The incidence of the overt form (full blown hypothyroidism) thyroid disease is 2% women, 0.2% men. The incidence of Sub-clinical hypothyroidism is 6-8% women, 3% men. The incidence of pregnant women who develop hypothyroidism is 2.5%.

Thyroid disorders affect 1 in twenty people in the UK, it’s quite common and often goes undiagnosed, or misdiagnosed. Check back to out previous blog for more details on the symptoms, but you may often struggle with low energy, unexplained weight gain/ loss, muscle weakness, hair loss, insomnia and altered mood states.

As the thyroid produces hormones that are essential for things like metabolism regulation, heart function, digestion, energy, and mood, we should be taking care of it. Even slight disruptions can culminate in health issues.

The connection with chemicals

Environmental exposures to toxins can disrupt the thyroid, but i’m guessing that you’re unaware of these, either because no ones mentioned them to you or you’re loving under a rock.

Lots of practitioners won’t mention these to you, but actually it can be important and could be a contributing factor to your health concerns.

The thyroid is part of the endocrine (hormonal) system and if you have hormonal imbalances or thyroid related conditions, it’s especially important that you avoid/ limit exposures to endocrine disrupting chemicals.

Endocrine disrupting chemical can either block or mimic the hormones that control your bodily functions- lots affect the thyroid!

Here’s a few that you may want to reconsider your exposures to…

Flame retardants

A parliamentary review found, “Flame retardants have been found to disrupt human thyroid function as well as affecting brain development in new-borns. UK chemicals policy is currently regulated at EU level by the European Chemicals Agency (ECHA) and the REACH regulation”.

Flame retardants are in a class of chemicals known as halogens. These chemicals variably affect the hypothalamic-pituitary-thyroid axis (brain to thyroid hormone messengers) and disrupt thyroid function.

Fire Retardant (FR) chemicals used on UK furniture is harmful to our health and environment, as it is skin permeable acts as endocrine disruptors. These are chemicals that are banned or limited in the US and Europe, but in the UK we still use it in furniture. In fact British women have the highest levels of flame retardants in their breast milk!!

Increasing evidence demonstrates that they are more of a hazard, due to the hydrogen cyanide gas produced, which actually limits the time to escape from a house fire and is linked to cancer rates in firemen!

In addition it has huge effects upon the environment, with the Stockholm convention, being a treaty to protect health and environment from these pollutants, and furniture containing flame retardants to be incinerated at extremely high temperatures. Essentially they are ineffective, highly toxic and remain within the environment for extended periods.

Most of us will have these furnitures in our homes, in fact your favourite sofa may be contributing to your health issues- so what can we do?

Obviously you are going to sit on your sofa, so unless you are looking to get a new one, in which case go for a European company and do your research on whether the furniture contains flame retardants, or use throws to limit exposure.

PCB’s

The main source of exposure is from seafood, as it’s a banned chemical in the UK, since the 70’s, but they do seem to linger around, and are classified as ‘persistant organic pollutants’.

PCBs become stored within our adipose tissue (fat), so losing a lot of weight quickly, releases these chemicals into the system and can produce an elevated risk for health issues.

In seafood, we get so many benefits including DHA, which helps boost Omega 3 (which our bodies don’t produce) and is an anti-inflammatory. DHA from seafood is able to cross the blood-brain barrier, unlike synthetic oils, and promotes brain function and memory. So here the benefits are plentiful. and outweigh some of the risk of PCB exposure. Would I buy fish from Fukushima, probably not, but in the UK we are reasonably fortunate that we are surrounded by lots of different types of seafood- the one with the most benefits oysters!

Phalates

These are EVERYWHERE!!! They are used as a fixative for fragrance and colour and provide flexibility to plastics!

These are most likely in many of the products that you use daily- moisturiser, perfume, make up, skin creams, household cleaners, laundry detergents, air fresheners, shower curtains, children toys, your car interior!

Remember our skin is permeable and our largest organ- so these can be absorbed into your body- women are particularly vulnerable as they can be exposed to more personal care products and household products that contain phalates.

Even low exposures can influence our health and cause dysfunction in our systems- particularly our thyroid and hormones!

Changing your products or beauty regime could be the difference in improving your health.

However, they are metabolised pretty quickly and so they don’t tend to hang around in the body, but reducing your exposure can reduce the levels further. The Environmental Working Group is US based, but does extensive research into products so it may be worth taking a look at beauty products and household products here.

BPA

Bissphenol- A is a plasticiser and is linked to thyroid disruption, but be aware that just because it says BPA free on a product that is plastic doesn’t mean you are avoiding them… many companies replaced BPA with similar chemicals like BPS and BPG- which are just as bad!

The best advice not to use plastics where possible, avoid heating foods in plastic (IMHO bin your microwave- but thats another story), don’t store foods in plastic or eat with plastic utensils. This is becoming easier n the UK, thanks to Sir. David Attenborough’s ‘Blue Planet’ documentary, so recycle where possible!

Your till receipts, that powdery coating on the thermal paper has BPA or similar in them, and guess what they are absorbed through your skin!!!! So maybe get them to email you a receipt- I do this with my clients!

Hot water and plastic are a no… so maybe think twice before having that take away latte- or take your own cup!

PFCs

Perflourinated chemicals have many subsets- think non-stick!

They are found in drinking water, non-stick parts and pans, stain proofing sprays (scotchguard), and household cleaners.

They affect the function of the pancreas and liver and reduce immune function, and they tend to hang around in the body.

Best advice- exchange the teflon coated cookware for cast iron or stainless steel, filter drinking water (even more important in certain parts of the UK that have fluoridated water- find out here)