Environmental factors play a large part in health and wellness and yet it is often overlooked as part of a health and lifestyle strategy. Environmental perturbations can create subtle long term impacts on health, without being detected by medical staff as the impact is often subclinical and not screened, as the impact on life is negligible in the short term.
It is well documented that environmental toxins or xenoestrogens have a significant effecton the body, driving estrogen levels higher and playing havoc with other hormones.One of the latest technologies that should be subject to long term scrutiny is mobile telephone and wireless technology. Some studies although small and short term show clear significant changes to markers in thyroid function. Mortavazi et al showed that TSH or thyroid stimulating hormone in humans was increased, whilst T4 and T3 levels decreased, suggesting thyroid dysfunction.
This leads us to an interesting question regarding health and wellness advice that is given out by many organisations. The thyroid is a key regulator of metabolism and dysfunction of that gland can cause weight gain, increased cholesterol levels, decreased energy, sleep, libido and behavioural changes. The advice given to those with excessive weight and increased cholesterol levels is to do more exercise and to eat less fat. However increased exercise, especially long bouts of cardiovascular exercise can supress metabolism further and if the thyroid remains suboptimal then weight loss is difficult to achieve and elevated cholesterol levels fail to lower.
I often see many clients who despite exercise and eating a ‘clean and healthy’ diet fail to lose weight. If cholesterol fails to come down it often prompts the clinician to suggest statin medication which may often just be the need to improve thyroid function. Therefore is more exercise and dietary changes a helpful strategy if it does not affect weight, energy or change in cholesterol ?
There are many nutrition strategies that can be used to improve thyroid function such as increased sugar, protein, zinc and decreasing polyunsaturated fats. The effect of managing environmental toxins and issues such as wireless technology will remain a constant problem and people wishing to make significant changes to their health may need to remove themselves to limited mobile technology spaces.The film full signal is useful for more information on the risks from this technology http://www.facebook.com/FullSignal?ref=ts&fref=ts
A simple strategy is to ensure that all Wi-Fi is turned off at night and all mobile phones are removed from the bedroom.
If you have been to see many people with mystery ailments that such as fatigue and those discussed above then thyroid assessment is warranted. Request blood markers such as T3, T4 as well as TSH and most importantly take your body temperature.
- Seyed Mortavazi,1 Asadollah Habib,2 Amir Ganj-Karami,3Razieh Samimi-Doost, 3Atefe Pour-Abedi,3 Ali Babaie3 Mortavazi S, et al. Alterations in TSH and Thyroid Hormones following Mobile Phone Use. OMJ. 24, 274-278 (2009); doi:10.5001/omj.2009.56
- Rajkovic V, Matavulj, M. Gledic D. Lazetic, B. Evaluation of rat thyroid gland morphophysiological status after threemonths exposure to 50 Hz electromagnetic field. Tissue & Cell 35 (2003) 223–23