A Simple Seed Can Completely Reverse This Thyroid Disease
Do you know what Hashimoto’s thyroiditis is? Well, if you don’t, this may come as a surprise. This disease is not only very common, it’s quite possible you have it and don’t know it. Hashimoto’s thyroiditis is characterized by finding a high level of anti-thyroid antibodies. These antibodies are what cause the thyroid cells to deteriorate. Eventually, the patient develops hypothyroidism (low thyroid function). Causing swelling of the thyroid known as goiter, in some cases it can lead to thyroid cancer.
Besides having an elevated level of Thyroid Stimulating Hormone and elevated levels of anti-thyroid antibodies, there are two other indicators of Hashimoto’s Thyroiditis. One is a low level of the thyroid hormone T3. And the other is an elevated level of something called VEGF (vascular endothelial growth factor). The thyroid secretes VEGF when there’s an increase in TSH concentrations. And VEGF is also secreted by thyroid cancer cells. Remember these values, because when I talk about this new remedy for Hashimoto’s, I’ll be referring to them.
The cause is a malfunction of the immune system.
Hashimoto’s affects 2% of the general population and up to 10% of all women over the age of 55. That makes it one of the most common causes of low thyroid function. Like all auto-immune diseases, it’s more common in women. In fact, it’s 10 times more common. And like I said, many patients with Hashimoto’s go un-diagnosed.
The conventional treatment for Hashimoto’s Thyroiditis is the synthetic hormone levothyroxine. According to one review, the long-term use of levothyroxine “is related to cardiac dysfunction, left ventricular hypertrophy, and rapid bone loss.” For this reason, researchers recently wondered whether there might be a better way to go. That’s when they started to investigate black cumin seeds, also known as Nigella sativa.
Here’s why.
Numerous animal studies have detailed the therapeutic actions of black cumin seed in improving chronic diseases including diabetes, hyperlipidemia, hypertension, and gastritis. One study in particular looked at the effect of black cumin seed in rats with low thyroid function induced by the drug propylthiouracil. In that study, the herb completely corrected the problem. Based on the rat study results researchers developed a study to look at the effect of black cumin seeds on humans.
For the study the researchers enrolled 40 men and women with Hashimoto’s Thyroiditis, between the ages of 22 and 50 years. They gave half of them 2 g of black cumin seed powder every day. The other half got the placebo. Before the study and at the end of the eight weeks, the researchers measured the levels of T3 hormone, TSH hormone, VEGF, and anti-thyroid antibodies. Since Hashimoto’s commonly causes weight gain, they also measured weight and body composition.
In the author’s own words, here’s what they found.
“Treatment with Nigella sativa [Black Cumin Seed] significantly reduced body weight and BMI. Serum concentrations of thyroid stimulating hormone (TSH) and anti-thyroid antibodies decreased, while serum T3 concentrations increased in Nigella-treated group after eight weeks. There was a significant reduction in serum VEGF concentrations in intervention group. None of these changes had been observed in the placebo treated group.”
Basically, every single measurement of Hashimoto’s Thyroiditis disease activity improved on the herb. The TSH improved 50%. T3 levels improved 15%. VEGF levels decreased. And anti-thyroid antibodies decreased 50%. All of this without any side effects. The authors concluded, “Considering observed health-promoting effect of this medicinal plant [black cumin seed] in ameliorating the disease severity, it can be regarded as a useful therapeutic approach in management of Hashimoto’s Thyroiditis.”
You can buy black cumin seed powder online. Consult with your doctor first. But if you have been diagnosed with low thyroid function from Hashimoto’s, it certainly looks like you have nothing to lose by adding some black cumin seed to your current program.
Yours for better health,
Dr. Jack Belitz, DC
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