Diet and the Thyroid-Fertility Connection

FIRST SOME NEWS
If you missed our TCM/TV webinar on Eating for Fertility, you can still watch it here (it will open in a new window and start to play): http://prodseminars.na4.acrobat.com/p60758263/

Finally, we'll be going on vacation to Costa Rica soon. Can't wait! We definitely could use a nice, relaxing break. Look to catching up with you when we get back (although I'll still be posting here).

THE THYROID FERTILITY CONNECTION AND NATURAL SOLUTIONS
We are honored today to have our advisory board member, Karen Reynolds, L.Ac., M.S., R.N., of Balanced Restored Center, write a guest blog for us on the topic of thyroid function, how it impacts fertility, and the dietary solutions that can make the difference. This is part 3 of a 3-part series.

Part 1: Hashimoto's Disease
Part 2: Hypothyroidism

Part 3: Dietary changes and supplements to support women's thyroids (posted here!)

PART 3: Here is Karen's blog post.
 
In Parts I & II, I discussed the typical signs and symptoms of Hashimoto’s disease, hypothyroidism, the biophysiology of these instances, and some helpful lab tests used to evaluate your thyroid function.

This section will give you some practical nutritional and supplemental tips to support your thyroid function and in turn your fertility.

As I’ve noted in Parts I and II, one of the biggest, life long practices, which benefits your fertility health, your immune system and your thyroid health, is to cut gluten out of your diet. The amazing and wonderful thing about our modern world is there are so many quality, gluten-free alternatives easily available. One of my patients recently traveled to Nigeria and she even found gluten-free bakeries and alternatives there! Next time you are in a restaurant, ask if they have a gluten-free menu. You may be surprised to find that more and more establishments are providing gluten-free options. One local pizzeria in my town even has a gluten-free pie and gluten-free beer.

I love Tinkyada brown rice pastas. These products are readily available online and in most health food stores. The consistency and flavor is practically seamless compared with traditional wheat based pasta.

Next I want to discuss some basic and inexpensive supplements that benefit everyone not just women seeking to fall pregnant. However, if pregnancy is your goal, this is important.

A majority of today’s population is Vitamin D deficient. We tend to think of Vitamin D as necessary in the body for strong bones. This is true. However Vitamin D is vital for immune health, reducing inflammation, and helping to regulate how certain genes are activated or inactivated in the body. How does this affect you and your fertility?

As I discussed in Part I, Hashimoto’s disease of thyroid is an autoimmune disease. Autoimmune issues of all types are greatly influenced by challenges to the immune system and levels of inflammation in the body. Having adequate Vitamin D in your body will temper autoimmune flares, support your immune system and help to lower inflammation. In essence it will allow your system to go about the business of baby making as opposed to putting out fires. Acupuncture, which is my specialty, is also known to reduce inflammation and improve immune status. Combining acupuncture with diet and life style changes greatly enhances your fertility.

In my acupuncture fertility practice, I routinely check and monitor Vitamin D levels. This is easy, inexpensive and vital for your health. The Vitamin D council recommends maintaining a serum Vitamin D level of 50-80ng/L and supplementing each day with 4,000-5,000 IU/day of cholecalciferol. Avoid ergocalciferol as studies show that it is not effective in raising Vitamin D levels. For more information, see www.vitamindcouncil.org.

Listed below are some foods naturally highest in Vitamin D. You can incorporate these selections into your daily diet to improve your Vitamin D intake.

• Mushrooms, potatoes, spinach
• Vitamin D fortified orange juice
• Soymilk
• Herring catfish, mollusks oysters, salmon, halibut
• Col liver oil, sardine oil.

My recommendations for my patients diagnosed with Hashimoto’s disease include daily:

• Vitamin D supplementation
• Fish oils
• Glutathione (topical cream)
• Superoxide dismutase (topical cream)
• Gluten-free diet

Note: You can also get vitamin D from sunshine. Twenty minutes in bright sunshine (without sunscreen) yields about 10,000 IU. However, if you are at high risk for skin cancer or have fair skin, this is not a good option. Check with your dermatologist for concerns about the sun’s harmful effects on the skin. I have found that most people don’t get enough sun exposure and require supplementation.

I have greatly enjoyed sharing this information and I look forward to providing you with future posts. In my acupuncture clinic, I specialize in the treatment of fertility of both men and women, women’s health, and functional endocrinology. More of my fertility patients have thyroid issues than those who do not; so this is a treatment passion of mine. Drawing from my 20 years of experience as an ICU RN, I make extensive use of lab testing. I also utilize acupuncture, antioxidants, dietary changes and nutritional supplementation to optimize health, wellness and vitality for the amazing women and men who I have the great honor to treat.

If you have questions, please feel free to contact me at: kreynolds@balancerestored.com

Balance Restored Center for Integrative Medicine

600 Miller Avenue

Mill Valley, CA 94941

Ring: 415.381.8500 Ext. 4

See my blog for additional information.

photo by: http://singularityhub.com/2009/06/29/vitamin-d-and-fish-oil-time-to-put-up-or-shut-up/

Diet and the Thyroid - Fertility Connection, Hypothyroidism

For today's blog, we are honored to have our advisory board member, Karen Reynolds, L.Ac., M.S., R.N., of Balanced Restored Center, write a guest blog for us on the topic of thyroid function, how it impacts fertility, and the healthy, dietary solutions that can make the difference. This is part 2 of a 3-part series. Part 3 will be posted next month:

Part 1: Hashimoto's Disease
Part 2: Hypothyroidism (posted here)
Part 3: Dietary changes and supplements to support women's thyroids

HYPOTHYROIDISM AND FERTILITY
Thyroid hormones literally impact every cell of your body. It is no surprise that then your thyroid gland is stymied, getting pregnant can be more difficult. Unfortunately, thyroid dysfunction is a poorly understood health issue which directly impacts both male and female fertility. This article will give you some basics on the biology of hypothyroidism--the condition in which your thyroid gland doesn't produce enough of certain important hormones--and why it impacts your ability to fall pregnant.

Many women have an understanding that sluggish thyroid function can manifest as extreme fatigue, feeling cold all of the time, and loss of scalp or eyebrow hair. However here are some additional significant signs and symptoms, which are less commonly discussed but are vital to your reproductive health.

Do you have any of these?

• Heartburn
• Bloating
• Gas
• Fatigue combined with cravings for starchy goods
• Mood swings
• Chronic constipation
• Slow digestion
• Diminished libido
• Difficulty losing weight
• Cholesterol elevations

Male specific signs and symptoms:

• Impotence
• Sperm production issues of unknown origin

Female specific signs and symptoms:

• Headaches, migraines, and/or depression occurring at mid-cycle
• Heavy or irregular menstrual bleeding
• Hot flashes/night sweats even though your FSH and Estradiol are within normal limits
• Uterine fibroids
• Uterine cysts

Heartburn, bloating, and gas: why do you have these and why does it make a difference in your fertility? The hormone gastrin is necessary to make Hydrochloric acid (HCl) in your stomach. You need HCl in order to kill parasites, prevent food poisoning and prime your lower gastrointestinal tract to complete the digestion of foods. Sometimes women think of stomach acid as a bad thing; but in reality an acidic environment is needed in the stomach for healthy digestion.

If you have hypothyroidism, the amount of gastrin your stomach makes is decreased. This leads to less efficient digestion and can show up as bloating, heartburn and gas.

Without adequate HCl the lower organs of digestion, such as the pancreas and gall bladder, are not adequately signaled to do their jobs. Evacuation of your bowels can slow down and this can lead to overgrowth of yeast and bacteria in your intestinal tract. All of these wrenches in the gears of digestion drastically impair the amount of nutrients absorbed by your body. Mal-absorption can lead to inflammation and infection. Low-grade intestinal infections are typically and easily overlooked. If this sequence of digestive patterns occurs, your body will focus its energies upon survival as opposed to baby making.

At the risk of sounding like biophysiology class topic, let’s talk about how your thyroid and liver function impacts your fertility. The liver is the largest organ of your thorax and is the powerhouse of processing and eliminating hormones, medications, environmental chemicals and food matter.  You may be familiar with some laboratory levels drawn for assessing your thyroid. These can include, but are not limited to, the following: Triiodothyronine (T3) and Thyroxine (T4).

Your thyroid makes both T3 and T4. Roughly 93% of the hormones produced by your thyroid are T4. Roughly 7% of the hormones produced by your thyroid are T3.
The clincher is that your optimal cell functioning requires the T3 form. The conversion of T4 into T3 happens primarily in your liver and some conversion occurs in your intestinal tract too.

It makes great sense that if you liver is overwhelmed with other jobs of detoxification, or if your liver is not receiving enough T4 from your thyroid, or if there is an infectious process in your gut, your cells may not be getting the basic levels of thyroid hormones they need for optimal functioning. Remember your body’s rule of thumb is that it is most fertile when all other nutrient and energy producing processes are humming along in perfect order. It’s all connected.

So now that we’ve talked about mechanisms of action in your body, let’s talk about mechanisms of action for you to take to improve your fertility.

Get evaluated.
It is necessary to get a full metabolic blood chemistry panel work up and have it analyzed by a qualified MD, Endocrinologist or an Acupuncturist specializing in endocrine issues. I do such assessments daily in my clinical practice in Mill Valley, CA. Benefits an Acupuncturist can bring to you are multifaceted. For example, I can order lab work at significant discounts compared to unspecialized labs, community hospitals, large corporation labs, or HMO’s. Additionally, acupuncture has the ability to reduce stress hormones, detoxify, improve circulation and reduce inflammation.

Maintain stable blood sugar levels by eating breakfast, eliminating inflammatory foods, and eating every 2-3 hours. This is not just a message for diabetics. Erratic blood sugars cause a cascade of biophysiological events, which ultimately impact your fertility.

Eat breakfast. Your brain needs nutrition even if you do not feel hungry in the morning. If it’s difficult for you to eat in the mornings, begin by taking only several bites at time. It doesn’t matter if you nibble for an hour to get a breakfast portion consumed. An optimal breakfast has a high quality protein, a low-glycemic grain and a small amount of fat. Two fried eggs over quinoa with several slices of avocado is an ideal combination to stabilize blood sugar for hours. Cold, gluten-containing cereal is not your friend in fertility. Cold beverages, juices, and dairy are all items which dampen and challenge digestion.

Eliminate inflammatory food items from your diet-the main one being gluten. Even if you are not gluten sensitive, gluten is a highly inflammatory substance. It is like throwing gasoline on a fire. If you have inflammation in your system, there is already a fire burning. Help quench it by choosing gluten free selections such as rice, quinoa and potatoes.

Eat every 2-3 hours and make sure you have some protein with your snack. Always eat carbohydrates with some protein otherwise you’ll experience a spike in your blood sugar followed by a crash. If you after eating a portion of carbohydrates, you feel drowsy, fatigued, or you crave sweets immediately, you have gone over your personal carbohydrate tolerance. That is a crash. Experiment with smaller portions of carbohydrate and larger portions of protein.

Remember you have a glorious, wise human body and you have the power to educate yourself about your fertility and life choices!

Stay tuned for Part III of the Thyroid Fertility Connection!
Thank you, be well, and Namaste.

If you have questions, please feel free to contact me at:
kreynolds@balancerestored.com
Balance Restored Center for Integrative Medicine
600 Miller Avenue
Mill Valley, CA 94941
Ring: 415.381.8500 Ext. 4
See my blog for additional information: http://karen-reynolds.com

Diet and the Thyroid - Fertility Connection, Hashimoto's Disease

For today's blog, we are honored to have our advisory board member, Karen Reynolds, L.Ac., M.S., R.N., of Balanced Restored Center, write a guest blog for us on the topic of thyroid function, how it impacts fertility, and the healthy, dietary solutions that can make the difference. Thyroid problems are on the rise, impacting fertility, so it's important to pay attention to the health of our thyroid.

This is part 1, of a 3-part series, which will appear monthly:

Part 1: Hashimoto's Disease
Part 2: Hypothyroidism
Part 3: Dietary changes and supplements to support women's thyroids

HASHIMOTO'S DISEASE AND FERTILITY
Elizabeth is a hardy, healthy small business owner known for her creativity, drive and sense of humor. In the last 2 years she has fallen pregnant easily; but has had 3 miscarriages, each early within the first trimester. Her medical doctor had attributed her pregnancy losses to advance maternal age. Following the last miscarriage, she began noticing that her energy level seemed inordinately high, even after 12 hours of hard work. She also began spontaneously losing weight. This pleased her; but it was peculiar that neither her diet nor activity level had changed.

Next she started experiencing heart palpitations and feeling as though her insides were quaking. Friends and family dismissed it as anxiety, overwork and stress, though Elizabeth is not an anxiety prone woman. These symptoms culminated in awakening one morning with double and blurred vision and a headache so severe that she could not drive or function.

It turns out that Elizabeth has Hashimoto’s disease-an autoimmune disease of the thyroid. Autoimmune means that the body attacks itself or identifies its own tissue as foreign.  It is important to realize that with Hashimoto’s disease, women can have fluctuating bouts of BOTH Hyperthyroid (fast/overdrive) and Hypothyroid (slow/sluggish) symptoms. For some women, the symptoms change rapidly from week to week.

Hashimoto’s disease is complex with regard to how it disrupts fertility and can contribute to recurrent miscarriage. During hypothyroid bouts, the disease impacts progesterone production. During hyperthyroid bouts, the disease imparts extreme inflammatory stress and temperature dysregulation. The matter is further complicated by the fact that some women have the commonly checked TSH blood level (Thyroid Stimulating Hormone) registering within “normal” ranges; yet they do have Hashimoto’s disease.

For your review below are listed typical Hyperthyroid and Hypothyroid symptoms.

Hyperthyroid Symptoms:
Heart palpitations, heart racing
Agitation
Anxiety
Nervousness
Feeling like your interior of your body is trembling
Insomnia
Loss of weight without diet or activity change

Hypothyroid Symptoms:
Marked fatigue, despite getting enough sleep
Unable to lose weight, even with a strict nutritional intake
Gaining weight, even with a strict nutritional intake
Poor concentration
Memory loss
Hair loss/thinning: on scalp, body, and genitals
Loss of outer edge of eyebrows
Extremely dry skin
Dandruff
Constipation despite fiber, fluids, and over the counter medications

By the time Elizabeth saw me for acupuncture, she was physically and emotionally drained.
I was stunned to find that nowhere along her course of evaluation were blood levels for antibodies drawn. This is a must. Labs called Thyroid Stimulating Hormone Antibodies (abbreviated TSH Ab), had been drawn to rule out Graves Disease. These were indeed negative for Elizabeth; but she still had Hashimoto’s.

There are two basic and inexpensive antibodies blood tests, which should always be run when there is a question of thyroid disease or Hashimoto’s. In my practice, I routinely order these markers. My patients pay $29 for each test plus a $7 lab draw fee.

Thyroid Peroxidase Antibodies   abbreviated TPO Ab.
Thyroglobulin Antibodies   abbreviated TGB.

Elizabeth had extremely elevated numbers of both Thyroid Peroxidase Antibodies and Thyroglobulin Antibodies.

Conventional medicine does not typically recognize these steps, which autoimmune patients can actively take to attempt to quench the inflammation that occurs within their bodies due to autoimmune thyroid issues. This may be one reason why antibody draws are often not completed. The conventional medicine tack that is frequently taken is that the thyroid will eventually be burned out, so to speak, by the body’s repeated autoimmune attacks. Then the woman will simply be on thyroid hormone supplementation for the rest of her life. 

What about the woman’s body, mind and spirit weathering the extremes of these overdrive states? What about the physiological impacts to a woman’s overall health during these flares? Any woman who has ever experienced this phenomena will tell you she wants options.

HEALTHY SOLUTIONS
In addition to seeking medical care and acupuncture, here are some things you can do to take care of your own thyroid if you have or suspect you have Hashimoto’s disease.

By following these self-care measures, you can assist your body in more optimal hormone regulation and reduction of inflammation, so as to improve your chances to fall pregnant.

First of all: see your MD and acupuncturist. Have the appropriate labs assessed and interpreted to determine the function of your thyroid.

CUT OUT GLUTEN FROM YOUR DIET - FOREVER
This is a strong statement, I realize. There are voluminous amounts of evidence that gluten is akin to gasoline on the fire of autoimmune issues.  Sometimes my patients will say to me “Can’t I just have a slice of birthday cake once a year?” Please note: one exposure to gluten revs up your immune system for up to 8 months. One slice of birthday cake could have long standing impacts to your thyroid, causing a flare.

An autoimmune thyroid flare can in turn cause your body to attack your thyroid.

You have power within your habits to attempt to preserve your thyroid’s function. Avoiding gluten is one power you can exercise.

I will have more information on gluten and how it affects the thyroid in Part III of this series. Complex carbohydrates that are OK to include in your diet are potatoes, rice, quinoa, and wheat-free oats.

AVOID IODINE SUPPLEMENTATION AND IODATED SALT
This may seem counter intuitive. From a biophysiology standpoint, iodine stimulates increased production of Thyroid Peroxidase (TPO). For a woman who has antibodies (Thyroid Peroxidase Antibodies  TPO Ab) to her own TPO, this surge of TPO can cause flares. Sea salt is fine. Cook your own food as much as you can.

The other iodine warning is to avoid, if possible, scans requiring use of intravenous iodine based dye. Patients generally must sign consent for the iodine contrast dye to be used. Chemically flooding your system with an iodated dye can do exactly the same thing as iodated salt. However a contrast dye injection is in far greater quantities and infused directly into your blood stream. With any testing procedure, you all must weigh the pros and cons. Actively consider these with your MD, should it be necessary for you.

INCREASE ANTIOXIDANTS BOTH IN YOUR DIET AND WITH SUPPLEMENTATION
We often hear about antioxidants associated with warding off cancer or used in anti-aging protocols. If you have Hashiomotos disease or suspect it, your body will use antioxidants to quench that flaming fire of inflammation caused by the autoimmune response. The great thing is that antioxidants are abundant in green leafy vegetables, they are widely available as supplements, and there is plentiful information about them on-line. Cindy Bailey and Pierre Giauque’s fabulous book The Fertile Kitchen(r) Cookbook models a diet naturally high in antioxidant rich foods to nourish your body. Additional information on antioxidants will be provided in Part III of this series.

In my acupuncture clinic, I specialize in the treatment of fertility of both men and women, women’s health, and functional endocrinology. More of my fertility patients have thyroid issues than those who do not; so this is a treatment passion of mine. Drawing from my 20 years of experience as an ICU RN, I make extensive use of lab testing. I also utilize acupuncture, antioxidants, dietary changes and nutritional supplementation to optimize health, wellness and vitality for the amazing women and men who I have the great honor to treat.

Stay tuned for Parts II and III of the Thyroid Fertility Connection! Be well and Namaste.

If you have questions, please feel free to contact me at: kreynolds@balancerestored.com
Balance Restored Center for Integrative Medicine
600 Miller Avenue
Mill Valley, CA 94941
Ring: 415.381.8500 Ext. 4
See my blog for additional information: http://karen-reynolds.com