Making sure you’re getting enough sunlight exposure to have healthy Vitamin D levels is a crucial factor in treating depression or keeping it at bay. One previous study found that people with the lowest levels of Vitamin D were 11 times more prone to being depressed than those who had normal levels. Vitamin D deficiency is actually more the norm than the exception, and has previously been implicated in both psychiatric and neurological disorders.

Vitamin D receptors have been identified throughout the human body, and that includes in your brain. Researchers have located metabolic pathways for Vitamin D in the hippocampus and cerebellum of the brain, areas that are involved in planning, processing of information, and the formation of new memories.

Sufficient Vitamin D is also imperative for proper functioning of your immune system to combat inflammation, and other research has discovered that depressed people tend to have higher levels of inflammation in their brains.

Vitamin D is paramount to optimal thyroid function, and depression is a well-known symptom of low thyroid function. Be sure to ask your doctor to check your “25-OH vitamin D” level (NOT “1,25-OH vitamin D” level). Although normal range is 30 to 100, studies have shown that people with levels in the 70-80 range have the lowest incidence of flus/colds, cancer, autoimmune diseases, and diabetes. Levels should be monitored periodically since vitamin D is one of the few vitamins that can reach toxic levels, and of course, you want to make sure you are never deficient in vitamin D. 

by Mila McManus MD

Now that school is finally out and we will all be spending more time outdoors, I believe the time has come to debunk the sunscreen myth.

Sunlight elevates our mood and exposure to it is crucial for optimal health for a number of reasons, with Vitamin D production being the most important.  Vitamin D is one of the most effective anti-cancer vitamins and can be produced in the skin through exposure to U.V. light. It is essential for a strong immune system that helps protect us from, and ward off, cancer(s). It is also very important for maintaining strong and healthy bones.

Toxicity of Sunscreens

Sunscreen ingredients, such as Zinc Oxide and Oxybenzone are linked to cancer. Absorbing chemicals through the skin can be more dangerous than ingesting them orally. The reason for this is that when chemicals or medications are applied directly on the skin, they are not broken down by the strong acids of the stomach before reaching the bloodstream, and they bypass being metabolized by the liver on initial entry.  Moreover, the aluminum content in these carcinogenic ingredients commonly used in most sunscreens will stay in the body forever, accumulating as a heavy metal toxin.

The survival of the sunscreen industry is reliant upon keeping us ignorant and afraid of the sun.  None of us would ever consider eating sunscreen, yet we follow the advice of the medical “establishment” that reports continually that many of us will suffer from skin cancer without it. “Experts” recommend applying generous amounts of the products every few hours. It has been shown that strict sun protection exacerbates Vitamin D deficiency. Sunscreen creates an actual physical barrier and blocks your skin’s ability to produce Vitamin D by more than 95%.

So, now that we have determined that sunscreen is full of known carcinogens and provides a physical barrier against the production of the amazing cancer fighter Vitamin D, what is the best solution to having optimal Vitamin D levels?

Sun Safety Solutions

The best solution is healthy tanning. This does not mean that we should all go out and get as much sun as we want. Caution must be exercised and the key is avoiding a burn.  This means that we should limit exposure initially until we accumulate some brown pigment, called melanin, which gives the skin brown color and protects it naturally from burning. As the skin becomes well tanned, a person can increase their exposure with little risk of cancer. If burning does occur, apply coconut oil or aloe vera overnight and miss a day or two of sun exposure to allow the skin to recover. In the middle of summer, when the sun is very strong, avoid the midday hours or wear lightweight, light colored clothing that covers the skin and a wide brimmed hat.

Have a Happy and Healthy Summer!

Did you know?

Zinc:

• is required for the catalytic activity of approximately 100 enzymes
• Can shorten the duration of a cold is a natural aromatase inhibitor (i.e. slows the conversion of testosterone into estrogen)
• supports normal growth and development during pregnancy, childhood, and adolescence
• is required for proper sense of taste and smell
• is found in high amounts in oysters

Zinc deficiency is characterized by growth retardation, loss of appetite, and impaired immune function. In more severe cases, zinc deficiency causes hair loss, diarrhea, delayed sexual maturation, impotence, hypogonadism in males, and eye and skin lesions. Weight loss, delayed healing of wounds, taste abnormalities, and mental lethargy can also occur. Many of these symptoms are non-specific and often associated with other health conditions; therefore, a medical examination is necessary to ascertain whether a zinc deficiency is present.

A wide variety of foods contain zinc.  Oysters contain more zinc per serving than any other food, but red meat and poultry provide the majority of zinc in the American diet.  Other good food sources include beans, nuts, certain types of seafood (such as crab and lobster), whole grains, fortified breakfast cereals, and dairy products.

Information obtained from http://ods.od.nih.gov/factsheets/Zinc-HealthProfessional/

by Mila McManus MD

So you’re convinced that you are LOW THYROID. You have classic symptoms, such as depressed moods, fatigue, weight gain, headaches, hair loss, etc, and you convince your doctor to test your thyroid level. Much to your dismay, you get a letter in the mail 2 weeks later that says your thyroid level is normal. What’s next? Your doctor offers you an antidepressant, Ibuprofen, and tells you to exercise. Does this sound familiar?

There are two problems here. First, this so- called ‘normal’ result might NOT be YOUR normal. Reference ranges for most lab values are established by testing a large number of healthy people and observing what appears to be “normal” for them. A large number of people are tested for a given lab, and in turn, a bell curve (i.e., normal distribution) is created. By statistical definitions, when one includes the results that extend 2 standard deviations beyond the average of that distribution, this encompasses 95% of the population studied. So if 95% of a sample population had thyroid levels that ranged from 5 to 500, that would be the reference range for a thyroid test. You must agree that 5 to 500 is a pretty broad range. So let’s say your thyroid level, hypothetically, is 25. That certainly does fall ‘within normal range’, but perhaps YOUR normal is 350. For another example, let’s say, hypothetically, that 5 yrs ago your thyroid level was 400. Over the past 5 years, you’ve noticed a slow, but steady decline in your energy, moods, brain function, etc, and had your thyroid checked again. This time it is 200. Both of these numbers are well within ‘normal range’, but your thyroid is now functioning 50% slower than it did 5 years ago. Because these levels are within range, your thyroid problem won’t be detected with bloodwork, and instead of addressing the underlying issues related to low thyroid function, which may or may not include thyroid hormone supplemenation, you are offered several prescription drugs to mask the symptoms that would otherwise be easily resolved.

The second problem is that doctors are taught in medical school and residency training to interpret most lab values as black and white, i.e., no gray area. This includes thyroid. According to most doctors, you do not have a thyroid problem if your lab result is ‘within normal limits’.

Test yourself for low thyroid symptoms.

What is thyroid: This is a small butterfly-shaped gland in your neck, wrapped around the windpipe, behind and below the Adam’s Apple area. This gland produces two hormones:
1. tri-iodothyronine (T3): the active, primary intracellular hormone and
2. thyroxine (T4): the inactive, primary extracellular hormone.

This gland governs the body’s metabolism and growth through the production of these hormones. Once released, T3 and T4 travel through the bloodstream to help cells convert oxygen and calories into energy. These hormones determine your body’s metabolic rate, the rate at which your cells produce and use energy. If your thyroid gland were to be removed and you weren’t given any supplementation, then you might live one year. You would slowly unwind like a doll on Christmas morning until your body would cease functioning.

When your thyroid is not functioning properly, thyroid disease usually results. Sometimes, there are few symptoms and other times there are major symptoms such as goiters or unexplained weight gain. In this article, we will describe hypothyroidism, hyperthyroidism and an auto-immune disease called Hashimoto’s thyroiditis.

Hypothyroidism: Hypo means low so this disease relates to a medical condition manifested by low thyroid function, not producing enough thyroid hormones or by low thyroid hormone action in the cells. If T4 is not properly assimilated into the cells or is not converted to T3 within the cells, then this disease results. This is the most common form of thyroid disease and one of the most overlooked because bloodwork does not always show a deficiency (see the article on Reference Ranges).

It is not the level of thyroid hormone in the blood that is important, but rather how much T3 is present within the cells. This is why blood tests are inconclusive and often do not correlate with a patient’s clinical symptoms. Some symptoms of hypothyroidism include, but are not limited to, chronic fatigue, weight gain, cold extremities, headaches, brain fog, depression, hair loss, irregular menstrual cycles, low basal body temperature, low blood pressure and many more. If left untreated, thyroid deficiency can lead to migraines, recurrent and chronic infections, skin disorders, obesity, menstrual irregularities and infertility, emotional disorders, hypertension, coronary artery disease, cancer and the complications of diabetes. Sometimes, diagnosis may be detected by Free T4 and TSH (thyroid stimulating hormone) levels in the blood, but most commonly by a patient’s symptoms. There are many causes of hypothyroidism, but one of the most common is Hashimoto’s Thyroiditis.

Hashimoto’s Thyroiditis: This is a type of autoimmune disease in which the immune system produces antibodies to the thyroid gland. The antibodies attack this important gland and prevent it from making enough hormones to be properly assimilated into the cells. This usually leads to hypothyroidism and, therefore, the symptoms are very similar. Common symptoms include fatigue, depression, constipation, muscle and joint pains, weight gain, brain fog, sensitivity to cold, puffy face, dry skin, increased menstrual flow, infertility, miscarriages and presence of a goiter. Diagnosis is based on blood levels of antibodies against thyroglobulin and thyroid peroxidase, as well as symptoms.

Hyperthyroidism: When your thyroid starts producing too much hormone, you can become hyperthyroid and your body goes into overdrive. This may be caused by too much thyroid hormone replacement, which is why it is extremely important to have routine follow up appointments and bloodwork done. Some symptoms include insomnia, irritability or anxiety, unexplained weight loss, increased heart rate or palpitations, increased perspiration, shaky hands, feeling tired, menstrual abnormalities, muscle weakness, eye changes (bulging eyes, double vision), infertility, brittle hair, hair loss, lack of concentration or erratic behavior.

Treatment for Thyroid Diseases: Most traditional doctors will prescribe Synthroid or Levoxyl for treatment of hypothyroidism or Hashimoto’s. The Woodlands Institute for Health & Wellness treats first with Armour thyroid medication. Armour is a bio-identical, natural hormone. It consists of thyroid glands from pigs that are removed and desiccated (dried). After the glands are dried, they are pulverized, ground into powder, emulsified and finally punched into tablets. These tablets contain the exact same T3 and T4 hormones that our bodies produce as well as nutrients.

Drug companies look for chemical substances in nature that have therapeutic and medicinal value. The only way they can profit from them is by changing the chemical formula ever so slightly and creating a new synthetic drug to be patented and sold at a handsome profit. The pharmaceutical companies then market their drugs by employing salesmen to promote their products to private physicians. This includes Synthroid and Levoxyl.

These synthetic forms of thyroid contain only T4, which is the inactive form of thyroid. This means your body must convert that T4 into the active T3. Many people are resistant to this internal conversion, which explains why some hypothyroid patients do not feel much better when placed on synthetic thyroid replacements. For this reason, synthetic drugs and counterfeit hormones are not as effective as their bio-identical counterparts. Many synthetic drugs and counterfeit hormones have serious and harmful side effects. For this reason, we prescribe and recommend biologically identical hormones, including Armour Thyroid. Although the symptoms of functional hypothyroidism are many and diverse, virtually all will improve or resolve when the patient is treated with Armour Thyroid.

Click here to test yourself for low thyroid symptoms. For more information, visit the Ask Dr. McManus page at https://woodlandswellnessmd.com/resources/ask-dr-mcmanus.html to watch a short video on thyroid function.