels of mercury: Tuna, sea bass, marlin, pike, shark, oysters, halibut, walleye, largemouth bass, swordfish or farmed fish.
• Request that your dentist use composite materials in any fillings instead of silver amalgam, and replace existing amalgam fillings.
• Heavily weigh the risks vs. benefits of flu shots. By supporting strong immune function with Super Shield and Optimum DK Formula, you can help naturally strengthen your body’s resistance to flu and other infections and viruses!

Rethink medications

If you use any type of medication that can affect your thyroid, talk to your doctor about alternatives. 

For example, fish oil formulas like VitalMega-3 can help naturally reduce cholesterol and lower blood pressure. 

And if you’re having trouble sleeping, melatonin or tryptophan supplements can be a big help.

See what a difference it can make in how you feel when you take safe, natural measures to support strong thyroid (and overall) health!

To your health,

Sherry Brescia