Hypothyroidism, temperature regulation, and ethnoscience - Medical Anthropology

Townsend Letter for Doctors and Patients, July, 2003 by Tim Batchelder

* Radishes which have long been used in Russia for treating thyroid problems, according to medical anthropologist John Heinerman, PhD. Russian researchers note that one chemical in radishes, raphanin, helps keep levels of thyroid hormones in balance.

* Guggul, which is shown to improve thyroid function and increase weight loss by enhancing metabolism according to one three-month study reported in the Journal of Ethnopharmacology (1991).

* Forskolin which may raise cAMP levels in cells, dilates blood vessels and may increase thyroid hormone secretion.

* Mustard greens which are a great source of tyrosine, an amino acid used to make thyroxine, which is also found in decreasing order in velvet bean seeds, carob, winged beans, bean sprouts, lupines, soybeans, oats, peanuts, spinach, watercress, sesame seeds, butternut squash, chaya, chives, fava beans, lamb's-quarters, pigweed, pumpkin seeds, snowpeas and cabbage.

* Rhodiola which has a central stimulant action and increases tolerance to anoxia, fatigue, microwave irradiation, poisoning by strychnine, tetanin, and other toxins, regulates brain functions, leukocyte count, blood glucose, promotes protein hydrolysis, and enhances the functions of the thyroid gland, adrenals, and ovaries.

* Walnuts which are used as remedies for various glandular disorders, including thyroid problems, in Turkish folk medicine. In one study, the fresh juice of green walnuts doubled levels of thyroxine. A decoction of green walnuts, made by boiling them for about 20 minutes, boosted thyroxine at least 30%, according to Duke.

* Other important drugs for hypothyroid include bugleweed, lemon balm, self-heal and verbena. These same herbs also help with Graves' disease, a condition that involves too much thyroid hormone, because they seem to have the ability to normalize thyroid hormone levels.

Eastern Pharmaceuticals

Subhuti Dharmananda, PhD, Director, Institute for Traditional Medicine, Portland, Oregon has an excellent article online on the TCM approach to thyroid disorders at http://www.itmonline.org/arts/thyroid.htm in which he notes that current medical treatments for hypothyroid are insufficient because it is so hard to regulate levels of thyroid hormone in the body using supplements or drugs. Yet he notes that thyroid disease is commonly treated in China using herbs. The fatigue, water retention, and chills characteristic of hypothyroidism are standard symptoms belonging to traditional categories such as, qi and yang deficiency. Hypothyroidism produces a pale tongue appearance. This is believed to be a direct reflection of changes in basal metabolic rate which influences blood circulation to the tongue. The tongue may be flaccid in hypothyroid cases. The pulse is slow, soft, and deep. Patients with kidney yang deficiency syndrome often suffer from decreased levels of T3 and T4 in particular. The basic herbal treat ment for hypothyroidism is to administer qi and yang tonics. These are all tonic prescriptions that enhance function of the stomach and spleen, nourish the blood, and stimulate circulation. Ginseng, aconite, and/or atractylodes are included in these formulations.