Poor thyroid health has become the new “norm” among the vast majority of the American population.  In fact, thyroid conditions such as hypothyroidism are becoming so common, that even young children are starting to become affected by this condition.

The medical solution is to put the patient on thyroid medication which typically is not effective and almost always causes unwanted symptoms in the body.  Unfortunately, many will take medication only to find that their condition does not improve, or that negative side effects begin to occur due to the thyroid medication.

In our opinion, no matter what disorder you may be dealing with in the body, medication is hardly ever the answer.  This is because medication does not treat the root cause of the problem, it only treats symptoms and often times creates new symptoms!

It’s for this reason that if you suffer from hypothyroidism, you must treat the root problem.  In our experience, thyroid conditions such as hypothyroidism, typically are caused by an overgrowth of candida in the body.  For those unaware, candida is a pathogenic fungus that can overgrow in the gut and disrupt several different biological process in the body.  It can also cause extremely strange symptoms in the body.  If you haven’t done so already, be sure to go to our candida homepage for full information on this pathogenic fungus.

With all that said, before we get into how candida can contribute to hypothyroidism in the body, let’s first discuss what hypothyroidism is.

What is Hypothyroidism?

Hypothyroidism is when the thyroid no longer produces the thyroid hormones necessary for health.  These hormones consist of the T3 (triiodothyronine) and T4 (thyroxine).  The role of these hormones are to regulate body temperature, metabolism, and heart rate.

When we do not produce enough of these hormones due to poor thyroid health, symptoms such as fatigue, lethargy, weight gain, and poor mood often result.  It should be known that the pituitary gland located in the brain also plays a role in thyroid health.  This is because the pituitary releases TSH (thyroid stimulating hormone) which signals to the thyroid to produce more thyroid hormones (1).

Typically, those with hypothyroidism often have high levels of TSH and low levels of the T3 and T4 (2).  This is indicative that the thyroid gland itself is failing to produce the necessary hormone despite receiving enough TSH. 

Hypothyroidism and Poor Liver Function

As mentioned, candida may be to blame for your hypothyroid condition.  This is because those suffering from a candida overgrowth typically have extremely poor liver function.  Unfortunately, the liver is responsible for converting the inactive thyroid hormone (T4) into its active form (T3).  In fact, many thyroid experts believe that 60% of our total T3 is manufactured by the liver.

However, if you suffer from a candida overgrowth, there is a good chance that your liver is in bad shape.  This is because candida releases over 70 different toxic byproducts into the body.  These toxic byproducts can cause all types of problems and they’re particular harsh on the liver.

In particular, candida releases a toxic byproduct called gliotoxin.  This substance is extremely damaging to the liver and research shows that it has the ability to destroy liver cells and impair the functioning of this important organ (3).

It’s important to understand that the liver filters the blood that is coming from the stomach.  Once filtered, this blood gets released into all other parts of the body.  Those with candida will often have toxic byproducts, such gliotoxin, mixed in the blood that is coming from the stomach and into the liver.  It’s for this reason that the liver naturally becomes damaged after being exposed to this toxic blood for long periods of time.

Fructose and Liver Function

Many may be surprised to know that fruit can also have a damaging effect on the liver and impair its functioning.  This is because all modern fruit contains extremely high amounts of the sugar called fructose. Research has shown that fructose, in high amounts, can have extremely damaging effects on the liver and can lead to fatty liver disease (4).

This may be a surprise to most, but it’s really not that surprising when you take a deeper look into nature.  It’s important to understand that all modern fruit, such as the ones purchased at most supermarkets, have been overly hybridized by farming.  In fact, modern fruit resembles nothing of its original counterparts.

Modern fruits have been bred to contain large amounts of sugar, little to no seeds, and are much larger than they once were.  This becomes problematic for us since we were never designed to handle such large amounts of fructose.  In fact, little to no fruit was ever consumed by our ancestors and hybridized fruit containing large amounts of sugar would have been completely absent from the diet.

We like to use the banana as an example of how hybridization can completely change a fruit.  Wild bananas are very small, contain lots of seeds, and has little to no edible flesh.  However, modern bananas are full sugar, four times as big, and contain zero seeds.

It’s also important to realize that fruit is seasonal and was never suppose to be consumed year round.  It wasn’t until importation and supermarkets that the luxury of consuming sugary watermelon in the dead of winter was made possible.

Inhibit Candida and Improve Liver Function

The best way to improve liver function so that it can properly manufacture the appropriate amount of thyroid hormones is to inhibit the growth of candida.  Those suffering from candida overgrowth often consume a diet that is rich in both sugars and carbohydrates.  For those unaware, candida operates on a sugar metabolism and sugar needs to be present in order for it to survive and multiply.

The only way to stop candida from growing is to remove sugars from the diet and follow a correct diet.  We recommend our candida diet protocol for anyone suffering with candida overgrowth.  Our protocol was designed specifically to inhibit the growth of candida and return optimal health to the gut.

In our opinion, diet is the only true way in which candida can be properly addressed.  Those who take anti-fungal drugs are only causing more damage to the body in the long run.  This is because these types of drugs will also kill the good bacteria in the gut and disrupt the balance in the gut microbiome.  Also, it should be mentioned, these drugs will eventually have to be filtered by the liver which can put more strain on an already damaged liver.

Try Our Candida Diet Recipe Cook Book

For those new to the eating style recommended in our candida diet protocol, we highly recommend our Crush Candida Diet Recipe Cook Book.  This cook book was designed to help those transition from diets by providing them with tasty and easy to prepare meals.

Our recipe cook book contains over 20 different recipes which can help inhibit the growth of candida and improve the gut.  It’s also an eBook so you get instant access right away!

Other Useful Strategies for Hypothyroidism

As well as getting candida under control, there are other useful strategies you can do in order to help assist in the proper functioning of the thyroid.  One of these strategies is to consume more iodine rich foods.

Research has shown that iodine deficiency is an extremely important factor in those suffering from hypothyroidism and increasing iodine can help improve the condition (5).  With that said, only small amounts of iodine is needed each day for optimal functioning of the thyroid.  An excess of iodine has actually been shown to have a negative effect on the thyroid.

It’s for this reason that we recommend you increase you iodine intake through food sources and not supplements.  It’s much more likely that an individual will receive an excess of iodine through supplements rather than food sources.

The best foods sources of iodine include wild caught fish and sea vegetables.  If you’re suffering from hypothyroidism, it may be beneficial to start consuming more of these foods.  Eating wild caught fish a few times a week can not only help boost your thyroid, but will also provide you with brain boosting fatty acids such as DHA and EPA.  Also, a teaspoon of dulse provides the body with all the iodine it needs for the day!