By Svetlana Kogan, M.D.
Prevention is a foundation of Holistic Medicine which I practice. When I think of a disease that could easily be prevented if screened for early – Thyroid immediately comes to mind. In fact, almost 10% of population is estimated to have some degree of thyroid imbalance, but only 1% is officially diagnosed. This means that 9 out of 10 people with early thyroid disease will likely not get the preventive help they need.
I think of the Thyroid gland as a mirror of our personal lifestyle. As our environment changes, so does the thyroid. Its function is designed to be activated or suppressed in response to the daily stressors and metabolic demands we face.
Patients with imbalanced thyroid gland present with a variety of complaints. Some of them are:
• Mental of physical fatigue
• Unintentional weight gain or loss
• Insulin Resistance or Metabolic Syndrome
• High Cholesterol despite best dietary efforts
• Depression
• Infertility
When holistic doctors consider a thyroid etiology for the patient’s presenting symptoms – they usually consider what kind of past or current stressors surround their patient. It is a well known fact that stress suppresses thyroid function at multiple levels and should be considered right away. In fact, stress affects production of thyroid releasing hormone at the hypothalamic level, influences production of thyroid stimulating hormone at the pituitary level, interferes with the production of the T 4 hormone by the thyroid gland itself and even at the peripheral level by affecting conversion of T4 to T3 hormone. It should come as no surprise that we consider the Ayurvedic (ancient Indian) view of the body chakras, thyroid function is intimately connected with blockages in the Throat Chakra. It takes an experience and a unique skill set to treat thyroid by fusing the best of Western and Eastern healing modalities.
In addition to stress, we should always consider what environmental triggers could the patient potentially have been exposed to? Could an infection or some sort of inflammation create a compromised milieu for the functioning of the thyroid gland? Many different viral, bacterial, fungal, and even parasitic infections can trigger autoimmune inflammation of the thyroid gland. Therefore, identification and treatment of any such underlying infection is of utmost importance.
Another consideration: Is there some sort of nutritional deficiency or a presence of food sensitivity, which could potentially compromise functioning of the thyroid gland? Getting checked for food sensitivities or Celiac might get us some answers. The most common deficiencies identified in newly diagnosed thyroid patients are: Vitamin A, VItamin D, Selenium, Vitamin E, Vitamin K, Iron, Zinc, and B12. If any such deficiency is identified – prompt supplementation may lead to correction of the imbalance. For example, a systematic review and a meta-analysis of Selenium supplementation in the treatment of Hashimoto’s thyroiditis in Thyroid: Official Journal of American Thyroid Association, has concluded that on the basis of the best available evidence, Selenium supplementation is associated with a significant decrease in Thyroid Peroxidase Antibody titers at 3 months and with improvement in mood and general well-being.
Another 2017 study in the International Journal of Endocrinology concluded that Selenium supplementation in patients with Hashimoto’s thyroiditis may be useful even for those who are already being treated with levothyroxine.
I must mention a common dietary question I hear from patients: how does Iodine fit into the picture of healthy thyroid?
In truth, there is no straightforward answer to this question. It seems like iodine deficiency as well as the excess of iodine in the diet or supplementation, can cause disturbances with thyroid. I typically recommend that the salt the patient consumes for cooking should be iodinized. Interestingly, Iodine deficiency seems to be most prevalent in pregnant, vegetarian, and vegan patients. In fact a study in the Annals of Nutrition and Metabolism discovered that 80% of the vegans included in the study suffered from iodine deficiency, and the proposed reason was that vegans to not eat fish and other sea products, which are all rich in iodine.
Nevertheless, I do not recommend taking any iodine containing supplements which have more than 150 micrograms of iodine (a recommended daily value, RDA). Food intake via seafood products is always more natural in my humble opinion than pushing high doses of supplements.
The takeaway message of this article is this: if you feel that your symptoms could be resulting from thyroid imbalance – get it checked out and consider how managing your stress, diet and lifestyle can help you heal this common condition.
Lifestyle interventions, however small, always improve thyroid function, and this is most likely thanks to the mitigation of an inflammatory state, which either directly or indirectly instigated thyroid dysfunction in the first place. Stay tuned for the November issue of the magazine where I will be discussing useful holistic Lifestyle Hacks for healing your thyroid function.
Svetlana Kogan, M.D. is a Board Certified Medical Doctor with 20 years of experience. She has appeared as a health expert on FOX, ABC, CBS, and NBC prime time TV, and has authored hundreds of publications for internet and print. She moved her Concierge Internal Medicine practice from Manhattan NYC to Naples, where her focus is on fusing traditional medicine with holistic approach to illness and prevention.
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