1) The Thyroid Gland
2) Estrogen Dominance and Thyroid
3) Hypothyroidism
4) Cretinism
5) Myxedema
6) From Childhood On
7) Hyperthyroidism
8) Iodine
9) Iodine and the Thyroid
Gland
10) Iodine Functions
in the Body
11) Iodine and Apoptosis
12) Iodine Excretion
in the Urine
13) Iodine and Lipids
14) Iodine and Pregnancy
15) Functions of Iodine
in the Human Body
16) Other Challenges
17) Mercury Toxicity
18) Thyroid and Mercury
19) Posterior Pituitary
Gland
20) Suicide
21) Frequent Urination
22) AdrenalGlands
23) Perchlorates
24) Health Risks of PCBE's
25) Just One Does may be
Harmful
26) Nutritional Considerations
27) Basal Temperature Test
Until a little more than one hundred years ago,
the single controlling force for all of the complex
processes that go on in the human body was thought
to be the nervous system. But there were too many
phenomena that, when carefully analyzed, seemed
to have no relationship to the nervous system,
too many differences in people--in size and energy,
for example--that could not be accounted for satisfactorily
in terms of nervous activity alone. The explanation
was to be found in certain glands, the endocrines,
of which the thyroid is one and, in fact, one
of the first to be discovered. Because commonly
used tests for thyroid function are not accurate
particularly when it comes to mild and even some
moderate forms of hypothyroidism, and many if
not most of those with low thyroid function remain
undiscovered.
Since the hormones of the thyroid gland regulate
metabolism in every cell of the body, a deficiency
of thyroid hormones can affect virtually all bodily
functions. The degree of severity of symptoms
in the adult range from mild deficiency states
which are not detectable with standard blood tests
(subclinical hypothyroidism) to severe deficiency
states which can be life-threatening (myxedema).
There is an old medical saying that just a few
grains of thyroid hormone can make the difference
between an idiot and an Einstein. It aptly characterizes
the thyroid as a quickener of the tempo of life.
All of the endocrine glands play remarkable roles
in the body's economy. Unlike the many millions
of other glands such as the sweat glands in the
skin, the salivary glands in the mouth, the tear
glands in the eyes, which perform only local functions,
the endocrine glands pour their hormone secretions
into the bloodstream which carries them to all
parts of the body. From the pea-sized pituitary
gland at the base of the brain come hormones that
influence growth, sexual development, uterine
contraction in childbirth, and milk release afterward.
The adrenals, rising like mushrooms from atop
the kidneys, pour out more than a score of hormones,
including hydrocortisone and adrenaline needed
for the body's response to stress and injury.
Also in the endocrine system are the sex glands—ovaries
and testes; the pineal gland in the brain whose
hormones play a role in nerve and brain functioning;
the thymus behind the breastbone which appears
to be involved in establishing the body's immunity
function; and areas in the pancreas, the islets
of Langerhans, which secrete insulin.
A large majority of the thyroid hormone secreted
from the thyroid gland is T4, but T3 is the considerably
more active hormone. Although some T3 is also
secreted, the bulk of the T3 is derived by deiodination
of T4 in peripheral tissues, by the enzyme thyroid
peroxidase especially liver and kidney. Deiodination
of T4 also yields reverse T3, a molecule with
no known metabolic activity. Deficiency of thyroid
hormone may be due to lack of stimulation by the
pituitary gland, defective hormone synthesis or
impaired cellular conversion of T4 to T3 (often
caused by mercury toxicity). The pituitary gland
regulates thyroid activity through the secretion
of thyroid-stimulating hormone (TSH). The combination
of low thyroid hormone and elevated TSH blood
levels usually indicates defective thyroid hormone
synthesis, which is defined as primary hypothyroidism.
When TSH and thyroid hormone levels are both low,
the pituitary gland is responsible for the low
thyroid function, a situation termed secondary
hypothyroidism. Normal blood thyroid hormone and
TSH blood levels combined with low functional
thyroid activity (as defined by a low basal metabolic
rate) suggest cellular hypothyroidism.
Most estimates on the rate of hypothyroidism
are based on the levels of thyroid hormones in
the blood. This may result in a large number of
people with mild hypothyroidism going undetected.
Before the use of blood measurements, it was common
to diagnose hypothyroidism based on basal body
temperature (the temperature of the body at rest)
and Achilles reflex time (reflexes are slowed
in hypothyroidism). With the advent of sophisticated
laboratory measurement of thyroid hormones in
the blood, these "functional" tests of thyroid
function fell by the wayside. However, it is known
that the routine blood tests may not be sensitive
enough to diagnose milder forms of hypothyroidism.
The diagnosis of hypothyroidism by laboratory
methods is primarily based on the results of total
T4, free T4, T3, and TSH levels. The typical blood
tests measure thyroxine (T4), which accounts for
90% of the hormone secretion by the thyroid. However,
the form that affects the cells the most is T3
(triiodothyronine) which cells make from T4. If
the cells are not able to convert T4 to the four-times
more active T3, a person can have normal levels
of thyroid hormone in the blood, yet be thyroid-deficient.
The enzyme thyroid peroxidase, converts T4 to
T3 and is blocked by mercury in the body, primarily
from dental mercury amalgam fillings and thimerosol,
a mercury preservative found in vaccinations and
other medicines. Genistein and daidzein from soy
also inactivate thyroid peroxidase enzyme. In
the case of T4 and T3, more than 99% is normally
protein-bound in the blood. Less than 1% is free.
Only the free hormone exerts biologic activity.
The protein-bound hormone is inactive. The saliva
test is a more accurate and sensitive way to assess
thyroid function because new technology allows
for direct measurement of the free thyroid hormones.
A better way of assessing thyroid function is
to measure its effects on the body. This is done
by measuring a person's resting metabolic rate,
which is controlled by the thyroid gland. Dr.
Broda Barnes found that measuring basal body temperature
(description follows) was a good way of assessing
basal metabolic rate (BMR) and thus the body's
response to thyroid hormones, regardless of their
blood levels. As mild hypothyroidism is the most
common form of hypothyroidism, many people with
hypothyroidism are going undiagnosed. The basal
body temperature is the most sensitive functional
test of thyroid function. Nonetheless, using blood
levels of thyroid hormones as the criteria, it
is estimated that between 1 and 4% of the adult
population have moderate to severe hypothyroidism,
and another 10-12% have mild hypothyroidism. The
rate of hypothyroidism increases steadily with
advancing age. Using only blood tests, thyroid
function is commonly low in older adults. When
using medical history, physical examination, and
basal body temperatures along with the blood thyroid
levels as the diagnostic criteria, estimated rates
of hypothyroidism approach 90% or more of the
adult population.
The Thyroid Gland
It is the thyroid gland, lying in front of the
throat below the Adam's apple and just above the
breastbone, which regulates the rate at which
the body utilizes oxygen and controls the rate
at which various organs function and the speed
with which the body utilizes food. Thyroid secretion
is essential for the operation of the cells and,
in effect, determines how hot the fire gets in
the cell and the speed of activity in the cell.
The influence of thyroid secretion on body processes
and other organs is incredibly widespread and
important. When the thyroid gland is removed from
an otherwise normal animal, all metabolic activity
is reduced. After removal of the thyroid gland,
excess amounts of water, salts, and protein are
retained within the body. Blood cholesterol also
goes up.
The thyroid, the body's thermostat, secretes
two hormones that regulate body temperature, energy
usage, and calorie burning. The thyroid has many
effects on all the cells in the body, including
the synthesis of RNA protein and consumption of
oxygen by cells, affecting overall bodily metabolism.
Thyroid function influences and is influenced
by the pituitary, adrenals, parathyroid, and sex
glands, all of which work together. The pituitary
produces TSH (thyroid-stimulating hormone), which
helps regulate thyroid hormone production. Thyroid
malfunctioning is also influenced by abnormal
immune responses and the adrenals. People with
type-O blood are said to be genetically prone
to hypothyroidism and low levels of iodine. Approximately
46% of people are blood Type-O.
The thyroid plays an important role in growth
processes. In the human, growth and maturation
fail to take place normally when the thyroid is
absent or functioning far below normal. Children
lacking normal thyroid function may remain small;
their stature can be improved considerably by
thyroid supplementation and detoxification started
at an early age. Growth of the skin, hair, and
nails may be retarded in thyroid deficiency and
accelerated again by thyroid treatment. Healing
of bone is delayed in thyroid deficiency. A rather
severe anemia may develop in severe hypothyroidism.
Thyroid hormone is essential for normal nervous
system functioning and reaction time, and hypothyroidism
may produce slow reactions and mental sluggishness.
Muscle health too is dependent on thyroid secretion
and with marked thyroid deficiency the muscles
may become sluggish and infiltrated with fat.
There are interrelationships between the thyroid
and the other endocrine glands. When, for example,
thyroid deficiency is marked, the effect on the
sex glands is shown by subnormal sexual development
and function and impairment of libido. In hypothyroid
women, menstrual disturbances are present frequently.
Estrogen
Dominance and Thyroid
Estrogen, progesterone, and thyroid hormones
are interrelated. The thyroid is the hormone that
regulates metabolic rate. Low thyroid tends to
cause low energy levels, cold intolerance, and
weight gain. Excess thyroid causes higher energy
levels, feeling too warm, and weight loss. The
thyroid gland makes two versions of thyroid hormone
from tyrosine and iodine.
Both versions are then enveloped in a relatively
large glycoprotein complex called thyroglobulin
and stored in the thyroid gland. To be released
into the bloodstream for circulation throughout
the body, the hormones are separated from thyroglobulin
and bound to a much smaller globulin thyroxin-binding
globulin or albumin. However, only 0.5% of thyroid
hormone is "free" to be biologically active. Thyroid's
action in the cell is to increase the biosynthesis
of enzymes, resulting in heat production, oxygen
consumption, and elevated metabolic rate. Thyroid
stimulates the oxidation of fatty acids, and reduces
cholesterol by oxidizing it into bile acids. Thyroid
also stimulates enzymes for protein synthesis
and, when present in excessive amounts, can catabolize
(destroy) muscle protein. Estrogen causes food
calories to be stored as fat. Thyroid hormone
causes fat calories to be turned into usable energy.
Thyroid hormone and estrogen have opposing actions.
Estrogen inhibits thyroid action in the cells,
interfering with the binding of thyroid to its
receptor. Both hormones have phenol rings at a
corner of their molecule. The respiratory enzymes
of cells are thyroid-dependent. When thyroid function
is low, cellular oxygen is low (cellular hypoxia).
Thus, estrogen-induced thyroid interference contributes
to less-than-optimal brain function. Excess estrogen
may compete with thyroid hormone at the site of
its receptor. In so doing, the thyroid hormone
may never complete its mission, creating hypothyroid
symptoms despite normal serum levels of thyroid
hormone. Progesterone, on the other hand, increases
the sensitivity of estrogen receptors for estrogen
and yet, at the proper level, inhibits many of
estrogen's side effects. GABA (gamma-aminobutyric
acid) is an amino acid that acts as a neurotransmitter-inhibitor
and tends to have a calming effect. When estrogen
interferes with thyroid production and slows the
metabolism of brain cells, it indirectly decreases
GABA production and increases brain cell excitability,
a factor in epilepsy.
Hypothyroidism
Hypothyroidism occurs at all ages. Hypothyroidism
has been estimated to affect as many as 90% of
people in the United States, 90% of which are
women. In children, mild deficiency may be the
cause of behavior problems, or of a mild degree
of mental slowness, which often is not abnormal
enough to be given much consideration. In children
of this type startling results occasionally follow
the administration of small doses of thyroid extract.
At puberty and in the early teens diminished endurance
and a tendency to anemia, nervous disorders, problems
with menstrual cycles or digestive disturbances
often are explained by a mild degree of hypothyroidism.
Extreme physical and nervous exhaustion in young
adults, the depressions of middle life, and aggravated
symptoms of menopause may be partially explained
on the basis of low thyroid. Late symptoms which
simulate senile changes frequently are distinctly
improved by the administraion of thyroid extract
or iodine supplementation. Undiagnosed thyroid
problems can be behind many unidentified symptoms
of fatigue, many recurring illnesses, and non-responsive
health problems.
The body systems affected by this disorder are
quite variable. A lack of thyroid hormones leads
to a general decrease in the rate of utilization
of fat, protein, and carbohydrate. Moderate weight
gain combined with sensitivity to cold weather
(cold hands and feet) is a common finding. Cholesterol
and triglyceride levels are increase in even the
mildest forms of hypothyroidism. This elevation
greatly increases the risk of serious cardiovascular
disease. Studies have shown an increased rate
of heart disease due to atherosclerosis in individuals
with hypothyroidism. Hypothyroidism also leads
to increases in capillary permeability and slow
lymphatic drainage. Often this will result in
swelling of tissues (edema). Circulation symptoms
are referred chiefly to the heart and are caused
by myocardial degeneration. Hypothyroidism predisposes
to premature arteriosclerosis. Hypothyroidism
can also cause hypertension, reduce the function
of the heart and reduce heart rate. Nervous disorders,
such as headaches, neurasthenia, mild psychic
disturbances, especially affective disorders (depression),
fears, anxieties, poor memory, and difficult concentration
are frequently seen. Gastrointestinal symptoms
are extremely common, including anorexia, distress
after eating, belching of gas, vomiting, obstinate
constipation, and occasional diarrhea.
A variety of hormonal symptoms can exist in
hypothyroidism. Perhaps the most common is a loss
of libido (sexual drive) in men and menstrual
abnormalities in women. Women with mild hypothyroidism
have prolonged and heavy menstrual bleeding, with
a shorter menstrual cycle. Every type of disturbance
may be seen from amenorrhea (no period), to profuse
menorrhagia (heavy bleeding), especially at menopause.
Infertility may also be a problem. If the hypothyroid
woman does become pregnant, miscarriages, premature
deliveries, and stillbirths are common. Rarely
does a pregnancy terminate in normal labor and
delivery in the overtly hypothyroid woman. Muscle
weakness and joint stiffness are predominate features
of hypothyroidism. Some individuals with hypothyroidism
may also experience muscle and joint pain, and
tenderness. Dry, rough skin covered with fine
superficial scales is seen in most hypothyroid
individuals while the hair is course, dry, and
brittle. Hair loss can be quite severe. The nails
become thin and brittle and typically show transverse
grooves. The brain appears to be quite sensitive
to low levels of thyroid hormone. Depression along
with weakness and fatigue are usually the first
symptoms of hypothyroidism. Later, the hypothyroid
individual will have difficulty concentrating
and be extremely forgetful.
Frequently, blood tests of hormone levels are
normal, but basal body temperature is abnormally
low. Shortness of breath, constipation, and impaired
kidney function are some of the other common features
of hypothyroidism. This condition is often associated
with Wilson's syndrome, physical and emotional
stress, and Hashimoto's disease. Fortunately,
cretinism and myxedema, the extreme forms of hypothyroidism,
are relatively rare. Occipital-cervical aching
with radiation to the shoulders or intrascapular
area is common. Also rheumatoid pains may occur
in various joints and parts of the body without
evidence of inflammation. Blood cholesterol is
often elevated. If the cholesterol is elevated,
it is a presumptive diagnosis of hypothyroidism.
All of these symptoms have been treated with thyroid
extract and iodine supplementation successfully.
The only reliable diagnostic tests worth doing
are the basal metabolic rate, saliva test, and
serum cholesterol.
Cretinism
Cretinism is a condition found in infants and
children resulting from a deficiency of thyroid
hormone during fetal or early life. The thyroid
gland may be entirely absent or greatly reduced
in size. In a cretin child, the skin is thick,
dry, wrinkled, and sallow; the tongue is enlarged;
the lips thickened; the mouth open and drooling;
the face broad; the nose flat; the feet and hands
puffy. The child is dull and apathetic. Although
a cretin child may be unusually large at birth,
development is defective and, if the child is
untreated, he becomes small for his age in childhood
and a dwarf in adulthood, suffering mental retardation
along with growth failure. With early and adequate
thyroid treatment for cretinism, growth may become
normal and mental status may improve.
Myxedema
Myxedema is the reaction in adulthood to lack
of thyroid hormone, either because the thyroid
gland wastes away or has to be removed, or because
of failure of the pituitary gland to stimulate
thyroid activity. Myxedema brings with it gradual
personality changes along with marked physical
changes. They include a general, progressive slowing
of mental and physical activity, an increase in
weight, and a decrease in appetite. Facial changes
occur and may progress steadily to produce a mask-like
appearance, as the skin becomes thick and somewhat
rigid, interfering with expression. The skin also
becomes dry, cold, rough, and scaly; it appears
waterlogged and swollen. Characteristically, the
upper eyelids become waterlogged or edematous
and the eyebrows may be elevated because of efforts
to keep the eyes open. The hair becomes coarse,
brittle, and falls out; the nails become brittle
and grow slowly; there is sensitivity to cold
with feelings of being chilly in rooms of normal
temperature; and perspiration is decreased or
absent even during hot weather.
Many myxedematous patients are troubled by joint
pains and stiffness. Resistance to infection is
decreased, wounds heal slowly, and ulcers may
be persistent. The tongue and lips become large
and thick and, because of this and also because
of retarded mental reaction and decreased muscular
coordination, the speech becomes slow, thick,
and clumsy and may resemble that of a slightly
intoxicated person. A myxedema victim generally
appears slow, drowsy, and placid. Normal mental
effort cannot be maintained. A tendency to drop
off to sleep during the day may be present. Anemia
is usually present in some form; constipation
is nearly always present; depression is common
as is decline in libido and sexual function. Yet,
all of these manifestations are dramatically controllable
when thyroid treatment is administered in suitable
form. Virtually no system of the body may escape
the effects of severe lack or complete absence
of thyroid hormone secretions. Yet, even in extreme
forms of hypothyroidism, there are variations
in manifestations, some being more overt and troublesome
than others. Hypothyroidism of milder degree can
be far more subtle. It, too, may affect many systems
of the body but not all to the same degree. One
patient may have manifestations that another does
not. There are variations among individuals in
organs and systems which are most susceptible
to thyroid deficiency. Such varying susceptibility
is well known in allergy. In the allergic person,
a food, pollen, or other material to which there
is sensitivity may produce varying symptoms depending
upon the "target" organs affected--the organs
with greater allergic susceptibility.
From
Childhood On
Relatively mild thyroid deficiency in a newborn
may not be readily apparent. Such a child may
be quieter than others and may sleep more. Sometimes,
the face may be broader than normal and may rarely
change expression, breathing may be somewhat noisy,
and the baby may appear to have a cold much or
all of the time. Preschool children with low thyroid
function may have a somewhat dull and apathetic
appearance and be less active than normal youngsters.
Yet, paradoxically, a few will be very nervous,
hyperactive, and unusually aggressive. Emotional
problems are frequent. A low thyroid child may
cry for no apparent reason and object vigorously
to any restrictions. Temper tantrums are common,
probably related to undue fatigue. The child may
sleep longer than other youngsters of his or her
age, be a slow starter in the morning, have a
short attention span, and flit from one activity
to another. And infections are common.
Once a low-thyroid child starts to school, other
problems may arise. With low energy endowment,
the child may lack self-confidence and have difficulties
in associating successfully with other children.
He may be unable to sit quietly and study and
his progress in school may be slow. His susceptibility
to respiratory infections from other youngsters
has increased and with his resistance weakened
by low thyroid function he acquires far more than
his fair share. Removal of tonsils may end repeated
resistance to other respiratory infections, sore
throats, earaches, and the like. With puberty,
other problems may develop. Sports may further
deplete low energy endowment; so may any part-time
jobs; and school failure may occur. Girls beginning
the menstrual cycle may develop low-grade anemia
as the result of periodic blood loss, and this
further depletes their energy. Although
in childhood growth may be stunted by a marked
thyroid deficiency, there may be a seemingly paradoxical
effect of a minor deficiency at puberty. The individual
may become unusually tall. Growth stops with the
closing of the growth centers at the end of each
long bone. Thyroid hormone plays a part in causing
these centers to close normally. With thyroid
deficiency, growth may continue for some time.
In adulthood, many of the effects of low thyroid
function experienced in childhood may be carried
over and new ones may emerge. The "problem" child--who
was experiencing the effects of low thyroid function--may
become an adult who all too easily may be mislabeled
a -"neurotic-" or "hypochondriac" because of persistent
or even accentuated fatigue, headaches, circulatory
disturbances, and other manifestations of low
thyroid function.
Hyperthyroidism
In a person with normal thyroid function, when
there is a need for more thyroid secretion, a
signal is received by the pituitary gland which
then releases a substance to stimulate thyroid
function. As soon as the needed amount of thyroid
secretion has then been released into the bloodstream,
the pituitary gland gets the message, stops releasing
its thyroid-stimulating substance, and less thyroid
hormone is produced. Through this sensitive "feedback"
mechanism, the amount of thyroid hormone in the
bloodstream is maintained in an effective, narrow
range. When thyroid function is deficient, the
gland cannot respond adequately to the stimulus
from the pituitary. If the pituitary gland is
toxic from mercury or other heavy metals, it can
lose its sensitivity to thyroid hormone in the
blood and the body's precise control of thyroid
level in the bloodstream is thwarted; and it is
possible that the patient may even have too much
hormone in the blood and may develop some or many
of the symptoms of hyperthyroidism. Symptoms of
overproduction of thyroid hormone include: weight
loss, fatigue, nervousness, anxiety, rapid heartbeat,
tremors, difficulty sleeping, moist skin, excessive
sweating, sensitivity to heat, elevated temperature,
bulging eyes, goiter, diarrhea, other gastrointestinal
disturbances, and chest pain. This condition is
often called Graves' disease.
Iodine
Iodine-containing compounds are found in ashes
of burnt seaweed, salty oil-well brines and Chilean
saltpeter, which is sodium iodate (NaIO3). Iodine
is extracted in huge amounts by Japanese seaweed
farming. Originally, during the formation of the
earth, iodine dispersed throughout rock formations.
Much later ocean water, plants and animals also
contained iodine in low amounts. It was abundant,
however, in seaweeds. Detoxified Iodine can be
supplemented by placing a few drops in water daily
to provide adequate amounts to the body.
Iodine is widely dispersed in rocks but the
concentration is extremely low and even the leeching
of iodine from soil over ages did not raise the
ocean's concentration significantly. Early development
of single celled organisms such as bacteria, fungi,
viruses, and protozoa arose without iodine. Because
of iodine's low concentrations everywhere on the
planet, almost without exception single celled
micro-organisms did not use iodine for any purpose.
Erosion of the rocks by rain, glaciers, ice age,
and later melting, leeched these small amounts
of iodine out of the soil and rocks and washed
them into the oceans where concentrations of sea
salt is so low it does not prevent goiter in humans.
The earliest signs of iodine use are in diatoms
(algae), but significant iodine concentration
occurred in seaweeds.
Because rains containing iodine from the ocean,
older soils seen in New Mexico, contain more iodine
than younger soils. Also, soil areas stripped
of topsoil by glaciers, such as the North American
Great Lakes regions, became endemic goiter areas.
Dogs, humans, fish and likely other animals were
iodine deficient and had goiters (enlargement
of thyroid gland) . In humans, goiter incidence
fell below 1% because of iodine salt supplementation,
but fish of the great lakes still show goiter
formation. Iodine replacement of soil depleted
by rain is a slow process. Soils depleted of iodine
by the last ice age are still deficient in iodine.
The most significant evolutionary event for
eukaryotes (nucleated celled organisms), including
humans, occurred when seaweeds concentrated iodine.
From this process came multicellular organisms,
vertebrates and humans. Because iodine was not
available in significant concentrations for much
of evolution, single-celled organisms reproduced
themselves with structural membrane proteins having
the amino acids tyrosine or histidine exposed
to the surrounding medium or extra-cellular fluids.
Iodine kills single celled organisms by combining
with these same two amino acids. All single celled
organisms showing tyrosine (tyrosyl) linkages
exposed in the membrane proteins are killed by
this simple chemical reaction that denatures proteins
and destroys enzymes, killing the cells.
Seaweed was the first to start capturing iodine
from ocean water by a membrane transport mechanism
that today still concentrates iodine to 20,000
times the ocean's concentration. What is not generally
appreciated, and perhaps not thought of in this
light, was that the high concentrations of iodine
in seaweed, whether the seaweed was dead or alive,
gave birth to a brand new environment chemically
different from the rest of the planet up to that
time. This was the world of high iodine. Never
before had such an environment been created. For
the first time there were no bacteria, fungi,
viruses, or protozoa present. Archea are a different
form of bacteria capable of growing in harsh environments
and might have been the type of organism to colonize
this niche. However, any new microorganism trying
to grow here would be under the influence of iodine
and thyroxine. As iodination of proteins is a
simple easy and predictable chemical reaction,
which automatically produces thyoxine within the
protein, so intracellular iodination of proteins
likely was an original source of thryoxine to
these early developing cells. These cells did
not need to have an outside source of thyroxine.
Soon, in evolutionary time, the precursor of
the thyroid, the endostyle or thyroid-hormone-making
site in the pre-vertebrate animals arrived. This
organ, in the back of the pharynx of primitive
pre-vertebrates, excreted protein bound thyroxine
into the gut and there it was hydrolyzed, absorbed
and delivered all over the body. Later, in early
vertebrates, at a site close by to where the endostyle
was, the first thyroid gland follicles can be
discerned. By then thyroid hormone was being secreted
internally into the blood. At this point, there
was no brain, pituitary or hypothalamus control
mechanisms to influence the thyroid function.
Thyroid hormone is the first endocrine hormone
to arrive in evolution and it is the first to
arrive during fetal life. But almost simultaneously
with the development of the thyroid gland, the
central nervous system started to develop since
the nerve cells were assured of a constant supply
of thyroxine and this in turn depended upon a
constant supply of iodine.
Thyroxine controls all endocrine organs which
is what we would expect if the thyroid controls
the genome and also was the first to arrive in
evolution and in fetal development. Later the
brain evolved into our present system of the hypothalamic-pituitary-thyroid
system giving the hypothalamus overall control
of the output of the thyroid gland. It appears
that the most important event in the life of the
pituitary/thyroid system occurs at birth. Because
the hypothalamus and the thyroid hormone controls
the body temperature at birth there is a surge
in TSH (thyroid stimulating hormone) which greatly
increases the thyroid hormone excreted into the
blood at birth. This relates to metamorphic changes
in the lungs and other systems as the baby switches
over to air breathing.
After birth, the thyroid starts putting out
a fairly constant supply of thyroid hormone for
the rest of the human's life. The reserve of the
thyroid gland to stress and its ability to respond
appear related to adequate iodine intake before
the age of puberty, which is the first real test
of the thyroid's reserve abilities. Stress on
the thyroid can be detected and the size of the
thyroid gland measured accurately by ultrasound.
The thyroid enlargement from physiological stress
found in areas of borderline low iodine intake,
occur during adolescence, pregnancies and menopause.
These enlargements are good indicators of borderline
iodine supplementation indicating a degree of
iodine deficiency, but at the same time this illustrates
the increased needs for thyroid hormone during
period of physiological stress during life.
Disturbance of the thyroid system relates to
disease. A low output of thyroid hormone will
not provide the cellular DNA with adequate thyroid
hormone for proper maintenance. Also as each tissue
controls its own thyroid metabolism, the same
levels of thyroid in the blood may not be adequate
for the tissue adaptation mechanisms in another.
There is no feedback system from individual tissues
to tell the thyroid TSH system to rise higher
because one tissue is not getting enough. The
brain seems to have the highest priority for maintenance
of thyroid hormone levels. For example, if the
patient has a thyroid gland that by lab tests
is normal, but the patient has a low thyroid dependent
depression, the depression will continue until
somehow the level of thyroid hormone is raised
above its current levels. Although cretinism and
related goiters have been noted throughout all
ages, it wasn't until the discovery of iodine
that some progress was made in the understanding
of the thyroid gland.
But clinically the most historic document on
thyroid occurred in 1888. This committee described
a variable syndrome in persons whose thyroid had
been removed or were suffering from a completely
failed thyroid. To this was given the name myxedema
to stand for the presence of a peculiar type of
mucin that gathered in almost all the connective
tissues of the body. One of the characteristics
of extreme low thyroid is to find this mucin in
virtually every organ of the body. With the realization
that there are receptors for thyroid hormones
in the cell membrane, the cytosol (intracellular
fluid), the mitochondria and the nucleus, we begin
to understand how important this thyroid control
system is.
Iodine
and the Thyroid Gland
The thyroid gland is a factory. To produce its
secretions it must have raw material. If it lacks
adequate raw materials, its production slumps.
When this happens, when the slump is great enough,
there may be signals from elsewhere in the body
that amount to exhortations for the gland to increase
its output. Trying to oblige, the gland may increase
in size in a kind of blind effort to add to its
output even though it cannot increase production
for lack of raw material. The gland may enlarge
until a noticeable lump may appear in the throat.
And the swelling, or goiter, may become large
enough to interfere with breathing or swallowing.
The cause of goiter is lack of sufficient iodine
in the soil and drinking water, or from inability
to utilize iodine because of mercury toxicity
from amalgam dental fillings and from mercury
in immunizations.
The thyroid gland is the principle user of iodine
in the body. Two-thirds of the body's store of
iodine is located in the thyroid gland. In a normal
person, dietary iodine is absorbed from the gut
into the blood and then, in the thyroid, it is
removed from the blood, "trapped" in the gland,
and incorporated there into compounds, which in
turn are assembled into thyroid hormone secretions.
The average iodine intake of a normal adult on
an ordinary diet in a non-goiter region is about
0.03 milligrams, a day. This tiny amount is only
about one-seventh of what is needed for daily
thyroid hormone production, but the body practices
great economy and re-uses much of its iodine store
repeatedly in producing hormone secretions. In
goiter regions, not even the 0.03 milligram per
day is available in the food and water. Goiter
regions are to be found all over the world. No
continent is free of them. Generally they are
the mountainous and inland areas of the globe.
A high incidence of goiter is found in the Himalayas
in Asia, in the regions of the Alps and the Carpathian
and Pyrenees mountains in Europe, and in the high
plateaus of the Andes in South America. In North
America, the goiter zone is the Great Lakes basin
and the area of the St. Lawrence River, extending
westward through Minnesota, the Dakotas, and the
neighboring Canadian territory as far as the northwest
and including Oregon, Washington, and British
Columbia. This great belt extends an arm southward
in the rocky Mountain area and another in the
Appalachian area.
It is in such high and inland areas that, through
the ages, the soil has yielded most or all of
its soluble iodine content to water on the way
to the sea. In areas close to the sea, the soil
as well as drinking water is usually rich in iodine.
Fruits and vegetables grown in such soil contain
iodine in abundance and this is equally true of
sea food and sea vegetables. The incidence of
goiter in high and inland areas in the past was
extremely great. In some Alpine areas, for example,
the incidence approached 100%. The most important
discovery in relation to goiter was that the disorder
could be prevented by administration of iodine.
The iodine could be added to community water supplies
in goiter regions, or it could be administered
in the form of tablets or drops, or it could be
taken in the form of iodized salt. Today, the
use of iodized salt is the most widely accepted
method of goiter prevention. But even though goiter
is now far less of a problem, it is not so with
hypothyroidism. For low thyroid function can be--and
commonly is--present in the absence of goiter,
especially with the "fear of salt" introduced
by the medical establishment.
The basic unit of the thyroid gland is the follicle.
The thyroid gland captures dietary iodine, synthesizes
thyroid hormone from it, and stores thyroid hormone
until it is needed. Colloid, the material in the
center of the follicles, stores thyroid hormone
in a large protein called thyroglobulin. Hydrolysis
(digestion) of thyroglobulin releases thyroid
hormone into the circulation in the form of thyroxine
(T4) and triiodothyronine (T3). Iodination of
almost any large protein results in the formation
of thyroxine (T4). Iodide, which is ingested in
food and water, is actively concentrated by the
thyroid gland, converted to organic iodine by
thyroid peroxidase, and incorporated into tyrosine
in thyroglobulin within the thyroid follicular
cell. The tyrosines are iodinated at one (monoiodotyrosine)
or two (diiodotyrosine) sites and then coupled
to form the active hormones (diiodotyrosine +
diiodotyrosine = tetraiodothyronine (thyroxine,
T4); diiodotyrosine + monoiodotyrosine = triiodothyronine
(T3).
Radioactive tracing of iodine shows that much
of the iodine goes to the thyroid gland, nasal
secretions, gut, breast, stomach, bone and in
the extracellular fluids and connective tissue
of almost all organs. Iodine can be found everywhere,
for example, iodine appears in the cervical mucus
within two minutes after injection. In evolution
the gut served as the source of iodine before
the thyroid gland appeared and now the gut serves
as a reservoir of iodine for immediate needs of
the body.
Iodine
Functions in the Body
The main function of the iodine is synthesis,
storage and secretion of thyroid hormone. What
iodine is left over is taken up in other tissues
especially extracellular fluids and excreted in
the urine. From extracellular fluids iodine travels
in the lymphatics and re-enters the blood stream
via the main lymphatic channel, the thoracic duct.
In the 1960s it was established that if the daily
dose of iodine was increased to over 2-3 mgs of
iodine per day, within two weeks, the thyroid
became saturated and no longer took up iodine
in significant amounts. So a normal person who
raised their daily dose of iodine above, say 3
mgs, within two weeks their thyroid was almost
completely stop taking up iodine as it became
saturated, but more important to the body, all
of the dietary iodine now went to perform other
body functions.
Iodine
and Apoptosis
In areas of the body, where many cells die,
(apoptosis) there is always an endless source
of iodine. All the sites in the body of high apoptosis
(natural death of cells on a regular and predictable
schedule) find iodine in plentiful supply. The
secretions into the nasal passages and lumen of
the stomach, for instance, have both a high death
rate and an endless supply of iodine. Not only
is iodine an antiseptic against bacteria, it also
is an anticancer agent.
Iodine
Excretion in the Urine
Iodine has an unusual excretion pattern in the
urine. There are no reabsorption mechanisms or
preservation mechanisms in the urinary tract to
keep this element from excretion in the urine
and hence loss from the body. Iodine is the trigger
mechanism for apoptosis and it is imperative that
a constant source of iodine in the urine be available.
If the body was capable, and it is not, of holding
the iodine inside and therefore allowing urine
with no iodine to flow through the renal system,
then the renal system would be deprived of iodine.
This would immediately lead to abnormal cells
and cancer. The Western diet contains nowhere
near the levels of iodine needed to saturate the
thyroid. An increase of at least 10 times would
be helpful, but more effective would be levels
that are comparable to the Japanese, having the
highest daily intake of iodine and the lowest
rates of cancer in the world.
Iodine
and Lipids
One of the ways to measure the number of double
bonds in fat is to measure the amount of iodine
100 grams of fat will take up. This is called
the iodine number or value. The most unsaturated
fat has the highest iodine value. Dietary fat
removes iodine from the diet. Iodine protects
double bonds while they are being transported
to the sites where they are needed such as blood
vessels and synaptic membranes of the central
nervous system.
Iodine
and Pregnancy
During pregnancy the placenta captures iodine
to the point of raising the levels in the fetal
circulation to five times the mother's level.
As there are a huge number of cells dying by apoptosis
during fetal growth, so iodine is of importance
to the fetal development. The brain has more apoptosis
going on during development than most other organs,
so it follows that low iodine can cause abnormal
brain development. Early fetal development is
partly under the guidance of maternal thyroid
hormones that have crossed the placenta, but it
is theorized that the primitive cells at the beginning
of fetal development still have the ability to
make thyroid hormone themselves for their own
use as in the early evolution of eukaryotes.
In 1912 it was shown that thyroid hormones would
change a tadpole into a frog. This metamorphosis
is complex at all levels. The tails dissolve away,
legs are developed on the side, the lungs are
changed over to air breathing, and the liver,
without any detectable change in the DNA or cellular
morphology, changes over biochemical mechanisms
from an ocean water animal to a land animal. Although
the effects of thyroid hormone appear to be systemic
in the tadpole, in fact, thyroid hormone is affecting
each cell individually. But more importantly,
if the thyroid gland is removed and iodine is
given in any form--injection, orally or in the
bathing solution--metamorphosis will carry along
at the same rate as if thyroid hormone was present.
This suggests that the ability of tadpoles to
synthesize thyroid hormone from iodine alone is
retained inside every cell. If these phenomena
of intracellular synthesis of thyroxine have been
carried over from the first days of eukaryote
genesis, it is likely that human fetal development,
also in its early stages, is dependent on thyroxine
manufactured from iodine within the cells. The
only factor which completely eliminates cretinism,
hypothyroidism in the fetus, and mental retardation
is iodine, given by any means, as long as it is
adequate--before conception.
Japanese women, who consume the highest amounts
of dietary iodine per woman in the world, have
the lowest rate of stillbirth and perinatal and
infant mortality in the world. Among the folklore
of Japanese mothers is the interesting concept
that seaweed will prevent cancer.
Functions
of Iodine in the Human Body
- Used to make thyroid hormone in the thyroid
gland.
- Main body surveillance mechanism for abnormal
cells in the body.
- Triggers apoptosis (programmed death of cells)
in normal cells and abnormal cells.
- Detoxifies chemicals.
- Reacts with tyrosine and histidine to inactivate
enzymes and denature proteins.
- Antiseptic to bacteria, algae, fungi viruses
and protozoa.
- Detoxifies biological toxins food poisoning,
snake venoms etc.
- Anti allergic process. Makes external proteins
non-allergic.
- Anti-autoimmune mechanism by making intracellular
proteins spilled into blood non-allergic.
- Protection of double bonds in lipids for delivery
to cardiovascular system and synaptic membranes
in brain and retina.
- Fetal source of apoptotic mechanisms during
development in fetus and breast-fed children.
- Protection from apoptotic diseases such as
leukemia.
- Possible initial source of thyroxine in early
fetal development.
- Antiseptic activity in stomach against helicobacter
pylori.
Other
Challenges
Many factors influence thyroid function. Commonly
unrecognized causes of thyroid underproduction
have been attributed to excessive consumption
of soybean products. Mercury binds to the sulphur
in thyroglobulin and renders it unavailable for
the production of thyroid hormones. Fluoride in
tap water and toothpastes as well as chlorine
in tap water both block iodine receptors in the
thyroid gland that result in lowered thyroid hormone
production. Sulfa and antihistamine drugs aggravate
iodine uptake by the thyroid. Synthroid and other
synthetic thyroid drugs can cause as much as a
13% loss of bone mass, according to a study done
at the University of Massachusetts. Underactive
thyroid conditions respond best when supplemented
with detoxified iodine, kelp and dulse, essential
fatty acids, thyroid glandulars and other nutrients
that nourish the thyroid gland.
Mercury
Toxicity
The affinity of mercury for the pituitary gland
was first identified by Stock in 1940. Autopsy
studies in 1975 revealed that, contrary to accepted
belief that the kidney was the prime accumulator
of inorganic mercury, the thyroid and pituitary
retain and accumulate more inorganic mercury than
the kidneys. It has been well documented that
mercury is an endocrine system disrupting chemical
in animals and people, disrupting function of
the pituitary gland, thyroid gland, enzyme production
processes, and many hormonal functions at low
levels of exposure. People with high mercury levels
in their bodies have more hormonal disturbances,
immune disturbances, recurring fungal infections,
hair loss and allergies. Hormones that are most
often affected by mercury are thyroid, insulin,
estrogen, testosterone, both anterior and posterior
pituitary, and adrenaline. Almost all hormones
have binding sights capable of connecting to metabolic
cofactors, but mercury can bind here, too. Mercury
frequently has a stronger affinity for these binding
sites than the normal activators; even though
the hormone is present in the bloodstream, it
may not be able to act as it is supposed to act.
Mercury (especially mercury vapor or organic
mercury) rapidly crosses the blood-brain barrier
and is stored preferentially in the pituitary
gland, thyroid gland, hypothalamus, and occipital
cortex in direct proportion to the number and
extent of dental amalgam surfaces. Mercury, through
its affects on the endocrine system, is documented
to cause other reproductive problems including
infertility, low sperm counts, abnormal sperm,
endometritis, PMS, adverse effects on reproductive
organs, etc. In general, immune activation from
toxins such as heavy metals, resulting in cytokine
release and abnormalities of the hypothalamus-pituitary-adrenal
axis, can cause changes in the brain, fatigue,
and severe psychological symptoms such as depression,
profound fatigue, muscular-skeletal pain, sleep
disturbances, gastrointestinal and neurological
problems as are seen in CFS, fibromyalgia, and
autoimmune thyroiditis. Symptoms usually improve
significantly after amalgam removal. A direct
mechanism involving mercury's inhibition of hormones
and cellular enzymatic processes by binding with
the hydroxyl radical (SH) in amino acids, appears
to be a major part of the connection to allergic/immune
reactive/autoimmune conditions such as autism/ADHD,
schizophrenia, lupus, scleroderma, eczema, psoriasis
and allergies.
Mercury inhibits the activity of dipeptyl peptidase
(DPP IV) which is required in the digestion of
the milk protein casein as well as xanthine oxidase.
Studies involving a large sample of autistic and
schizophrenic patients found that over 90% of
those tested had high levels of the neurotoxic
milk protein beta-casomorphine-7 in their blood
and urine and defective enzymatic processes for
digesting milk protein. Elimination of milk products
from the diet improves the condition. ADHD populations
have high levels of mercury and recover after
mercury detoxification. As mercury levels are
reduced, the protein binding is reduced and improvement
in the enzymatic process occurs. Additional cellular
level enzymatic effects of mercury binding with
proteins include blockage of sulfur oxidation
processes, enzymatic processes involving vitamins
B6 and B12, effects on cytochrome-C energy processes,
along with mercury's adverse effects on mineral
levels of calcium, magnesium, zinc, and lithium.
Thyroid
and Mercury
Organic mercury causes severe damage to both
the endocrine and neural systems. Studies have
documented that mercury causes hypothyroidism,
damage of thyroid RNA, autoimmune thyroiditis
(inflammation of the thyroid), and impairment
of conversion of thyroid T4 hormone to the active
T3 form. Large percentages of women have elevated
levels of antithyroglobulin (anti-TG) or antithyroid
peroxidase antibody (anti-TP). Slight imbalances
of thyroid hormones in expectant mothers can cause
permanent neuropsychiatric damage in the developing
fetus. Hypothyroidism is a well-documented cause
of mental retardation. Maternal hypothyroidism
appears to play a role in at least 15% of children
whose IQs are more than 1 standard deviation below
the mean, millions of children. Studies have also
established a clear association between the presence
of thyroid antibodies and spontaneous abortions.
Hypothyroidism is a risk factor in spontaneous
abortions and infertility.
In pregnant women who suffer from hypothyroidism,
there is a four-time greater risk for miscarriage
during the second trimester than in those who
don't. Women with untreated thyroid deficiency
are four-times more likely to have a child with
a developmental disability and lower I.Q. Mercury
blocks thyroid hormone production by occupying
iodine-binding sites and inhibiting hormone action
even when the measured thyroid levels appears
to be in the proper range. There are several aspects
of iodine deficiency and hypothyroidism-related
effects on fetal and perinatal brain development
that can be aggravated or otherwise affected by
the presence of mercury. Mercury has the ability
to reduce cerebellar brain weight through significant
reductions in total cell population of the cerebellum.
Reductions of total body weight at birth are related
to maternal exposure to mercury. Lead and mercury
also have a direct effect on neuronal development
leading to learning deficits. These are the same
type of birth defects produced by maternal iodine
deficiency and hypothyroidism. Mercury can have
a negative effect on both iodine and thyroid status.
A pregnant woman with a mouthful of mercury amalgam
fillings has a much greater chance of experiencing
some degree of hypothyroidism and/or iodine deficiency
during pregnancy than one without amalgam fillings.
Both the pituitary and the thyroid display an
affinity for accumulating mercury. The enzymatic
effects of mercury intoxication can be overcome
by the administration of the thyroid hormone thyroxine.
Through a feedback loop, the pituitary releases
thyrotropin-releasing hormone, which in effect
tells the thyroid how much thyroxine hormone to
release into the blood. Mercury first stimulates
and then suppresses the thyroid function. Chronic
intake of mercury for more than ninety days results
in signs of mercury poisoning, together with decreased
uptake of iodine and depression of thyroid hormonal
secretion. The thyroid and hypothalamus regulate
body temperature and many metabolic processes
including enzymatic processes that, when inhibited,
result in higher dental decay. Mercury damage
thus commonly results in poor body temperature
control, in addition to many problems caused by
hormonal imbalances such as depression. Such hormonal
secretions are affected at levels of mercury exposure
much lower than the acute toxicity effects normally
tested. Mercury also damages the blood brain barrier
and facilitates penetration of the brain by other
toxic metals and substances. Hypothyroidism is
also a major factor in cardiovascular disease.
The thyroid gland has four binding sites for
iodine. When mercury attaches to one of these
sites, the hormone activity is altered. There
is a relationship between thyroid function and
the nutritional status of folate, vitamin B12,
and methionine. There is also a strong association
between lowered zinc intake, lowered basal metabolic
rate, lowered thyroid hormones and lowered protein
utilization. Mercury affects the nutritional status
of folate, vitamin B12, methionine, and zinc,
as well as protein. The thyroid is one of the
important glands influencing dental decay.
There is a fluid flow from the pulp chamber,
through the dentin, through the enamel and into
the mouth in people who have no dental decay.
Thyroid is part of the endocrine function that
controls the direction of this fluid flow. Low
thyroid hormone production allows this fluid flow
to run in the opposite direction--from the mouth,
into the enamel, dentin, and pulp chamber. This
fluid brings bacteria and debris from the mouth
with it, leading to dental decay. When the teeth
are susceptible to decay, the whole body is susceptible
to degenerative disease. The thyroid is involved
with maintenance of proper body temperature. Most
mercury toxic patients have lower than optimum
body temperatures. The most toxic persons may
have temperatures as low as 96.2. When the amalgam
fillings are removed, there is a trend for the
temperature to approach 98.6, sometimes within
24 hours of removing all of the amalgams. The
thyroid gland is controlled by the pituitary gland.
When the thyroid is influenced by mercury, there
is a high incidence of unexplained depression
and anxiety. A person may have adequate levels
of T3 and T4 hormones, but if the hormones are
contaminated, the person is functionally thyroid
deficient. Thyroid imbalances cause chronic conditions
such as clogged arteries and chronic heart failure.
People who test hypothyroid usually have significantly
higher homocysteine and cholesterol--documented
risk factors in heart disease.
Fifty percent of those also have high levels
of homocysteine, and 90% are either hyperhomocystemic
or hypercholesterolemic. The major regulator of
adrenocortical growth and secretion activity is
the pituitary hormone ACTH (adreno-cortico-tropic
hormone). ACTH attaches to receptors on the surface
of the adrenal cortical cell and activates an
enzymatic action that ultimately produces cyclic
adenosine monophosphate (cAMP). cAMP, in turn,
serves as a co-factor in activating key enzymes
in the adrenal cortex. The adrenal cortex is able
to synthesize cholesterol and to also take it
up from circulation. All steroid hormones produced
by the adrenal glands are derived from cholesterol
through a series of enzymatic actions, which are
all stimulated initially by ACTH. Steroid biosynthesis
involves the conversion of cholesterol to pregnenolone,
which is then enzymatically transformed into the
major biologically active corticosteroids. cAMP
is produced from adenosine triphosphate (ATP)
by the action of adenylate cyclase. Adenylate
cyclase activity in the brain is inhibited by
micromolar concentrations of lead, mercury, and
cadmium. One of the key biochemical steps in the
conversion of adrenal pregnenolone to cortisol
and aldosterone involves an enzyme identified
as 21-hydroxylase.
Mercury causes a defect in adrenal steroid biosynthesis
by inhibiting the activity of 21a-hydroxylase.
The consequences of this inhibition include lowered
plasma levels of corticosterone and elevated concentrations
of progesterone and dehydroepiandrosterone (DHEA).
DHEA is an adrenal male hormone. Because patients
with 21-hydroxylase deficiencies are incapable
of synthesizing cortisol with normal efficiency,
there's a compensatory rise in ACTH leading to
adrenal hyperplasia and excessive excretion of
17a-hydroxyprogesterone, which, without the enzyme
21-hydroxylase, cannot be converted to cortisol.
The inhibition of the 21-hydroxylase system may
be the mechanism behind the mercury-induced adrenal
hyperplasia. Adrenal hyperplasia can stress the
adrenal glands by their accelerated activity to
produce steroids to the point that production
begins to diminish and the glands will atrophy.
The result is a subnormal production of corticosteroids.
Both lead and mercury can precipitate pathophysiological
changes along the hypothalamus-pituitary-adrenal
and gonadal axis that may seriously affect reproductive
function, organs, and tissues. Leukocyte production,
distribution, and function are markedly altered
by glucocorticosteroid administration. In Addison's
disease (hypofunction of adrenal glands), neutrophilia
occurs 4-6 hours after administration of a single
dose of hydrocortisone, prednisone, or dexamethasone.
Neutrophilia is an increase in the number of neutrophils
in the blood. Neutrophils are also called polymorphonuclear
leukocytes (PMNs). Mercury not only causes a suppression
of adrenocorticosteroids that would normally have
stimulated an increase of PMNs, but at the same
time also affect the ability of existing PMNs
to perform immunity by inhibiting a reaction that
destroys foreign substances.
Posterior
Pituitary Gland
The pituitary gland controls many of the body's
endocrine system functions and secretes hormones
that control most bodily processes, including
the immune system and reproductive systems. One
study found mercury levels in the pituitary gland
ranged from 6.3 to 77 ppb, while another found
the mean levels to be 30 ppb, levels found to
be neurotoxic (toxic to nerves) and cytotoxic
(kills cells). Amalgam fillings, nickel and gold
crowns are major factors in reducing pituitary
function. The posterior pituitary hormone joins
forces with the thyroid in influencing emotions.
Posterior pituitary hormone is really two hormones,
oxytocin and vasopressin. High blood pressure
is related to the function of the posterior pituitary
hormone vasopressin. It is a short trip for mercury
vapor to leave a filling, and travel into the
sinus, and then travel an inch through very porous,
spongy tissues to the pituitary gland. Mercury
is detected in the pituitary gland in less than
a minute after placing amalgam in teeth of test
animals.
Suicide
Part of the reason for depression is related
to mercury's effect of reducing the development
of posterior pituitary hormone (oxytocin). Low
levels of pituitary function are associated with
depression and suicidal thoughts, and appear to
be a major factor in suicide of teenagers and
other vulnerable groups. As a profession, dentists
rank highest in suicide. Autopsy studies in Sweden
showed that the pituitary glands of dentists held
800 times more mercury than people who were not
in dentistry. Suicidal thoughts are not limited
to dental personnel though. Suicide is close to
the number-one cause of death in teenagers. Braces
increase the electrical and toxic load people
are carrying if they have amalgam in their mouths.
Amalgam can create suicidal tendencies by itself,
but the addition of braces, nickel crowns, or
even gold crowns evidently increases the exit
rate of mercury, and the glands react--or actually
stop reacting. Suicidal tendencies tend to disappear
within a few days of supplemental oxytocin extract,
along with dental metal removal. Menstrual cycle
problems, also normalize and fertility increases
and endometriosis symptoms subside.
Frequent
Urination
The center that controls the need to get up
several times each night to urinate is the posterior
pituitary gland. There is a certain amount of
solid material that must be disposed of daily
in the urine. If the concentration of these solids
is high (yield a specific gravity of 1.022 to
1.025) then the proper volume of urine will be
excreted in a day. Should the concentration be
half that, or yielding a specific gravity of 1.012
for instance, then it will take double the amount
of urine to rid yourself of the same amount of
solid. In other words, the solids remain the same.
If the concentration of the urine is reduced,
the total volume of urine is increased substantially.
This ability of the kidney is controlled by the
posterior pituitary.
Adrenal
Glands
Mercury accumulates in the adrenal glands and
disrupts adrenal gland function. During stress,
the adrenal glands increase in size as a normal
reaction in order to produce more steroids (hormones).
Both physical and physiological stress will stimulate
the adrenal glands. The outer shell of the adrenal
gland is called the cortex, and the inner core
of the gland is called the medulla. The cortex
produces three types of steroids called glucocorticoids.
Cortisone is a corticoid essential to life and
functions to maintain stress reactions. Mineral
corticoids, such as aldosterone, regulate the
balance of blood electrolytes and also cause the
kidneys to retain sodium and excrete potassium
and hydrogen. Mineral corticoids are also involved
in gluconeogenesis, which is the process whereby
your body converts glycogen to glucose (blood
sugar).
Small amounts of corticoid sex hormones, both
male and female, are also produced by the adrenal
cortex. Two primary nutrients for the adrenal
glands are pantothenic acid and vitamin C. A deficiency
of pantothenic acid can lead to adrenal exhaustion
(chronic fatigue) and ultimately to destruction
of the adrenal glands. A deficiency of pantothenic
acid also causes a progressive fall in the level
of adrenal hormones produced. One of the largest
tissue stores of vitamin C is the adrenals; it
is exceeded only by the level of vitamin C in
the pituitary.
Physical and mental stress increase the excretion
of adrenocorticotropic hormone (ACTH) from the
pituitary, which is the hormone that tells the
adrenals to increase their activity. The increased
adrenal activity, in turn, depletes both vitamin
C and pantothenic acid from the glands. Humans
cannot produce vitamin C. They therefore attempt
to replenish the needs of the adrenals by taking
the vitamin from other storage locations in the
body. If your overall ascorbate status is low,
there may be an insufficient amount available
to satisfy the needs of the adrenals. Under this
condition, normal adrenal hormone response may
become inadequate, leading to an inadequate immune
function.
Mercury builds up in the pituitary gland and
depletes the adrenals of both pantothenic acid
and vitamin C. Stress and the presence of mercury
will have a very negative effect on the adrenal
production of critical steroids. The ability of
the adrenal gland to produce steroids is called
steroidogenesis and is dependent upon reactions
mediated by the enzyme cytochrome P-450. Cytochrome
P-450 reacts with cholesterol to produce pregnenolone,
which is then converted to progesterone. Cytochrome
P-450 can then convert progesterone to deoxycorticosterone
which is then converted to corticosterone or aldosterone
by other enzymes in the adrenals. These adrenal
functions are also affected by metal ions. Still
today, the ADA and other governmental agencies
tell us that the mercury in your mouth, or from
vaccinations, is perfectly safe. Scientists say
this is a ridiculous statement that is in violation
of science and common sense.
Perchlorates
Perchlorate, the explosive main ingredient of
rocket and missile fuel, contaminates drinking
water supplies, groundwater or soil in hundreds
of locations in at least 43 states, according
to Environmental Working Group 's updated analysis
of government data. EWG's analysis of the latest
scientific studies, which show harmful health
effects from minute doses, argues that a national
standard for perchlorate in drinking water should
be no higher than one-tenth the level the U.S.
Environmental Protection Agency currrently recommends
as safe. Perchlorate is a powerful thyroid toxin
that can affect the thyroid 's ability to take
up the essential nutrient iodide and make thyroid
hormones. Small disruptions in thyroid hormone
levels during pregnancy can cause lowered IQ and
larger disruptions cause mental retardation, loss
of hearing and speech, or deficits in motor skills
for infants and children.
Health
Risks of PBDEs
As highly flammable synthetic materials have
replaced less-combustible natural materials in
consumer products, chemical fire retardants have
become ubiquitous in consumer products. Of the
many different kinds of fire retardants, one of
the most common is a class of bromine-based chemicals
known as polybrominated diphenyl ethers, or PBDEs.
A growing body of research in laboratory animals
has linked PBDE exposure to an array of adverse
health effects including thyroid hormone disruption,
permanent learning and memory impairment, behavioral
changes, hearing deficits, delayed puberty onset,
fetal malformations and possibly cancer. Research
also shows that exposure to brominated flame retardants
in utero or infancy leads to much more significant
harm than adult exposure, and at much lower levels.
Today PBDEs are in thousands of products, in which
they typically comprise 5 to 30 percent of product
weight. During manufacturing, PBDEs are simply
mixed in to the plastic or foam product, rather
than chemically binding to the material as some
other retardants do, making PBDEs more likely
to leach out. PBDEs are the chemical cousins of
PCBs, another family of persistent and bioaccumulative
toxins that came to the attention of regulators
only after millions of pounds had been released
into the environment. Used primarily as electrical
insulators, PCBs were found to be rapidly building
up in people and animals before they were banned
in 1977.
Many of the known health effects of PBDEs are
thought to stem from their ability to disrupt
the body's thyroid hormone balance, by depressing
levels of the T3 and T4 hormones important to
metabolism. In adults, hypothyroidism can cause
fatigue, depression, anxiety, unexplained weight
gain, hair loss and low libido. This can lead
to more serious problems if left untreated, but
the consequences of depressed thyroid hormone
levels on developing fetuses and infants can be
devastating. One study, for instance, found that
women whose levels of T4 measured in the lowest
10 percent of the population during the first
trimester of pregnancy were more than 2.5 times
as likely to have a child with an IQ of less than
85 (in the lowest 20 percent of the range of IQs)
and five times as likely to have a child with
an IQ of less than 70, meeting the diagnosis of
"mild retardation." Even short-term exposures
to commercial PBDE mixes or individual congeners
can alter thyroid hormone levels in animals, and
the effects are more profound in fetuses and offspring
than in adults. These results aren't surprising,
but are ominous as data in humans indicate that
pregnancy itself stresses the thyroid, and developing
fetuses and infants don't have the thyroid hormone
reserves adults do to help buffer insults to the
system.
Most studies on thyroid hormone disruption by
PBDEs have been very short--with exposures of
14 days or less. The real question is how low
doses over the long term affect the body's thyroid
hormone balance. The answer is important, because
the entire U.S. population is exposed daily to
low levels of PBDEs, and studies of other thyroid
hormone disrupters have found that long-term exposures
can cause more serious harm at lower levels of
exposure. Although no direct link could be made,
one study found higher rates of hypothyroidism
among workers exposed to brominated flame retardants
on the job.
Just
One Dose May Be Harmful
Experiments have shown that just one dose of
PBDEs at a critical point in brain development
can cause lasting harm. In two different studies
a small dose--as little as 0.8 milligrams per
kilogram of bodyweight per day (mg/kg-day)--given
to 10-day-old mice caused "deranged spontaneous
behavior," significant deficits in learning and
memory and reduced ability to adapt to new environments,
with these problems often becoming more pronounced
with age. The few studies that have looked at
changes in organ structure have found that semi-chronic
PBDE exposure can cause thyroid hyperplasia and
enlarged livers at relatively low doses (10 mg/kg-day)
and other adverse effects such as hyaline degeneration,
focal necrosis and deformation in the kidney,
hyperplastic nodules in the liver, decreased hemoglobin
and red blood cell counts at higher doses. Only
one PBDE congener has been tested for causing
cancer, in a single study more than 15 years ago.
High doses of deca-BDE given to rats and mice
caused liver, thyroid and pancreas tumors.
Nutritional
Considerations
Zinc, vitamin E and vitamin A function together
in many body processes including the manufacture
of thyroid hormone. In addition to iodine, a deficiency
of any of these nutrients would result in lower
levels of active thyroid hormone being produced.
Low zinc levels are common in the elderly, as
is hypothyroidism. The B vitamins riboflavin (B2),
niacin (B3), and pydidoxine (B6), and vitamin
C are also necessary for normal thyroid hormone
manufacture. The trace minerals zinc, copper,
and selenium are the required cofactors for iodothyroinine
iodinase, the enzyme which converts T4 to the
far more active T3. There are several different
forms of this enzyme, each requiring a different
trace mineral. Supplementation with zinc (the
second most common mineral deficiency) has been
shown to re-establish normal thyroid function
in hypothyroid patients who were zinc-deficient,
even though they had normal serum T4 levels. Dental
mercury removal and heavy metal detoxification
will restore many vitamin, mineral and trace elements
to normal levels as well.
Similarly, selenium supplementation may be important,
as those living in areas of the world where selenium
is deficient have a greater incidence of thyroid
disease. Of particular significance is the fact
that while a selenium deficiency does not decrease
the conversion of T4 to T3 in the thyroid or the
pituitary, it does result in a great decrease
in this conversion in the other cells of the body.
People with a deficiency of selenium have elevated
levels of T4 and TSH.
Supplementation with selenium results in a decrease
in T4 and TSH and normalization of thyroid activity.
Selenium is deficient in about 50% of people's
diets, which, along with the high incidence of
mercury toxicity, may account for the large number
of people with low thyroid activity. Research
demonstrates that a selenium deficiency results
in low thyroid activity in the cells even though
hormone levels are normal or even elevated,and
provides some support for Barnes' contentions.
Basal
Temperature Test
The Barnes test or basal temperature test is
a simple measurement of oral temperature--"at
rest"--taken with an ordinary oral thermometer.
The basal temperature test is a better index of
hypothyroidism and need for thyroid therapy than
the basal metabolic rate test. It costs nothing.
Any patient can self-administer the test at home
in ten minutes. It is done upon waking in the
morning while the body is completely at rest,
before engaging in any activity or eating anything,
before getting out of bed, even to urinate. The
thermometer should already have been shaken down
the night before so as not to create heat from
the muscle activity of shaking the thermometer.
The thermometer is placed in the mouth for ten
minutes by the clock while resting quietly. Body
heat depends upon the amount of foodstuffs burned.
Thyroid hormone is essential for the oxidation
or burning of fuel in the body, and in the thyroid-deficient
person body temperature falls below normal because
of inadequate oxidation.
The normal range of basal temperature is between
97.8 and 98.2 degrees Fahrenheit, if there is
no sinus or throat infection present. A reading
below this normal range suggests low thyroid function.
If it is above the normal range, one must be suspicious
of some infection or an overactive thyroid gland.
In women of menstruating years, because temperature
can be elevated with ovulation, basal temperature
is best measured on the second and third days
of the period after flow starts. Before the menarche
or after the menopause, the basal temperature
may be taken on any day. When symptoms of thyroid
deficiency are present, the basal temperature
may be one, two, or even three degrees below normal.
With thyroid therapy, the temperature will start
to rise toward normal.
