Iodine, Thyroid and Fibroids

I recently came across an article that claimed one of the first conventional medical treatments for severe fibroids was to paint the uterus with iodine, yes that brown smelly ointment the school matron or nurse used to smear all over your cut and grazed knees as a child.  

Quite how and with what quantities of iodine they painted the uterus with I have not been able to discover - interesting nevertheless!

Iodine in our diets is an essential trace mineral and the vast majority of iodine (about three-quarters in the body) is needed by the thyroid gland.   

Iodine is vital in the production of two hormones, these are the thyroid hormones; T3 (triiodothyronine) and T4 (thyroxine).  Three iodine molecules are added to make T3 and four are added to make T4. 

So what is the thyroid?  

It is a small bow tie or butterfly shaped gland that is situated in the lower part of the neck, in front of the windpipe.

The thyroid’s most important purpose is to produce, store and release 2 key thyroid hormones T3, T4.  The thyroid is able to produce this hormone by absorbing iodine from food, iodised salt and supplements.

The role of thyroid hormone is to control metabolism and has a wide reaching affect on our health from controlling the processes by which cells convert oxygen and calories into energy, the proper functioning of the nervous system, the digestion and elimination of food, brain function, heart health, functioning of muscles, immune system, respiration, bone growth etc...

When our thyroid is diseased or damaged problems can occur such as hypothyroidism or under active thyroid.  This lack of hormone can be due to a thyroid that isn’t producing enough hormone due to drugs, nutritional deficiences or impairment due to nodules, inflammation, infection, or atrophy.  

Symptoms of hypothyroidism can include fatigue, weight gain, constipation, foggy thinking or poor brain function, memory impairment, low energy and an intolerance to cold (cold fingers and toes), brittle hair and nails, hair loss, constipation, slow reflexes, decreased libido, immune system sluggishness and weakness, dry skin and even vision impairment in advanced stages. 

Conventional medical treatment for hypothyroidism typically involves replacing the missing thyroid hormone using prescription thyroid replacement drugs.  Natural or holistic treatments tend to focus on nutritional support with thyroid precursors like tyrosine and iodine and adrenal support.

Thyroid problems are widespread and the European Thyroid Association estimates that more than 200 million people around the world have thyroid problems.  In the united States the vast majority of thyroid conditions are the result of an autoimmune disease.  

About 20% of the American public is iodine deficient but the primary cause of thyroid problems is an autoimmune disease and is not thought to be iodine related.

Hashimoto’s disease is the most common form of thyroiditis, an inflammation of the thyroid - it is the most common thyroid problem and is the cause of most hypothyroidism in the US today.

The conventional medical treatment for hypothyroidism involves a lifelong thyroid hormone replacement therapy.  Natural or holistic treatments tend to focus on healing the underlying autoimmune imbalance and may include nutritional support for the thyroid (selenium, tyrosine, B vitamins etc)  elimination of toxins and overall support for the the immune system.

Both an excess and a deficiency of iodine are risk factors for thyroid disease.

But what has the thyroid got to do with fibroids?

Firstly it’s important to understand that the thyroid and the reproductive system are all part of same system ...the endocrine system

Having too much estrogen in one's system relative to progesterone, a state often referred to as estrogen dominance will cause uterine fibroids to develop and grow.  One theory for their development is that persistent estrogen dominance causes a woman’s uterine lining to thicken far more than is healthy during her monthly cycles.  

This repeated, excessive thickenings can result in localised growths in the muscle and connective tissue that line the uterus resulting in uterine fibroids.  

Anovulatory cycles (cycles where you don’t ovulate) are one of a number of different causes of estrogen dominance.  During an anovulatory cycle no progesterone is made leading to an imbalance of estrogen over progresterone.  

Estrogen dominance can further prevent the thryroid hormone molecules from properly binding with receptors making thyroid hormone unavailable to your cells leaving you functionally hypothyroid at a cellular level.

As the thyroid hormone has some chemical similarities to estrogen the various receptor sites for thyroid, found through out the body, can therefore be ‘blocked’ by the presence of estrogen.

Thyroid hormone is essential in the process of converting cholesterol into pregnenolone, which is then converted into progesterone, DHEA, estrogen and testosterone.  So any deficiency of the thyroid hormone can disrupt the entire hormone production process in particular exacerbating the imbalance of estrogen over progesterone and drive the growth of fibroids.

Interestingly anovulatory cycles are far more common in thyroid patients!

One of the many side effects of an under active thyroid is weight gain, fat tissue can itself become like an endocrine gland, releasing leptin and estrogen!

Certain foods can also impact on your thyroid’s function in particular there is a certain class of foods known as goitrogens.  These foods can promote thyroid enlargement (goiter) and cause hypothyroidism by blocking the body’s ability to use iodine in the production of thyroid hormone.  

Such goitrogens are considered most potent when eaten raw and in larger quantities and studies show that cooking reduces or eliminates much of the goitrogenic potential.

Here is a list of some more common goitrogenic foods:

Brussel sprouts, rutabaga, turnips, radishes, cauliflower, millet, cabbage, kale, soy products, mustard, corn, broccoli, turnips, carrots, peaches, strawberries, peanuts, spinach, watercress...

...as you can see many of these foods are especially beneficial to our health so please remember that they are far more goitrogenic when eaten in larger quantities and or raw.

Flouride added to drinking water and present in toothpaste is a chemical with strong anti thyroid properities that increase the risk of hypothyroidism.

Tips to optimising your thyroid health

Many cases of hypothyroidism and Hashimoto’s thyroiditis are caused by weak adrenals, so take better care of your adrenal glands 

• Avoid eating processed/refined foods and sugars

• Get good restorative sleep

• Manage stress

• Consider supplementing your diet with vitamin D, selenium, magnesium, vitamin E, vitamin C, tyrosine, vitamin A, B2, B3, B6, B12 or better still seek out and eat foods that can enrich your body in these vitamins/minerals

• Minimize your exposure to environmental toxins

• Get more active!

• You only need 150 micrograms of iodine (or 20,000th of a teaspoon) to meet your daily requirement - good sources are some seafoods and seaweeds such as kelp

• Avoid un-fermented soy including soy milk (and all GMO soy products).  Soy isoflavones can wreak havoc on your thyroid.  Kaayla Daniel's groundbreaking book, The Whole Soy Story: The Dark Side of America's Favorite Health Food is a powerful exposé that reveals the truth about the soy myths that have infiltrated our culture.

Dr. Daniel states thousands of studies link soy to malnutrition; digestive distress, immune-system breakdown, thyroid- and hormonal dysfunction, cognitive decline, reproductive disorders and infertility-even cancer and heart disease.

The diagnosis of any thyroid dysfunction requires a thorough clinical examination by a licensed medical practitioner as well as blood tests.