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pH

 

The acid/alkaline balance is one of the most overlooked aspects of health, though Gary Null and others have written much about it. In general, the American public is heavily acid, excepting vegetarians. A too-acid system speeds enzyme activity. Children with autism often are heavily alkaline. A too-alkaline system slows enzymes to a crawl. Minerals have different pH levels at which they can be assimilated into the body. Sodium and magnesium have wide pH assimilation ranges. It narrows somewhat for calcium and potassium, and narrows more for manganese and iron, and yet more for zinc and copper, which are HIGH up on the atomic scale, requiring NEAR PERFECT pH for assimilation into the body. Iodine, as you may know, is one of the most important minerals for proper functioning of the thyroid, but the thyroid doesn’t get access to iodine unless the body pH is near perfect! Obviously, a less than optimum pH will predispose to a deficiency of iodine, zinc, and copper. These three are critical for thyroid function.

 

Additionally, the environment is so heavily polluted with chlorine, fluorine, and bromine compounds, all in the same family (halogens), and a lot more chemically active than iodine - the functional component of thyroid hormone. These elements are known to interfere with the receptor sites at the cell level where real thyroid hormone plugs in, and they trigger autoimmune diseases in the body. In the latter, the immune system recognizes the foreign element as not quite right and attacks. Unfortunately, the immune system can neither destroy nor eliminate the wrong halogen, so the attack continues, eventually destroying the gland itself. Fluoride destroys iodine, creating a deficiency of this vital mineral. Pesticides (estrogenic) and all forms of estrogen (including unfermented soy) slow the thyroid secretions and interfere with conversion of T4 to T3. Large amounts of beta-carotene and/or PABA, polyunsaturated oils, and vegetarian diets (particularly for blood type O and B) inhibit the thyroid.

 

Obesity increases the requirement for iodine – as does a high fat intake, and up to 100 mg (yes, mg) elemental iodine/day may be required to achieve and maintain sufficiency! Smoking increases serum thiocyanate levels, interfering with the sodium/iodide symporter function. Sources of goitrogens are available from medical textbooks, and, although the halides, fluoride, and bromide are not listed as goitrogens, fluoride interferes with the uptake of iodide by the thyroid gland symporter system, but is itself not transported inside the thyrocyte, suggesting that fluoride causes oxidative damage to the halide-binding site of the symporter. The goitrogenic effect of bromide, even at low concentrations is significant. Additionally, patients who use water from wells and municipal plants may be exposed to potassium perchlorate, a very powerful goitrogen that behaves like fluoride, binding to the halide-binding site of the symporter without itself being symported. A recent Internet publication by Kirk et al reported the presence of high concentrations of perchlorate in dairy milk sold in grocery stores and in human milk. The mean levels of perchlorate were 5 times higher in breast milk than dairy milk. Perchlorate has a selectivity factor of at least 30 over iodide. To compete effectively against this goitrogen, the peripheral concentration of inorganic iodide must be at least 100 times higher than the concentration of perchlorate. Kirk et al observed that breast and dairy iodide levels were inversely correlated with the levels of perchlorate. Perchlorate and fluoride, due to their high redox potential, may cause oxidative damage to the halide-binding site, decreasing its efficiency for iodide transport.

 

Additionally, certain brassica (cruciferous) plants and fruits: Bok Choy (Chinese Cabbage), Collard Greens, Kale, Mustard Greens, Spinach, Turnip Greens, Broccoli, Brussel Sprouts, Cauliflower, Cabbage, Rutabaga, Peaches, and Strawberries are often referred to as containing Goitrogens, and one is often cautioned not to eat them, at least if a sluggish thyroid is suspected. This may be bad advice for it narrows the food choices and eliminates some of our most valuable and nourishing foods. How do they suppress the thyroid? They use up the iodine stores. To overcome the effects of goitrogens in the food chain, the amounts of iodine used in Japan would be necessary —Hormone & Metabolic Res 1995, 27:450-454. Abraham describes a Graves’, exopthalmic female with undetectable TSH, elevated T3, T4, and free T4. She started on 1200 mg per day magnesium for one month, which calmed her, improved sleep, reduced burning, irritated eyes and lacrimation, and reduced palpitations – and then she started on 12.5 mg elemental iodine per day. All findings normalized in a month. So, rather than avoiding these valuable foods, just do what is needed in the first place, supplement iodine. Additionally, an adequate intake of iodine will heavily chelate bromine, fluoride, and heavy metals restoring thyroid function and inhibiting bacteria and viral infections. Do the iodine test periodically to ensure the iodine stores are adequate. Additionally, cooking eliminates the goitrogens—http://oregonstate.edu/dept/hort/233/toxic.htm.

 

These vegetables supply Indole-3 Carbinol (I3C) that provides two powerful phytonutrients, Sulforaphanes and glucosinolates that enhance the liver’s ability to break down estrogens. I3C appears to work on sensitive tissues of breast, colon, lung, rectum, and elsewhere giving a protective effect against cancer of these vital tissues (Bradlow, 1994, and Wong, 1997). Sulforaphane, fed in its natural state, showed 95% elimination of cancer induced in rats. When given isolated sulforaphane, the protection dropped to 10%! Similar poor results were found for companion antioxidants Lutein and Zeaxanthin. A new study shows that (assuming that you didn’t keep it in the refrigerator for a week incurring greater losses) up to 80% of the glucosinolates along with 60% of the flavonoids and other goodies are lost from the time broccoli is picked to the time it lands on your plate This is why P----------® by M----------h, Inc. is so valuable. These 12, freeze–dried, cruciferous vegetables have a full measure of all their natural phytochemicals present to provide full synergistic activity. The significance of this is shown in a study from China. Women with the most cruciferous metabolites in their blood had half as much breast cancer! Other studies show that cancer cells stop growing and begin to die when exposed to sulforaphanes and other isothiocyanates (which combine with NAC to create glutathione)! Sulforaphane also reduced DNA damage by 80% in one test. Furthermore, tests show that I3C protects against toxicity of chemotherapy drugs without interfering with the drug’s ability to kill cancer cells, in fact it enhanced the effectiveness of Trabectidin by increasing tumor reduction from 54% to 71%! It enhances the effectiveness of Mytomycin C against some cancers that lack an activating enzyme.  Sulforaphane also overcomes H. Pylori, a very difficult bug to kill.

 

We have just read Kane on the need of carbonates to acidify the system. Elevated citric (due to the glutathione deficiency) with low 2-oxo-gluteric (in urine tests) would affect oxygen getting into the cells. You can compensate by getting some carbon dioxide by using a rebreather mask, and by taking carbonates between meals to increase CO2 as Kane has recommended. The carbon dioxide acidifies the blood, and helps the red blood cells release the oxygen to the cells. Supporting the thyroid helps the cells make more carbon dioxide, so that is something else to do. Obtain a packet of pH paper, and test the saliva and urine as indicated elsewhere in this paper. Dr. Cheney treats Chronic Fatigue (CFIDS) patients.