Subclinical hypothyroidism may be much more common than
most people think. It is estimated to occur in a significant
percentage of the adult American population. One side
effect of thyroid deficiency is high cholesterol. It is
CONSEQUENCES OF HYPOTHYROIDISM
very possible that many people are being prescribed
The vast majority of the thyroid hormone produced by the
cholesterol-lowering statin drugs while their underlying
thyroid gland is T4. However, T4 has only a slight effect on
problem—low thyroid function—goes unaddressed. The
the body’s metabolic rate. The more active hormone is T3. To
most common cause of hypothyroidism is an autoimmune
supply the necessary T3, the liver and other tissues convert
disorder known as Hashimoto’s thyroiditis. This condition
T4 into T3. T4 and T3 are essential for regulating metabolic
is characterized by an overactive immune system response processes throughout the body, including maintaining the
that floods the thyroid gland with white blood cells that
basal metabolic rate; making more glucose available to meet
attack the gland. Hashimoto’s thyroiditis is more common in the elevated metabolic demands; stimulating new protein
women than in men, and there is a genetic component to
synthesis; increasing metabolism of lipids and conversion of
cholesterol into bile acids, activating lipoprotein lipase, and
Worldwide, a lack of dietary iodine is the main cause of
increasing sensitivity of adipose tissue to hormones that
hypothyroidism. Iodine is necessary for the synthesis of
stimulate the breakdown of fat; increasing cardiac output
thyroid hormones. Since table salt was iodized in the
and blood flow; and increasing neural transmission.
United States, lack of dietary iodine has not been a major
If untreated, chronic hypothyroidism can result in
problem, though cases of iodine deficiency are stil reported. myxedema, a rare, life-threatening condition. Mental
Besides iodine, thyroid function can be affected by a
dysfunction, stupor, cardiovascular collapse, and coma
number of nutrients, including zinc and selenium.
can develop after the worsening of chronic hypothyroidism.
Deficiencies in either of these have been shown to
Patients may pass into a hypothermic stuporous coma
increase the risk of hypothyroidism. There is evidence that
and die. Additional possible complications of chronic
the standard blood test reference ranges may cause many
cases of hypothyroidism to be missed. It is imperative that
a more complete thyroid evaluation to rule out thyroid
deficiency as a cause of common age-associated
problems such as depression, fatigue, and unwanted
Hypothyroidism is typically treated with supplemental
thyroid hormones. There are a number of approaches to
increasing thyroid hormone, including use of synthetic
hormones (both T3 and T4) and natural desiccated thyroid
hormone from animals. New combination drugs provide
fixed ratios of T3 and T4. The choice of which form of thyroid
hormone to use is an individual decision, to be made on the
These statements have not been evaluated by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. This product is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease. Copyright 2007 NutriLab, LLC, a division of Stella Pharmaceutical Company Inc. All Rights Reserved.
P.O. Box 895, 260 Docks Corner Road, Dayton, NJ 08810 Tel: 800-379-9979 Fax: 800-379-6374 www.customvite.com
MANAGEMENT OF HYPOTHYROIDISM HYPOTHYROID PROTOCOL
The most common treatment for low thyroid hormone levels
consists of thyroid hormone drug replacement therapy e.g.
placed on synthetic hormone preparations,
T4 drugs - Synthroid® and Levoyxl® (levothyroxine), and T3
while some are placed on a combination synthetic T3 and
drugs - Cytomel®. The goals of thyroid hormone replacement
T4. Ultimately, which of these drug regimens is best
are to relieve symptoms and to provide sufficient thyroid
depends on each person’s response. Natural glandulars,
hormone to decrease elevated TSH levels to within the
derived from the thyroid gland of the pig, contain T3 and T4
normal range. Armour thyroid (Thyrar), Nathroid, and
and most closely resemble human thyroid hormone.
Westhroid are prescription medications that contain
The following supplements have been shown to enhance
desiccated thyroid derived from the thyroid gland of the pig.
Armour thyroid (desiccated thyroid) is the preferred
medication because it may achieve better results for a
SUPPLEMENT
wider range of symptoms than thyroid hormone replacement Vitamin A (Palmitate) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5000 IU
therapy (THRT) alone. While THRT consists primarily of T4,
Mixed Carotenoids (from D. Salina) . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5000 IU
desiccated thyroid contains approximately 80 percent T4
Vitamin C (Ascorbic acid) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2000 mg
and 20 percent T3, as well as other iodinated compounds.
Vitamin E (Natural – Succinate) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 400 IU
Patients with hypothyroidism have shown greater
Selenium (Amino Acid Complex) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 200 mcg
improvements in mood and brain function if they receive
Zinc . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 60 mg
treatment with Armour thyroid rather than Synthroid®.
Copper . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2 mg
Iodine (Potassium Iodide) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 150 mcg
RECOMMENDATIONS
Thiamin (Vitamin B1) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 100 mg
The supplements in the listed protocol are a general
Riboflavin (Vitamin B2) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 100 mg
recommendation with an average dosage. By using the
Niacin (Niacinamide) (Vitamin B3) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 100 mg
CustomVite program, our team of nutritionists has the
Pyridoxine Hydrochloride (Vitamin B6) . . . . . . . . . . 100 mg
ability to customize each supplement. In the case of
Folic Acid . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 400 mcg
Hypothyroidism, the CustomVite program can help improve
Methylcobolamin (Vitamin B12) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1000mcg
your patients overall nutritional status by providing them
Biotin . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 200 mg
with optimal dosages. This recommendation does not take
Pantothenic Acid (Vitamin B5) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 100 mg
into account drug-nutrient interactions. By having the
Selenium (Amino Acid Complex) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 200 mcg
patient provide us with their current prescriptions and
Chromium Picolinate . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 200 mcg
supplements through our Lifestyle and Medical History
Fish Oil . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1000 mg
Questionnaire, we can cross reference their information
Borage Oil . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1000 mg
to determine if there are any interactions for their
Magnesium . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 400 mg
Milk Thistle . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 200 mg
Tyrosine . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1000 mg
Co-Enzyme Q10 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 50 mg
Carnitine . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1000 mg
Overview on emission scenarios From the SRES family of emission scenarios (IPCC 2000, Nakicenovic et al. 2000), only three were used in the CMIP3 climate change simulation runs for the IPCC Fourth Assessment report: SRES-B1, SRES-A1B and SRES-A2. The following information is from the Special Report on Emission Scenarios (Nakicenovic et al. 2000): Figure 1: Schematic illustration of
ABSTRACT: The relation between indices of neonatal iron status and individualdifferences in neonatal temperament were investigated in a sample of 148 low-income Peruvian women and their newborn infants. Using cord blood, at birth weobtained measures of neonatal ferritin, serum iron, and hemoglobin. While neonateswere still in the hospital, their behavior during a structured anthropometry exami-