Causes Of Hypothyroidism

Below we will explore some of the causes of hypothyroidism. These causes range from the foods that we eat or supplements that we take to more severe reasons such as our thyroids coming under attack from our own bodies. Although the causes of hypothyroidism vary there aren’t as many as there are symptoms of hypothyroidism. We’ll touch on them first.

Hypothyroidism Symptoms

In case at this point you are thinking either, what are the symptoms of hypothyroidism or how would I know if I have a thyroid problem, I’ll reiterate a few of the symptoms.

If you currently have fatigue, unexplained weight gain, an enlarged thyroid gland or inflammation at the front of your neck, dry skin and hair, depression and constipation contact your doctor and have him or her run blood tests to see if you have a thyroid condition. Your doctor will be able to tell if your body is producing too little or too much thyroid hormone.

There are in essence two kinds of hypothyroidism, temporary and permanent hypothyroidism. Your doctor will determine which one you have. The conditions tend to affect more women than men.

Causes Of Hypothyroidism That Are Temporary

In the case of temporary hypothyroidism, your thyroid problems can be caused by thyroiditis, too much iodine (which can actually worsen existing hypothyroidism), to little iodine (causing an iodine deficiency) and various medications especially if you are pre-disposed to hypothyroidism through a family history.

Because the food and cooking supplies in United States contain plenty of iodine it’s unusual to see hypothyroidism which is caused by an iodine deficiency in this country. We are actually more likely to see this caused by an over intake or consumption of iodine in those who use iodine supplements, such as kelp pills, that are sold in health food stores and aren’t regulated by the FDA and therefore tend to exceed the recommended daily allowance. It’s still recommended however that people who are hypothyroid stay away from soy and soy based products.

Causes Of Hypothyroidism That Are Permanent

With permanent hypothyroidism the thyroid gland is damaged and cannot be cured. However your hypothyroidism can be treated, on a permanent basis, with success under proper medical advice, diagnosis, treatment and prescribed, proper levels of thyroid hormone medicine.

Always have your doctor provide medical advice and proper information with regard to your thyroid disorder whether you suffer from hypothyroidism or hyperthyroidism. (See Hypothyroidism Treatment)

More Causes Of Hypothyroidism You should Consider

• Autoimmune diseases: Hashimoto’s thyroiditis is the most common cause of hypothyroidism, it is an autoimmune disease. With Hashimoto’s thyroiditis the immune system attacks the thyroid because it views the thyroid gland as a foreign object and then creates antibodies that over time shut down the thyroid gland.

A couple of other autoimmune diseases that put people at high risk for hypothyroidism are systemic lupus and type 1 diabetes.
Although pregnancy doesn’t actually cause hypothyroidism, a thyroid problem can develop both during and after pregnancy.

• Pituitary gland disorders: Issues with the pituitary gland such as pituitary surgery and tumors can slow or stop production of the tsh hormone which then causes it to send messages to the thyroid to decrease t3 and t4 hormones thus causing your hypothyroidism.

• Exposure to radiation or radiation treatment: The radioactive iodine that is used in these treatments destroys part or all, of the thyroid. Therefore if you’ve ever been treated with radioactive iodine this could cause you to develop thyroid disease.

• Thyroid surgery: Naturally if either part or all of your thyroid has been removed it may or will never fully function, I say may because on rare occasions a partial thyroid can still function enough to create a persons necessary, required amounts of thyroid hormone.

Some reasons why a person would need to have thyroid surgeries would be if they were diagnosed with goiter, thyroid cancer, Graves disease or thyroid nodules. In most cases after such surgeries thyroid hormone replacement becomes a necessity for the body to properly function on a metabolic level.

Now that we understand the causes of hypothyroidism, it’s pretty safe to say that there are very few steps that can be taken in order to prevent hypothyroidism and at most with the help of medical professionals we can however control the affects of this disease.

Hypothyroidism Nails – Do You Have Dry, Ridged, Brittle, or Splitting Nails?

Dry, ridged, brittle, splitting or peeling nails, aka hypothyroidism nails, is just one of the many symptoms of hypothyroidism that can affect someone who is suffering from low thyroid.

One of my first recommendations to you if you have these symptoms would be to contact your doctor to run tests for hypothyroidism and any of the other many diseases that brittle nails could be a symptom of. Our focus here will be on the causes and effects of hypothyroidism nail ridges and what you have to do to promote good thyroid health and healthy nail growth.

Why Does Hypothyroidism Cause Vertical Ridges, Splitting or Peeling Fingernails?

The reason that a person who suffers from hypothyroidism develops brittle nails and fingernail ridges is because; hypothyroidism is a disease that, if left untreated, will eventually slow down all of your bodily functions including metabolism. When this happens your body creates less heat and sweats less because as cells slow down they require less energy. Your sweat glands provide moisture to both your nails and skin. Because your sweat glands are not operating to full capacity, they are not providing the proper amounts of moisture to your nails and nail bed therefore causing your hypothyroidism nail ridges and/or brittle nails. This can be frustrating for anyone who likes healthy fingernails.

So What is the Treatment to Reducing hypothyroidism nail ridges?

Should you run right out and purchase all of the nail care products and nail strengtheners on the market?

You absolutely should not. If you notice that you hypothyroidism nail ridges or dry, cracked, splitting nails call your Doctor and have him or her run T3, T4, and TSH tests to find out if you do in fact have hypothyroidism. If the test results prove that you do have hypothyroidism, you should have your Doctor refer you to a good endocrinologist for proper treatment for thyroid disease.

How Can an Endocrinologist Help With hypothyroidism nail ridges?

An endocrinologist will track your T-levels: T3, T4 and TSH on a regular basis, making sure that your thyroid medication is properly regulated. At first this will be every 6-8 weeks until your thyroid levels are normal and after that the thyroid tests will either be annually or bi-annually depending on your situation and your endocrinologist. One of the things that your endocrinologist will check on during your appointments is your fingernails. He or she will be looking for the tell tale signs of hypothyroidism nail ridges.

After you have been tested thyroid disease and it turns out that your T3, T4 and TSH levels have been regulated then it’s possible that care for your hypothyroidism nail ridges is just a matter of adding more water to your diet regularly as well as simple cardiovascular exercise, such as walking, to get your blood pumping better and to increase these bodily functions that have kicked into slow gear and caused your brittle nail ridges.

Your endocrinologist certainly should be able to determine whether you require an adjustment in your thyroid medication or if adding water to your diet and simple exercise to your daily routine will contribute to your healthy nail growth and make hypothyroidism nail ridges a thing of the past and as a matter of fact he or she will probably make this healthy recommendation anyway.

Hypothyroidism and Weight Gain – Life’s Too Fast:

In today’s fast paced society we tend to survive by eating on the go, not paying much attention to the things that we are putting into our bodies or how it will affect our system in the long run. This practice is not only bad for everybody in general but it’s even worse for individuals who suffer from hypothyroidism and weight gain like us.

A hypothyroid diet needs to be controlled and ongoing. It needs to become a way of life that requires awareness of how you live. It may also require minor changes to your lifestyle and slight adjustments to the way that you eat if weight loss is to be obtained for someone with a sluggish thyroid.

One of the first things that you should become aware of is the food that you are eating and what that food contains. So many of the foods that you put into your body is full of toxins that can slowly destroy your thyroid. This in turn affects our metabolism causing hypothyroidism and weight gain.

You will be healthier in the long run if you stop and consider that it’s probably a bad idea to satisfy your hunger with a muffin or a donut that you grabbed while on the go. A far better idea would be to research ahead of time easy to grab foods that are just as easy to grab and as satisfying to eat. Take bananas for example. Bananas are a good source of iodine and iodine is a key element that the thyroid gland uses to produce the thyroid hormones which regulate your metabolism.

Hypothyroidism and Weight Gain – Making Healthy Choices:

So what is a good hypothyroidism diet? Like with any other diet, a hypothyroidism diet is a healthy balance of what the body needs to properly function. As is the case with hypothyroidism it would be the increase of iodine enriched foods coupled with a decreased intake of foods that contain goitrogens that will aid in reducing the symptoms of this particular thyroid condition.

Good foods to include in your diet plans for hypothyroidism are spinach, strawberries, tomatoes, asparagus, bananas, carrots, eggs, garlic, kelp, mushrooms, onions, potatoes, peas, squash, lima beans, radishes, low fat yogurt and seafood because these are foods that can replace the iodine in your body that has been diminished by goitrogens. You may have noticed that some of these foods, such as spinach, are actually on the list of foods containing goitrogens but the amount of iodine contained in them is enough to counteract the goitrogenic effects. This is especially true if the foods are “ground” grown versus “water” grown. Ground grown foods have higher levels of iodine due to its absorption of it from the soil.

You also should avoid excess consumption of the following: Brussels sprouts, cabbage, cauliflower, broccoli, peanuts, pears, pine nuts, soybeans, kale, mustard, peaches and turnips. The chlorine that’s in our drinking water and white table salt are some foods that also deplete or interfere with the iodine in our bodies. It would be far better to switch to sea salt and bottled or filtered water.

Only the Right Amount of Iodine:

That being said I also wouldn’t suggest a diet of total iodine consumption because your body needs to maintain a healthy balance of many elements in order to function. The idea when putting together your diet plans for hypothyroidism is to be able to regulate the iodine levels that are being depleted by the goitrogens that are found in other common diet foods that can actually contribute to hypothyroidism and weight gain.

By decreasing your consumption of foods that contain goitrogens and increasing consumption of iodine enriched foods you should eventually be able to strike a balance that will help you to achieve your hypothyroid weight loss goals making hypothyroidism and weight gain a thing of the past.

Coconut Oil Hypothyroid

It goes against everything that you think you know about losing weight on a coconut oil hypothyroidism diet or any diet for that matter, eat saturated fat to lose weight.

But not just any saturated fat will do. You must eat the right kinds of fats and fatty acids and virgin coconut oil fits the bill.

Why is Coconut Oil for Hypothyroid so special?

Well, virgin coconut oil is a saturated fat that is mainly composed of medium chain fatty acids. The fatty acids in the oil are known as MCTs or medium chain triglycerides. These medium chain fatty acids can increase your metabolism, raise your basal body temperature and promote weight loss and increase energy.

The implications of these health benefits for those of you suffering from a low thyroid is tremendous. It means that there are more natural ways to maintaining your thyroid. It also means that as you supplement your diet with virgin coconut oil you can increase thyroid function and your chance of losing weight while on your “hypothyroidism” diet.

How is Virgin Coconut Oil Produced?

Coconuts thrive in most tropical areas such as the Philippines where a lot of coconut oil is produced. Virgin coconut oil is made or processed from the meat of fresh coconuts. The process can include a quick drying and then pressing the oil out of the meat of the coconut. Another method would be wet milling where the coconut oil is then later separated from the coconut milk. Cold pressed coconut oil is oil that has been processed with the addition of very little heat.

Virgin Coconut Oil Hypothyroid

So, how does virgin coconut oil help with your hypothyroidism weight loss diet? To answer this we must understand what coconut oil is made up of and how this affects the body. As I mentioned earlier coconut oil is primarily a saturated fat, over 90%. But of this 90%, over 60% are the medium chain triglycerides mentioned of which the majority, over 50%, is Lauric acid. Lauric acid is an essential fatty acid that is utilized by your body to build and maintain your immune system. All in all having a positive effect on the thyroid gland.

Other Essential Fatty Acids

There are a couple of other no less important fatty acids present in virgin coconut oil that help maintain a healthy body. Linoleic acid is a polyunsaturated fat that is has been a staple of the weight loss industry and is typically sold as a supplement know as CLA or conjugated linoleic acid. Usually sold in softgel capsule form this “good” fat has been shown to promote body fat reduction in several clinical studies.

The other compound is Oleic acid which is an omega-9 fatty acid. Just like in virgin coconut oil this acid is also the main compound present in extra-virgin olive oil, another good oil to promote healthy eating. This acid has been shown to raise HDL (good) cholesterol levels while lowering the LDL (bad) cholesterol levels.

I hope that you can see why virgin coconut oil is heavy hitter when it comes to helping you to become more healthy. Its beneficial effects on metabolism, cholesterol and weight loss should make this food a staple for any hypothyroidism diet.

What are Goitrogens?

Goitrogens. The very term sounds alien. What are goitrogens and what does it mean to you?

Goitrogens are compounds that, if ingested, can interfere with the absorption of iodine into your body and can result in the enlargement of your thyroid gland. This, as you know, is not very good for the sufferer of hypothyroidism. It has been suggested that iodine deficiency has been linked to hypothyroidism and mental retardation in children.

For those of you who suffer from hypothyroidism ingesting goitrogens is counter productive to what your trying to accomplish through hormone therapy not to mention the stimulation of your metabolism. You want to try to induce your thyroid and metabolism to work within normal ranges, not the other way around and these compounds will have this effect.

Where do you get Goitrogens?

There are several ways in which you can get these compounds into your system but the most common way is through the foods that we eat.

Some of the more common foods that contain these goitrogenic compounds are soy beans or any soy related products such as tofu, Brussels sprouts, broccoli, spinach, strawberries, peaches, pears, bok choy, cabbage, cauliflower, collard greens, Kale, canola and canola oils, mustard greens, turnips and rutabagas. Although with broccoli, spinach, cabbage, cauliflower and collard greans you can cook the bulk of the goitrogens out of the vegetables. In other words don’t consume them raw.

When you eat these foods they interfere with and have a negative effect on your thyroid. When eating for hypothyroidism or on a hypothyroidism diet it is recommended that you eat foods rich in iodine as iodine in proper amounts contribute to good thyroid health. Seafood is one of the best natural sources of iodine as well as kelp and seaweed. I don’t know anyone personally who actually eats kelp and seaweed, except when eating sushi, but there are some supplements available that derive their iodine from kelp. However you should always consult an endocrinologist before using kelp pills as kelp pills can provide you with too much iodine causing other issues with your thyroid.

But, if you are trying to eat iodine rich food as well as these goitrogenic foods it will have a nullifying effect and you won’t get the benefits from these thyroid stimulating foods. So, eat these goods foods rich in iodine and limit those goitrogens.

The Reality of Hypothyroidism Weight Loss

If you’re suffering from hypothyroidism and are struggling to lose weight I’m sure the thought has crossed your mind as to whether or not you can succeed while on a hypothyroidism weight loss diet.

I’ve seen many questions come up in forums where men and women are concerned that they can’t lose weight since they are hypothyroid. They’ve tried a number of ways for a short amount of time but didn’t see any improvement in their weight so they get disgusted and quit trying. When suffering from an underactive thyroid it’s not uncommon to feel this way. The symptoms of hypothyroidism are many and varied but weight gain and fatigue are among the most frustrating.

First, let me say that it is possible to lose weight even if you are suffering from a low thyroid. But, let’s discuss what it means to be hypothyroid for a moment. When suffering from hypothyroidism one of the unfortunate symptoms is that of weight gain or trouble losing the weight you already have. Why is this? Well, it’s due to the fact that when your thyroid gland isn’t producing the proper amount of hormones your metabolism starts to slow down considerably. You begin to feel fatigued all of the time even after sleeping all night but, you also begin to have weight issues.

“But, I already know this. How does this relate to me? What do I do to succeed with my hypothyroidism diet?”

Ok, fair enough question. Here is the short answer: To be able to control your weight you need to get control over your metabolism. One of the first ways is to get on hormone replacement therapy prescribed by your doctor or endocrinologist. One of the drugs commonly used for this is called Synthroid or a generic substitute. The most important thing is to get your thyroid hormone levels under control and managed.

Another way would be to try a thyroid health supplement such as Thyromine. But always consult with you Doctor before using supplements. There are certain foods that also promote healthy thyroid function. Eating healthy is always a good choice in general.

The point of this boils down to one common denominator increasing your metabolism. By boosting your metabolism through various techniques and strategies you improve your chances of losing weight.

Setting Some Realistic Hypothyroidism Weight Loss Goals

Your primary goal should be to become a healthier individual in general and not to get hung up on being a size 4. Some of us will never get to that size no matter how hard we diet anyway. So it’s best to set realistic goals to become healthy, improve your cardiovascular system, to lose unwanted weight and to eat as healthy as possible. By eating properly and exercising your overall health will improve.

Also, by eating the right foods and exercising regularly you’ll be able to avoid many of the other diseases that accompany weight gain and a sedentary lifestyle. Such as high blood pressure, elevated triglyceride levels and high cholesterol. All of which contribute to heart disease and can cause heart attacks and strokes.

If you think in these terms you’ll be surprised just how well you succeed at your hypothyroidism weight loss goals.

Beginning a Hypothyroidism Diet with a Diet Detox

It seems all the rage lately, Detox or Cleanse diets. Celebrities ranging from Beyonce to Oprah are doing them. But, are they effective and what does being on a detox diet do to your system? Should you jump start your hypothyroidism diet with a detox diet?

What is a Hypothyroidism Diet Detox or Cleanse?

First, let’s talk about what a detox diet or cleanse diet is. A detox or cleanse diet is a diet where your intent is to rid your body of the toxins that it absorbs via your environment or the foods you eat. The diet can range from various levels of fasting to eating only fresh fruits and vegetables and drinking fresh water for a certain length of time to even taking natural laxatives to help your body to expel the toxins from your digestive system.

What are their effects on the body?

But, you need to be aware that the effects on the body can range from the mild to the severe. Depending on which route you decide to follow you could be in store for some discomfort. For example, if you decide that part of your regime is to cut out caffeine then you can expect headaches as you withdraw from its use. The more intense the detox the more severe the effects on the body and supposedly the more effective the cleanse. But are they safe?

Safety First

First of all, you should only proceed with something like this while under the watchful eye of a doctor. There are serious concerns you need to consider such as protein deprivation and electrolyte imbalances that can harm the body should the Detox be too severe and maintained for too long of time. In extreme circumstances your heart can be affected if you don’t take steps to maintain a proper balance. The average healthy adult can fast for 2 – 3 days usually without any adverse effects. Go beyond that without proper care and planning and your taking your chances. And anytime you take laxatives for any length of time you run the risk of becoming dependent on them.

Hypothyroidism Diet Detox

So the big question is “Should You Detox before starting on a hypothyroidism diet?” Well, the answer is really up to you and to what degree you intend to take it. It may be a good way to jump start your hypothyroid diet regime if done correctly and is not too intense. Since your systems is already out of kilter due to your low thyroid you don’t want to do anything that will upset that delicate balance that you have worked with your doctor to maintain. Provided that you are on hormone therapy. If not, you should get your hormone levels adjusted prior to starting any kind of weight loss program otherwise it might not do any good.

I would think though that since a large part of maintaining any diet is to boost your metabolism that you wouldn’t want to short circuit that process. Maybe by cutting out certain things such as caffeine and by drinking more water it will be enough to begin to slowly clean your system.

You should remember that the body already has a pretty efficient system in place to rid the body of toxins on a daily basis. The liver, kidneys, skin and the colon cleanse the system of any toxins that are breathed in or ingested on a daily basis. So I would think that you would want to only enhance that process and not make it difficult for that process to work.

The bottom line is that you should give careful thought to any hypothyroid diet that includes a detox or cleanse that way you don’t upset your body’s natural processes. As with anything moderation is the key. Detoxing with a gentle detox process may just help to jump-start your hypothyroidism diet.

Thyroid and Metabolism, Getting Your Metabolism Measured

In an earlier post on the Boosting Your Metabolism I talk about the benefits of raising your metabolism as well as some ways to raise it.

This time were going to talk about getting your metabolism measured to understand the connection between the thyroid and metabolism. Getting your metabolism measured could be one of the single most important aspects to getting started with a hypothyroidism diet. Reason being, if you’re trying to attain a goal, such as hypothyroid weight loss, it’s important to know how your body is consuming the calories that you’re taking in during the day. This is one way to make sure that you’re taking in the correct amount of calories, not too much or too little.

How metabolism is measured?

Your metabolism can be measured a couple of different ways. The first method is called direct calorimetry. This method measures the energy expended in the form of heat. This test is not practical for our purposes. The other method is called “indirect calorimetry”, it measures the amount of oxygen consumed over a period of time. Traditionally this was only available in hospitals and research facilities due to the cost of the apparatus used and the need for trained technicians to run it. But, nowadays it’s possible to get the test done almost anywhere the machines are available. I know of some dietitians that now have these machines to aid them in properly gauging a client’s daily caloric needs when creating a diet for them.

What are the needed preparations for the test?

The aim of the test is to gauge the RMR or the Resting Metabolic Rate of an individual. Therefore, he or she needs to avoid eating anything for a while before the test, avoid exercising on the day of your test and avoid the use of stimulants such as caffeine on the day of the test. I had the procedure done and I was asked to fast for 4 hours prior to the test.

What happens during the test?

You will relax in a seated position. A mask or mouthpiece would be used and you have to breathe through there until the test concludes, usually ten to fifteen minutes. If a mouthpiece is used a clip will typically be place on your nose to reduce the infiltration of any oxygen that could ruin the test. If this is bothersome to you ask if they can get mask for you to use.

The only problem I had was when I swallowed the saliva that built up in my mouth during the test my ears would block up. After the test completes a report will either be printed out by the machine or displayed on its screen. The important part is that the dietitian will use the results in order to come up with the best plan for your hypothyroidism diet.

The bottom line is once you have a starting place or baseline to go by and a goal and understand the connection between your thyroid and metabolism; your chances of reaching your desired weight will dramatically increase.

Understanding the Connection Between the Thyroid and Metabolism

So, did you know that one of the secrets to any successful hypothyroidism diet is by ramping up your metabolic process? This is really true for any diet but even more so when you suffer from hypothyroidism. It’s important to understand the connection between the thyroid and metabolism. As you may already be aware, metabolism is the process of burning or consuming calories in your body. This happens naturally even if you’re not exerting any effort, yes including when you’re sleeping.

But this natural process gets short-circuited when your thyroid isn’t working the way it should. Without your thyroid working correctly your metabolism slows causing you to gain weight or at the very least making if very difficult to lose the weight you have.

Metabolism, if increased, would result in weight loss that can be consistent and manageable. The suggested weight loss of 1 to 2 pounds per week can be possible and by maximizing your body’s metabolic process you’re giving yourself the best chance you have for losing weight.

Exercise can sure enough increase metabolism but the thing to remember is that you should perform exercises that are suitable and effective for your body. Some people respond better to short bursts of high intensity as would be the case in interval training. Still others respond to longer duration less intensive exercise such as walking. Needless to say increasing your metabolism should work in concert with trimming down your daily caloric intake. Starting and sticking to a proper hypothyroidism diet is key.

Also, don’t underestimate the necessity to add muscle. The more muscle you have the higher your metabolic rate will be since this additional muscle will require more calories as fuel and can have a positive effect on your thyroid and metabolism.

Besides permanently reducing your weight, increasing your metabolism provides the additional benefit of increased vigor and mental alertness. Provided that you’re getting enough good sleep you’ll be able to remain more productive during your awake time.

Benefits of Increasing Your Thyroid And Metabolism

Contrary to some other diets that hold promises of a quick fix, by just raising and maintaining your metabolism you’ll accomplish better long-term results. You’ll be much happier and healthier in the long run too.

With a well thought out hypothyroidism diet and weight loss plan, matched with a good exercise regimen there’s no reason why you couldn’t reach your dieting and weight maintenance goals. None of the bouncing up and down in weight that is associated with moving from one fad diet to another.

These concepts may be simple but they are important to understanding how your metabolism works as a person suffering from hypothyroidism and what you can do to take control of your weight. And as always, check with your doctor to verify that you are healthy enough to start any exercise program and discuss with them the relationship between the thyroid and metabolism.