Know the Autoimmune Triggers! One of the most common questions I get is… "How did I develop this autoimmune condition?" Well… it's pretty much genetics and the environment. It's a matter of what came first, the chicken or the egg? We all know that genetically, you may be at risk for developing certain problems and/or conditions. If your mom had a…

The Dangers of IODINE! The problem with iodine is if you walk into a health food store and you tell the manager (who usually has no medical background and has no idea what tests need to be run), "I have a thyroid condition. How can I help myself?" they'll probably give you iodine, which is one of the WORST things…

The Dangers of TYROSINE! Tyrosine is another very popular supplement in health food stores for people suffering with thyroid problems. Again, if you walk into the health food store and you tell the manager or the person at the front desk that you have a thyroid condition and you need supplements, the first thing they’re going to reach for is…

PROLACTIN Prolactin is a hormone that’s made by your pituitary gland. High levels of prolactin suppress thyroid-stimulating hormone (TSH). Prolactin is balanced by progesterone and dopamine, so when people have a dopamine deficiency, or progesterone deficiency, their prolactin will increase, and that will decrease the function of the pituitary’s production of thyroid-stimulating hormone. The imbalance will show up on your…

Anemias I’ve mentioned that the number-one cause of hypothyroidism is an autoimmune thyroid, but the question I get is, “What if the patient isn’t autoimmune?” Since there are a small percentage of patients who are not autoimmune, what else could be causing the problem? Anemia is the answer! Anemia in and of itself is a deal-breaker for nutritional support of…

Thyroxine-Binding Globulin (TBG) When thyroid hormones are secreted from your thyroid gland, they are bound to a carrier, a protein. This protein is called “thyroxine-binding globulin” or TBG. So TBG is similar to a taxicab, and your thyroid hormones, T4 and T3, get into the cab, and they are transported to the liver, where they’re converted. And then they jump…

Blood Sugar/Blood Glucose From a medical standpoint, normal blood glucose levels have a broad range of 70 to 105, while functional or optimal blood glucose level ranges are 85 to 99. According to the American Diabetic Association, a blood sugar level reading of 106 to 126 is termed “insulin resistance” or “pre-diabetes,” and anything above a reading of 127 is…

Brain Function Brain function is extremely important in treating the thyroid, as I’ve mentioned previously in other secrets. The brain controls every bodily function. Your pituitary drives the thyroid gland. It releases TSH. The part of your brain called the hypothalamus drives the pituitary. Our brain needs two things to survive: fuel and activation. Fuel is glucose and oxygen, which…

The evils of GLUTEN! Gluten is one of the biggest culprits in causing an autoimmune thyroid that I see in my office. Therefore, it is EXTREMELY important to be tested properly for gluten sensitivity. In our office, we run a food sensitivity test from a lab called Enterolab. It is a lab test for sensitivity to gluten, milk, soy, egg…

Vitamin D You always seem hear in the news that there’s some new vitamin to consider or new deficiency to consider, but when it comes to Hashimoto’s thyroiditis or autoimmune thyroid – it’s very important that patients are taking Vitamin D to help their immune system. Modern diets are lacking in Vitamin D rich foods. What are Vitamin D rich…