Thyroid
Health and The Coconut Diet ™
Many Americans suffer
from symptoms such as cold hands and feet, low body temperature, sensitivity to
cold, a feeling of always being chilled, headaches, insomnia, dry skin, puffy
eyes, hair loss, brittle nails, joint aches, constipation, mental dullness,
fatigue, frequent infections, hoarse voice, ringing in the ears, dizziness, loss
of libido, and weight gain, which is sometimes uncontrollable. Approximately 65
percent of the U. S. population is overweight; 30 percent is clinically obese.
Research is pointing to the fact that an under active thyroid might be the
number one cause of weight problems, especially among women, in the US
today.
"Virgin Coconut Oil offers great hope for those suffering from
hypothyroidism (low thyroid function) today. I didn't even realize how much
hypothyroidism was affecting my life till I started on the Virgin Coconut Oil
and suddenly had energy like the Energizer Bunny! I also gave up the white
toxins (wheat flour, refined sugar, potatoes, and other high-glycemic index
foods) and that, in combination with my Virgin Coconut Oil consumption has made
a tremendous difference in my hormonal balance, mood stability, stamina and
overall energy. And, I'm slowly but steadily losing a little bit of weight
without effort. Ya gotta love that!" Julia (Coconut Diet
Forums)
"I have had
SEVERELY low thyroid for nearly two years now and nothing I tried corrected it.
Being a naturalist, I did NOT want to end up taking Synthroid. When my daughter
showed me your website, I was so excited to try the Coconut Oil. I took 3
tablespoons a day and within two months, I returned to my physician and she just
couldn't believe that EVERYTHING on my tests was once again normal! She was so
enthused that she has prescribed your product to three other thyroid patients
since then. Your product took me out of the doom and gloom I suffered for so
very long! My muscles have returned to normal... The mental fog, depression,
hoarse voice, swollen face/eyes and all my other symptoms have disappeared!"
"Thanks
for saving my life, Tropical Traditions!!!"
AJ Nevada, Las Vegas
We have received many other comments such as these
from those using Tropical Traditions Virgin Coconut Oil with
hypothyroidism.
Hypothyroidism Reaching Epidemic
Proportions
In 1995, researchers studied 25,862 participants
at the Colorado statewide health fair. They discovered that among patients not
taking thyroid medication, 8.9 percent were hypothyroid (under-active thyroid)
and 1.1 percent were hyperthyroid (over-active thyroid). This indicates 9.9
percent of the population had a thyroid problem that had most likely gone
unrecognized. These figures suggest that nationally, there may be as many as 13
million Americans with an undiagnosed thyroid
problem.1
In her book Living Well With Hypothyroidism: What
Your Doctor Doesn't Tell You. . . That You Need to Know, Mary Shomon quotes
endocrinologist Kenneth Blanchard, M.D., of Lower Newton Falls, Massachusetts as
saying, “The key thing is . . . doctors are always told that TSH is the test
that gives us a yes or no answer. And, in fact, I think that's fundamentally
wrong. The pituitary TSH is controlled not just by how much T4 and T3 is in
circulation, but T4 is getting converted to T3 at the pituitary level. Excess T3
generated at the pituitary level can falsely suppress TSH.”2 Hence,
many people who are simply tested for TSH levels and are found to be within
“normal” range are, in fact, suffering from thyroid problems that are going
undetected.
Ridha Arem, MD, Associate Professor of Medicine in
the Division of Endocrinology and Metabolism at Baylor College of Medicine,
agrees. He says that hypothyroidism may exist despite "normal range" TSH
levels.
In his book The Thyroid Solution he says:
"Many people may be suffering from minute
imbalances that have not yet resulted in abnormal blood tests. If we included
people with low-grade hypothyroidism whose blood tests are normal, the frequency
of hypothyroidism would no doubt exceed 10 percent of the population. What is of
special concern, though, is that many people whose test results are dismissed as
normal could continue to have symptoms of an under active thyroid. Their moods,
emotions, and overall well-being are affected by this imbalance, yet they are
not receiving the care they need to get to the root of their problems. Even if
the TSH level is in the lower segment of normal range, a person may still be
suffering from low-grade hypothyroidism." 3
Thus, if we
were to include those who may be suffering from “low-grade hypothyroidism,” the
number could well be double the 13 million estimate from the Colorado
study.
What is Causing This
Epidemic?
While more research needs to be done, it is
generally accepted that diet plays a major role in thyroid health. For decades
we have known that low iodine intake leads to low thyroid function and
eventually to goiter. Iodized salt was intended to solve this problem, but it
has not been the answer. There are a number of foods known as goitrogens
that block iodine. Two goitrogens are quite prevalent in the American
diet—peanuts and peanut butter and soybeans used most often in prepared foods as
textured vegetable protein (a refined soy food) and soybean
oil.
The rise of
industrialization, corporate farming, and mass production of food has
drastically changed our food supply from what our ancestors ate. Many studies
show the detrimental effects of refined sugars and grains on our health. These
foods are very taxing on the thyroid gland, and we consume them in large
quantities.
Environmental
stress such as chemical pollutants, pesticides, mercury, and fluoride are also
tough on the thyroid. A growing body of evidence suggests that fluoride, which
is prevalent in toothpaste and water treatment, may inhibit the functioning of
the thyroid gland. Additionally, mercury may diminish thyroid function because
it displaces the trace mineral selenium, and selenium is involved in conversion
of thyroid hormones T4 to T3.
The Truth About Fats and
Oils
Many dietary
oils can negatively affect thyroid health. We cook with them almost every day
and they are plentiful in commercially prepared foods. Expeller-pressed or
solvent-extracted oils only became a major part of the American diet in the last
century. It is possible they are among the worst offenders when it comes to the
thyroid. They are known as vegetable oils or polyunsaturated oils. The most
common source of these oils used in commercially prepared foods is the
soybean.
Large-scale
cultivation of soybeans in the United States began after World War II and
quickly increased to 140 billion pounds per year. Most of the crops are
produced for animal feed and soy oil for hydrogenated fats such as margarine and
shortening. Today, it is nearly impossible to eat at restaurants or buy packaged
foods that don’t have soy oil in the ingredients. Often labels simply state
“vegetable oil.”
Ray
Peat Ph.D., a physiologist who has worked with progesterone and related hormones
since 1968, says that the sudden surge of polyunsaturated oils into the food
chain post World War II has caused many changes in hormones. He
writes:
"Their
[polyunsaturated oils] best understood effect is their interference with the
function of the thyroid gland. Unsaturated oils block thyroid hormone
secretion, its movement in the circulatory system, and the response of tissues
to the hormone. When the thyroid hormone is deficient, the body is generally
exposed to increased levels of estrogen. The thyroid hormone is essential for
making the ‘protective hormones’ progesterone and pregnenolone, so these
hormones are lowered when anything interferes with the function of the thyroid.
The thyroid hormone is required for using and eliminating cholesterol, so
cholesterol is likely to be raised by anything which blocks the thyroid
function." 4
There is a
growing body of research concerning soy’s detrimental affect on the thyroid
gland. Much of this research centers on the phytoestrogens ("phyto" means
plant) that are found in soy. In the 1960s when soy was introduced into infant
formulas, it was shown that soy was goitrogenic and caused goiters in babies.
When iodine was supplemented, the incidence of goiter reduced dramatically.
However, a retrospective epidemiological study by Fort, et al. showed that
teenaged children with a diagnosis of autoimmune thyroid disease were
significantly more likely to have received soy formula as infants (18 out of 59
children; 31 percent) when compared to healthy siblings (nine out of 76, 12
percent) or control group children (seven out of 54; 13 percent).5
When healthy
individuals without any previous thyroid disease were fed 30 grams of pickled
soybeans per day for one month, Ishizuki, et al. reported goiter and elevated
individual thyroid stimulating hormone (TSH) levels (although still within the
normal range) in thirty-seven healthy, iodine-sufficient adults. One month
after stopping soybean consumption, individual TSH values decreased to the
original levels and goiters were reduced in
size.6
Traditionally, polyunsaturated oils such as soybean oil have been used
for livestock feed because they cause the animals to gain weight. These oils
are made up of what is known as long chain fatty acids—the kind of fatty acids
that promote weight gain. In the North Carolina State University's Extension
Swine Husbandry 1998-2000 Departmental report, for example, was a study entitled
“EFFECT OF DIETARY FAT SOURCE, LEVEL, AND FEEDING INTERVAL ON PORK FATTY ACID
COMPOSITION” by M.T. See and J. Odle. Ironically, since the market in its
low-fat dogma of recent years is demanding leaner meats, this study showed that
one could produce leaner meat and reduce the weight on swine by reducing their
intake of soy oil and substituting it with saturated animal
fat!7
According to Dr. Ray Peat, the fattening effect of polyunsaturated oils
(primarily soy and corn) is due to the presence of Linoleic and linolenic acids,
long-chain fatty acids, which have an anti-thyroid effect. Peat
says:
"Linoleic and linolenic acids, the "essential fatty acids," and other
polyunsaturated fatty acids, which are now fed to pigs to fatten them, in the
form of corn and soy beans, cause the animals' fat to be chemically equivalent
to vegetable oil. In the late 1940s, chemical toxins were used to suppress the
thyroid function of pigs, to make them get fatter while consuming less food.
When that was found to be carcinogenic, it was then found that corn and soy
beans had the same antithyroid effect, causing the animals to be fattened at low
cost. The animals' fat becomes chemically similar to the fats in their food,
causing it to be equally toxic, and equally fattening."
8
Of course in
the 1940s the fat from pigs (lard) was highly desirable, as were most saturated
fats. Today, saturated fats are fed to pigs to keep them lean, while most people
buy polyunsaturated soy and corn oils in the grocery stores as their primary
cooking oil! So we have a population now characterized by lean pigs and obese
people…
Coconut Oil: A-Healthy Choice for the
Thyroid
Coconut oil,
on the other hand, is a saturated fat made up primarily of medium chain fatty
acids. Also known as medium chain triglycerides (MCTs), medium chain fatty acids
are known to increase metabolism and promote weight loss. Coconut oil can also
raise basal body temperatures while increasing metabolism. This is good news for
people who suffer with low thyroid function. We have seen many testimonies to
this effect
"The 'proof is in the pudding'. Try it yourself and then you
be the judge. All these people certainly can't "be wrong". Everyone will
experience different benefits, some more than others, but definitely something.
In my own personal experience, I was suffering with hypothyroidism that even
prescription medications couldn't help. After a few short weeks of taking Virgin
Coconut Oil, my reading was normal for the first time in a year. I use it on my
skin after a shower and no longer struggle with the incredibly dry skin that
often goes along with hypothyroidism, and I have used it on my hair as a
conditioner. All I can say that the phrase 'The world's perfect food' is quite
accurate. Try it and see for yourself. Warmly," Melanie (Coconut Diet
Forums)
"I began taking coconut oil to address a hypothyroid issue.
Recently, especially over the last month, thyroid activity plunged and my
temperatures would top out for the day somewhere between 97.2 and 97.8.
Definitely hypothyroid territory. Now in just a couple of days the coconut oil
has boosted my metabolism back toward the normal range (still subnormal but
getting there) and my sleep has been incredible. From past experience with
thyroid management, I know that--in my case--greatly improved sleep and feelings
of rejuvenation after sleep are related to more normal thyroid activity.
Whatever the precise mechanism, it's a welcome development." Mike (Coconut Diet
Forums)
Coconut
Oil and Oxidative Stress
One of the reasons the long chain fatty acids in
vegetable oils are so damaging to the thyroid is that they oxidize quickly and
become rancid. Food manufacturers know about this propensity towards rancidity
and, therefore, highly refine their vegetable oils. Considerable research has
shown that trans fatty acids, present when vegetable oils are highly refined
(hydrogenated or partially hydrogenated), are especially damaging to cell tissue
and can have a negative affect on the thyroid as well as health in general.
Because the longer chain fatty acids are deposited in cells more often as rancid
and oxidizing fat, impairment of the conversion of thyroid hormone T4 to T3
occurs, which is symptomatic of hypothyroidism. To create the enzymes needed to
convert fats to energy, T4 must be converted to T3.
Dr. Ray Peat
says:
"When the oils are stored in our tissues, they are
much warmer, and more directly exposed to oxygen than they would be in the
seeds, and so their tendency to oxidize is very great. These oxidative processes
can damage enzymes and other parts of cells, and especially their ability to
produce energy. The enzymes which break down proteins are inhibited by
unsaturated fats; these enzymes are needed not only for digestion, but also for
production of thyroid hormones, clot removal, immunity, and the general
adaptability of cells. The risks of abnormal blood clotting, inflammation,
immune deficiency, shock, aging, obesity, and cancer are increased. Thyroid
[hormones] and progesterone are decreased."
"Since the unsaturated oils block protein
digestion in the stomach, we can be malnourished even while "eating well." There
are many changes in hormones caused by unsaturated fats. Their best understood
effect is their interference with the function of the thyroid gland. Unsaturated
oils block thyroid hormone secretion, its movement in the circulatory system,
and the response of tissues to the hormone. Coconut oil is unique in its ability
to prevent weight-gain or cure obesity, by stimulating metabolism. It is quickly
metabolized, and functions in some ways as an antioxidant."
9
Because coconut oil is saturated and very stable
(unrefined coconut oil has a shelf life of about three to five years at room
temperature), the body is not burdened with oxidative stress as it is with the
vegetable oils. Coconut oil does not require the enzyme stress that vegetable
oils do, preventing T4 to T3 hormone conversion, not only because it is a stable
oil, but also because it is processed differently in the body and does not need
to be broken down by enzyme dependent processes as do long chain fatty acids.
Also, since the liver is the main place where damage occurs from oxidized and
rancid oils that cause cell membrane damage, and since the liver is where much
of the conversion of T4 to T3 takes place, eliminating long chain fatty acids
from the diet and replacing them with medium chain fatty acids found in coconut
oil can, in time, help in rebuilding cell membranes and increasing enzyme
production that will assist in promoting the conversion of T4 to T3
hormones.
More research in this area is necessary. In the
meantime, those switching from polyunsaturated oils to coconut oil are reporting
many positive results. For example, Donna has experienced encouraging
improvements in her thyroid health.
She writes:
"I've been on coconut oil since September, 2002 and,
although, that doesn't seem like long, it has changed my life and the lives of
my family and friends. My weight actually went UP when I started on coconut oil
but I felt so GREAT! Being hypothyroid, I was on Synthroid and Cytomel and had
been for years, but with inconsistent results and feeling worse. Other changes
besides the addition of coconut oil were the complete removal of soy (and that
is a major challenge in itself!), all trans fatty acids, no refined sugar, and
organ cleanses seasonally. My thyroid meds were discontinued with my doctor's
knowledge as I was getting too energetic and having trouble sleeping!
[Imagine], from being a “sleepaholic” couch potato that was cold! My weight
stayed steady until the last three weeks and it has now started the downward
move. My goal was health and just believed the weight would come off when I
found the right diet and exercise routine that my life was comfortable with.
I've tried removing the coconut oil but my energy drops and I don't feel as
good." Donna (Coconut Diet Forums)
Another coconut oil user
writes
"I have experienced
thyroid problems . . . body temperature not going above 97 degrees, cold hands
and feet, can't lose weight, fatigued, slow heart rate, can't sleep some nights,
dry skin, etc..... My doctor did the thyroid test and it came back normal. I am
46 and peri-menopausal. My Naturopath symptomatically diagnosed me with
hypothyroidism. She explained the blood tests currently used by allopathic
medicine are not sensitive enough. I started on the coconut oil 5 weeks ago. In
the first week I noticed my body temperature had risen and my resting heart rate
had gone from 49 to 88 beats per minute. This has since settled to 66. My
energy is now really high and I am slowly losing the weight - 3 lbs. in the past
5 weeks. I also had been taking flaxseed oil and gamma linoleic acid oil but
have stopped eating every other oil but what Dr. Raymond Peat recommends, which
is coconut oil, olive oil and butter… I take 3 tablespoons of coconut oil
daily." Cindy (Coconut Diet
Forums)
References:
1. Gay J. Canaris,
MD, MSPH; Neil R. Manowitz, PhD; Gilbert Mayor, MD; E. Chester Ridgway, MD The
Colorado Thyroid Disease Prevalence Study Arch Intern Med.
2000;160:526-534.
2. Mary Shomon,
Living Well With Hypothyroidism: What Your Doctor Doesn't Tell You. . . That
You Need to Know (New York Harper Collins,
2002)
3. Ridha Arem,
The Thyroid Solution : A Mind-Body Program for Beating Depression and
Regaining Your Emotional and Physical Health, (New York: Ballantine
Books,1999)
4. Raymond Peat Newsletter
"Unsaturated Vegetable Oils Toxic” 1996
5. P. Fort, N. Moses, M. Fasano, T. Goldberg and F. Lifshitz
“Breast and soy –formula feeding in early infancy and the prevalence of
autoimmune thyroid disease in children”’J. Am. Col. Nutr.
1990;(9):164-167.
6. Daniel R.
Doerge, Hebron C. Chang, “Inactivation of thyroid peroxidase by soy
isoflavones in vitro and in vivo” Journal of Chromatography B Vol.
777 (1, 2); 25; September 2002: 269-79
7. M.T. See
and J. Odle, “EFFECT OF DIETARY FAT SOURCE, LEVEL, AND FEEDING INTERVAL ON PORK
FATTY ACID COMPOSITION” 1998-2000 Departmental Report, Department of Animal
Science, ANS Report No. 248 - North Carolina State
University
8. Raymond
Peat Newsletter "Unsaturated Vegetable Oils Toxic” 1996
9. Raymond
Peat Newsletter "Unsaturated Vegetable Oils Toxic” 1996