HERB - hyperthyroid

Gaylin Walli gwalli at infoengine.com
Tue Jun 8 06:50:37 PDT 1999


Folks,

Let me start out by saying I am untrained and unlicensed. The
information I'm giving you here is purely from my research
and may well be wrong. Ulrike is right. Going to a trained
naturpath or master herbalist is the best way to determine
if the thyroid is really the problem or if there's a more
complex issue at hand. When the thyroid is affected, it is
very common for the pituitary gland, the parathyroid
glands, and the various sex glands to be affected as well.

Now, that having been said, here is some information that I
gathered up for two dear friends with thyroid conditions.
To give you a little definition, in case anyone is confused
(and trust me it's easy with these silly words), someone
who has a hyperthyroid disorder has an overabundance of
the thyroid hormone. As a result, various bodily processes
speed up and some people experience nervousness, insomnia,
fatigue, tremors (usually in the hands), increased sweating.
One of my friends has digestions  problems because of it.
The one thing that I notice more than any other symptom
is protruding eyeballs, though that's not to say that everyone
who has this feature has a hyperthyroid disorder.

There are three common treatments for a hyperthyroid
disorder. First among them should be dietary changes,
though this isn't always the first thing to happen. Certain
foods are though to supress thyroid hormone production and
eating plenty of these foods may be a step towards the
natural regulation of this condition. These foods are
broccoli, cauliflower, turnips, brussels sprouts, cabbage,
kale, mustard greens, spinach, peaches, and pears (among
others, I'm sure).

Another treatment is the use of radioactive idodine. I know
little about this treatment other than that it has been
known to produce side effects which are severe and totally
undesireable. That is not to say that this may not be a valid
option, but I would be wary of it.

The third treatment I know of is surgery. Obviously this is
another treatment that should not be taken lightly.

Of course, none of this relates to herbal treatments and as
Ysabell pointed out from the Illustrated Encyclopedia of Healing,
Bugleweed and Bladderwrack are both used in the treatment
of thyroid conditions. However, treatment of a symptom
is a bad way to go about helping yourself. It may have been
the prevalent form of treatment in many medieval areas,
but it should be today. Have a professional help you determine
the underlying causes of your symptoms. Perhaps a change
in diet is all that needs to be done. But if it's something more
serious, you certainly won't have wasted your time.

Jasmine

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