Hashimoto S Thyroiditis Diet Five Common Hypothyroidism Causes.
For those people who have a hypothyroid disorder, I'm sure many wonder what has caused their condition to develop in the first place. There are many different hypothyroidism causes, which is why millions of people develop this condition. The following represent five of the more common causes:
Hypothyroidism Cause #1: Poor Eating Habits. As you probably know, eating foods of poor quality can cause a lot of health problems to develop, including thyroid conditions. And this of course is a common problem, as many people consume a regular diet consisting of refined foods and sugars. Whenever you eat a refined food or sugar, it spikes up the blood sugar levels, which causes insulin to be released. This then causes the blood sugar levels to "crash", and the hormone cortisol is then released by the adrenal glands.
While eating refined foods and sugars occasionally isn't much of a problem, those who eat them frequently will continuously cause their body to secrete insulin, followed by cortisol, which over a period of months and years will put a lot of stress on the endocrine system. So over time what usually happens is the adrenal glands become weakened, and this in turn will put the body in a state of catabolism. What this means is that the body will begin breaking down.
Since the thyroid gland is responsible for controlling metabolism, when it sees that the body is breaking down, it will try to slow this process down, thus slowing the metabolic rate. In other words, it will slow down the production of thyroid hormone (thus resulting in a hypothyroid condition) in order to slow down the catabolic process.
Eating poorly can also affect the thyroid gland in other ways, as there are many nutrients that are important for proper thyroid function. And if someone isn't obtaining these nutrients through their diet or by taking nutritional supplements, their thyroid gland will malfunction. Some examples of important nutrients and minerals for thyroid function include iodine, Vitamin D, selenium, and magnesium. These are just a few examples, as there are many others that are essential for optimal thyroid health.
So for someone who has hypothyroidism, it is essential to minimize the amount of refined foods and sugars they eat, and replace them with whole foods. While eating a completely organic diet isn't necessary, there are some foods that really shouldn't be eaten unless if they are organic. For example, if you eat meat then it is best to buy organic meat and poultry in order to avoid any xenoestrogens (described below), antibiotics, and other toxins. Certain fruits and vegetables should also be purchased organic as well in order to avoid any pesticides or herbicides. It of course is also important to drink plenty of purified water, and to avoid drinking sugary soft drinks, and even fruit juices on a regular basis.
Hypothyroidism Cause #2: Chronic Stress. Most people deal with a decent amount of stress on an everyday basis, which once again poses a lot of problems with the adrenal glands. The reason for this is because the adrenal glands were designed to handle acute stress situations, but cannot adequately handle a prolonged stress response. And so just as is the case when eating refined foods and sugars, dealing with a lot of stress on a daily basis and not doing a good job of managing it can lead to weakened adrenal glands, which as you already know, can cause a hypothyroid condition to develop.
You might have noticed that I stated those who "don't do a good job of managing stress" are the ones who are susceptible. So it's not really the chronic stress itself that is the problem, but rather how we handle the stress. After all, it's unrealistic to expect anyone to completely eliminate the stress from their life. However, most of us can do a much better job of managing their stress on a daily basis.
I'm not going to go into detail about how to modify the stress response right now, as I've dedicated separate articles on this topic which I of course recommend that you read. But I will say that there are numerous methods of dealing with stress, and for your long term health it is important that you become a master of one or more of these.
Hypothyroidism Cause #3: Insufficient sleep. Not obtaining a good amount of sleep on a regular basis can also lead to a hypothyroid condition. Once again, this frequently relates to dysfunction of the adrenal glands, as if you don't get a sufficient amount of sleep each night, over time this will cause problems with the cortisol levels, stressing out the adrenal glands over time, and can potentially lead to hypothyroidism. You ideally want higher cortisol levels upon waking up, and lower cortisol levels right before going to bed. If you constantly go to sleep late (11pm or later) and then wake up early, over time this can affect your cortisol levels, as many people develop low cortisol levels in the morning, which is one of the reasons they have difficulty waking up and starting their day. So it's essential to your health that you obtain at least 7 to 8 hours of sleep each night, and preferably 8 or 9 hours.
Of course sometimes it works the other way around, as many people develop an adrenal problem due to another issue, and as a result of the adrenal problem they have difficulty falling asleep. In other words, in some cases it is the actual adrenal problem that leads to the sleep disturbances. In this case, it usually is necessary to correct the problem with the adrenal glands, and when this is combined with other factors the person will usually be able to obtain quality sleep each night. Obviously every case is different, which is why everyone needs to be treated on an individual basis.
Hypothyroidism Cause #4: Environmental Toxins. There are thousands of different environmental toxins, and research has shown that they can lead to many different conditions, including thyroid disorders. In fact, there is a book written called "The Autoimmune Epidemic", which talks about some of the conditions these toxins can cause. And while a general case of hypothyroidism definitely can be the end result of such a condition, environmental toxins can also lead to the development of an autoimmune thyroid disorder, such as Hashimoto's Thyroiditis or Graves' Disease.
While it isn't possible to completely eliminate your exposure to these environmental toxins, especially since approximately 2,000 new chemicals are manufactured each year, most people can do a better job of minimizing their exposure to them. Many of the toxins people are exposed to are the result of household products they buy, such as household cleaners and cosmetics. While there are too many toxins to learn about, you should at least be familiar with some of the more common ones, so that you can try to do your best to avoid purchasing them.
Xenoestrogens are one of the most common environmental toxins, not only appearing in the food we eat, but in many of the products we buy. These chemicals have a hormone-like effect on our bodies, and so being exposed to them constantly can lead to a hormone imbalance, which can lead to numerous health conditions. So once again, it's important to try your best to minimize your exposure to these toxins.
Hypothyroidism Cause #5: Genetics. Many people think genetics is a primary factor in the development of thyroid conditions. While genetics definitely can be a factor, research has shown that it isn't as big of a factor as some think it is. This of course is good news, as it means that most cases of hypothyroidism can be prevented, and also improves the likelihood of curing one's existing hypothyroid condition. So if you have hypothyroidism, while genetics might be the sole cause, there is an excellent chance it isn't, which means there is a good chance that you can cure your condition.
Curing The Cause Of Hypothyroidism
What that being said, is it really possible to cure hypothyroidism? After all, when someone is initially diagnosed with hypothyroidism, typically they are told to take synthetic or natural thyroid hormone for the rest of their life. In other words, nothing is done to try to cure their hypothyroid condition, as instead the patient is typically given prescription drugs to manage their symptoms. In fact, millions of people with hypothyroidism have been told by their endocrinologist or general medical practitioner to take thyroid hormone for the rest of their life.
While some people do have thyroid conditions that can't be cured, and therefore need to take synthetic or natural thyroid hormone for the rest of their life, many people can have the function of their thyroid gland restored back to normal through natural thyroid treatment methods. Conventional medical treatments are aimed directly at the malfunctioning thyroid gland, which in most cases isn't the actual cause of the thyroid condition, as you learned above. By reading the above information you now know that many times the adrenal glands are actually the cause behind many thyroid conditions.
And in addition to weak adrenal glands causing hypothyroidism, other affected areas of the body can lead to a hypothyroid disorder as well. Either way, the overall goal of any natural thyroid treatment protocol will be to find the underlying cause of the disorder, and then the holistic doctor will put together an individualized treatment plan to help correct the cause, which frequently will cure the hypothyroidism. One of the keys is to find a competent natural endocrine doctor who has a lot of experience dealing with thyroid conditions. Finding such a doctor can be challenging, but it probably is your best bet to restore your health back to normal, assuming this is possible of course.
In summary, there are numerous different causes of hypothyroidism, and in many cases, it is possible to cure hypothyroidism by addressing the actual cause. The problem is that most doctors just prescribe thyroid hormone to every single patient with this condition, which does nothing more than manage the symptoms, and absolutely nothing for the cause of the thyroid condition. But by keeping an open mind and consulting with a competent natural endocrine doctor, you just might be able to restore your health back to normal, and as a result eventually stop taking thyroid hormone on a daily basis.
hashimoto s thyroiditis diet.