Understanding the Causes of Hypothyroidism

Environmental Toxins

One of the most important factors that lead to hypothyroidism is exposure to environmental toxins such as pesticides, which act as hormone or endocrine disruptors and interfere with thyroid hormone metabolism and function. In one study, it found that as people lose weight they release pesticides from their fat tissue. This can then interfere with thyroid function and caused hypothyroidism. The toxins created a slow metabolism and prevented them from losing more weight. The study highlights the importance of overall detoxification.

Another very common problem includes drinking chlorinated and fluoridated water, and eating brominated flour. Chlorine, fluoride, and bromine are all in the same family as iodine, which can displace iodine in your thyroid gland. Heavy metals such as mercury can also affect thyroid function. One of the principal causes of hypothyroidism is related to elevated reverse T3 levels, which can become elevated in response to heavy metal toxicity.
In such cases, detoxifying before beginning thyroid treatment is recommended. The detoxification protocol will vary depending on your level of lead, cadmium, mercury, and other heavy metals. Some people get these efficiently out of their bodies within 10 to 15 chelation treatments. There are other people, particularly those who lived in major metropolitan areas all their lives, where it takes 30 or 40 chelation treatments to pull out all the toxic metals. 95 percent of the time, those with elevated reverse T3 levels will see their levels revert back to normal after undergoing chelation with EDTA and DMPS, which draw out cadmium, lead, mercury, and other toxic metals. In essence, heavy metal toxicity can cause a functional form of hypothyroidism.