Patrick, in Summary #375 writes that thyroid disease, including cancer and autoimmune disease, is rapidly increasing. PCBs (polychlorinated biphenyl) environmental pollutants are associated with thyroid cancer. They are still in fish, even in salmon from Alaska.

Patrick, in Summary #387 writes that low iodine increases cancer of the thyroid. Low iodine increases the uptake of radioactive iodine, which can damage the thyroid gland. Recommended daily intake (RDI) for an adult is iodine 150 mcg. for adults. Radioactive iodine is in our environment. It is used in many medical tests.

Japanese diets in Japan have very high iodine levels. Sea food and sea weed have very high levels of iodine. This is believed to be the reason for very low levels of breast cancer and other cancers in Japan. Rates of cancer for Japanese people who move to the United States eventually approach those for the average citizen.

Lacraustra, M., et al, in summary #338, says that selenium is an important component of the detoxifying enzyme, glutathione peroxidase. We need it to detoxify nearly every toxin that we take in. The enzyme is natural in our cells and increased by taking silymarin (milk thistle.) The phytosome form of silymarin is more effective. Glutathione peroxidase is high in a product made from wheat sprouts called Cell Guard.

Patrick, in summary #076, says that thyroid tissue, normally, contains a lot of selenium. Selenium is necessary for the production of active thyroid hormone. Selenium increases NK cells.

Schrauzer, GN, in summary #421, says that selenium in our body binds to toxic minerals to detoxify them. When we have a heavy load of toxicity, the selenium becomes unavailable to control cancer. Detoxify to prevent this. Either do a urine test or hair analysis for selenium.

Low selenium can be the cause of low thyroid activity. Selenium is frequently low in thyroid cancer. Selenium is found in garlic, onions, broccoli and leeks. Brazil nuts are high in selenium.

Chen, et al, in summary #181, says if you can block the growth of new blood vessels (angiogenesis) you can block the growth of cancer. Angiostatic therapy includes the following: low-fat, vegan diet, exercise, broccoli and other cruciferous vegetables, silymarin, zinc, green tea (Matcha,) glycine and selenium.

Cruciferous vegetables contain DIM. Eat lots of them. There is a product of DIM, too.

Milewicz, A., et al, in summary #131, says that high serum prolactin levels are sometimes seen in thyroid disease. You can get the level down with herbs, such as Vitex. I’ve seen it really help people, especially in a person with multiple sclerosis. High prolactin blocks apoptosis (a natural process of cell death to abnormal cells, such as autoimmune cells and cancer cells.)

McCarty, MF, in summary #045, says you can increase apoptosis in autoimmune disease with a vegan diet, fish oils and dopamine agonists (which reduce prolactin.) Vitex and Boswellia reduce prolactin levels. Phenylalanine and tyrosine are dopamine agonists and can reduce prolactin levels.

In summary #084, McCarty says Lactobacillus and Bifidus probiotics increase the immune system’s natural killer (NK) type T cells which seek out and destroy abnormal cells, such as cancer cells and autoimmune cells.

Walkinshaw, DR, et al, wrote, in summary #317, that sirtuins are chemicals which work at the level of the genes to block an enzyme called HDAC (histone deacetylase.) Reveratrol is a sirtuin. Sirtuins are believed to help against thyroid cancer. This information is very new and more studies need to be done.

NOTE: Read about lessons from radiation exposure accidents. Read about the connection between insulin resistance and thyroid dysfunction.

ASK YOUR DOCTOR FOR:

Prolactin blood level.

Urine or hair test for elements and include selenium.

Summary #490.

REFERCENCES:

Chen, D., et al. Dietary Flavonoids as Proteasome Inhibitors and Apoptosis Inducers in Human Leukemia Cells, Biochem. Pharmacol. 2005 May 15;69(10):1421-32. School of Medicine, Wayne State University, Detroit, MI, USA. Summary 181. PMID: 15857606.

Lacraustra, M., et al. Serum Selenium Concentrations and Diabetes in U.S. Adults: Nat’l Health and Nutr Examination Survey (NHANES) 2003-2004. Environ Health Perspect. 2009 Sep;117(9):1409-13. Centro National de Investigaciones Cardiovasculares, Madrid, Spain. Summary #338. PMID: 19750106.

McCarty, MF, et al, Toward a Core Nutraceutical Program for Cancer Management, Integrative Cancer Care 2006:5(2):150-171. Block Center for Integrative Cancer Care, Evanston, IL, USA. Summary #084. PMID: 16685077.

McCarty, MF, Upregulation of lymphocyte Apoptosis as a Strategy for Preventing and Treating Autoimmune Disorders: a Role for Whole-food Vegan Diets, Fish Oil and Dopamine Agonists, Medical Hypothesis 2001 Aug;57(2):258-75. Pantox Laboratories, San Diego, CA, USA. Summary #045. PMID: 11461167.

Milewicz, A., et al, Premenstrual Syndrome: From Etiology to Treatment, Maturitas 2006 Nov 1;55 Suppl 1:547-54. Wroclaw Medical University. Wroclaw, Poland. Summary #131. PMID: 17030468.

Patrick, L, Selenium Biochemistry and Cancer: A Review of the Literature, Alternative Med Rev 2004 Sep;9(3):239-58. Summary #076. PMID: 15387717.

Patrick, L. Iodine: Deficiency and Therapeutic Considerations. Altern Med Rev. 2008 Jun;13(2):116-27. Southwest College of Naturopathic Medicine, Scottsdale, AZ, USA. Summary #387. PMID: 18590348.

Patrick, L. Thyroid Disruption: Mechanism and Clinical Implications in Human Health. Altern Med Rev 2009 Dec;14(4):326-46. Southwest College of Naturopathic Medicine, Scottsdale, AZ, USA. Summary #375. PMID: 20030460.

Schrauzer, GN. Selenium and Selenium-Antagonistic Elements in Nutritional Cancer Prevention. Crit Rev Biotechnol. 2009;29(1):10-7. University of California-San Diego, La Jolla, CA, USA. Summary #421. PMID: 19514899.

Walkinshaw, DR, et al. Histone Deacetylase Inhibitors as Novel Anticancer Therapeutics. Curr Oncol. 2008 Oct;15(5):237-43. Goodman Cancer Center, McGill Univ Health Centre, Montreal, QC, Canada. Summary #317. PMID: 19008999.

Summary #490.