aautoimmune thyroide

8/13/2019 Aautoimmune thyroide

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For autoimmune hypothyroidism:Iris versicolor(blue flag), 750 mg per day, also

Commiphora mukul(guggul), 750 mg per day, for their anti-inflammatory effects. Forgeneral thyroid support: iodine, 6-24 mg per day,

20and selenium, 400 mcg per day.

For autoimmune hyperthyroidism: Rosmarinic acid, 335 mg BID, for itsimmunomodulatory effects. For general thyroid support, clinical experience suggests:iodine, 6 mg per day, and selenium, 400 mcg per day.

able 3: Summary of key herbs and nutrients for autoimmune thyroid disordersHerb/Nutrient Action Dose

RosmarinicAcid

Inhibits T cell activation and proliferation

and induces T cell apoptosis of only

actively-proliferating T cellsDirects T cellactivity and modulates T cell promotion of

proinflammatory cytokine release

335 mg BID

Iris

Versicolor(Blue

flag)

Stimulates glandular secretion and removalof wastes through the lymphatic

systemAnti-inflammatory actions reduce

thyroid enlargement.

750 mg per day

Commiphora

mukul (guggul)Increases T3 levels 750 mg per day

SeleniumDecreases TPO antibodiesIncreasesglutathione peroxidase, decreasing

hydrogen peroxide

400 g per day

PotassiumIodide

Critical component for thyroid hormonemetabolism

6 to 24 mg perday

Vitamin D3Modulates T cell response and inhibits Th1cytokines

50 000 IU twiceweekly

Autoimmunity and Gut Microbiome

Research

By: Gary Rothbard, MD, MS inGeneral Autoimmune
http://www.autoimmunemom.com/general-autoimmunehttp://www.autoimmunemom.com/general-autoimmune


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Over the past two decades, researchers have beenfocusing heavily on the relationship between our intestinal contents and various diseases, trying

to determine if there is a causal association. Many had suspected for years prior to this that the

two were somehow related, but without the evidence needed to support such suspicions. Nowthe increased interest in this investigative area is starting to produce real and potentially useful

information regarding these connections. Here we examine the possibility of links between

autoimmune disease and the diverse collection of organisms with which we share our bodies,with particular focus on our gut, or intestinal tract.

What is the gut microbiome?

The gut microbiome is the microscopic communal environment withinour lower intestinesthat includes a diversity of microorganisms (the gut flora), most of which are various forms of

bacteria. While we often think of microbes like bacteria as harmful to the body, these intestinal

bugs are a normal and essential component of our digestive and immune systems. The microbes

that exist within our colons perform a host of specific functions necessary for individualmetabolic tasks, and in more general terms, contribute greatly to our overall health by

maintaining or disturbing a well-balanced microscopic community.

When this balance is upset, a variety of pathologies may result; and since a large percentage of

our immune system resides within the gut, these often includeautoimmune illnesses. The

alteration of the gut flora may produce changes inimmune functionby stimulating or inhibitinglocalized immune factors, which then often promote functional changes in other areas of the

body.

An example that some readers may be familiar with is colonization of the colon with C. difficile

(an opportunistic bacteria related to the organism that causes botulism) after extensive antibiotic

administration in susceptible individuals. In short, the antibiotics that help clear one infection

successfully also inadvertently clear too many beneficial bacteria from the intestines, allowingthe C. diffto grow unchecked (usually controlled by the missing bacteria). When this happens,

the patient must then deal with a secondary intestinal infection that often requires extended doses

of specific antimicrobials. This is but one way in which a normal or disrupted gut microbiomecan affect the health and well being of its host.

What studies are going on that link gut microbiome findings to autoimmune disease (onset,

progression, symptoms)?
http://www.keystonesymposia.org/index.cfm?e=Web.Meeting.Flyer&MeetingID=1231http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1043661812001661http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1043661812001661http://www.keystonesymposia.org/index.cfm?e=Web.Meeting.Flyer&MeetingID=1231


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Since the 1990s, interest in this area of research has exploded. Although the work, in terms of

scientific study, is still very much in its infancy, it has produced some truly amazing findings that

have caused a radical shift in our thinking on autoimmune and other diseases. There have been arange of findings implicating the makeup of our gut flora in the promotion of or protection

against autoimmune illness, all of which have helped to shed light on the exact processes taking

place.

Many different disorders have been examined with respect to this connection, but the four most

studied autoimmune diseases appear to berheumatoid arthritis (RA),inflammatory boweldisease (IBD; Crohns and ulcerative colitis),diabetes mellitus andmultiple sclerosis (MS). All

of these research efforts have endeavored to find the nature of the associations between the

particular disorders and the normal/abnormal gut microbiome. They have produced a number of

fascinating findings already, and much work continues to be performed in pursuit of this goal.

Recently, studies have yielded an enhanced understanding of various pathologies and/or the

causative mechanisms that initiate them. With regard to RA (one of the most extensively studied

diseases in this respect), in 2010 investigators discovered that patients, either newly diagnosed oruntreated, had significantly higher populations of specific bacteria in the gut and mouth when

compared with controls.

And they found that certain beneficial species were lower than normal in these same subjects.

Additionally, they noted that certain bugs incited production of immune components known toplay some role in autoimmune pathogenesis of different conditions. More recent findings have

helped support these initial discoveries, such as thisarticle from Mayo Clinic andupdates

released in late 2013 from NYU researchers. There are also some good in-depth articles from

2011 fromRheumatologist.org andNature.

One particularly interesting study showed that the introduction of a single type ofbacteria in thesterile gut of mice was enough to induce an immune-mediated arthritis.

Another disorder that has received a lot of attention recently is type 1 diabetes, known to be anautoimmune disease that destroys the islet cells of the pancreas. A series of investigations and

reviews have shown a clear association in mice between thecomposition and alteration of gut

flora and the development of type 1 diabetes.

In addition to this generalized finding, researchers also found, unexpectedly,an impact of gut

flora on sex hormones,which may have implications in explaining why females are more often

affected by autoimmune disease than their male counterparts. Briefly, they noticed thatfemalemice with a high predisposition for diabetes became highly protected from the disease when

receiving a fecal transplant from male mice;and even more surprisingly, this change in gut

microbiome appeared to also raise the levels of testosterone in the females, suggesting that sexhormone differentiation is at work on some level.

Furthermore, thegut microbiome has even been linked to type 2 diabetes,which is notconsidered an autoimmune disease; patients with the disorder had distinctly different gut

populations from those without.
http://www.autoimmunemom.com/rheumatoid-diseasehttp://www.autoimmunemom.com/crohns-disease-colitishttp://www.autoimmunemom.com/crohns-disease-colitishttp://www.autoimmunemom.com/diabeteshttp://www.autoimmunemom.com/diabeteshttp://www.autoimmunemom.com/multiple-sclerosishttp://newsnetwork.mayoclinic.org/discussion/sick-from-your-stomach-gut-bacteria-may-trigger-diseases-such-as-rheumatoid-arthritishttp://www.medpagetoday.com/Rheumatology/Arthritis/42799http://www.medpagetoday.com/Rheumatology/Arthritis/42799http://www.the-rheumatologist.org/details/article/1386089/The_Microbiome.htmlhttp://www.nature.com/nrrheum/journal/v7/n10/full/nrrheum.2011.121.htmlhttp://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1074761310002049http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1074761310002049http://www.plosone.org/article/info%3Adoi%2F10.1371%2Fjournal.pone.0025792#closehttp://www.plosone.org/article/info%3Adoi%2F10.1371%2Fjournal.pone.0025792#closehttps://www.sciencemag.org/content/339/6123/1084.abstracthttps://www.sciencemag.org/content/339/6123/1084.abstracthttp://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/01/130117133003.htmhttp://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/01/130117133003.htmhttp://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/01/130117133003.htmhttp://www.genomeweb.com/genomeweb-feature-researchers-scour-gut-microbiome-diabetes-associationshttp://www.genomeweb.com/genomeweb-feature-researchers-scour-gut-microbiome-diabetes-associationshttp://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/01/130117133003.htmhttp://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/01/130117133003.htmhttp://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/01/130117133003.htmhttps://www.sciencemag.org/content/339/6123/1084.abstracthttps://www.sciencemag.org/content/339/6123/1084.abstracthttp://www.plosone.org/article/info%3Adoi%2F10.1371%2Fjournal.pone.0025792#closehttp://www.plosone.org/article/info%3Adoi%2F10.1371%2Fjournal.pone.0025792#closehttp://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1074761310002049http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1074761310002049http://www.nature.com/nrrheum/journal/v7/n10/full/nrrheum.2011.121.htmlhttp://www.the-rheumatologist.org/details/article/1386089/The_Microbiome.htmlhttp://www.medpagetoday.com/Rheumatology/Arthritis/42799http://www.medpagetoday.com/Rheumatology/Arthritis/42799http://newsnetwork.mayoclinic.org/discussion/sick-from-your-stomach-gut-bacteria-may-trigger-diseases-such-as-rheumatoid-arthritishttp://www.autoimmunemom.com/multiple-sclerosishttp://www.autoimmunemom.com/diabeteshttp://www.autoimmunemom.com/crohns-disease-colitishttp://www.autoimmunemom.com/crohns-disease-colitishttp://www.autoimmunemom.com/rheumatoid-disease


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Other medical and psychiatric conditions have been examined for connections to the gut

microbiome as well. IBD and MS are two such disorders that have attracted the attention of

researchers. This has included the proposition thatpregnancy-related changes in the gutmicrobiome may partly explain why pregnant women with IBD often improve during the

gestational period.

Interestingly, the research on MS seems to indicate that it is normal florarather than disease-

causing organismsthat, when combined with a genetic predisposition,can lead to the

development of the disease. Altered intestinal flora have also been implicated as possible factorsin other autoimmune neurologic and neuropsychiatric diseases, including such conditions as

depression, OCD and schizophrenia.

What applications to prevention and treatment of autoimmune disease might come from

this research?

One of the most important applications of this information will come in the form of a better

understanding of how our diet affects our gut microbiome, and thus how it affects the variousdiseases associated with normal and changed intestinal environments. Because our diet has

changed so drastically over the past century, an improved conception of how this hastransformed our immune status will be invaluable in educating people on the best and worst food

items in terms of autoimmune illnesses. The future will likely see doctors and nutritionists

recommending certain foods while discouraging consumption of others, based on diseasepredispositions and population studies. How far off such counseling may be is still uncertain.

A related area of interest that will probably play an increasingly important role in bothprevention and treatment of autoimmune disease is that ofprobiotics. Probiotics are the group of

naturally occurring or extrinsic microbial species that help perform essential intestinal functions.

Additive supplements contain different mixtures of beneficial bacteria, meant to either promotenormal healthy gut function and/or treat gastrointestinal disorders arising from an imbalance ofgut flora. Probiotics have demonstrated importance and efficacy in controlling a host of immune

responses, and have recently shown some promise in the treatment of type 1 diabetes.

Once our understanding of this seemingly crucial connection between the gut microbiome and

autoimmune illness is further elucidated, it will undoubtedly have implications for diagnosis ofdisease. It is reasonable to assume that when this knowledge is sufficiently expanded, we will

benefit from the development of diagnostic tests derived from an increased comprehension of the

role of the microbiome in disease states. The obvious benefit in early diagnosis is the ability to

begin treatment sooner, and hopefully halt progression of the disorder in question and improvesigns and symptoms of disease.

Towards this end, research such as that described above will continue to yield treatmentadvances. Just as some patients have experienced success using currently available probiotic

remedies, therapies designed to specifically alter certain aspects of the gut flora will no doubt

play a large role in the treatment of autoimmune conditions. Finding out how to tweak thismicrobial environment for our benefit will help to reduce inflammation and promote normal
http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1471491413001093http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1471491413001093http://www.neuro.mpg.de/49873/news_publication_4620085http://www.neuro.mpg.de/49873/news_publication_4620085http://www.autoimmunemom.com/diet/probiotics-gut-bacteria-autoimmune.htmlhttp://www.autoimmunemom.com/diet/probiotics-gut-bacteria-autoimmune.htmlhttp://www.neuro.mpg.de/49873/news_publication_4620085http://www.neuro.mpg.de/49873/news_publication_4620085http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1471491413001093http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1471491413001093


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functioning. Some such advances have already been seen inIBD patients who have received

fecal transplants from normal donors, at which point their symptoms significantly decline.

In light of all this information, there are also a few things that patients can do to help control the

integrity of the gut microbiome and prevent unnecessary illness. First, it is important to not take

antibiotics when they are not needed. Even most bacterial illnesses will resolve on their own, butwhen antibiotics are required, one should take them exactly as directed and only for the amount

of time required to treat the infection. As mentioned above with regard to C. diffinfection,

antibiotics, while immensely helpful in some situations, also have a negative impact on healthybacteria in the gut, especially when used for long periods of time. Unfortunately, there are

doctors out there who prescribe extended antibiotic regimens for diseases that dont exist or

dont require such treatment. Be wary of such prescriptions, and in the case of any doubt

regarding this therapy, please get a second opinion.

Similarly, unless you are directed to do so by a competent physician, DO NOT receive colonics

or perform similar cleanses that can potentially disrupt this delicate microbial community.

Despite the fact that such therapies mayfeelgood, they are generally not good for you, and arenot recommended, for reasons that should be clear by now. They may feel pleasant at the time or

immediately afterward, but these procedures have at best little to no effect on your health. In theworst case scenario, undergoing such ill-advised treatments can alter your gut flora substantially,

leading to any number of illnesses or complications, including nasty intestinal infections that are

then more difficult to eradicate. As always, when in doubt or considering new treatment

avenues, always err on the side of caution by consulting your healthcare provider.

Questions for your doctor:

Can you recommend a good source of information regarding the connection betweenautoimmunity and gut microbiome?

Are there certain foods that I should either avoid completely or be sure to consume, withregards to protecting the gut flora?

Based on my specific condition(s), which probiotic supplements might be helpful for mysymptoms and disease progression?

Are there any clinical trials that might be appropriate for me to participate in? Is there any place for colonics or other similar treatments in treating my disease or in

promoting general health? Do they actually detox the system? What are the risks?

About the AuthorDr. Rothbard is a professional medical writer and consultant based in New York City,specializing in medical education articles targeted at a variety of audiences, from children

through clinicians. After leaving medicine, he worked as a biology and medical science educator

for several years, before deciding to pursue writing full-time. He may be reached

[email protected].

This post contains opinions of the author. AutoimmuneMom.com
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/23034604http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/23034604mailto:[email protected]:[email protected]://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/23034604http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/23034604


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These are good notes. I wrote about foods that probably cause autoimmune disease at

http://jesusdiedandlives.wordpress.com . Great job!

Is coconut oil a thyroid cure? Not by itself. Can it help people with low thyroid function? Yes,

because it stimulates metabolism and boosts energy. For this reason, coconut oil has been a

blessing to many people who have been able to abandon their medications with the rightcombination of exercise, removal of processed foods, and a balanced diet.

Read the Full Article Here:http://preventdisease.com/news/13/032113_Get-Off-Your-Thyroid-Medication-And-Start-Consuming-Coconut-Oil.shtml

Hypothyroidism: The Unsuspected Illness by Dr. Broda Barnes

Includes 85 recipesFree shipping available!

Other articlesgo to homepage

Teenage Daughter Cured of Mono with Coconut Oil in less than 1 Week

My teenage daughter had been sick for two weeks and not getting any better.

Finally after several trips to the doctor she was diagnosed with mono (Mononucleosis).We were told there was nothing we could do and just wait it out as it could take weeks

or months to clear up.

I went online that night (Friday) and found testimonials regarding coconut oil. Went outthe next day and bought some.

By Monday she was feeling better. By Wednesday she felt almost normal.

Friday we went to the doctors and had he re-tested. The mono was gone. They checkedher spleen to make sure it wasnt enlarged (a symptom of mono), and it was normal.

She is a soccer player and was back out to practice by Monday. Truly an amazingturnaround.

Top Coconut Health Stories from 2013

Coconut oil and coconut health continued to make huge headlines in 2013. Find out

which stories made our top 10 most-read stories for 2013!

Coconut oil how-to and DIY articles once again dominated our top Coconut Healthstories in 2013. This reflects a growing trend where many more people know and

understand the health benefits of coconut oil, and are looking for ways to incorporate it

into their daily lives.

As far as new research published on coconut oil, there were several studies published in
http://jesusdiedandlives.wordpress.com/http://preventdisease.com/news/13/032113_Get-Off-Your-Thyroid-Medication-And-Start-Consuming-Coconut-Oil.shtmlhttp://preventdisease.com/news/13/032113_Get-Off-Your-Thyroid-Medication-And-Start-Consuming-Coconut-Oil.shtmlhttp://preventdisease.com/news/13/032113_Get-Off-Your-Thyroid-Medication-And-Start-Consuming-Coconut-Oil.shtmlhttp://preventdisease.com/news/13/032113_Get-Off-Your-Thyroid-Medication-And-Start-Consuming-Coconut-Oil.shtmlhttp://www.tropicaltraditions.com/book_virgin_coconut_oil.htmhttp://www.tropicaltraditions.com/book_virgin_coconut_oil.htmhttp://www.tropicaltraditions.com/book_virgin_coconut_oil.htmhttp://www.tropicaltraditions.com/book_virgin_coconut_oil.htmhttp://healthimpactnews.com/http://healthimpactnews.com/http://healthimpactnews.com/2014/teen-age-daughter-cured-of-mono-with-coconut-oil-in-less-than-1-week/http://healthimpactnews.com/2014/teen-age-daughter-cured-of-mono-with-coconut-oil-in-less-than-1-week/http://healthimpactnews.com/2013/top-coconut-health-stories-from-2013/http://healthimpactnews.com/2013/top-coconut-health-stories-from-2013/http://healthimpactnews.com/2013/top-coconut-health-stories-from-2013/http://healthimpactnews.com/2014/teen-age-daughter-cured-of-mono-with-coconut-oil-in-less-than-1-week/http://healthimpactnews.com/2013/top-coconut-health-stories-from-2013/http://healthimpactnews.com/2014/teen-age-daughter-cured-of-mono-with-coconut-oil-in-less-than-1-week/http://healthimpactnews.com/2013/top-coconut-health-stories-from-2013/http://healthimpactnews.com/2014/teen-age-daughter-cured-of-mono-with-coconut-oil-in-less-than-1-week/http://healthimpactnews.com/http://www.tropicaltraditions.com/book_virgin_coconut_oil.htmhttp://preventdisease.com/news/13/032113_Get-Off-Your-Thyroid-Medication-And-Start-Consuming-Coconut-Oil.shtmlhttp://preventdisease.com/news/13/032113_Get-Off-Your-Thyroid-Medication-And-Start-Consuming-Coconut-Oil.shtmlhttp://jesusdiedandlives.wordpress.com/


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