Minerals: Iodine and Selenium
Selenium and Iodine
Zoe Nance
www.zoefitness.com
In recent years there seems to be a rise in Thyroid related diseases. I have been researching the mechanisms of nutritional support and the possible interaction of Iodine and Selenium on the observed increases in thyroid related diseases.
The general functions of the thyroid gland are to control how quickly the body uses energy, to make proteins, and to control how sensitive the body should be to other hormones. The thyroid gland participates in these processes by producing thyroid hormones, the principal hormones being triiodothyronine (T3) and thyroxine(T4). These hormones regulate the rate of metabolism and affect the growth and rate of function of many other systems in the body. T3 and T4 are synthesized from both iodine and tyrosine. The thyroid also produces calcitonin, which plays a role in calcium homeostasis (This is fascinating because there seems to be a continuous increase in the diagnosis of osteopenia and osteoporosis even in the presence of calcium supplementation. It is possible that it may be related to Thyroid function; it may also be related to Ph levels of the blood. Blood Ph levels below neutral 7 seem to be associated with eating acid producing foods that are traditionally found in the American diet. These foods include: alcohol, soft drinks (pop),tobacco, coffee, white sugar, refined Salt, artificial sweeteners, antibiotics (and most drugs),white flour products (including pasta), seafood, white vinegar, barley, most boxed cereals, cheese, most beans, flesh meats, and most types of bread.
Hormonal output from the thyroid is regulated by thyroid-stimulating hormone (TSH) produced by the anterior pituitary, which is regulated by thyrotropin-releasing hormone (TRH) produced by the hypothalamus.
There is much known about Iodine’s role in the health of the Thyroid. It helps protect the body from radiation toxicity and aids the Thyroid in increasing the production of T3 and T4, which may help in prevention of hypothyroidism, as well as calcium disturbances.
Recently there has been a consumer shift from NaCl, table salt, to eating more natural sea salt, which may or may not be fortified with Iodine. This has me asking, are there new populations that may not be getting enough Iodine in their diet?
Hypothyroidism is the underproduction of the thyroid hormones T3 and T4. Hypothyroid disorders may occur as a result of congenital thyroid abnormalities, autoimmune disorders such as Hashimoto’s thyroiditis, iodine deficiency or the removal of the thyroid following surgery to treat severe hyperthyroidism and/or thyroid cancer. Typical symptoms are abnormal weight gain, tiredness, baldness, cold intolerance, and bradycardia.
Recently my attention has shifted to the mineral Selenium. Selenium works along side with Iodine in some Thyroid related diseases.
Selenium is a naturally occurring mineral generally found in soil and water. Foods grown in these types of environments contain the mineral, Selenium. There are some regions that the soil is deficient in Selenium.
There is growing evidence that the Industrial Farming Revolution is depleting the naturally occurring minerals, like Iodine and Selenium, in our soil and our vegetables. The mineral depletion of the soil will subsequently also be seen in meat sources. Eating food that is depleted of naturally occurring minerals could potentially lead to mineral deficiency. It has been documented that the mineral content of vegetables grown with conventional means has decreased by over 10%.
Selenium deficiency is a known trigger for several different autoimmune diseases including thyroid disorders and psoriasis. Selenium deficiency also causes susceptibility to heart disease and to viral infections. Selenium deficiency can lead to Keshan disease, which can be potentially fatal. Selenium deficiency also contributes (along with iodine deficiency) to Kashin-Beck disease. The primary symptom of Keshan disease is myocardial necrosis, leading to weakening of the heart. Kashin-Beck disease results in atrophy, degeneration and necrosis of cartilage tissue. Keshan disease also makes the body more susceptible to illness caused by other nutritional, biochemical, or infectious diseases.
Selenium is necessary for the conversion of the thyroid hormone thyroxine (T4) into its more active counterpart, triiodothyronine, and as such a deficiency can cause symptoms of hypothyroidism, including extreme fatigue, mental slowing, goitre, cretinism and recurrent miscarriage.
Rich selenium food sources are · Brazil nuts (one of the most concentrated selenium food sources) · mushrooms (button, shiitake, reishi) · fish (cod, flounder, halibut, herring, mackerel, salmon, smelts, red snapper, swordfish, tuna) · seafood (lobster, oyster, scallops, shellfish, shrimp).
Other foods with selenium include · blackstrap molasses · brewer’s yeast · butter · cheddar, cottage, and mozzarella cheese · egg · chives, garlic, onions, horseradish · herbs (alfalfa, burdock root, catnip, fennel seed, ginseng, raspberry leaf) · meat (beef, chicken, lamb, turkey) · raisins · sunflower and mustard seeds · vegetables (asparagus, broccoli, radish, spinach) · walnuts · wheat germ · whole grains and wholegrain products (oats, barley, brown rice, rye).
With the diagnosis of hypothyroidism, a disease that is related to calcium homeostasis, as well some skin disorders; I would suggest having your medical doctor test your blood levels of Iodine and Selenium. There is evidence with the depletion of our soil from industrial farming that the food that we are eating may be deficient in the necessary minerals our bodies need to function.