Over the past year or so I have written a number of articles about thyroid, many of which are feature length articles. This is a considerable amount of extremely useful information. Below is a handy index so you can quickly look up articles of interest to you. To see the full article, click on the headline.

Another Thyroid Risk: Did Your Mom Smoke While Pregnant? - Saturday, January 17, 2009

A new thyroid study shows that a mother who smokes during pregnancy not only has an adverse influence on her own thyroid hormone status during pregnancy, but also passes abnormalities in thyroid hormone function on to her baby. This latter finding should serve as a heads up to women or men who had smoking mothers - as it is quite likely that this causes later-life risk for thyroid problems - especially those induced by stress.

Leptin, Thyroid, and Weight Loss - Thursday, January 15, 2009

It is very common that individuals who are overweight have a majority of the symptoms associated with a hypothyroid-like condition. This is especially true for those who have a history of yo-yo dieting or have difficulty losing weight by cutting back on calories and trying to exercise more.

Oprah's Thyroid Problem Explained - Wednesday, January 14, 2009

Oprah is creating a lot of buzz after gaining forty pounds and simultaneously claiming she solved her thyroid problem. Her statements sent internet bloggers into a frenzy. How did she get off her thyroid medication? Did she really solve her thyroid problem? Isn't this just a temporary break from a sinister and permanent thyroid illness? If her thyroid is in such great shape why did she pile on forty pounds?

Thyroid and Kidney Problems Overlap - Wednesday, December 31, 2008

A considerable body of science now links thyroid problems and kidney problems in a chicken and egg manner. In order to maintain good health it is vital to nip both thyroid problems and kidney problems in the early phases - as the more progressive the issues the more difficult they are to correct.

Common Pollution Disturbs Thyroid Health - Tuesday, December 09, 2008

Monsanto is one of the most disgusting corporate citizens to ever inhabit planet earth. They knowingly poisoned the world with PBCs for profit; and then went through numerous corporate reorganizations to shed legal liability. Now they are in the Frankenfood seed business; and along with their partner, Cargill, are destroying the biodiversity of crops around the globe while splicing multiple toxins into the DNA of food - tampering with the very essence of our food supply.

Obesity Punches Thyroid Gland in the Nose - Saturday, December 06, 2008

Many believe that a sluggish thyroid has led to obesity. A new study in children shows the opposite - that obesity inflames the thyroid leading to potentially life-long thyroid problems if the weight is not lost.

Digestive Alert - Thyroid, Celiac, & Candida - Tuesday, December 02, 2008

A new study shows that digestive distress can trigger a chain of events leading directly to thyroid damage. It has been observed that individuals with Celiac disease (gluten intolerance) also have thyroid problems. In the new research scientists tracked down the link by establishing that auto-immune antibodies against transglutaminase (a Celiac problem) latch on to thyroid tissue and rev up thyroid autoantibodies (TPO - antithyroperoxidase antibodies), leading to thyroid tissue damage.

Sluggish Thyroid, Triglycerides, CRP, & Blood Pressure - Thursday, November 27, 2008

A number of new studies have been making it clear that elevated triglycerides (excess fat blobs in your circulation) and elevated CRP (an inflammatory compound made by your liver) are key indicators of eventual heart disease. I would also like to point out that these markers are clearly linked to sluggish thyroid as well. In fact, men at risk for heart disease under age 50 have a constellation of symptoms that includes sluggish thyroid, high triglycerides, and elevated CRP.

Sluggish Thyroid and Congestive Heart Failure - Wednesday, November 19, 2008

A new study shows that a poorly functioning thyroid is a contributing factor to worsening cardiovascular health. The most surprising finding in the study is that the thyroid did not have to be clinically out-of-whack for this problem to occur. A slightly off thyroid, one doctors don't think of treating, was adequate to make heart health significantly worse.

Low Vitamin D Contributes to Thyroid Problems - Saturday, November 08, 2008

Researchers at UCLA tried to show that low vitamin D would make an autoimmune thyroid problem worse. Their experiment was based on the idea that vitamin D has a dampening effect on an excessive and inappropriate immune response in many areas of your body, so they figured this was likely to apply to the thyroid as well. This turned out not to be the case, but what they did find was rather surprising.

Thyroid Problems Increase the Risk for Glaucoma - Saturday, October 18, 2008

Glaucoma is a leading cause of blindness, a gradual deterioration of the optic nerve that often "sneaks up" on a person. A new study says that patients who have glaucoma also have a 38% higher rate of thyroid problems.

The Thyroid Jolt Time of Year - Tuesday, September 09, 2008

Those of us living in the Northern states have gotten our first dose of thyroid shock. Unseasonably cold temperatures have many people feeling that winter is coming too soon - a subconscious perception that is sure to throw many into thyroid distress.

Coordination, Thyroid, and Obesity - Friday, August 15, 2008

Early impairment of nerve-related function is a clear risk for developing later-life obesity, so concludes new research published in the British Journal of Medicine. This finding is significant because it shows that early developmental problems with nerves have a wide-ranging impact on health - and obesity is one clear consequence. The researchers felt such changes could be caused by social (stress) or environmental factors (exposure to toxins like cigarette smoke).

Thyroid and Cholesterol - Thursday, August 14, 2008

It is well established in the scientific literature that subclinical hypothyroid as well as frank hypothyroid are associated with increased levels of total cholesterol, LDL cholesterol, and lipoprotein(a).

Sluggish Thyroid Disturbs Heart Function - Tuesday, August 12, 2008

Several studies now point out that sluggish thyroid function (subclinical hypothyroid) is associated with early adverse changes in the electrical function of the heart. One study shows that these changes disturb the "fitness" of the heart known as heart rate variability. The newest study shows that sluggish thyroid has a marked change in autonomic electrical regulation of the heart, setting the stage for irregular heart beats and increased risk for sudden death due to poor heart function.

Sluggish Thyroid Increases Blood Pressure - Wednesday, August 13, 2008

The impact of thyroid function on arterial stiffness and consequent elevation in blood pressure is a new finding helping to explain yet another adverse consequence of poor thyroid function on cardiovascular health. Researchers showed that correcting sluggish thyroid function (subclinical hypothyroid) enabled a return of better blood pressure function.

Sluggish Thyroid in Women Increases Heart Disease - Monday, August 11, 2008

Women who have sluggish thyroid function, meaning that they are not hypothyroid by lab test but have many of the symptoms of poorly functioning thyroid and their thyroid scores are close to lower limits of "normal," have 57% increased risk for developing heart disease. This relationship does not exist after age 65, which is also an interesting point.

Thyroid Problems Double Women's Alzheimer Risk - Sunday, August 10, 2008

This study used healthy men and women who did not have clinical thyroid problems at the start of the study. Thyroid scores were analyzed based on their trend, meaning it flagged individuals with functional thyroid problems. The study tracked 1864 men and women an average of 12.7 years. It found that women, but not men, who were in the sluggish thyroid category had more than double the risk for developing Alzheimer's disease.

Thyroid Function Closely Associated with Mood - Saturday, August 09, 2008

New imaging technology is enabling researchers to understand the relationship of thyroid function and just how well your brain works. It has long been known that poor thyroid function is associated with depression. The new research shows that it is optimal thyroid function that must be maintained in order to have a sustainable positive mood and proper cognitive function. This research shows that common thyroid tests oftentimes do not detect the adverse beginnings of thyroid-related changes in mood and mental function.

Sluggish Thyroid Associated with Breast Cancer Risk - Friday, August 08, 2008

It has long been observed that sluggish thyroid problems are associated with an increased risk for breast cancer, whereas hyper thyroid proneness is associated with lower risk. Previous research has thought this may be due to iodine or selenium deficiency, though a clear link has never been established.

Sluggish Thyroid Associated with Increased Mortality - Friday, June 13, 2008

The importance of keeping your thyroid system in tip-top working condition cannot be underestimated. A variety of recent studies have concluded that a struggling thyroid system is associated with an increased risk of death, especially when there is a concurrent health problem or when there is cardiovascular issues. This makes sense, since thyroid is like the drummer in a band, setting the pace for energy production for all other systems in your body. When not working efficiently, less energy is available. Problems in other areas will be magnified (since energy is needed for anything to work properly).

Ghrelin Elevated by Sluggish Thyroid Function - Monday, May 12, 2008

When you eat less food, especially on a diet, there comes a time when weight loss slows down. At this time you will start getting an increase in hunger that is coming from a hormone signal in your stomach called ghrelin. New research shows that ghrelin levels go up (meaning increased hunger) as thyroid function is impaired and becomes sluggish.

Low Thyroid Linked to Fatal Heart Disease in Women - Thursday, May 01, 2008

A stunning thyroid study has just been published in the Archives of Internal Medicine. It showed that women whose TSH scores were in the high end of the normal range were at a 69% increased risk for cardiovascular death.

Thyroid Hormone, Leptin, and Coordination - Thursday, May 01, 2008

Impaired coordination may be a first sign of sluggish thyroid function. Are you bumping into things too often? If so, you may have sluggish thyroid due to faulty leptin function.

Body Temperature and Thyroid Problems - Saturday, November 03, 2007

When your thyroid hormone is working properly inside cells you will make 65% energy and 35% heat as you burn calories for fuel. Thyroid hormone is governing your basal metabolic rate, orchestrating the idling speed at which all cells make energy and thus heat. A classic symptom of poor thyroid function is being too cold. And conversely, a classic symptom of hyperthyroidism is being too hot (making too much heat). However, many people with slow thyroid are too hot, a seeming paradox that I will explain shortly.

What is Thyroid-Related Fatigue? - Friday, November 02, 2007

Energy is the backbone of life. All systems in your body need energy to function properly. How you produce and distribute energy is complex; thyroid hormone function has a major impact on all of your energy systems. However, not all fatigue or tiredness is due to thyroid malfunction. How do you tell the difference?

Oprah Raises Awareness on Thyroid Issue; Controversy and Confusion Follow - Tuesday, October 23, 2007

Oprah has done an immense favor to millions of American women by helping them understand that a malfunctioning thyroid gland may indeed be part of their weight and health problems. After writing openly about her thyroid problem in the October 2007 Oprah Magazine, she then went into the nature of thyroid problems on her TV show.

Get Health Tips from the Expert - Monday, October 01, 2007

Byron J. Richards, Founder/Director of Wellness Resources, Inc., is a Board-Certified Clinical Nutritionist and has been a charter professional member of the International and American Associations of Clinical Nutritionists (IAACN) since 1991. His professional experience with nutrition, thyroid, and weight issues dates back to 1985 when he began working as the nutritionist for one of our nation's leading thyroid doctors...