Nutritional information about the thyroid

http://www.ithyroid.com/thyroid_theory.htm

Vitamins are essential to facilitate mineral metabolism and proteins and lipids combine with minerals to form the essential biological chemicals that the body needs. A vitamin, protein, or lipid deficiency can result in a mineral deficiency. To correct a mineral deficiency causes by a vitamin, protein, or lipid deficiency, not only must the vitamin, protein, or lipid be replenished, but the mineral must be also.
Because of the interaction of minerals, vitamins, proteins, and lipids, supplying the body with less than all four of these can result in deficiencies of the others. For example, we know that selenium is facilitated by vitamin E. Taking excessive amounts of supplemental vitamin E without also taking selenium can result in the body becoming deficient in selenium.
Likewise copper metabolism is facilitated by vitamin C. Taking excessive amounts of vitamin C without also supplementing copper can deplete the body of copper. Replenishing the copper requires some, but not an excessive amount of vitamin C. It also requires the presence of all the other nutrients necessary for copper metabolism.
Also taking excessive amounts of one mineral can deplete other minerals. Here is an example I've seen in several people. Hemoglobin production requires two key minerals, iron and copper, along with many vitamins, proteins, and lipids. A deficiency of iron will cause iron-deficiency anemia. A deficiency of copper will cause copper-deficiency anemia. Both minerals are necessary.
If a person takes an excessive amount of iron without copper, copper will become deficient and the person will become anemic. Many people go to a doctor and are found anemic. Usually the doctor will prescribe massive doses of iron, sometimes as much as 200 milligrams per day (about 15 mgs. per day is adequate). Then the doctor is surprised because the anemia doesn't go away. If this iron supplementation is continued then copper becomes so deficient that the person will develop a thyroid disease.
Each vitamin facilitates the metabolism of one or more minerals. The B complex vitamins are very important in facilitating the metabolism of the trace minerals that are essential for bodily functions. Taking excessive amounts of B complex vitamins without an adequate supply of minerals can result in mineral deficiencies.
Because of the interactive effects between minerals, it is essential to keep minerals supplied in the proper balance. Likewise, it is essential to supply vitamins such as the B complex vitamins in the proper balance. Many nutritional experts warn about the problems that can result from taking some B vitamins without the others. They urge people to take a balanced B complex rather than individual B vitamins.
Taking individual B vitamins in unbalanced amounts causes problems because it disrupts the underlying mineral balance. Thus you can get a mineral unbalance in two ways: by ingestion minerals that aren't balanced and by ingesting vitamins that are unbalanced.
Supplementing vitamins and minerals is a powerful tool, but it is double-edged: you can quickly correct a nutritional deficiency with the use of supplements, but you can also quickly disrupt the balance of minerals.
As you will see later, I believe that hyperthyroidism is caused by an imbalance of minerals in the body. Some minerals are depleted and this causes major problems. Taking any one of a long list of nutrients can further deplete these deficient minerals and make hyperthyroidism worse. This is what most hyperthyroidism sufferers experience: most nutritional supplements make them worse.
Besides nutritional supplements we have to consider heavy metal toxicity. It appears to me that the danger from heavy metal toxicity is twofold: first, heavy metals replace and deplete essential metals from biological processes by mineral competition; and second, heavy metals are especially problematic because of their long half-life in the body. It seems that the heavier the metal the longer is stays in the body and the less it takes to cause disruption to nutrient balance.
Cadmium is a particularly toxic metal especially for the thyroid. Later we will look at how cadmium toxicity depletes zinc and copper and causes both hypothyroidism and hyperthyroidism.
This is a short introduction to my theories of the basic nutritional processes underlying deficiency diseases. The basic idea to remember is that nutrients need to be balanced and imbalances can cause further imbalances. Ingestion of imbalanced amounts of nutrients or toxic metals can disrupt the balance of nutrients required for proper health and endocrine function.