Page 1 of 1

Autoimmune Thyroiditis/Selenium Excerpts

Posted: Wed Mar 25, 2009 8:46 am
by kiwani
Cohesive thyroiditis/selenium excerpts from an archived thread...
by kiwani on Wed Apr 23, 2008 4:33 am



jacqui wrote:Chyna is over weight and its putting alot of stress on her joints.she does not eat much but her inactivity is the problem.I make her walk at least once a day but she is very slow and sluggish.her hypothyriodism does not help either. if anyone has any advice I would really appeciate it. thank you



Just the same advice I offered in your previous thread. The thyroid disease has a domino effect, affecting the muscles/nerves, and the chemical communication within the muscles (hypothyroid myopathy) contributing to the muscle/nerve pain and the periodic paralysis Chyna suffers from.


There are various related myopathies, including inherited myopathy in Chow-Chows. These same myopathies affect humans and other animals, and there are specific tests, meds, and protocols concerning diet with some of these. The digestive tract also depends on muscle for peristalsis to move the food along. It's really a matter of getting the right diagnosis concerning what is going on.


If your holistic vet isn't interested in consulting with the thyroid expert I mentioned, you might consider joining a canine thyroid group on yahoo, or find one that is concerned with myopathies. There are also nutrition groups to help tailor a diet to certain conditions, but you would need to know what disorder you are dealing with, hypothyroid myopathy or (?) whatever your vet is treating Chyna for, with the med you mentioned.



This isn't a case of recommending brands or formulas, but of properly addressing the underlying chemical problem, because the wrong balance of ingredients may make things worse.

Re: Autoimmune Thyroiditis/Selenium Excerpts

Posted: Wed Mar 25, 2009 8:52 am
by kiwani
by kiwani on Thu Apr 24, 2008 5:36 am



jacqui wrote:...the regular vets just don't get it.they think more medicine and prescription food will solve her problems when in fact it goes much deeper than that.




The 'prescription foods' often contain sulfonamide residues (see excerpt below), pesticide residues from Monsanto's genetically modified grains (especially corn), mold inhibitors, toxic preservatives, inferior by-product ingredients and livestock quality vitamins. If you aren't feeding
holistic quality foods, (even when supplementing with human-grade meats/foods) you can still be feeding sulfonamide, pesticide, and preservative residue (keeps fresh meat looking red, etc.) There are archived threads mentioning negative effects of meds/environmental factors on thyroid function, if you're interested.



I'll post another excerpt concerning the selenium aspect, mentioned below..



Excerpt: Other Factors Influencing Thyroid Metabolism (Dodds)
Because animals with autoimmune thyroid disease have generalized metabolic imbalance and may have associated immunological dysfunction, it is advisable to minimize their exposures to unnecessary drugs, chemicals and toxins, and to optimize their nutritional status with healthy balanced diets.


Recent studies have implicated selenium deficiency and potentiated sulfonamides as contributors to thyroid dysfunction or imbalance. Challenging the immune system of these animals with multivalent modified-live vaccines also has been associated with adverse effects.
General recommendations are to use killed vaccine products, when these are available; space vaccines at least 10 days to 2 weeks apart to avoid excessive antigenic challenge; and perform serum antibody titration as an alternative to booster vaccination of adults in order to assess the adequacy of existing protection.

http://www.natural-akita.com/JPTeez/html/thyroid2.html

Re: Autoimmune Thyroiditis/Selenium Excerpts

Posted: Wed Mar 25, 2009 8:57 am
by kiwani
by kiwani on Thu Apr 24, 2008 5:53 am


Selenium Excerpt:

The selenium-thyroid connection has significant clinical relevance, because blood, but not tissue, levels of thyroid hormones rise in selenium deficiency. Thus, selenium-deficient individuals showing clinical signs of hypothyroidism could be overlooked on the basis that blood levels of thyroid hormones appear normal. The selenium issue is further complicated because the synthetic antioxidants still used in some foods to protect fats from rancidity can impair the bioavailability of vitamin A, vitamin E and selenium, and alter cellular membrane function, metabolism and detoxification.


Because animals with autoimmune thyroid disease have generalized metabolic imbalance and often have associated immunological dysfunction, it is advisable to minimize their exposures to unnecessary drugs, chemicals and toxins, and to optimize their nutritional status with healthy balanced diets. Families of dogs susceptible to thyroid and other autoimmune diseases show generalized improvement in health when fed premium cereal-based diets preserved naturally with vitamins E and C rather than with the synthetic chemical antioxidants mentioned above. Fresh vegetables cooked with Italian herbs and garlic, dairy products such as yogurt or low fat cottage cheese, or a variety of meats and whitefish can be added.




Nutritional Management (Commercial, Homemade and Raw Food Diets):
Many veterinarians treating animals suffering from immunological diseases appreciate that alternative nutritional management is an important step in minimizing their patient's environmental challenges. The results of this approach have been remarkable. The replacement food must be of good quality and preferably of relatively low protein content (20-22%). Increasing carbohydrate and reducing protein content, while maintaining high quality protein, has been shown to be beneficial for many affected animals and is also believed to have a positive effect on behavior. Diet and behavior appear to be linked because certain highly nutritious foods may aggravate the condition of dogs with behavioral problems (dominant aggression, hyperactivity, and fear).

http://personal.palouse.net/valeska/Raw ... dwork.html

Re: Autoimmune Thyroiditis/Selenium Excerpts

Posted: Wed Mar 25, 2009 9:03 am
by kiwani
by kiwani on Fri Apr 25, 2008 5:48 am



jacqui wrote:I'm finding it very complicated.is there any where I can find it in simple terms?



There are things which have a negative impact on thyroid and immune function, such as meds (certain meds especially, and vaccines), synthetic
chemicals in foods, Monsanto's unpopular genetically-modified grains dumped into livestock and pet foods, artificial preservatives, de-natured by-product ingredients, etc. The list also includes drug and pesticide residue in livestock, arsenic added to poultry feed, etc.


Organically grown free-range livestock, whole grains, and other holistic foodstuffs, work in a positive partnership with the thyroid and immune system, not only in supplying valuable micronutrients, but also richer in selenium. Selenium has an important role not only in working with the thyroid, but also in working deeper into muscle tissue maintaining healthful functioning. Selenium imbalances are linked with hypothyroid myopathy. Selenium *deficits* are linked with autoimmune responses, inflammation. A patient may be receiving thyroid supplement, but it might not be utilized by the body if the selenium isn't there to work in partnership.


As mentioned earlier, there are other nutritional factors etc., involved with other types of myopathies.

Re: Autoimmune Thyroiditis/Selenium Excerpts

Posted: Wed Mar 25, 2009 9:07 am
by kiwani
by kiwani on Fri Apr 25, 2008 11:51 am


Excerpts: Selenium Supplementation in Patients with Autoimmune
Thyroiditis -- Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism


In areas with severe selenium deficiency there is a higher incidence of thyroiditis due to a decreased activity of selenium-dependent glutathione peroxidase activity within thyroid cells.


Selenium-dependent enzymes also have several modifying effects on the immune system. Therefore, even mild selenium deficiency may contribute to the development and maintenance of autoimmune thyroid diseases....


...We conclude that selenium substitution may improve the inflammatory activity in patients with autoimmune thyroiditis, especially in those with high activity.

http://jcem.endojournals.org/cgi/conten ... /87/4/1687

Re: Autoimmune Thyroiditis/Selenium Excerpts

Posted: Wed Mar 25, 2009 9:12 am
by kiwani
by kiwani on Sun Apr 27, 2008 4:21 am



jacqui wrote:boy,this is all very confusing .so much to digest at one time. Kiwani,I am reading all the links that you are sending,thank you for all the information.



It might help if you imagine that the selenium is like an army of gatekeepers, working in an important partnership with the thyroid and the immune system. Imagine that those gatekeepers open billions of portals to health-building chemistry, and help remove disease-building chemistry. If there aren't enough gatekeeers at all times, especially during stress, toxins can build up and increase inflammation, and body chemistry isn't maintained in a healthful balance. The use of anti-inflammatory meds can contribute to the further loss of natural gatekeepers, which means that there are even less gatekeepers available to work at removing med toxins.


The gatekeepers also work in partnership with plant-based micronutrients and vitamin e, to maintain the healthful exchange through of the billions of portals. The selenium gatekeepers in animal proteins aren't that easily lost by cooking, and there are more of them in seafoods anyway. Until the population of gatekeepers is established to maintain a healthful flow at the billions of portals, I would continue to recommend the anti-inflammatory holistic diet we've discussed in the past, and tailor the supplement foods/etc. to the hypothyroid myopathy/periodic paralysis until the two specialist vets come to some agreement.

Re: Autoimmune Thyroiditis/Selenium Excerpts

Posted: Wed Mar 25, 2009 9:17 am
by kiwani
Re: Human Dosage - Clinical Trial


Excerpt: Selenium Treatment in Autoimmune Thyroiditis (AIT) This study
has been completed.

Selenium suppresses autoimmune destruction of thyrocytes and decreases titers of serum TPOAb in Autoimmune Thyroiditis patients...



http://www.clinicaltrial.gov/ct2/show/N ... 22&rank=27 k