Case study: Under active thyroid gland

Carol arrived at our clinic overweight and exhausted. She was so tired that she actually had to put her elbows on the table and rest her head in her hands as she spoke to me for an hour. Carol weighed 80 kilos and her healthy weight range is between 65 and 70 kilos.

Carol has hypothyroidism caused by Hashimoto’s thyroiditis. This was diagnosed at the age of 19 and Carol is now 35 years old. Since that time she has been overweight and has suffered some degree of fatigue, aching muscles and fluid retention. In the last year those symptoms had intensified, plus Carol had developed new health problems:

--She felt stiff and sore when she got out of bed each morning. Carol dreaded having to face each day.
--Carol had a constantly blocked nose, mucus in her throat and she had frequent colds and flu.
--She had just recently recovered from a bout of thrush, which she suffered with regularly.
--Carol had a bloated abdomen, felt nauseous much of the time and had occasional bouts of diarrhea for no reason.

Carol had been taking Oroxine/Synthroid (thyroxine) at an alternating dose of 100mcg one day and 150mcg the next day. She also took B vitamins to help with stress.

I assessed Carol’s blood test results and discovered that her TSH was 4.0 mIU/L, indicating that she was not taking enough thyroxine. I sent Carol for a urinary iodine test and her result showed extreme deficiency. Her urinary iodine level was 18 ug/L and a normal level should be above 100.

I asked Carol to increase her thyroxine to 150mcg each day. Hashimoto’s thyroiditis is an autoimmune condition where the immune system produces antibodies that attack and destroy the thyroid gland. Most patients will continue to experience some symptoms of an under active thyroid gland unless they work on improving their immune system.

In order to achieve this I placed Carol on a gluten and dairy free diet and put her on a bowel detox. 80 percent of the immune cells in our body are found in our digestive tract, therefore the digestive function must be addressed in order to improve the immune system. As Carol was severely iodine deficient, I also gave her a supplement containing iodine, combined with other nutrients essential for healthy thyroid gland function.

After eight weeks Carol returned a different person. She had a big smile on her face and had regained her enthusiasm for life. Carol was thrilled to have lost seven kilos. She did not exercise during that eight weeks but said she now had the energy to, and starting an exercise program was her goal.

Carol’s muscles no longer ached and she was no longer puffy. She was able to fall asleep quickly and sleep solidly through the night. Therefore she woke with energy and looked forward to each new day. Carol’s digestion improved dramatically and she no longer suffered with nausea, bloating or diarrhea.

Carol will continue with a gluten and dairy free diet for another couple of months, when she will be reassessed again. She has not found the diet difficult to stick to, and the dramatic improvement in her health has provided ample motivation to continue it. In the majority of cases we recommend people with Hashimoto’s thyroiditis follow a gluten free diet for life.

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Is vitamin K Deficiency aging you before your Time?

Like most people, you’ve probably never thought much about vitamin K. It certainly doesn’t receive anywhere near as much media coverage as vitamins C or D; however optimal vitamin K levels are essential for good health.

Recent research has found that being deficient in vitamin K places you at greater risk of heart disease, cancer and osteoporosis, effectively shortening your life and reducing its quality.

Vitamin K is a fat soluble vitamin; therefore it is in the same family as vitamins A, D and E. Its main function in the body is blood coagulation, also known as blood clot formation. It is very important for the blood to be able to clot when necessary, otherwise bleeding would not be controlled and large volumes of blood could be lost after minor cuts or injuries. Excessively heavy menstrual bleeding is sometimes caused by vitamin K deficiency. The drug warfarin (Coumadin) works to prevent blood clots by inhibiting the action of vitamin K.

Apart from blood clot formation, vitamin K is required in the body for the following functions:

• Bone mineralization

Vitamin K is required by proteins involved in bone formation and it enables the entry of calcium into bones. Vitamin K deficiency increases the risk of osteoporosis.

• Cell growth

Vitamin K is required for proteins involved in cell growth, cell division and cell death. Studies have shown that vitamin K deficient people are at increased risk of cancer.

• Artery health

Research has shown that deficiency of vitamin K increases the risk of hardening of the arteries that travel to the heart and brain, as well as hardening of the arteries in the kidneys. It is thought that vitamin K helps to prevent calcium deposits from forming in arteries. Deficiency of this vitamin increases the risk of heart attacks and strokes.

Where is vitamin K found?

There are two main forms of vitamin K: vitamin K1 and vitamin K2. K1 is found in plants; particularly green leafy vegetables. The richest sources of vitamin K are spinach, collard, kale, cabbage, Asian leafy vegetables such as bok choy, broccoli, parsley, lettuce and extra virgin olive oil. Vitamin K2 is made by bacteria in your intestines. How much you produce is determined by your digestive health, the levels of good bacteria in your intestines and whether you have recently used antibiotics.

Who needs extra vitamin K?

• People with osteoporosis or osteopenia.

• Anyone wishing to keep their arteries healthy and avoid a heart attack or stroke.

• People with a digestive disorder that impairs absorption of vitamin K or production by beneficial bacteria; these conditions include celiac disease, ulcerative colitis or Crohn’s disease.

• People taking long term or frequent doses of antibiotics.

• People with a liver disease that can impair storage of vitamin K in the body.

Raw vegetable juices – the best natural source of vitamin K

Making your own raw vegetable juices will improve your health, give you more energy, strengthen your immune system, as well as give you a hefty dose of vitamin K. Remember that dark green leafy vegetables are the best source of this vitamin; these can be mixed with some carrot, celery and beetroot for flavor and additional nutrients.
For delicious juice recipes see our book Raw Juices can Save your Life.

You can eat these vegetables cooked as well, as cooking does not destroy vitamin K.

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Gluten Intolerant Women more Likely to have Autistic Children

A new study has found that women with an autoimmune disease are up to three times more likely to have a child with autism than the general population. The autoimmune diseases included in this study were celiac disease, type 1 diabetes and rheumatoid arthritis.

Celiac disease is an autoimmune disease whereby ingestion of gluten causes damage to the lining of the small intestine. This can cause digestive problems such as bloating and diarrhea, however many cases of celiac disease cause no digestive symptoms at all, yet damage still occurs to the body. In type 1 diabetes the immune system attacks the insulin producing cells of the pancreas, leaving the body unable to manufacture sufficient insulin. In rheumatoid arthritis the immune system attacks the joints, causing pain, immobility and disfigurement.

Autoimmune diseases are extremely common and they are more common in women than men. Other examples of autoimmune diseases are Hashimoto’s thyroiditis (causing an under active thyroid), Graves’ disease (causing an over active thyroid), ulcerative colitis and Crohn’s disease (affecting the digestive tract), multiple sclerosis, lupus and others.

Research carried out at the Johns Hopkins University collected data on 3,325 Danish children diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder. The children were born between 1993 and 2004. The data showed that women with an autoimmune disease are more likely to have a child diagnosed with autism. The increased risk for mothers with type 1 diabetes was a little less than double; for rheumatoid arthritis it was 1.5 times, but for celiac disease it was more than three times greater.

Autoimmune disease causes a great deal of inflammation and tissue damage in the body; the inflammation can affect the developing fetus while in its mother’s uterus. Women with celiac disease are also more prone to giving birth prematurely and having a small birth weight baby. Both of those factors are associated with an increased risk of autism.

Autism is thought to be an immune system disorder (rather than a brain disorder), and this study further confirms this belief. Approximately 80 percent of your immune system is located in your digestive tract; therefore digestive problems affect your immunity as a whole and your child’s immunity if you become pregnant.

Luckily there is a lot that can be done to correct immune system function and overcome autoimmune disease. This particular study referred to undiagnosed or untreated celiac disease. If a celiac sticks to a gluten free diet 100 percent of the time and addresses nutritional deficiencies that go hand in hand with the condition, their children are not at increased risk of autism.

We actually recommend that anybody with an autoimmune condition avoids all gluten and cow's milk, regardless of the specific type of autoimmune disease. These diet changes, combined with the right nutritional supplements are extremely successful in the treatment of autoimmune disease.

Source: Association of Family History of Autoimmune Diseases and Autism Spectrum Disorders. Pediatrics July 5, 2009

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Case histories from the Camden Clinic

Georgina had come all the way from New Zealand to see me as she was desperate to find relief for her chronic abdominal and pelvic pain. This was caused by endometriosis growing on her bladder and bowel despite having had a hysterectomy, which unfortunately had provided only partial relief. She was in her late 30s and had not had children. Georgina was a lovely lady with a bright bubbly personality and I admired her positive attitude and toughness, as she had managed to keep working despite this chronic pain.

Georgina was using a progesterone cream that was not strong enough to reduce the endometriosis growing on her bowel and bladder and when I checked the strength of her cream it was only 4 % (40mg per gram) and she had been using only half a gram providing her body with a daily dose of 20mg of progesterone. I prescribed progesterone vaginal pessaries of 200mg strength and she was to insert a pessary once daily into her vagina as high up as possible. I also prescribed a progesterone cream of 10% strength (100mg per gram of cream) which she was to rub into the skin of her inner upper arm once daily after her shower. If natural progesterone was going to be able to control her severe endometriosis we had to use an adequate dose.

I explained to Georgina that it was vital to strengthen her immune system and reduce inflammation with nutritional medicine. To achieve these goals I recommended the following –

• Liquid fish oil in a dose of one tablespoon just before every meal
• Magnesium powder in a dose of ½ teaspoon twice daily to ease her bladder and bowel cramps
• A probiotic powder that also contained fermented fruits and vegetables
• Raw vegetable juices from fresh green herbs (parsley, basil, mint, etc), carrot, ginger, citrus, cabbage and apple. This would reduce inflammation and improve liver function.
• A powerful liver tonic containing the herb St Mary’s Thistle, B vitamins and sulphur bearing amino acids. In all cases of oestrogen dominance it is vital to improve liver function, so that the liver can break down the excessive oestrogen produced from the ovaries and fat tissue.

I also noticed that she had a slight goitre with a few small nodules on her thyroid gland and on checking her serum vitamin D levels I found these to be deficient. Her urinary spot iodine concentration was very low thus revealing a deficiency of iodine.

Thyroid problems are often caused by deficiencies of vitamin D, iodine, zinc and selenium. Thyroid problems will often cause imbalances in the function of the ovaries leading to progesterone deficiency. Progesterone deficiency leads to oestrogen dominance and this worsens endometriosis. Thus it was vital to improve her thyroid function so I prescribed a capsule containing vitamin D, selenium, zinc and iodine to improve thyroid health.

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Want to keep your cartilage? Well you’d better lose weight!

A study published in the journal Radiology has found that obesity contributes to rapid cartilage loss.

Osteoarthritis is the most common form of arthritis. It causes loss of cartilage, inflammation, pain and stiffness in the joints. The most commonly affected joints are the knees, hips and joints of the lower back and neck. Glucosamine, MSM and fish oil supplements are commonly used for osteoarthritis and they are usually very effective.

In many cases osteoarthritis progresses slowly; it can take several decades for substantial cartilage loss to occur, and symptoms of pain and stiffness usually occur gradually and may come and go. However, researchers at the Boston University School of Medicine have found that in overweight people, cartilage loss and osteoarthritis progress rapidly.

A high Body Mass Index (BMI) was the greatest predictor of who would lose cartilage the fastest in a study involving 3,026 people aged 50 to 79 years. Other predictors of rapid cartilage loss were tears and previous injuries to joints, and synovitis (inflammation of the synovial membrane of a joint). Age, gender and ethnicity were not associated with rapid cartilage loss.

For every 1 unit increase in BMI above 26, the risk of cartilage loss increased by 11 percent. An ideal BMI is considered to be between 18.5 and 24.9. You can work out your BMI using the calculator on this website: http://www.nhlbisupport.com/bmi/
The researchers of this study concluded that “weight loss is probably the most important factor to slow disease progression”.

If you are overweight and have osteoarthritis, this is what you can do:

• Follow the lower carbohydrate, higher protein eating plan in our book called Can’t Lose Weight? Unlock the Secrets that Keep you Fat. Basically you can lose weight if you avoid eating sugar and flour. Our book contains an eating plan and recipes to help you achieve a healthy weight.

• Avoid or minimise foods that promote inflammation; these include dairy products, wheat, excess alcohol, artificial colours and preservatives and any food to which you are allergic.

• Consume lots of antioxidants in the form of vegetables, fruit, herbs, spices, green tea, nuts and seeds. Making your own raw vegetable juices is an excellent way to get more antioxidants into your body.

• Fish oil is a brilliant and powerful natural anti-inflammatory agent; it can be taken in capsule or liquid form.

• Glucosamine helps to rebuild lost cartilage and offers pain relief. If you do have any form of arthritis you should find it very beneficial. MSM is a natural form of sulfur which is a building block for connective tissue in the body. It is very helpful for all kinds of joint pain.

Why does being overweight cause cartilage loss?

Probably because our joints were never designed to withstand the extra load placed on them by carrying around all those extra pounds. Another possible explanation is the inflammation that occurs in overweight people's bodies. Fat cells are capable of producing a host of inflammatory chemicals that cause free radical damage and wear and tear to the body. The more fat cells you have and the bigger they are, the more of these chemicals get produced.

Source: Radiological Society of North America

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BRAIN CHEMISTRY – it must be right!

When it comes to feeling mentally and emotionally switched on, we have to have the correct chemistry – in other words, is your brain chemistry right?

If your brain chemistry is wrong, you will never achieve the feeling of wellbeing that you crave.

Here are a few tips to balance your brains’ messenger chemicals (known as neurotransmitters)

1. Eat protein regularly as it gets broken down into amino acids which the brain needs to make neurotransmitters. Good sources of protein include beans, nuts, seeds, sprouts, cheese, plain yogurt, lean red meat, poultry and eggs.

2. Eat more eggs as they contain lots of protein and all the healthy fats the brain needs to be smart

3. Ensure you are not low in magnesium, as it stabilises the electrical activity of the nervous system

4. If you lack focus and satisfaction, you may be low in dopamine. Tyrosine supplements can boost dopamine levels. Dopamine deficiency can cause depression, mental fatigue and over eating – so obviously it’s vital to get enough tyrosine.

5. For mild to moderate depression, the herb St John’s Wort can help by raising the brain’s serotonin levels. St John’s Wort works more effectively if taken with B group vitamins

6. Eat plenty of healthy fats to keep your brain fat. A fat brain is a smart and happy brain! Foods such as oily fish, cold pressed flaxseed oil or capsules, lecithin, avocado, cheese, yogurt and lamb provide healthy fats for your brain.

7. Avoid eating too much sugar as high and/or unstable levels of sugar in the blood will play havoc with the brain’s chemistry. Eat fruit instead!

For more information see the book:

HELP FOR DEPRESSION AND ANXIETY – How to have a happy and healthy nervous system

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Are you fat on the inside?

Being overweight is bad for our health, we all know that. Being overweight increases the risk of type 2 diabetes, heart attacks, strokes, cancer and arthritis. You may not be aware that the location you store excess body fat is the main determining factor in whether you will develop one of these conditions.

Excess fat stored on your thighs, buttocks and triceps may not be pleasing to your eyes, but it does not impact your health a great deal. Fat stored on your abdomen, waist, chest and neck poses more of a problem because we have important organs and blood vessels in those parts of the body, and fat can infiltrate them.

There are two main types of fat that can accumulate on your body:

• Subcutaneous adipose tissue (SCAT) and

• Visceral adipose tissue (VAT)

Subcutaneous adipose tissue is the kind of fat that is stored just under your skin and it is more prevalent on the legs, buttocks and arms. People with an excess amount of this type of fat can be fat but fit. They can be overweight yet still very healthy, and not at risk of chronic diseases. A classic example of this is sumo wrestlers. They are clearly very obese, yet they are also very strong and flexible, due to their intense exercise regime, therefore they do not develop health problems. The story changes after they retire from their training schedule; at that stage they do go on to develop insulin resistance, type 2 diabetes and heart disease.

Visceral adipose tissue is strongly associated with several diseases and a shortened life span. If you carry excess weight on your abdomen, chest, back and neck, the fat there doesn’t just sit on the outside of your body. It actually gets inside and around your internal organs. People with a high level of visceral adipose tissue can develop a fatty liver, fatty pancreas and spleen; their heart can be surrounded by fat and their arteries can be clogged with fat. Fat can also grow into the throat and obstruct breathing during sleep, causing snoring and sleep apnea.

The interesting thing is not everyone with a lot of visceral fat appears overweight. These are the types of people who have a poor diet but never gain much weight. John is a patient of mine who fits into this category. John loves food and he loves sweets. As soon as he finishes a meal or snack, he eagerly anticipates the next one. John has never been overweight; in fact he is tall and slim and that has enabled him to get away with a lifetime of bad eating habits. He loves chocolate, whole blocks of chocolate eaten in one go. He also loves biscuits, and the only way he eats them is a packet at a time.

Unfortunately John had a major heart attack last year and discovered that most of the arteries running to his heart and brain are blocked between 50 and 90 percent. He is 63 years old and has realised that it’s time to change his diet. He is very lucky he was given a second chance.

The best way to burn body fat

The best way to lose weight from any part of your body, whether it’s your thighs or your liver is to follow a low carbohydrate eating plan. Sugar, flour, bread, pasta, rice, potatoes and breakfast cereals all get converted into fat inside your liver if you eat too much of them.

Our books Can’t lose weight? Unlock the secrets that keep you fat and Diabetes type 2: You can reverse it naturally both contain lower carbohydrate, higher protein eating plans to help you lose weight, reverse a fatty liver and bring your blood sugar down if it is elevated.

Regular exercise that makes you huff, puff and sweat is excellent for burning fat within organs and blood vessels too. A liver tonic containing the herb St Mary’s thistle, vitamins, minerals and amino acids can help to reverse a fatty liver if combined with a low carbohydrate eating plan. The herbs Gymnema and bitter melon, as well as the mineral chromium help to lower insulin resistance, which causes the accumulation of visceral adipose tissue.
Fish oil helps to clear blocked arteries and lower triglycerides.

Do all these things consistently and you’ll not only look good on the outside; you’ll be healthy on the inside too.

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Fatty liver worsened by leaky gut and bacterial overgrowth

Research published in the June issue of the journal Hepatology has found patients with an advanced form of fatty liver are more likely to have increased intestinal permeability and bacterial overgrowth in their small intestine. The severity of these intestinal conditions correlates with the severity of fatty liver.

Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is one of the most common liver diseases in the world. It affects one in five to one in three people in western nations. It occurs when excessive fat accumulates within the liver, and can lead to inflammation, scarring and even eventual cirrhosis of the liver.

Poor diet is the main cause of fatty liver disease; it occurs in people who are overweight (particularly on their abdomen), diabetics and people who eat a lot of sugar.

Risk factors for developing fatty liver disease include:

* Obesity
* High carbohydrate diet (sugar, breakfast cereals and foods made of flour)
* Diabetes and Syndrome X (insulin resistance)
* High alcohol intake
* Side effect of some medication
* Autoimmune liver disease

In the early stages of fatty liver, excess fat accumulation is the only change that occurs. However, if left to progress, the liver may develop a type of hepatitis, which causes inflammation inside the liver. This inflammation greatly increases the risk of permanent liver damage. Research has shown that people with “leaky gut syndrome” and high levels of harmful bacteria in their small intestine are far more prone to developing a dangerous form of fatty liver disease.

Leaky gut syndrome occurs when the mucous lining of the intestines becomes irritated and inflamed, making it more porous than it should be. This allows undigested food molecules, bacteria (and their toxins), fungi and other toxins to gain entry into your bloodstream. All blood from the intestines travels to the liver first. If the bowel is toxic, this means a great deal of toxic waste is delivered to the liver each day.

Researchers believe that it is the toxins secreted by gram-negative bacteria in the small intestine (called lipopolysaccharides) that cause most harm to the liver. These toxins stimulate immune cells within the liver, which causes wear and tear, inflammation and tissue damage in the liver.

More about leaky gut syndrome

So how do you know if you have leaky gut syndrome or an overgrowth of bad bacteria? The following symptoms are good indicators:

* Food allergies
* Eczema
* Abdominal bloating after eating
* Indigestion, heartburn or reflux
* Constipation or diarrhea
* Flatulence or burping

These symptoms are extremely common, however they should not be ignored. The health of your gut has an enormous impact on your whole body. The concept that increased intestinal permeability and bad bugs in the gut can contribute to disease was first proposed in 1890 by Llewellyn Jones, who published “Theory of auto-intoxication from gut bacteria”. That statement is very true; we do poison ourselves if we have the wrong gut bacteria inside us.

Intestinal Parasite Cleanse capsules contain powerful herbs that are effective at destroying harmful gut bacteria. This product should be followed by a good probiotic (beneficial bacteria) and a liver tonic like Livatone Plus.

Our book called The Ultimate Detox contains strategies to repair leaky gut syndrome, as well as improve liver health. If you have a fatty liver please be aware that it is reversible in the early stages. Follow our guidelines for liver health on our website, but also be aware of improving your intestinal health.

Reference

Luca Miele, Venanzio Valenza, et al. Increased intestinal permeability and tight junction alterations in non-alcoholic fatty liver disease. Hepatology 2009;49:1877-1887

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