Manage and reverse Hashimoto’s Thyroiditis

A very simple guide to understanding hypothyroid disorders for its management and possible reversal

The one gland that takes care of our body’s overall working is the thyroid gland, which secretes the thyroid hormones. They are responsible for ensuring the heart rate is steady, the body temperature is normal and all the other metabolic activities are functioning like a well-oiled machine. Thanks to the thyroid gland, the body consumes energy, stays warm and keeps the brain, heart, muscles, and other organs working on point.

Any changes in this butterfly-shaped gland will throw the body off guard.

So, can a change in this gland disrupt your life? Yes! It really can.

Imagine suddenly putting on double digit kilograms every week. Imagine not being able to get out of bed or feel perpetually lethargic. Imagine your entire body feeling swollen and not knowing where to begin. Imagine going on countless diets and never getting better.

A drop in the body’s hormone production will lead to this nightmare. These are called hypothyroid diseases which can further be categorized into Subclinical/Cellular hypothyroidism or Clinical hypothyroidism.

Subclinical hypothyroidism is usually an early and mild form of hypothyroidism wherein our body doesn’t produce enough thyroid hormones; what is commonly seen is that the TSH values remain slightly above the normal levels and both T3 and T4 values remain normal.

Clinical hypothyroidism could be either a functional hypothyroid or an auto-immune hypothyroid. Majority of the thyroid disorders we see today fall into auto-immune thyroid disorders which could be Hashimoto’s Thyroiditis (hypothyroid) or Grave’s disease (hyperthyroid).

Hashimoto’s thyroiditis, named after the Japanese surgeon Hakaru Hashimoto who discovered it, is also known as chronic lymphocytic thyroiditis, is an autoimmune disorder in which our immune system works against our own body tissues. Over a period of time, there is a gradual decline on the ability of thyroid gland to produce the thyroid hormones.

While hypothyroidism is a disease of the thyroid gland, Hashimoto’s is a disease of the immune system and it needs to be approached differently.

Like any auto-immune disease, the cause for Hashimoto’s is not known. Hashimoto’s thyroiditis is usually hereditary. It affects more women than men, often runs in families and could be caused due to intake of certain drugs or a high iodine-diet, and triggered by certain types of radiation exposure. Sadly, suffering from this, a person also becomes very susceptible to putting on oodles of weight.

Let’s go back to talking about Hypothyroidism… how can you tell that you or someone you know is suffering from this.

HOW TO TELL IF ONE IS SUFFERING FROM HYPOTHYROIDISM

While in the early stages, one may not see any specific symptoms, in the later stages of the disease, a blood test may reveal the presence of Anti-Thyroglobulin (ATG) or anti-TPO (thyroid peroxidase) antibodies.

Soon you will notice that the chronic inflammation in the body can lead to the development goiter characterized by enlarged thyroid and this is when you may also notice the onset of hypothyroid related symptoms including

• Weight gain,
• Lethargy,
• Fatigue,
• Constipation,
• Dryness In Skin,
• Intolerance To Cold,
• Body Aches,
• Puffiness on the Face,
• Hair Loss,
• Slow Heart Rate,
• Depression,
• Excessive Sleep requirement,
• Irregular Periods Etc.

The good news is that once you know this, you can do something about it.

The remedies below work effectively in both managing and even reversing thyroid disorders!

Yoga practices

There is a reason the world is taking note of Yoga. We have several asanas that specially retore thyroid health. These include Asanas like, Sarvangasan, Vipareethkarani, Ushtrasana, Matsyasana,

Pranayama and breathwork: Ujjayi pranayama, Bhastrika pranayama, Brahmari pranayama

Diet

Another truth of the matter is that diet plays a major role in preventing hormonal imbalances in all of us. Thus, a wholesome plant-based diet, rich in macronutrients and probiotics is highly recommended for preventing the thyroid inflammation in the body.

Cruciferous vegetables (vegetables that belong to cabbage family) such as broccoli, kale, cauliflower, cabbage, Brussels sprouts and Soy products that contain goitrogenic chemicals may block the ability of thyroid gland to utilise the iodine. This could inhibit the normal thyroid function in the body.

We recommend that along with the right diet, you make sure you are consuming products in their pure form, as far as possible.

And, when a diet is lacking, one must supplement it.  Herbal remedies in the form of age old Ashwagandha, zinc sources , good fats and natural supplements all also enhance thyroid health.

One of the most crucial factors to look at while treating Thyroid disorders – both functional and auto-immune – is that in most cases this disease occurs due to a problem in conversion of thyroid hormones to its active form. In layman’s term, ensuring the hormones can actually perform its duty.

Picture this: Your thyroid gland produces T4 and T3 hormones. Both need to be converted into an active form called Free T3 for the thyroid gland to perform its function optimally. This conversion to Free T3 is usually hampered by the antibodies in our bio-system that land up working against this conversion.

You now need to start consuming supplementation that aid this conversion. This is done through an altered diet and within supplements, your best bets are Zinc, Selenium, Vitamin D3, Omega 3 and Ashwagandha!

What you also need ASAP is the right guidance to ensure that the right supplementation benefits the correct conversion of the active hormone, and reduces the auto-immune markers. This along with a prescribed diet will put you well on the road to recovery.

And on this note, we would especially recommend the Atmantan NATURALS’ Thyro Care nutraceutical that is designed to provide the trampoline combination of Aswagandha, Zinc and Selenium for all thyroid concerns; This when paired with NATURALS’ Omega 3 works as a wholesome supplementation for the treatment and reversal of Hashimoto’s too!