What Is Driving The Increase In Thyroid Conditions – Heavy Metals
To understand what is driving the increase in thyroid conditions, it’s prudent to look at where in the world thyroid issues are most prominent. First on the list is the United States, followed by China and India. What do all of these countries have in common? The people who live in all three countries have the highest exposure to heavy metals in the world. As you will soon see, heavy metal toxicity is the main factor driving the significant increase in thyroid conditions.
What Does The Thyroid Gland Do?
The thyroid gland is responsible for producing hormones that regulate metabolism, growth and development, energy levels, and body temperature. These hormones, triiodothyronine (T3) and thyroxine (T4), are produced by the thyroid gland using iodine from the foods we eat.1
What Is Driving The Increase In Thyroid Conditions?
Common heavy metals that affect thyroid health include mercury, lead, and cadmium. Aluminum also has a detrimental effect on the thyroid. These metals disrupt normal thyroid function by interfering with the production of hormones as well as blocking their absorption in the body. In addition to directly affecting hormone levels, heavy metals also indirectly impact thyroid health by damaging the thyroid gland and the hypothalamus.2
What Is Driving The Increase In Thyroid Conditions – Mercury
Once inside the body, mercury disrupts various systems and organs including the thyroid gland. When exposed to mercury, the thyroid gland becomes inflamed and damaged, leading to dysfunction and ultimately resulting in thyroid conditions.
One of the ways mercury affects the thyroid is by binding to sulfur-containing amino acids found in proteins that are essential for thyroid hormone production. This interference hinders the normal functioning of the gland, leading to imbalances in hormone levels.
Additionally, mercury also contributes to autoimmune reactions within the body. Autoimmune diseases occur when the immune system mistakenly attacks healthy cells instead of foreign invaders. In this case, exposure to mercury triggers an autoimmune response against the thyroid gland, resulting in conditions such as Hashimoto’s thyroiditis or Graves’ disease.
Furthermore, mercury also disrupts the conversion of the inactive T4 to the active form, T3, leading to an underactive thyroid. This condition, known as hypothyroidism, causes symptoms such as fatigue, weight gain, and depression.3
What Is Driving The Increase In Thyroid Conditions – Lead
Lead has been shown to interfere with the production of thyroid hormones. Like mercury, lead impacts thyroid function by inhibiting the conversion of T4 into T3 and is also linked to Hashimoto’s thyroiditis and Grave’s disease.4
What Is Driving The Increase In Thyroid Conditions – Cadmium
Cadmium is linked to causing hyperthyroidism or an overactive thyroid. It mimics the effects of iodine in the body, leading to increased production of thyroid hormones and subsequent symptoms such as weight loss, rapid heart rate, and tremors.5
What Is Driving The Increase In Thyroid Conditions – Aluminum
Studies have shown that aluminum increases the risk of developing thyroid nodules. Aluminum is a common ingredient found in many personal care products such as antiperspirants, which are applied directly to the skin. The aluminum is absorbed through the skin and accumulates in the body, causing harm to various organs including the thyroid gland.
In addition to personal care products, aluminum is also found in processed foods, cookware, and even tap water due to contamination from industrial processes. This means that we are constantly exposed to this toxic metal unknowingly.6
What Is Driving The Increase In Thyroid Conditions – The Combination of Mercury and Aluminum
While mercury or aluminum is harmful to the thyroid alone, the combination of both metals is far more detrimental. This is because mercury and aluminum have synergistic effects, meaning that when combined, they have a greater impact on the body than if they were separate.
When both mercury and aluminum are present in the body, they both contribute to thyroid dysfunction by causing problems upstream, in the hypothalamus. Mercury and aluminum both cross the blood-brain barrier and accumulate in the hypothalamus, the control center of the endocrine system.7 More about this later.
Heavy Metal Toxicity Causes Cellular Membrane Inflammation And Hormone Resistance
Heavy metals drive cellular membrane inflammation throughout our body. This inflammation is the underlying factor behind nearly all degenerative diseases. Cellular membrane inflammation alters the shape of hormone receptors. This change prevents thyroid hormone from effectively sending its messages into the cell, leading to a condition known as thyroid hormone resistance.
Interestingly, this phenomenon is not only limited to thyroid hormone but also affects other hormones like insulin, estrogen, testosterone, and leptin. The root cause of this resistance lies in toxin-induced inflammation of the cellular membrane.8 9
Glyphosate Increases The Bioaccumulation Of Heavy Metals In The Hypothalamus
Glyphosate, the main ingredient in Roundup, increases the permeability of the blood-brain barrier (BBB), which is responsible for regulating what enters and exits the brain. The BBB is crucial for maintaining the health and proper functioning of the brain, as it only allows essential nutrients and molecules to pass through while keeping out toxins and other harmful substances. However, when these proteins are compromised by glyphosate, they are no longer able to properly regulate what enters and exits the brain. This increased permeability allows harmful substances like mercury and aluminum to enter the brain more easily. As a result, even more toxic heavy metals accumulate in the hypothalamus.10
The Increase In Thyroid Conditions Is The Downstream Result Of Hypothalamus Dysfunction
Thyroid conditions are often a downstream result of hypothalamus dysfunction. I know this from experience. When I was 34 years old, I became extremely sick for no apparent reason. For me, it started with constant fatigue and a noticeable decline in my muscle mass. This made no sense to me, as I was training for mountain bike competitions. To make matters worse, I also experienced brain fog, bouts of anxiety, and irritability on a daily basis. As if that wasn’t enough, I also struggled with sleeping problems and digestive issues.
However, the most unexpected health issue that came my way was multiple chemical sensitivity (MCS). It was so bad that I couldn’t handle a second of my children crying and the smell of cologne was unbearable. I would have to have my wife remove the children from the house when they cried and I couldn’t deal with clients that used cologne or perfume.
My symptoms lined up with either thyroid dysfunction or adrenal fatigue. However, blood tests indicated that I was as healthy as ever. As the months passed, my symptoms only got worse. I spent countless hours researching what was causing my mysterious illness. I continued to circle back to mercury toxicity, but blood tests always indicated this wasn’t the issue.
It was only after I discussed my problems with a top endocrinologist that the issue of mercury toxicity came up again. He believed I was suffering from the chronic accumulation of mercury and that it wouldn’t show up on a blood test, as mercury accumulated in my hypothalamus over the course of decades. At that point, everything made sense, as I had silver dental fillings that contained 50% mercury and I also used contact lens solution that contained mercury for decades.
As heavy metals accumulate in the hypothalamus, the control center of the endocrine system no longer functions properly. Like an airport without the control tower, this disarray results in hormone dysfunction throughout the body and manifests as thyroid dysfunction, among other conditions.
Removing Heavy Metals With The 5Rs Is The Key To Getting Well
As soon as I realized what was making me sick, I took steps to remove mercury and other toxins from my body and from my brain. I have since coined this process the 5Rs. In short, cellular detoxification is the key to addressing thyroid conditions. As part of the Pompa Program, the brain phase focuses on removing heavy metals from the hypothalamus to restore endocrine function so we can finally address thyroid conditions at the core. For more in depth information on the 5Rs, join me in my free webinar.
Read more about my story and how I got to the root cause of my mysterious illness.
What Is Driving The Increase In Thyroid Conditions – Heavy Metals
Heavy metal toxicity is driving the increase in thyroid conditions. First, heavy metals directly affect the function of the thyroid gland, as they disable the conversion of T4 into T3. Second, heavy metals are behind autoimmune thyroid conditions. Additionally, heavy metals cause cellular membrane inflammation that leads to hormone resistance. When this happens, thyroid hormone is unable to connect to receptors on the cellular membrane and direct cellular metabolism. Finally, heavy metals cross the BBB and accumulate in the hypothalamus, affecting the entire endocrine system, including the thyroid.
The only real solution is to remove these heavy metals from the body and the brain. If we eliminate the upstream factors that are causing thyroid disease, the body can naturally regain normal hormone function.
To learn even more about how heavy metal toxicity causes thyroid conditions, join me in my free webinar or read more about some other toxins that affect the thyroid.
References
1 Thyroid disease: assessment and management. London: National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE); 2019 Nov 20. (NICE Guideline, No. 145.) Available from: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK550859/
2 Chen A, Kim SS, Chung E, Dietrich KN. Thyroid hormones in relation to lead, mercury, and cadmium exposure in the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey, 2007-2008. Environ Health Perspect. 2013 Feb;121(2):181-6. doi: 10.1289/ehp.1205239. Epub 2012 Nov 16. PMID: 23164649; PMCID: PMC3569681.
3 Pamphlett R, Doble PA, Bishop DP. Mercury in the human thyroid gland: Potential implications for thyroid cancer, autoimmune thyroiditis, and hypothyroidism. PLoS One. 2021 Feb 9;16(2):e0246748. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0246748. PMID: 33561145; PMCID: PMC7872292.
4 Rivera-Buse JE, Patajalo-Villalta SJ, Donadi EA, Barbosa F Junior, Magalhães PKR, Maciel LMZ. Impact of lead exposure on the thyroid glands of individuals living in high- or low-lead exposure areas. Medicine (Baltimore). 2023 Mar 24;102(12):e33292. doi: 10.1097/MD.0000000000033292. PMID: 36961188; PMCID: PMC10036069.
5 Buha A, Matovic V, Antonijevic B, Bulat Z, Curcic M, Renieri EA, Tsatsakis AM, Schweitzer A, Wallace D. Overview of Cadmium Thyroid Disrupting Effects and Mechanisms. Int J Mol Sci. 2018 May 17;19(5):1501. doi: 10.3390/ijms19051501. PMID: 29772829; PMCID: PMC5983752.
6 Li A, Zhou Q, Mei Y, Zhao J, Zhao M, Xu J, Ge X, Li Y, Li K, Yang M, Xu Q. Thyroid disrupting effects of multiple metals exposure: Comprehensive investigation from the thyroid parenchyma to hormonal function in a prospective cohort study. J Hazard Mater. 2023 Oct 5;459:132115. doi: 10.1016/j.jhazmat.2023.132115. Epub 2023 Jul 22. PMID: 37499494.
7 Alexandrov PN, Pogue AI, Lukiw WJ. Synergism in aluminum and mercury neurotoxicity. Integr Food Nutr Metab. 2018 May;5(3):10.15761/IFNM.1000214. doi: 10.15761/IFNM.1000214. Epub 2018 Apr 13. PMID: 29938114; PMCID: PMC6013271.
8 Haidar Z, Fatema K, Shoily SS, Sajib AA. Disease-associated metabolic pathways affected by heavy metals and metalloid. Toxicol Rep. 2023 Apr 24;10:554-570. doi: 10.1016/j.toxrep.2023.04.010. PMID: 37396849; PMCID: PMC10313886.
9 Straub RH. Interaction of the endocrine system with inflammation: a function of energy and volume regulation. Arthritis Res Ther. 2014 Feb 13;16(1):203. doi: 10.1186/ar4484. PMID: 24524669; PMCID: PMC3978663.
10 Costas-Ferreira C, Durán R, Faro LRF. Toxic Effects of Glyphosate on the Nervous System: A Systematic Review. Int J Mol Sci. 2022 Apr 21;23(9):4605. doi: 10.3390/ijms23094605. PMID: 35562999; PMCID: PMC9101768.
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