Seaweed, thyroid, hypothyroidism, hyperthyroidism Cont'd

[herbsandhelpers]

SEAWEEDS AND SOY

A recent paper by Jane Teas and colleagues (5) ambitiously attempts to elucidate what if any, effects dietary seaweed (dried, powdered, encapsulated Alaria, American Wakame), and a soya protein isolate, singly and together, have on thyroid function. I applaud their use of a simple seaweed, rather than a processed seaweed extract. I am suspicious of the soya extract, but agree that use of an industrial product as opposed to real, unrefined food is appropriate, since American women consume thousands of tons of soya protein isolate yearly.

The results demonstrated markedly increased seaweed-sourced iodine uptake and small measurable changes in thyroid function with the seaweed powder. Soya isolate did not seem to alter thyroid function. The seaweed with soya produced the same increased iodine uptake and up-regulated thyroid function.

My complaints about the study are: too small a sample (25), possibly due to severely exclusionary criteria for study eligibility; the very short study time (7 weeks); the limited (1 week) ingestion of soya protein isolate; the use of soya protein isolate rather than real food; and the high probability that ingested American Wakame, Alaria, does not induce the same human physiological responses as Japanese Wakame, Undaria.

The minimal results produced a long narrative in which the two lead authors ranted and repeated their long-standing iodophobia (fear of dietary iodine). The authors did concede their work to be “… supportive of the idea that seaweed, possibly via iodine, could be involved in breast cancer prevention”. Their comparative discussion of thyroid disease and breast cancer between American and Asian women is very conservative, intriguing, and well referenced. I do not believe that Asian women traditionally ate either encapsulated Alaria seaweed powder or soya protein isolate. This distinct factor probably invalidates rigorous ethnic comparisons of diets and subjects’ responses.

The small database in this study seems to provide minimal therapeutic direction.

The authors do not cite a previous study by Yamori et al on Okinawan Japanese immigrant descendents in Brazil, using powdered Wakame and Soya isoflavone powder, published in 2001.

TERTIARY SEAWEED THERAPY

Meat cattle fed fungal-infected fescue hay typically display a lethargy, which impedes growth and weight gain. The disease is called “Fescue Toxicosis”. Grass fertilized with Rockweed seaweed, Ascophyllum nodosum, suction-harvested by the ton for Acadian Sea Plants, Dartmouth, Nova Scotia, did not stimulate fungal-infected fescue lethargy. (11). The seaweed provided ample copper and other trace nutrients via the Tall Fescue grass fed to the animals. The authors conclude that the animals’ basic health and immunity were greatly enhanced.

This work, over several years and hundreds of animals, demonstrates the probable positive effects on humans from eating produce from seaweed-fertilized plants.

Superior health was observed in Irish populations who had access to abundant seaweeds for fertilizer for their crops. (See ref. 12 for a graphic account of Irish kelping.)

SEAWEED ARSENIC SCARE

In April 2007, Amster et al published a diatribe against herbal supplements and kelp tablets in particular (8), Case Report: Potential Arsenic Toxicosis Secondary to Herbal Kelp Supplement. I think calling kelp tablets an “herbal supplement” in the paper’s title seems deliberately hostile and knowingly erroneous. Few of us would label kelp tablets an herbal supplement; kelp is not an herb. Unfortunately, the authors in their haste to publication and sloppy peer-review spelled Laminaria incorrectly (their spelling: Liminaria).

The article was remarkably similar to the guilt-by-association attacks on comfrey nearly 20 years ago. In this case, it is the assumption that kelp-sourced arsenic produced the patient’s overt symptoms. That the article was generated by the Veterinary School at UC Davis is telling.

The article reports on one patient who allegedly took 3x the recommended daily dosage of kelp tablets for a year and presented subsequently with elevated arsenic levels and alleged symptoms of chronic arsenic poisoning. After stopping the kelp tablets, her symptoms and arsenic levels improved to near normal levels.

The authors claim that this case demonstrates the toxic heavy metal contamination problems of unregulated herbs and other health supplements.

No.

Their database is inadequate to make any certain conclusion.

Seaweeds are not “contaminated” with arsenic. All seaweeds contain arsenic; they deliberately accumulate arsenic up to 10,000 times the concentrations of arsenic in the seawater in which they are growing. Seaweeds contain an average of 30 parts per million arsenic, dry weight (9).

Japanese scientists are quick to point out that “if seaweed-sourced arsenic were a real problem, most Japanese would present with either chronic or acute arsenic poisoning very early in life” and would display foreshortened life spans (4,10). Instead, Japanese enjoy the longest human health spans, longest human life spans, and eat the most seaweeds per capita.

Arsenic comes in all seafood.

Arsenic is deliberately added to the diets of most commercially grown so-called “broiler chickens”. The arsenic acts as a growth accelerant and remains in the tissues. It is cheap and effective. Chickens normally require 5-8 months to reach maturity and adult size. Factory meat chickens reach market size in 6-7 weeks. They are bloated sham chickens.

Arsenic pesticides are still used abundantly. Millions of outdoor decks and wooden playground structures are impregnated with Paris Green, Copper Arsenate to retard decay. Paris Green is a better wood preservative alternative than Penta-Chloro-Phenol, a known vicious endocrine disruptor. Arsenic is readily absorbed through the human epidermis upon contact.

Rice grown in Arkansas and Louisiana has 30 ppm arsenic; California rice has 15ppm.

To ban arsenic is to ban food.

EXTERNAL SEAWEED TREATMENTS

Ireland , the Mediterranean, the Pacific Northwest, and other coastal areas have long histories of using seaweed baths for relief from muscle and joint pains, eczema, ectoparasites,, and prostatic swelling.

THE INVADER GETS SOAKED

Traditionally, long weekends to many weeks’ holidays were taken by English Victorians to the impoverished West Coast of Ireland. There they steamed and soaked luxuriously in very hot baths filled with seawater and at least 10 gallons of fresh Fucus serrattus, a particularly mucoidal brown seaweed. This treatment performed very thorough exfoliation of old dead skin squamous debris, stimulated peripheral circulation, and imparted comfort to many aches and pains. Swollen prostate glands seemed to shrink.

The most exciting part was the amazing increase in skin sensitivity and touchability. Seaweed bathing became a must for newlyweds and those seeking romantic revivals in fading libido relationships. Nearly 100 years ago, scores of seaweed bath houses existed. Only a handful survive from those times. Dozens of new seaweed baths have been built in the past decade in response to both renewed interest in the healthy effects of seaweed bathing, and the entry of the Irish Republic into the European Union and a great influx of European immigrants and tourists.

SEAWEED THYROID TREATMENTS

The complexity of many presenting thyroid dysfunction cases precludes a simple set of all-purpose formulas. Each one of my thyroid patients has a personally unique thyroid presentation. I try to compose an individualized functional treatment plan for each, using a few basic methods. Diet and behaviour modification also are very important in thyroid case management. What follows are some of my treatment approaches and some general guidelines and notes:

1. Rather uncomplicated seaweed therapy seems to help relieve many of the presenting symptoms of thyroid dysfunction. Some of the results are very likely from whole body remineralization (especially potassium, zinc, calcium, magnesium, manganese, chromium, selenium, vanadium etc.) in addition to thyroid gland aid from both sustained regular reliable dietary sources of biomolecular iodine and from thyroxin-like molecules present in marine algae, both the large edible seaweeds and their almost ubiquitous epiphytic microalgae, predominantly the silica-walled diatoms. Seaweeds provide ample supplies of most of the essential trace elements required for adequate enzyme functioning throughout the body but especially in the liver and endocrine glands.

2. Regular biomolecular seaweed iodine consumption is more than just thyroid food: it can also protect the thyroid gland from potential resident iodine-131-induced molecular disruption and cell death when the thyroid gland is fully iodized with iodine-127. The fear of eating seaweed which might be contaminated with iodine-131 is easily mitigated by allowing the seaweed to be stored for 50 days prior to dietary consumption; this will give enough time for most (99%) of any Iodine-131 to radioactively decay. A simple folk test for iodine deficiency or at least aggressive iodine uptake, is to paint a 2 inch diameter round patch of USP Tincture of Iodine (strong or mild) on a soft skin area such as the inner upper arm, the inside of the elbow, the inner thigh, or the lateral abdomen between the lowest rib and the top of the hip. If you are iodine deficient, the patch will disappear in less than two hours, sometimes as quickly as 20 minutes; if it fades in 2-4 hours, you may just be momentarily iodine needy. If it persists for more than 4 hours, your are probably iodine sufficient. Iodine deficiency seems to predispose to thyroid malignancy; this could explain the apparent thyroid cancer distribution "fans" downwind of nuclear facilities in previous goiter belt areas. This test is of course easier to use with Caucasians and may not offer sufficient color contrast in brown-skinned people.

3. Many patients with underactive thyroid glands complain of a sense of "coldness" or feeling cold all of the time; often they are over-dressed for warmth by thyronormal people's standards. They may also present a low basal body resting temperature, as measured by taking their armpit temperature before rising in the morning (remember to shake down the thermometer the night before). Other symptoms may include sluggishness, gradual weight gain, and mild depression. For these patients, add 5-10 grams of several different whole seaweeds to the daily diet; that is, 5-10 grams total weight per day, NOT 5-10 grams of each seaweed. I usually suggest a mix of 2 parts brown algae (all kelps, Fucus, Sargassum, Hijiki) to one part red seaweed (Dulse, Nori, Irish moss, Gracillaria). The mixed seaweeds can be eaten in soups, salads; or, easily powdered and sprinkled onto or into any food. I recommend doing this for at least 60 days, about two lunar cycles or at least two menstrual cycles; watch for any changes in signs and symptoms and any change in average daily basal temperature. (Please note that patients can have a normal 98.6 degree F temperature and still feel cold, and, also present many of the signs and symptoms of functional hypothyroidism). Please do not insist that all hypothyroid patients must have abnormally low basal resting temperatures. If no symptoms improve or the temperature remains low (less than 97.5 degrees F), continue seaweeds and request a TSH and T4 test. If TSH and T4 tests indicate low circulating thyroxin levels, continue seaweeds for another two months. It may take the thyroid that long to positively respond to continual regular presentation of adequate dietary iodine. Powdered whole seaweed may be much more effective than flakes, pieces, or granules. The powdered seaweed is best added to food immediately prior to eating; do not cook the seaweed for best results.

All corticosteroids tend to depress thyroid function. Before trying to fix the thyroid, be sure and aggressively inquire about both internal and topical steroid use, including Prednisone and topical creams. These as well as salicylates and anticoagulants can aggravate existing mild hypothyroidism.

4. Partial thyroidectomy cases can be helped by regular continual dietary consumption of 3-5 grams of whole seaweeds 3-4 times a week. By "whole seaweed" I mean: untreated raw dried seaweed, in pieces or powder, not reconstructed flakes or granules.

5. Patients with thyroid glands on thyroid replacement hormone (animal or synthetic) can respond favorably to carefully and slowly replacing part or all of their entire extrinsic hormone requirement by adding dietary Fucus in 3-5 gram daily doses. Fucus spp. has been the thyroid folk remedy of choice for at least 5000 years. The best candidates are women who seek a less hazardous treatment than synthetic hormone (after reading variously that prolonged use of synthetic thyroid hormone increases risk for heart disease, osteoporosis, and adverse interactions with many prescribed drugs, particularly corticosteroids and antidepressants).

Fucus spp. contain di-iodotyrosine (iodogogoric acid) or DIT. Two DIT molecules are coupled in the follicular lumina of the thyroid gland by a condensing esterification reaction organized by thyroid peroxidase (TPO). This means that Fucus provides easy-to use-prefabricated thyroxine(T4) halves for a boost to weary thyroid glands, almost as good as T4. European thalassotherapists claim that hot Fucus seaweed baths in seawater provide transdermal iodine; perhaps hot Fucus baths also provide transdermal DIT?

The best results with Fucus therapy are obtained with women who were diagnosed with sluggish thyroid glands and who are or were on low or minimal maintenance replacement hormone dosages and who may gleefully remark that they miss, forget, or avoid taking their thyroid medication for several days with no obvious negative short-term sequelae; others claim to have just stopped taking their medication. I do not recommend stopping thyroid medication totally at once: Thyroxin is essential for human life (and all animal life); it has a long half-life in the body of a week or more so that a false impression of non-dependency can obtain for up to two months before severe or even acute hypothyroidism can manifest, potentially fatal.

Even though I personally do not recommend it, women regularly just stop taking their thyroid replacement hormone, even after years of regularly and faithfully taking their medication. In many cases their respective thyroid glands resume thyroxine production after a 2-3month lag time with many of the signs and symptoms of hypothyroidism presenting while their thyroid glands move out of inactivity. IT IS IMPERATIVE TO UNDERSTAND THAT THIS COMPLETE CESSATION OF TAKING THYROID REPLACEMENT CAN ONLY BE SUCCESSFUL IN PATIENTS WHO HAVE A POTENTIALLY FUNCTIONING THYROID GLAND. Those who have had surgical or radiation removal of their respective thyroid glands must take thyroid hormone medication containing thyroxine to stay alive.

Fucus can be easily added to the diet as small pieces, powdered Fucus in capsules, or freeze-dried powder in capsules. Sources of Fucus in capsules are listed under Seaweed Sources at the end of this essay. The actual Fucus is much more effective than extracts. A nice note is that Fucus spp are the most abundant intertidal brown seaweeds in the northern hemisphere. This is of especial interest to those patients who might be trading one dependency for another, as seems to be the case for some. (A year's supply can be gathered in an hour or less and easily dried in a food dehydrator or in hot sun for 10-12 hours and then in a food dehydrator until completely crunchy dry. Fucus dries down about 6 to one: six pounds of wet Fucus dry down to about one pound. It has a modest storage life of 8-12 months in completely airtight containers stored in the dark at 50 degrees F. A year's supply at 4 grams/day is slightly more than three pounds dry). Encapsulated Fucus is available from Naturespirit Herbs, Oregon's Wild Harvest, and Eclectic Institute.

6. Aggressive attempts to replace thyroid replacement hormone with Fucus involve halving the dose of medication each week for four weeks while adding 3-5 grams of dried Fucus to the diet daily from the beginning and continuing indefinitely. If low thyroid symptoms appear, return to lowest thyroid hormone maintenance level and try skipping medication every other day for a week, then for every other two days, then three days, etc. The intent is to establish the lowest possible maintenance dosage by patient self-evaluation and/or to determine if replacement hormones can be eliminated when the patient ingests a regular reliable supply of both biomolecular iodine and DIT. Thoughtful, careful patient self-monitoring is essential for successful treatment.

7. A more conservative replacement schedule is similar to the aggressive approach except that the time intervals are one month instead of one week, and the Fucus addition is in one gram increments, beginning with one gram of Fucus the first month of attempting to halve the replacement hormone dosage, and increasing the amount of Fucus by a gram each succeeding month to 5 grams per day. The conservative schedule is urged with anxious patients and primary caregivers.

There is some literature concern (a bit quite shrill and clumsily documented) that excess (undefined) kelp (species either unknown or not mentioned) consumption can/may induce hypothyroidism. It seems possible. The likely explanation is an individual's extreme sensitivity to dietary Iodine; Icelandic Kelp (a Laminaria sp.) can contain up to 8000ppm Iodine; Norwegian kelp can contain up to 4000ppm Iodine. Most "kelps" contain 500-1500 ppm Iodine. Nori has about 15 ppm Iodine.

The only definitive study I have seen reports from Hokkaido, Japan, where study subjects at about an 8-10% rate of total study participants, presented with iodine-induced goiter from the consumption of large amounts of one or more Laminaria species (Kombu) of large kelps, known to be rich (more than 1000ppm) in available iodine. Reduction of both total dietary iodine and/or dietary Kombu led to complete remission of all goiters. The apparent iodine-induced goiters did not affect normal thyroid functioning in any participants. Two women in the study did not care if they had goiters and refused to reduce their Kombu intake. Note that the Japanese have the world's highest known dietary intakes of both sea vegetables and iodine.

I think the reduction or elimination of seaweeds from the diet is indicated for at least a month in cases of both hyperthyroidism and hypothyroidism, to ascertain if excess dietary iodine is a contributing factor to a disease condition. Other dietary iodine sources, particularly dairy and flour products should also be reduced and or eliminated during the same time period. Some individuals do seem to be very dietarily iodine-extraction efficient and iodine sensitive simultaneously.

DIETARY BLOOD AND BLOOD PRODUCTS

All blood will contain some thyroid binding globulin-bound thyroid hormone. The consumption of red meat will always provide small but significant sources of extrinsic thyroid hormone and at the least, some dietary iodine. In areas of endemic goiter (continental Eurasia) blood products such as blood sausage were regularly consumed. The blood from slaughtered animals was carefully caught when the animals were bled. Blood pudding and blood sausages are still regularly served in traditional Irish Breakfasts and are regularly available in meat shops throughout Great Britain and the European Union countries as well as in eastern Europe. Blood pudding and blood sausage are folk treatments for fatigue and sluggishness. I assume that T4 is the active constituent after iron.

In his privately-published memoir, Of Desert Plants and Peoples, Sam Hicks writes about the use of fresh deer blood by indigenous peoples in the Sonoran Desert to treat what reads like hypothyroidism. The dosages were about a pint or more of fresh deer blood biweekly or monthly. Just about right for time-release T4. For meat-eating patients, I definitely prescribe bloody organic meat and organic blood sausage; or, blood can be caught from home-grown and slaughtered animals known to have no growth hormones or pesticide exposure, for hypothyroid.