Vitamins for Health - Hypothyroid

"HYPOTHYROID"

HAS YOUR THYROID LEFT YOU COLD?
ARE YOU OFTEN DEPRESSED?

    Fatigue, coldness, depression, constipation, weight gain, irregular menstrual periods, tingling in hands or feet, and dry, thinning hair are some of the most common symptoms of Low Thyroid (or Hypothyroid). But it is important for us to realize that these symptoms are often missed or overlooked in diagnosing a thyroid problem. Many have suffered so long with these conditions that they view them as normal. One
endocrinologist believes hypothyroid is one of the conditions
most overlooked.

          ARE YOU TIRED OF BEING TIRED?

    Your Thyroid gland controls your metabolism. The thyroid is a butterfly shaped gland in the neck that produces hormones to regulate your metabolism. Metabolism is the sum of all the physical and chemical changes that occur within your body. It concerns all the energy and processes that occur within every living cell. The thyroid gland is part of a chain of glands. It is stimulated by a hormone called TSH from the pituary gland in your brain and, in turn, affects the functioning of all your other glands.   When the gland is underactive you have an hypothyroid condition.

   THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN HYPO-THYROIDISM AND       HYPERTHYROIDISM?

     In Hypothyroidism, the usual cause is that the thyroid gland produces too few hormones. In Hyper-thyroidism, it produces too many. As our population becomes more aware of the connection between High Blood Pressure and salt, people or reducing the amount of salt in their diets. This helps to lower blood pressure, but now many are not getting the iodine that has been added to salt to prevent low thyroid conditions.

WHY DO I HAVE LOW THYROID SYMPTOMS, WHEN MY BLOOD TESTS   ARE "NORMAL"?

      No laboratory test has been found to be accurate in determining the proper functioning of the thyroid gland. The most common method of determining Hypothyroidism is a blood test to check TSH levels (the thyroid stimulating hormone produced by the pituitary gland) and T4 levels (the main thyroid hormone). The main problem with this method
is that some people may have enough of the T4 thyroid hormone in their blood, but fail to have a sufficient amount of an enzyme needed to convert the T4 into T3. (T3 is the active form of the hormone that is the only form that can enter the cells and perform its intended work).

Dr. Broda Barnes, one of the leading authorities on the subject of the Thyroid Gland, and author of, Solved: The Riddle of Heart Attacks and Hypothyroidism: The Unsuspected Illness, recommends the following remarkably simple test that could save your life:

Barnes Basal Temperature Test for Low Thyroid
Shake down a thermometer before retiring and place it by your clock on a bedside table. First thing in the morning (before getting out of bed) place the therometer snugly in the armpit - for exactly 10 minutes. The normal Basal Temperature is 97.8-98.2. A temperature below 97.8 indicates a possible low thryoid. When the temperature is taken under the arm, add one degree to the thermometer reading. (96.2 on the thermometer would be recorded as 97.2) Because a woman's temperature may vary during the menstrual cycle, the temperature should be taken on the 2nd and 3rd days of menstruation. It is best to take the temperature readings for at least a week and then find the average. Young children may be tested with a rectal thermometer for 2 minutes. Oral temperatures do not give accurate basal temperatures.

Dr. Stephen Langer is one of the foremost authorities concerning the thyroid in our country today. Although Dr. Barnes was one of the first to link Heart Attacks to Hypothyroidism, Dr. Langer has gone beyond that and connected many illnesses to that low thyroid in the book that he produced with James Sheer - Solved: The Riddle of Illness. Many conditions, including allergies, cancer, infections, psoriasis, and hyper-activity have responded amazingly well to treatment of hypothyroidism.

When the temperature test and the symptoms agree, Dr. Barnes and Dr. Langer encourage the use of natural thyroid hormone replacemet in the form of Armour Dessicated Thyroid, because it contains all the active principles found in the natural thyroid. Many physicians prescribe synthetic preparations that include only the T4 thyroid which is unable to get into the cells where it is needed for the; body to function properly.

If you have a low thyroid condition, ask your doctor to prescribe
Armour Thyroid-the proven remedy that these experts recommend.

I am personally grateful to Dr. Barnes and a doctor in Southern California who was committed to Dr. Barnes method of diagnosing and treating Hypothyroididm. I have taken Armour Thyroid for over 20 years, and can testify that it has banished my fatigue. For that reason, I have refused the synthetic substitutes every time I move and must change doctors.

ARE THERE ANY ALTERNATIVE TREATMENTS?

Dr.David Williams, author of ALTERNATIVES health magazine, states:"If you have several of the symptoms for low thyroid, the first step is to test your thyroid function by taking the temperature test mentioned above.

The next step, if you find that you have a low basal temperature, is to rebalance the thyroid gland using a liquid iodine product called Iosol." Dr. Williams, has used this product for many years with no problems. He recommends taking four drops of Iosol in water each day, for two weeks and then lowering the dosage to two drops per day. (He also warns that one should never take topical Iodine internally- it could be fatal!)

The Broda 0. Barnes, M.D. Research Foundation, Inc, is working nationally and internationally to disseminate the work of Dr. Barnes and other pioneers in the Field of Thyroid and other endocrine dysfunctions through lectures, seminars, consultations and publications to: Physicians, Medical Research Personnel, Health Professionals, Ciinics and the Lay Public.

Stephen Langer, M.D., practices preventive medicine and nutrition in Berkeley, CA, and is an Executive Member of the Orthomolecular Medical Society. He produces and is host of a nationally syndicated health show for television- "The Medicine Man," which is broadcast on the Satelite Program Network. He is the co-author of Solved: The Riddle of Illness - one of the most important books of our time - and several other books.

By Muryal Braun: Nutritional Researcher, who has studied nutrition for 40 years, written articles and presented Nutritional Lectures.

This article is intended only for information. If you have any medical problem, please consult your health professional.