FLU FACTS:

-Both colds and flu usually last the same seven to 10 days, but flu can go three to four weeks; the flu virus may not still be there, but you have symptoms long after it has left. Allergy can last weeks or months.

-The winter flu epidemic will be coming around us again and in a given locality it reaches its peak in 2 to 3 weeks and lasts 5 to 6 weeks. Then is disappears as quickly as it arrived. The reason for this is not completely clear. The usual pattern is for a rise in the incidence of flu in children, which precedes an increase in the adult population.

-The flu virus can lead to serious complications, including bronchitis, viral or bacterial pneumonia and even death in elderly and chronically ill patients. Twenty thousand or more people die of the flu in the America each year. Know this that the frequency of human contact across the world and the highly infectious nature of the virus make this explanation difficult to accept. Moreover there is no evidence of persistent or latent infection with influenza viruses. In any case, this idea is not really very difficult from the notion that the virus circulates at a low level throughout the year and seizes its opportunity to cause an outbreak when conditions allow.

-Even harder to explain is why the flu disappears from a community when there are still a large number of people susceptible to infection. Than even harder than that is why flu is a winter disease, which is not fully understood or known. However, flu is spread largely by droplet (aerosol) infection from individuals with high viral level in their nasal and throat secretions, sneezing, and coughing on anyone close at hand. The aerosol droplets of the right size (thought to be about 1.5 micrometers in diameter) remain airborne and are breathed into the nose or lungs of the next victim.

-Situations in which people are crowded together are more commonly in cold or wet weather and so perhaps this contributes to spreading the flu at these times. It is interesting that in equatorial countries, flu occurs throughout the year, but is highest in the monsoon or rainy season. Enough about facts but onto logical thinking for when we or someone we know has it and what questions we might be asking ourselves.

LOGICAL QUESTIONS YOU MAY ASK YOURSELF:

Are the treatments for these illnesses the cold or the flu different? For any of these things, if it affects the nose or sinus, just rinsing with saline that gets the mucus and virus out is a first-line defense. It’s not the most pleasant thing to do, but it works very well. There are classes of medicines that can help the flu — Tamiflu and Relenza — antivirals that block viruses’ ability to reproduce and shorten the length and severity of the illness. But they have to be taken within 48 hours or the cat is proverbially out of the bag [because by then] the virus has done the most of its reproduction. For a cold or flu, rest and use decongestants and antihistamines, ibuprofen, acetaminophen, chicken soup and fluids. Zinc supposedly helps the body’s natural defenses work to their natural capacity and decrease the severity and length of a cold. Cells need zinc as a catalyst in their protective processes, so if you supply them with zinc, it helps them work more efficiently. You should also withhold iron supplements. Viruses use iron as part of their reproductive cycle, so depriving them of it blocks their dissemination. The majority of these infections are not bacterial and do not require [nor will they respond to] antibiotics. My rule of thumb is that a viral infection should go away in seven to 10 days. If symptoms persist after that, you’d consider if it’s bacteria like strep, haemophilus, influenza or some other bacterial infection.

These bacteria cause illnesses that are longer lasting and need antibiotics for ranging 3 to 14 days, depending on the med used.

Is that treatment approach the same for kids versus adults? In general, the same rules apply: Most children will have six to eight colds a year in their first three years of life, and most are viral. Adults have 3 or more a year. It’s very easy to test for strep and for that you should have a [positive] culture [before treating with antibiotics]. The principle behind that is knowing the organism the doctor will know what antibiotic to use to fight off the bacterial infection and you won’t build up antibodies from the antibiotic that you didn’t need in the first place if you are given the wrong antibiotic in the beginning.

Are the strategies for avoiding cold and flu different? Avoidance is very similar: Strict hand washing, not sharing drinking cups or utensils, and avoiding direct contact with people who are sneezing. Their transmission is similar. As long as someone has a fever, they have the possibility to transmit infection. After they’ve had no fever for 24 hours, they’re not infectious anymore. The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) now recommends that just about everyone get the flu shot: kids 6 months to 19 years of age, pregnant women, people 50 and up, and people of any age with compromised immune systems. Is the shot beneficial to anyone who gets it? Unless you have a contraindication, there’s no reason not to get it=PREVENTION. Contraindications include egg allergy (because the vaccine is grown from egg products), any vaccines within a last week or two, and active illness at the time of your vaccine.

The best to do is PREVENTION so you can avoid the cold or flu in its active phase or post phase, so doing the following will help prevent it:

Live a healthy lifestyle overall=Good dieting, living good healthy habits and maintaining exercise with rest daily or 2 to 3 times a week including get a vaccine yearly for the flu with maintaining good clean anti-infection habits like as simply as washing the hands frequently and before meals including after.

If you need help in being given the knowledge in how routinely lose weight if not maintain your good weight (which helps you fight infection as opposed to overweight or under- weight and knowing what foods are lean to leaner to leanest out of the 4 food groups you came to the right blog.  If you want to understand why portions of meals including exercise balanced with rest is so important, how all 4 interact with each other impacting your metabolism rate, and keeping a healthier body with a higher chance of increasing your immunity with fighting off simple colds to possibly the flu when near someone contaminated with the virus and making this a regular part not just a few months to a year but for life then again;  you came to the right blog.  This can be answered  through Dr. Anderson.   If you need one a site in where you can be helped in getting started on this goal in your life this doctor’s book can give you more than just guidance.   You can order Dr. Anderson’s book “Dr. A’s healthy habits” that provides the information on foods to help you lose the excess of weight through the four food groups with so much more in learning about the body to diseases in prevention and treatment (Rx).   You can also get this book and if you need a boost or starter diet if not for life join Medifast which Dr. Anderson supports and is a part of.  If not and just interested in his book its available separately.

Most important, you make all the choices.   I needed to lose weight and lost what I wanted to regarding obese and now a little overweight and trying to lose that on my own.

So if you want to prevent getting the cold to the flu with so many other diseases and illnesses with changing your lifestyle  which includes your diet changing around with loosing weight but need help;  look no more and go to healthyusa.tsfl.com and join what I did for a starting help. Take a peek for no charge, no obligation and no hacking. I hope you have learned something new from my blog.

****Recommended is to check with your MD on any changes with diet or exercise especially if diagnosed already with disease or illness for your safety,  no one elses.****

References for Part 1, 2, and 3 on the two bugs The FLU and The COLD:

1-Wikipedia “the free encyclopedia” 2013 website under the topic Influenza.

2-Kimberly Clark Professional website under the influenza.

3-Web MD under “COLD, FLU, COUGH CENTER” “Flu or cold symptoms?” Reviewed by Laura J. Martin MD November 01, 2011

4-2013 Novartis Consumer Health Inc. Triaminic “Fend off the Flu”

5-Scientific American “Why do we get the flu most often in the winter? Are viruses virulent in cold weather? December 15, 1997

“With 30,000 deaths and 200,000 hospitalizations from the seasonal flu, those numbers are certainly higher than what we’ve seen on the swine flu.  Protecting yourself from both viruses is so very important.”

Kristi Yamaguchi (born July 12, 1971–an American figure skater who was the 1992 Olympic Champion in ladies singles.

“Flu” is an illness caused by a number of different influenza viruses that usually bear the name of the locality where they originated. Most college-age students are susceptible to the virus because of their proximity with others in classrooms, in dormitories, in the dining halls and elsewhere on campus. The influenza virus is very contagious and spreads easily in crowded areas by droplets of respiratory fluid that become airborne or by direct contact with recently contaminated surfaces.

People infected with an influenza or cold virus become contagious 24 hours after the virus enters the body (often before symptoms appear). Adults remain infectious (can spread the virus to others) for about 6 days, and children remain infectious for up to 10 days. Factors that may increase the risk of catching a cold are fatigue, emotional stress, smoking, mid-phase of the menstrual cycle, and nasal allergies. Factors that do not increase the risk of catching a cold include cold body temperature (Example being out in the cold or enlarged tonsils). General health status and eating habits do in that they have impact on your immunity and “fight or flight” in fighting off infection as opposed to getting sick due to a healthy body overall.

Watch for flu symptoms and in comparison here with the cold symptoms when trying to decipher what you have before going to the doctor.  Signs and symptoms (S/S):

Flu s/s=High Fever lasting 3 to 4 days, prominent headache,  general aches and pains which are often and severe, fatigue & weakness that lasts up to 2-3 wks., extreme exhaustion-early & prominent chest discomfort, cough-common & severe at times.  *Note weakness and tiredness can last up to a few weeks with the Flu.

Cold S/S-Fever-rare, headache-rare, slight aches, mild fatigue if even present, extreme exhaustion (never occurs), Chest discomfort-mild if present, cough-moderate and hacking cough with sore throat sometimes present.

Common symptom: Stuffy nose is present, a common symptom for children is diarrhea and vomiting.

Regarding cold symptoms also be aware for these specifics, which include:

-Sore throat-usually is going away in about a day or three; nasal symptoms include runny nose and congestion to follow, along with a cough by the fourth or fifth day.  Also, fever is uncommon in adults but a slight fever is possible.  For children fever they can have with their cold.                                                                                                          -With the symptoms above you can also have the nose that teems with watery nasal secretions for the first few days later these become thicker and darker. Dark mucus is natural and does not mean you have developed a bacterial infection, such as a sinus infection.

**Know several hundred different viruses may cause your cold symptoms. A virus cannot be treated with an antibiotic since antibiotics can only fight off bacterial infections.**

Now let’s review what we know now, which is the common cold and the types of flu (Types A,B, and C), we know their symptoms (the cold versus the flu), we even know  The Flu statistics of how many are affected yearly with what complications can arise, based on Part 1 and part of Part 2.   The most important part of this article is letting my readers know or be aware of factors in prevention.

Let’s prepare ourselves in knowing factors for prevention of these 2 BUGS THE COLD and THE FLU (particularly) with knowing what to do when you or someone in the home has it.

The biggest factor in prevention of the COMMON COLD or THE FLU is living out your life utilizing great healthy habits.  One of the most important ones and is the least expensive is simply knowing that washing your hands with soap and water often, especially:

• Before, during, and after preparing food

• Before eating

• After using the bathroom

• After handling animals or animal waste

• When their hands are dirty

• When someone in your home is sick *                                                                                                                                               FOR AVOIDANCE IN GETTING THE FLU OBTAIN YOUR VACCINE YEARLY!  The flu virus enters through the eyes, nose, and mouth, so those with the flu or a simple cold should never touch their faces unless they’ve just washed their hands.Avoid sharing food, drinks, and utensils.   Do not share drinking glasses-and to break off portions of food and to pour off beverages before consuming them.  Keep tissues handy. The flu spreads when infected people cough or sneeze. So adults use them and encourage your kids to cough and sneeze into a tissue or their upper arm if tissues aren’t available. (Coughing into a bare hand can also spread germs if kids touch something before they can wash.)Ask your doctor about antiviral medications. Although not approved for use in children under 1, these drugs can be used in older children & adults to prevent influenza or even can treat the flu in the first 2 days of onset.

REMEMBER THESE KEY MEASURES:

• Keep your face off-limits; This means the following:
•  Live a healthy lifestyle. MOST IMPORTANT!!! A healthy lifestyle may help prevent them from getting sick in the first place.
• Use those wipes! Flu germs can live for several hours on surfaces such as countertops and doorknobs. Wipe down contaminated objects with soap and water.
• Let your kids, including adults stay home when they’re sick. They’ll feel better sooner and won’t pass their illness on to their classmates or for an adult passing it on to colleagues at work especially the first few days when contagious so don’t go into work those few days.
• For a child and an adult keeping the same routine schedule.  For a child – keeping the same schedule for play time, bath, pajamas, bottle, story, then bed. Keeping a routine helps, that is one that is healthy of course.
• Make sure you or your sick child who is sick gets enough sleep. Too little sleep can cause the feeling of run-down and lower the immunity. Yet a National Sleep Foundation poll found that most children need 1 to 3 more hours of sleep than they’re getting every night usually. How much should they be getting? Experts recommend 11 to 13 hours a night for preschoolers and kindergartners and 10 to 11 hours for school-aged children. Adults 8 hours of sleep a day if not more when sick with a cold or the flu. How to make sure this can be accomplished: Establish an earlier-bedtime routine, this just takes discipline by the parent or yourself if an adult that is sick.
• Keep your distance. Stay clear of people who are sick-or feel sick.
• What to do when you have the cold or, worse, the flu:  Take care of yourself with rest, eating and drinking properly, going to sleep earlier, going to your doctor for treatment and changing your life style to a more healthier one with always practicing good health habits in your daily living=PREVENTION if your not already or just improving on those good habits your doing now.
•                                                                                                                              ****Recommended is to check with your MD on any changes with diet or exercise or daily habits especially if diagnosed already with disease or illness for your safety.****                                                                     References for Part 1 and 2 on the two bugs The FLU and The COLD:1-Wikipedia “the free encyclopedia” 2013 website under the topic Influenza.2-Kimberly Clark Professional website under the influenza.

  3-Web MD under “COLD, FLU, COUGH CENTER” “Flu or cold symptoms?” Reviewed by Laura J. Martin MD November 01, 2011

  4-2013 Novartis Consumer Health Inc. Triaminic “Fend off the Flu”

  5-Scientific American “Why do we get the flu most often in the winter? Are viruses virulent in cold weather? December 15, 1997  

“The orderly world in which we live, is frail. We are skating on thin ice.  There is a fear of a collective disaster. Terrorism, genocide, flu, tsunamis.”

Zygmunt Bauman (87 y/o and born 19 November 1925) is a Polish sociologist. Since 1971, he has resided in England after being driven out of Poland by an anti-semitic campaign.

The relationship between body weight and cancer becomes more alarming when we consider just how many people in the United States are overweight or obese. Today, only 1/3 of adults are at a healthy body weight for their height. Another 1/3 are considered “overweight” and the remaining 1/3 are in the “obese” category. (About 17 % of children and adolescents are obese).  These rates are 300% higher than in 1980.)

American Cancer Society

The problem with being overweight or obese, as measured by weight and height, is that it raises our risk of chronic diseases like diabetes and heart disease.  But did you know that being obese can actually increase our risk of getting cancer and may even worsen our chances of surviving after a cancer diagnosis?  In fact, the American Cancer Society Cancer Prevention Study II showed significant increases in cancer occurrence in people who are the most overweight.  This link is stronger in some cancer types –including breast cancer after menopause, and cancers of the colon and rectum, pancreas, kidney, esophagus, and endometrium — and can be associated with a major increase in risk.

Being obese appears to be a problem for cancer survivors as well.  Studies have shown worse survival for obese women with breast cancer; obese men with prostate cancer are more likely to have an aggressive form of cancer and it is more likely to come back after surgery.  In light of this more recent data, the American Cancer Society recently released new healthy living guidelines for cancer survivors.

The relationship between body weight and cancer becomes more alarming when we consider just how many people in the United States are overweight or obese. Today, only 1/3 of adults are at a healthy body weight for their height. Another 1/3 are considered “overweight” and the remaining 1/3 are in the “obese” category. (About 17 % of children and adolescents are obese).  These rates are 300% higher than in 1980.)

AMERICA wake up we have to turn this around for the better unless we don’t care about making this the home of the best country to live in a better one for all. We need to get healthier people especially if you have a condition, illness or disease that will let you but always get clearance by your doctor before making changes; to maintain your safety.

In a few years, obesity will replace smoking as the number one preventable cause of many common cancers, according to Professor Jeffrey M. P. Holly, Ph.D. With a grant from American Institute of Cancer Research (AICR), Professor Holly is examining how fatty acids affect the actions of insulin-like growth factors (IGFs), which may promote cancer. He is also looking at two phytochemicals that may interfere with the actions of IGFs and form part of a diet to prevent cancer.

Obesity results from a long-term energy imbalance that increases a person’s storage of fat and circulating levels of fatty acids. These higher levels of fatty acids can cause resistance to insulin, which is a hormone essential to regulating the body’s metabolism. Insulin resistance has been associated with the development of diabetes, heart disease and certain cancers. IGFs work in the body in a similar way to insulin. For a long time, Professor Holly, a Clinical Sciences Professor at the University of Bristol, U.K., has studied how these similar substances affect metabolic conditions such as diabetes. But for the past few years – as more recent research has shown that IGFs may be an important risk factor for colon, prostate and premenopausal breast cancer – he has looked at how obesity increases cancer risk through effects upon secretion and action of insulin and IGFs. Recently, he and his research colleagues realized that “no one had looked at what effect eating fatty foods has on IGFs, especially now that we know that IGFs may be related to nutrition-dependent cancers.”

Focus on Two Fatty Acids

With funding from AICR (American Institute of Cancer Research), Dr. Holly and his research team have begun a series of experiments on malignant and healthy breast cells. They will see what impact the most abundant circulating fatty acids – palmitate and oleate – have on these cells by way of the production and activity of IGFs. Palmitate is a saturated fatty acid, while oleate is an unsaturated fatty acid. “We’re looking at three aspects of these cells’ functions: their metabolism, their growth and their survival,” said Dr. Holly. “For cancer to develop, cell growth and survival are critical.” Normally, when a cell becomes damaged, it is genetically programmed to die prematurely.  This process is called apoptosis. IGFs, however, interfere with apoptosis. “IGFs are known to be the most potent, powerful signal in the body telling the cells not to commit suicide,” said Dr. Holly. “If there is too strong an IGF signal in the body, damaged cells may live and grow into tumors. That’s the most plausible link between high IGF levels and high rates of some cancers.” Palmitate and oleate are known to affect insulin-related metabolic conditions differently. Palmitate appears to make the body more resistant to insulin, while oleate reduces resistance to insulin. But it is too early in Dr. Holly’s two-year experiment to know how the two fatty acids affect actions of IGF.

The Flavonoid Effect

As part of his AICR-funded project, Professor Holly will see whether two flavonoids – epigallocatechin-3-gallate (EGCG), found in green tea, and luteolin, found in olive oil – affect the growth of both the malignant and healthy cells. He will expose the cells to the flavonoids under various conditions to determine how strong their influence is. Professor Holly chose to examine flavonoids as possible cancer-preventive agents in this obesity-related study because the fat we consume is not our body’s only source of fatty acids. Our bodies have the ability to make some of their own fatty acids when needed. In fact, certain cancers, like breast cancer, tend to make huge amounts in order to maintain their growth rate. Flavonoids are known to inhibit this process. This inhibition may partly explain why a diet high in vegetables and fruits protects against cancer in many studies. Professor Holly suggests that the benefits of eating a lot of vegetables and fruits may be negated by a high-fat diet, because there would be a surplus of fatty acids to feed cells. Although his research project is in a preliminary stage, the investigation is important because it could show how certain diets, especially those low in fat, can help prevent cancer. His study may also demonstrate that some diets may be more beneficial for people undergoing cancer treatment. “Most treatments, like radiation therapy and chemotherapy, encourage cancer cells to die,” said Dr. Holly. “If we can manipulate the environment within the body to make cell death easier, these therapies may be more effective. One way to do this may be to turn off some of the signals from IGFs that encourage malignant cells to survive.”

Obesity is associated with increased risks of the following cancer types,&possibly others as well:

Esophagus/Pancreas/Colon and rectum/Breast (after menopause) /Endometrium (lining of the uterus)/Kidney/Thyroid/Gallbladder

One study, using NCI Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results (SEER) data, estimated that in 2007 in the United States, about 34,000 new cases of cancer in men (4 percent) and 50,500 in women (7 percent) were due to obesity. The percentage of cases attributed to obesity varied widely for different cancer types but was as high as 40 percent for some cancers, particularly endometrial cancer and esophageal adenocarcinoma.

Think about it people don’t you think we need to make a turn around about OBESITY?  It affects our economy, medical insurance, what foods/fluids we can ingest due to not taking care of ourselves (not all but enough people who don’t) since it affects all economy groups regarding their pockets due to how high Obesity is in America!  It is a sad fact.

Seaweed (such as kelp, nori, kombu, and wakame) is one of the best food sources of iodine, but it is highly variable in its content Other good sources include seafood, dairy products (partly due to the use of iodine feed supplements and iodophor sanitizing agents in the dairy industry ), grain products, and eggs. Dairy products, especially milk, and grain products are the major contributors of iodine to the American diet.

NIH National Institutes of Health

Here’s the problem:

Iodine is tough to come by naturally in our food supply. The two good sources of iodine – seafood and sea vegetables (such as seaweed) have been adulterated by mercury poisoning and industrial wastes poured into the sea. Plus, with the advent of Fukushima, we now have to contend with radioactive iodine flowing into the ocean’s waters and atmosphere as well.

Food grown on large commercial farms suffers from chemical over-fertilization. Gone are the times when farmers would use fish as fertilizer – restoring the trace amounts of iodine back to the soil. Also, the soils are not allowed to recoup their natural vigor by laying fallow for several seasons, but are rather “fortified” year after year by man-made fertilizers.

Yes, the plants grow – but the fertilizers used have only a limited amount of nutrients, and iodine is usually not among them. This nutritional shortfall is passed on to the crops, and ultimately us when we consume them.

Next come three other culprits in this iodine connection – fluorine, chlorine and bromine.

• Fluoridated water is neither benign nor beneficial. To begin with, the fluoride found in our drinking water is anything but natural. It is actually hydrofluosilicic acid, a by-product of heavy industry, especially the fertilizer and aluminum industries. What are other uses for this substance? Try…Pesticide, Herbicides, Rat Poison, and Sarin Nerve Gas for just a few.
•                                                                                                                                                                                           Scrapped off factory chimneys and smelters, it is rightfully considered a poison and treated as a dangerous bio-hazard when handling. However, this EXACT same substance is then mixed into our drinking water, and by some yet unknown alchemical reaction (sarcasm) what was minutes before a deadly industrial waste suddenly becomes a so-called “healthy” adjunct to our basic water supply.

• In many cases, hypothyroidism is a case of iodine malnutrition. You are simply not getting enough iodine in your diet. As we noted, the amount of iodine in iodized salt is barely enough to prevent goiter, but insufficient to restore proper function to the thyroid gland.
• Treating Hypothyroidism – Non-Prescription Solutions
• Bromine is the third bad-guy in this story. Used in baked goods, breads, pastas, upholstery, plastics, medications, fire-retardants and soft drinks, bromine is an endocrine disrupter – and similar to fluoride in that it competes for the same receptors that are used to capture iodine, displacing iodine from your body.
• You should note that while water filters are readily available to eliminate chlorine from both your drinking and shower water, they are just about useless for filtering out fluoride. (The fluorine molecule is exceedingly small and much harder to trap.)
• Think of it, every time you take a shower from the standard municipal water supply (especially here in the USA), the skin absorbs both chlorine and fluoride – which slowly poisons the thyroid gland.
• Chlorine is another iodine-disrupting halide. Yes, chlorine does kill many pathogens in our drinking water. However, it does have its dark side. Skin exposure to chlorine from swimming in a chlorinated pool, bathing or drinking city water leeches iodine from the thyroid gland.
• One of the problems with fluoride is that it slowly but surely displaces iodine in our thyroid. Another huge problem is the dosage. The more water one drinks, the more fluoride one consumes. Added to this is that fluoride is found in most toothpastes, and each day becomes a gamble as to just how much fluoride is actually entering the body. In fact there is enough fluoride in a tube of fluoridated toothpaste to actually kill a child!

The first line of defense in treating hypothyroidism should then be the least invasive – namely supplementing with iodine. Just by increasing iodine levels, primary hypothyroidism can be alleviated and normal thyroid function restored in almost half of all cases. But please be advised most iodine supplements and multi-vitamins have far too little iodine in them to be effective. In fact, the standard 400 IU in most preparations is 80 – 100 TIMES LESS than what is truly needed.  How do we supplement iodine for patients with hypothyroidism is Part III tomorrow.  Hope you come back!

Older adults are more likely to have either no signs or symptoms or subtle ones, such as an increased heart rate, heat intolerance and a tendency to become tired during ordinary activities.

MAYO CLINIC

Hypothyroidism can be a tricky condition to manage, and what you eat can interfere with your treatment. Some nutrients heavily influence the function of the thyroid gland, and certain foods can inhibit your body’s ability to absorb the replacement hormones you may take as part of your thyroid treatment. There’s no such thing as a “hypothyroidism diet” that will make you well, but eating smart can help you feel better despite the condition.

Thyroid hormone is required for the normal functioning of numerous tissues in the body. In health, the thyroid gland predominantly secretes thyroxine (T₄), which is converted into triiodothyronine (T₃) in other organs by the selenium-dependent enzyme iodothyronine deiodinase.  Triiodothyronine binds to the thyroid hormone receptor in the nulceus of cells, where it stimulates the turning on of particular genes and the production of specific proteins.   Additionally, the hormone binds to integrin αvβ3 on the cell membrane, thereby stimulating the sodium–hydrogen antiporter  and processes such as formation of blood vessels and cell growth.   In blood, almost all thyroid hormone (99.97%) is bound to plasma proteins such as thyroxine-binding globulin; only the free unbound thyroid hormone is biologically active.

The thyroid gland is the only source of thyroid hormone in the body; the process requires iodine and the amino acid tyrosine. Iodine in the bloodstream is taken up by the gland and incorporated into thyroglobulin molecules. The process is controlled by the thyroid-stimulating hormone (TSH, thyrotropin), which is secreted by the pituitary. Not enough iodine, or not enough TSH, can result in decreased production of thyroid hormones

Goitrogenic foods are foods that interfere with iodine absorption, leading to an enlargement of the thyroid gland, otherwise known as the formation of a “goiter”. A steady stream of iodine is necessary to keep your thyroid running optimally.

If you are having problems with low thyroid function, you can help your thyroid work better by making some adjustments to your diet, Some foods support your thyroid, while others could be hindering its function if you eat them frquently. So a few changes in your diet could make a big difference. This applies especially to those vegetarians who substitute large quantities of soy products for meat.

Here are three major contributors to the emergence of Iodine      deficiency in the developed world.

1) Reduced use of table salt If you have high blood pressure then you probably cut down on your salt. However, even when you think you’re doing the right thing for your health, there are sometimes unintended consequences! If you eat too little salt then your thyroid is not getting the raw materials that it needs to synthesize thyroid hormones.

2) Processed food Processed food generally has a very high salt content, however this salt is not iodized. As more and more people live on packaged and processed food, they are actually eating more salt but less Iodine. This is a major contributor to thyroid problems.

3) Sea salt Almost any recipe book you find will tell you that sea salt tastes better than the iodized table salt that you buy in the supermarket. However if you eat only sea salt, you’re probably not getting the Iodine that you need. Although sea salt seems like a healthier choice, it is normally not iodized, so iodized table salt contains a lot more Iodine. You can use sea salt occasionally when you cook, but make sure that its not the only salt that you use.

Today our nutrition is many times abysmal. Fast foods, junk food, foods grown in nutrient depleted soils – these just can’t give the human body what it needs to thrive. Now add three “modern day improvements” – fluoride, chlorine and bromine – and our thyroid is taxed to the max.

According to the WHO (World Health Organization) at least 72% 0f the world’s population is currently iodine deficient. Many holistic physicians feel even this figure is far too conservative.

The National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES – completed 1971-1974) shows iodine levels have dropped 50% in the U.S.A. alone. The problem has only worsened over time.

About the only populations on earth that get enough iodine in their diet are the Japanese and Eskimos. (They both eat plenty of fish and/or seaweed.)

The Japanese diet typically consumes a 100-fold amount of iodine than that of Westerners – and Japan has no significant amount of thyroid disease. But as mentioned above, with the advent of Fukushima this can well change as the seaweed and fish being consumed is now becoming radioactive.

At first, you may barely notice the symptoms of hypothyroidism, such as fatigue and weight gain, or you may simply attribute them to getting older. But as your metabolism continues to slow, you may develop more obvious signs and symptoms. Hypothyroidism signs and symptom may include:

• Fatigue
• Increased sensitivity to cold
• Constipation
• Dry skin
• Unexplained weight gain
• Puffy face
• Hoarseness
• Muscle weakness
• Elevated blood cholesterol level
• Muscle aches, tenderness and stiffness
• Pain, stiffness or swelling in your joints
• Heavier than normal or irregular menstrual periods
• Thinning hair
• Slowed heart rate
• Depression
• Impaired memory

When hypothyroidism isn’t treated, signs and symptoms can gradually become more severe. Constant stimulation of your thyroid gland to release more hormones may lead to an enlarged thyroid (goiter). In addition, you may become more forgetful, your thought processes may slow, or you may feel depressed.

Come back tomorrow for more information on hypothyroidism.