 HYPOTHYROIDISM: Estimates are that ten million Americans have severe thyroid disorders, and that nearly two million don't realize it. They think they are just getting old. Hypothyroidism (a deficiency of thyroid hormone) generally begins as unexplained fatigue and weakness. It can also cause weight gain, cold extremities, anemia, headaches, menstrual problems, and an increased susceptibility to infection, heart disease, cancer, and premature aging. Women, who are 3 to 5 times as likely to get the condition as men, have a 1 in 8 chance of experiencing thyroid problems during their lives.
Hypothyroidism causes stomach acid and other digestive juices to be in short supply and intestinal movements to be weak, producing gas and constipation. The hypothyroid person can be malnourished even on a good diet, because she is not properly assimilating her food. She can also gain substantial weight even when she is eating little, because she is not burning calories efficiently.
A simple home test is to check the body temperature on awakening. A temperature below 98 degrees and a slow pulse may be indicative of hypothyroidism. If thyroid therapy is necessary, it should be prescribed by a competent professional. Excess thyroid supplementation may be harmful, since it stimulates the osteoclasts, the cells that tear down or resorb bone. Bone resorption should be in balance with bone formation. An excess of resorption over formation results in bone loss.
DRUG TREATMENT: The usual thyroid medication is synthetic thyroxine (levothyroxine or Synthroid). Ranked among the top ten prescription drugs in America, it is taken by millions of women daily. One drawback is that once you're on synthetic thyroid, you're liable to be on it for life. Another drawback is that the same stress that blocks the thyroid can block conversion of the synthetic hormone to T3 (triiodothyronine), the form in which thyroid hormone is most active in the body. There may also be side effects, including heart palpitations, insomnia, nervousness, and diarrhea.
NATURAL ALTERNATIVES: Acupuncture can help stimulate thyroid function. Thyroid function is dependent on a balance of two trace minerals, manganese and iodine. Hypothyroidism could be due to a shortage of either.
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