Botanica Health

Natural provable ways to support your immune system

🌱 Echinacea – Several studies have demonstrated how Echinacea supports immunity. Echinacea has been shown to enhance natural killer cell activity and neutrophils rapidly increase within the first 24 hours of taking it. STUDY.
🌱Astragalus – Studies show Astragalus increases B-lymphocyte and T-lymphocyte levels, interleukin and antibody production. It also promotes phagocytosis, the process by which certain living cells called phagocytes engulf other cells, particles and even pathogens. STUDY.
🌱Cat’s Claw – A recent study showed that Cat’s Claw significantly elevated white blood cell count in adult men who supplemented with this herb for 6 months. STUDY.
🌱Turmeric – Studies support its efficacy as an immune supportive plant. STUDY.
🌱Vitamin B Complex – Especially B6 and B12 can increase the production of white blood cells in the body. Vitamin B9 (Folate) boosts the production of neutrophils and helps fight infections.
🌱Vitamin C and Vitamin A are also very important for increasing white blood cell count. Vitamin C supports immunity. Vitamin A boosts the production of lymphocytes.
🌱Zinc – Our bodies use zinc to build immune system cells called T lymphocytes.
☀️Sunlight – A study, published in the journal, Scientific Reports, shows that sunlight may have an energising effect on T cells, a type of white blood cell that activates cells in the body to fight infection. STUDY.
🌱Selenium – Has been found to have a positive effect on the production of white blood cells. STUDY.
🌱Green tea – Increases the leukocyte activity and the total plasma antioxidant status and may have role to play in the prevention of inflammatory disease. STUDY.

It’s important to note that a low white blood cell count can have serious health implications, and its underlying cause should be promptly identified and addressed by a healthcare professional.

I will share the link to the full article in stories where you will find links to the studies above.

If you are irritable, have gained wait, don’t sleep well, feel depressed, suffer from hot flushes and brain fog, are losing hair, feel cold, have palpitations and joint pain - don’t jump to a conclusion too quickly.
Thyroid disorders are often prevalent in women around the time of menopause, or between the ages of 45 and 55.
But often the test says no. Everything is fine and within range - 0.5-5.0.
The famous HUNT study found that a TSH less than 1.5 mlU/L was ideal. Anything above increased the risk of heart disease.
Some people have suppressed TSH due to stress so the reading may appear low and seem ok.
A malfunctioning thyroid gland can cause problems that masquerade as heart disease or make existing heart disease worse.
Studies show that patients with a high or suppressed TSH had an increased risk of cardiovascular disease, irregular heart beat and fractures. But patients with a low but not unsuppressed TSH did not.
Dr Broda Barnes was the first to show that thyroid disease is a cause of chronic diseases including heart disease in his book published in 1976, Solved: The Riddle of Heart Attacks.
His research was largely ignored by the medical community until the release of a study in 1999.
Bottom line - fixing the thyroid could be one of the most important things you do.

"Most of the dandelions had changed from suns into moons."
Vladimir Nabokov

Dandelion Shortbread Dandelions are bestowed with wonderful health benefits and are a joy to behold. Making this dandelion shortbread is a great way to incorporate this wonderful plant in to a sweet treat. You can also make Dandelion Honey here. Dandelion Shortbread Recipe (Makes about 12 biscuits depending on size and....

“Fats are essential nutrients to good health but due to many wrong turns by the food industry, most dietary fats do more harm than good, Increasing dietary consumption of Omega-6 seed oils over the last century has led to a catastrophic decline in health and is a causative factor in Inflammation, lowered immunity, metabolic disorders, cancer, macular degeneration and much more. Omega-6 fats disrupt mitochondria (the cellular energy centre of cells) and It can take several years to eliminate this toxin.

Did you know that seed oils are the most destructive part of the modern diet? They are, and below we explain why and trace the history of this ‘poisoning’ of our food and the harm to our health.”

Read the rest of my father’s article here - https://botanicahealth.co.uk/blogs/journal/fats-that-heal-fats-that-harm-by-brian-lamb-medical-herbalist?fbclid=PAZXh0bgNhZW0CMTEAAaZViOpS6Fk83gVWD8m9vcN8D_D4KCMHbcM26EtFs-1eV8snEBuuX_JZknU_aem_ASSJ_SS0xz7SfzW8T961mYXJpKfz1rK3xG5RLtD29oJ4YyjUCwlMYArkRMWCw0jlgQuLQNG21VW20uUNwZTWWUTO

Vitex agnus-castus (Chaste tree)
For as long as I can remember this has been the herb my father turned to to support women going through a phase of hormone imbalance.
It can normalise the cycle in teenage girls, eradicate PMT symptoms, support women trying to conceive and help those journeying though the menopause with the symptoms that may come.
PMT - studies show it significantly improves symptom scores in mood changes, irritability, headache, anger and breast tenderness, water retention, pain, negative mood and food cravings.
FERTILITY - Studies show it reduces abnormally high prolactin levels (associated with infertility). Can lengthen a short cycle. Balances hormones and after 3 months 26% of women taking Chaste tree became pregnant compared to 10% in the placebo.
MENOPAUSE - a study of pre and post menopausal woman aged 44-65 revealed it reduces menopausal symptoms including hot flushes, night sweats and sleep trouble.

Buy tincture here - https://botanicahealth.co.uk/products/sophie-lambs-herbal-dispensary-chaste-tree?_pos=1&_sid=e8037b350&_ss=r
Buy capsules here - https://botanicahealth.co.uk/products/fushi-organic-chaste-tree-agnus-castus?_pos=2&_sid=e8037b350&_ss=r
But there’s more. It is indicated for - low s*x drive, palpitations, ovarian cysts, fibroids, amenorrhoea, swollen breasts, nervousness, irregular cycles, acne (male and female), lactation (normalising), depression in menopause, hysteria, breast inflammation, vaginal dryness.
No wonder it is called the darling of modern Phytotherapy. I like it in combination with magnesium and a good B complex.

Lady’s mantle (Alchemilla vulgaris) may be in your garden and I always remember it in ours in Scotland. I can still see the droplets of water sitting on the leaves. They sit there well into a hot afternoon giving you an indication about its cooling properties.
Maria Treben the Austrian writer and Herbalist declared Lady’s mantle “a cure-all for all female disorders.”
It is specifically indicated for -
Nervousness
Agitation
Mood swings
Insomnia
To strengthen the heart muscles, walls and atria
For weak muscles, uterus, pelvic floor
Vaginitis
Menopause
Hot flushes
Vaginal dryness
Fibroids
Indigestion after fats
Headaches, which are worse before a period

Buy here - https://botanicahealth.co.uk/products/sophie-lambs-herbal-dispensary-ladies-mantle

Worried about your bones, inflammation, hormonal imbalance, weight, anxiety, insomnia? We have been given a free remedy - light.
Light is the chief factor controlling our circadian rhythm. It affects EVERY area of our health.
There are Vitamin D receptors all over our body - it helps regulate genes, the delicate hormonal dance of oestrogen and progesterone, bone density, embryo implantation and the health of s***m.
☀️Studies show women who don’t get enough sunshine are a third more likely to go through the change before the age of 45.
☀️Regular sunlight exposure can increase fertility by up to a 1/3!
☀️Avoidance of sun exposure is a risk factor for ALL CAUSE MORTALITY.
☀️Vitamin D is actually a pro hormone.
☀️
And God said, “Let there be light,” and there was light.
Genesis1:3
“Without going into any scientific exposition we must admit that light has quite real and tangible effects upon the human body.” Florence Nightingale

A raw carrot salad to support digestive, hormone and thyroid health ~
Healthy liver function is important as it detoxifies estrogen and converts the storage thyroid hormone T4 to the active thyroid hormone T3.

Fibres in the raw carrots bind to toxins and excess oestrogen and carry them out from the body through the digestive system.

“Endotoxin formed in the bowel can block respiration and cause hormone imbalances contributing to instability of the nerves, so it is helpful to optimize bowel flora, for example with a carrot salad; a dressing of vinegar, coconut oil and olive oil, carried into the intestine by the carrot fiber, suppresses bacterial growth while stimulating healing of the wall of the intestine. The carrot salad improves the ratio of progesterone to estrogen and cortisol, and so is as appropriate for epilepsy as for premenstrual syndrome, insomnia, or arthritis.”
“One vegetable has a special place in a diet to balance the hormones, and that is the raw carrot. It is so nearly indigestible that, when it is well chewed or grated, it helps to stimulate the intestine and reduce the reabsorption of estrogen and the absorption of bacterial toxins. In these effects on the bowel, which improve hormonal balance, a carrot salad resembles antibiotic therapy, except that the carrot salad can be used every day for years without harmful side-effects. Many people find that daily use of the raw carrot eliminates their PMS, headaches, or allergies. The use of oil and vinegar as dressing intensifies the bowel-cleansing effect of the salad. Coconut oil is more germicidal and thyroid promoting than olive oil, but a mixture of coconut and olive oil improves the flavor. Lime juice. salt, cheese and meats can be used to vary the flavor.” Ray Peat

Recipe

1 medium raw carrot grated or thinly sliced with vegetable peeler
1 – 2 teaspoons of coconut oil
Half to 1 teaspoon of raw cider vinegar or white wine vinegar
Pinch of sea salt
Method

Mix all the ingredients in a bowl. Best eaten on its own or as a snack.

“It is impossible to build cell walls and nerve fibres without cholesterol.” Uffe Ravnskov
E G G S - the original superfood
🥚
We have been told so many untruths (and continue to) by the medical establishment - butter is bad, the 5 fruit and veg rule, eggs!
Eggs contain high quality protein, good fats, minerals and vitamins.
One large🥚 contains -
B12
A
B5
B2
Selenium
Lutein
Zeaxanthin
77 calories
6g of quality protein
5g fat

And much more. The nutrition is found primarily in the yolk.
🥚
It is important to buy pasture-raised organic eggs; for the welfare of the animal and to avoid a chicken fed a grain-based diet.
🥚
I eat a few most days.
An eggcellent breakfast choice.
🥚
Eggs bring life not death.
Dr Uffe Ravnskov who wrote a brilliant book, The Cholesterol Myths experimented on himself and devoured 40+ eggs in 8 days. His cholesterol went down a little. He’s 90 this year.

Is Gout a Disease of Iron Overload

Iron overload is simply iron excess that accumulates to toxic levels in the tissues, liver, joints, pancreas and heart.

Accumulating evidence suggests that gout is a disease of iron overload and that actually hyperuricaemia (an abnormally high level of uric acid) and/or crystal deposits are not sufficient enough to cause attacks of gout.

Gout Commonalities and Remedies Gout often earns the label “disease of kings,” and one such unfortunate sufferer was King Henry VIII. So painful was the affliction it rendered him unable to walk. In fact he had to be carried around in a chair, which left him in a perpetual bad mood. It has plagued humanity for centuries with i...

It has been said there is a strong agenda against
Vitamin D.
It seems that way as Google is now so censored.
How easy is it to get a Vitamin D test from your GP?
A Medscape article goes through ways a General Practitioner can dissuade a patient requesting a test.

I believe sunlight is healing.
I take A,D,K together.
I get early morning light.
I wear sun glasses rarely.
I sunbathe safely.
I use suncream only when necessary. (Natural)
I eat foods rich in Vitamin D.

The art of healing using sunlight is known as Heliotherapy.

“The treatment of some diseases by exposure of the skin to the action of light, natural or artificial, has in a marvellously short space of time leaped from the obscure position of a somewhat contemptuously neglected specific to the status of one of the most valued and even invaluable weapons in the medical armoury.”
(Royal Institute of British Architects [RIBA], 1933

“It is unqualified result of all my experience with the sick, that second only to their need of fresh air is their need of light; that, after a close room, what hurts them most is a dark room. And that it is not only light but direct sunlight they want […] People think the effect is upon the spirits only. This is by no means the case. The sun is not only a painter but a sculptor. You admit that he does the photograph. Without going into any scientific exposition we must admit that light has quite real and tangible effects upon the human body.”
Florence Nightingale

Don’t forget ….

THE TOP 10 HEALTH BENEFITS OF COLLAGEN

1. Anti-aging – improves skin, hair and nails. A key protein in the body, collagen makes up to 25% of the total protein content in the body. Collagen depletion in the body begins in our 20’s, so consuming gelatin/collagen can make a big difference to skin quality. Break down and loss of collagen is the cause of wrinkles and research confirms that collagen found in gelatin reduces the signs of wrinkles. The beneficial minerals calcium, magnesium and phosphorus found in gelatin helps build strong nails and hair.

2. Stomach ulcers – Bone broth or gelatin helps heal the stomach due to amino acids proline and glycine. 

3. Helps leaky gut and colitis – gelatin has been found to heal the gut lining and improve inflammatory issues.

4. Improves liver detoxification – without enough glycine, the essential amino acid in gelatin the body cannot produce enough glutathione, essential for phase II liver detoxification.

5. Helps arthritis – Collagen contains chondroitin, a supplement often used to support joints, tendons and cartilage. Using gelatin or collagen may dramatically improve degenerate joint conditions.

6. Allergies – many health experts believe allergies are rooted in having a permeable intestinal lining (leaky gut) which allows pathogens in. Healing the gut should reduce allergies.

7. Inflammation – Gelatin has a very unique non-inflammatory amino acid profile. It consist of glycine, glutamic acid, proline and alanine, particularly missing in our western diet, especially when most meals will contain muscle meat rather than that on the bone, making a very hard to digest and break down meal.

8. Anti-cancer – “It has a wide range of anti-tumour actions, including the inhibition of new blood cell formation (angiogenesis), and it has shown protective activity in liver cancer and melanoma.” Ray Peat
Continued in comments -

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Medicine of the Heart - Sound & Tea Ceremony
Monday 22nd April - Earth Day
6:30 - 8:00 pm
❤️
Like the delicate petals of the Hawthorn blossom, we gather to experience the tender medicine of Mama Earth, alchemised with the soothing vibrations of Crystal Sound.
Despite its thorny exterior, Hawthorn tenderly nurtures the heart, offering solace and strength amidst life’s challenges and adversity.
Throughout the ages, Hawthorn has been revered for its ability to heal not only the physical heart but also the emotional core. As the primary seat of our deepest emotions, the heart often bears the weight of grief and longing. Yet, Hawthorn’s essence serves as a balm, easing the heaviness of sorrow and strengthening fragility to guide us towards forgiveness and self-compassion.
Under Verity’s gentle guidance, we will work with the medicine of Hawthorn to open our hearts - creating fertile ground to receive the restorative power of sound. Enveloped in the ethereal vibrations of Crystal Alchemy Singing Bowls, transcend the realm of thinking and doing, as you surrender into feeling and being—resting in your heart awareness.
Following this soul-nourishing journey, you’re invited to share your experiences, fostering a space of connection and reflection. Join us this Earth Day as we embark on this tender voyage into the depths of the heart, where healing melodies intertwine with the soothing embrace of nature’s medicine, offering solace and renewal.
🌎🌳🍃
Investment: £35, including Hawthorn tea and rose biscuits.
❤️
Please find link to book at Linktr.ee above and click on Verity Megan. Any trouble let me know. Numbers are limited.

The government weaponised fear.
Post viral fatigue is not a new thing, it’s an old thing. But it added to the fear campaign.
It is debilitating and can be awful.
My father wrote about it on February the 15th, 2021.
He has been treating patients with it for over 30 years when most medics wouldn’t take it seriously. It was generally thought of as “all in the mind.”
Another thing to add. Society doesn’t really allow time for rest and recuperation. There is a sense we have to hurry to be well. That in itself adds a huge emotional burden.
“People can accept you sick or well. What’s lacking is patience for the convalescence.” Alain de Botton
“Many who have suffered a moderate to severe infection from seasonal flu’ or COVID-19 complain of chronic fatigue — a debilitating condition that stands in the way of a return to vibrant health. Fatigue and exhaustion are the primary symptoms, but there are many more. Those suffering from Post Viral Fatigue Syndrome (PVCFS) present a picture of ‘something retained’ after the crisis subsides . It would appear that the virus has left its imprint. When associated with Covid-19, this condition is now referred to as Long Covid. For clarity, I will include Long Covid within Post Viral Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (PVCFS). Many medics who formerly dismissed chronic fatigue syndrome as ‘all in the mind’, have had to think again in the face of Long Covid.”
I will post a link to the full article in stories as too long to post here.

In 1947, Dr Nikolai Lazarev defined an adaptogen as an agent that allows the body to counter adverse physical, chemical, or biological stressors by raising nonspecific resistance toward such stress, thus allowing the organism to “adapt” to the stressful circumstances.
Other adaptogens are -
Amla
Ashwagandha
Astragalus
Cordyceps
Eleutherococcus (Siberian ginseng)
Holy basil
Liquorice
Reishi
Shatavari
Shilajit
Schisandra

If Rhodiola sounds like the one for you I will add to Stories.
Caution: avoid in bipolar or mania

In 1876, when Anna was 12 she witnessed her mother offer a prayer at the close of Sunday school class: “I hope and pray that someone, sometime, will found a memorial mothers day commemorating her for the matchless service she renders to humanity in every field of life.” She never forgot her prayer and vowed there would be a day to honour mothers for their invaluable role as domestic caregivers and their selfless devotion to their families.
Mother’s Day originated in Philadelphia in May 1907. Anna Jarvis held a memorial service for her late mother who organised women’s groups to promote friendship and health. What had originally been primarily a day of honour became commercialised and in protest against the distortion by political and social movements Anna spent the last years of her life trying to abolish the day she brought in to being. She felt it had lost its integrity.
To all those in motherly roles you are doing an admirable job. Anna really wanted to honour you the right way. ♥️

My first Cleavers cold infusion of spring -

Cleavers grows abundantly in our hedgerows and springs up in waste places and fields.

It is a traditional spring tonic and in 1652 Nicholas Culpepper wrote, “it is a good remedy in the Spring, eaten (being first chopped small, and boiled well) in water-gruel, to cleanse the blood, and strengthen the liver, thereby to keep the body in health, and fitting it for that change of season that is coming.

Cleavers is a plant referred to by herbalists as an ‘alterative’. These herbs help the body become more vital by improving the body’s ability to eliminate waste through the kidneys, liver, lungs, or skin.

Botanically known as Galium aparine, we always called it Sticky w***y. It’s also known as Goose grass, referring to the fact that geese love this plant, or Everlasting Friendship. I wonder is this because it clings to you and never lets go! When you look closely you can see that the stalks and leaves are covered in little hooked bristles.

Many of the plant’s popular names are associated with the clinging nature of the plant. Some of its local names have a very old origin harking back to the Anglo Saxon word ‘hedge-rife’ meaning robber or tax-gatherer, due to their habit of stealing sheep as they passed by a hedge.

The plant is inodorous but has a bitter astringent taste.

The roots will dye red and if they are eaten by birds it will tinge their bones.

Medicinal Uses

In old herbals Cleavers was extolled as a purifier of the blood and modern day herbalists still value this herb in the treatment of skin diseases including acne, psoriosis and boils.

Cleavers is primarily used for lymphatic congestion and is very useful where the glands are inflamed. We find it very healing for tonsillitis and glandular fever.

It also has strong affinities to the kidneys and is used for the suppression of urine, non specific cystitis, urethritis and cloudy urine.

Although most herbalists use it for the lymphatic system it has been shown to be remarkable for neurological conditions where the nerves are over-sensitive or inflamed.

It is also specific in the treatment of Morton’s neuroma and Dupuytren’s contracture where the tendons tighten up under the toes or middle fingers.

In females it is indicated in fibrocystic breast disease, where there are many cysts and the tissue is fibrous.

Preparation and Uses

Cleavers Cleansing Juice

Two big handfuls of cleavers, roughly chopped

2 organic apples

2 sticks organic celery

Thumb sized piece of peeled ginger

Put everything through a juicer and drink on rising



Cleavers Spring Smoothie

One cup of cleavers roughly chopped

One cup of chopped pineapple

One cup of chopped cucumber

One cup of mango

Apple juice to loosen or cold green tea

Blend everything until smooth



Cleavers Cold Infusion

Cleavers was traditionally decocted in cold water to preserve its virtues.

Add a handful of washed (if necessary) freshly chopped cleavers herb to a clean jar or jug. Cover in fresh filtered water and leave for 8 – 12 hours. Strain and sweeten with honey to taste.

Fatigue has so many causes - one of the worst - thinking too much, rumination.
Don’t wear yourself out. ♥️ look up, feel, breathe, get your feet on the earth, listen to the birds, hug, know you are safe. ♥️

We crave light for a good reason
Right now your vitamin D levels may be on the floor. Ideally you want to test them.
☀️
Vitamin D is actually a hormone made in your skin when you are exposed to sunlight. It then travels in the bloodstream to the liver and kidneys where it goes through various processes before it can be converted in to a form of Vitamin D that the body can use.
You don’t have to burn to make vitamin D. Just enough exposure to turn the skin slightly pink is enough.
A large study has shown that those who avoid sunshine are twice as likely to die as those who sunbathe every day. As written in The Lancet – “Paradoxically, outdoor workers have a decreased risk of melanoma compared with indoor workers, suggesting that chronic sunlight exposure can have a protective effect.”
The best way to obtain Vitamin D is from the sun but it can also be found in foods like butter, egg yolks, liver and oily fish.
Vitamin D is necessary for a healthy immune system, preventing cancers like breast and colon, for healthy bones and teeth, muscle function and hormones involved in heart health. Research is showing that Vitamin D is necessary for preventing autoimmune diseases like multiple sclerosis and type 1 diabetes.
Symptoms of low vitamin D can be depression, frequent colds, tiredness, slow wound healing, respiratory problems, cardiovascular disease and surprisingly head sweating!
The NHS reports we get no vitamin D from the sun between October and March and it is difficult to get it from food alone.
If you find you are deficient in Vitamin D you can consider supplementation with an oral Vitamin D spray.
REMEMBER that magnesium is required to change the storage form of vitamin D in to active Vitamin D. If you have low vitamin D levels it could be that you actually don’t have enough magnesium, especially if you know you get enough sun exposure.
When combined with vitamin K2, vitamin D3 helps move calcium into your bones (where it’s needed most), which prevents it from forming deposits in your arteries and blood vessels.

Grief comes in many forms - the loss of a loved one, the breakdown of a relationship, the loss of a home or job or the accumulated traumas of a lifetime.
We live in a culture that keeps us busy and distracted, avoiding depth of feeling.
Over 100 years ago Rainer Marie Rilke wrote a very moving poem -
“It’s possible I am pushing through solid rock in flintlike layers, as the ore lies, alone;
I am such a long way in I see no way through, and no space: everything is close to my face, and everything close to my face is stone.”
Sorrow can feel like this and self compassion is necessary.
ROSE - traditionally used to soothe and calm the heart, it is a gentle antidepressant and can provide ease. It opens the heart and allows us to be vulnerable whilst giving strength and self compassion. It will uplift and help with anger.
HAWTHORN - the heart herb for heartache and grief. The heart is the primary seat of emotion (and the lungs and gut hence why some people grieving will have recurrent colds and chest infections or a troubled gut). It can also help with forgiveness and fragility. It is the classic heart tonic.
LAVENDER - lavender aromatherapy shows a substantial effect on reducing anxiety and depression. Can help pent up emotions and help lift quashed spirits.
HOLY BASIL - is connected with the throat and heart energy centres and supports us through enabling us to express ourselves in order to begin healing. Useful when feeling ‘choked up’. Can help with sadness. It is a tonic and known as a herb for all reasons. What I love about this adaptogen is it also supports the lungs if brief has left a vulnerability here.
RHODIOLA ROSEA - this hardy plant thrives in harsh conditions and has a reputation for helping people to cope with life during difficult times. As an adaptogen it supports body and mind. It is involved in mood regulation, helps fatigue, anxiety and depression.
LEMON BALM - John Evelyn a writer in the 16th century said that Lemon balm “comforts the heart and driveth away melancholy and sadness”. Wonderful if the heart is pounding or panic is setting in. It really soothes the heart.
Tomorrow a loving kindness meditation. Lots of love.

The British Herbal Pharmacopoeia (BHP) describes the actions of Lemon Balm as ‘carminative, antispasmodic, diaphoretic & sedative’. It says it is indicated for ‘flatulent dyspepsia, neurasthenia & depressive illness and that it is ‘specifically indicated for dyspepsia associated with anxiety or depressive states’.
No adverse effects are expected from taking Lemon balm. According to herbalist Richard Whealan - “It may be confidently taken during pregnancy or whilst breastfeeding (there may be a mild relaxing effect on the baby as the essential oil of Lemon Balm will pass through the breast milk) and it can be used by the young or old with safety.”

A healthy gut and liver are essential for thyroid function. But we will start with the gut.
Interactions between the gut microbiota and thyroid function are so intricate it has been termed the gut-thyroid axis. In fact one report showed that a gut-focused clinical care model improved thyroid function, reduced thyroid medication dose and improved symptoms originally thought to be from thyroid dysfunction. PubMed
* When there is gut inflammation, bacterial overgrowth and poor digestion there will be a ripple effect on thyroid function.
* This is why diet, allergies, intolerances, stress, SIBO, H.pylori and other pathogens should be addressed.
* The gut microbiota influences the availability of essential micronutrients for the thyroid gland like selenium and zinc which are needed for converting T4 to T3.
* Studies suggest that the gut plays a major role as a reservoir for thyroid hormones, especially T3.
* Probiotics show a beneficial effect on thyroid hormones and thyroid function in general.
* Hashimoto’s and Graves Disease are the most common autoimmune thyroid disease and often occur with Coeliac Disease and non-coeliac wheat sensitives.
* Intestinal pathogens have been found in higher rates in those with thyroid conditions.
* H.pylori has been linked to Hashimoto’s.
* Scientific research shows a strong correlation between SIBO, hypothyroidism and Hashimoto’s.
* Lower thyroid function slows digestive transit.
* Dieting, under eating and over exercise will affect the thyroid.
* Not consuming enough calories, carbohydrates or protein can negatively effect thyroid function.
* Adequate calories from a balanced diet of carbs, protein and fat are essential and should be adequate for daily expenditure.
* But the thyroid also influences the digestive system.
* Thyroid hormones impact digestive motility.
* Patients with hypothyroidism often suffer from reflux and may have trouble swallowing.
* Thyroid disorders have also been associated with autoimmune gastritis and oesophageal compression.
* Addressing gut health can help regulate and regain balance of the thyroid-gut axis.
Tomorrow we will look at the liver/thyroid connection.