A Dilemma of Thyroid Products

“We now know that once-daily desiccated thyroid extract is a safe alternative treatment for patients with hypothyroidism who are not satisfied with levothyroxine treatment.” (Thanh D. Hoang)

Here is our dilemma: there are 96 licensed NPN products in Canada called Thyroid or Thyroid Support[1], including homeopathic. None of them contains actual thyroid gland (only precursor ingredients) but they are permitted to be called Thyroid. On the other hand, Life Choice Thyrodine is the only government approved, licensed thyroid product that contains actual thyroid gland, hormone free and we are not permitted by Health Canada to call our product Thyroid Gland, as it may cause customer confusion, even though the process of taking a product from prescription drug status and switching it to natural product status has never been done before.

On a global scale, a staggering 200 million people have problems with their thyroid glands. In the US alone, the instance of thyroid disease is running close to epidemic levels, which is equally as worrying since 60% remains undiagnosed or misdiagnosed.[2] “The prevalence of goiter in areas of severe iodine deficiency can be as high as 80% of the population.”[3]

The causes of thyroid problems are largely unknown. Though as with many of today’s illnesses, the increased incidence of thyroid disease can be linked to an over-burden of toxins by pollution through air, water or food and the recent evidence of micro-plastic particles found in the human gut. Traces of polyethylene terephthalate and polypropylene, commonly used in plastic drinking bottles made up 80% of the total level found in the test subjects.[4]

Treatment possibilities

The medication for treating thyroid disorders is the most prescribed drug in the USA, and the third most prescribed drug in the UK. In the USA, the number of prescriptions for levothyroxine marketed as Synthroid® has increased from 97 million in 2007 to 123 million in 2016 in the USA. Once Synthroid® is prescribed, most stay on their medication for life, and it is no wonder why sales keep growing. Yet the public are left in confusion: they have no idea that there really is a licensed thyroid gland available without prescription that can work to balance their thyroid gland and get them off their drugs without the side effects, under medical supervision.

The importance of hormone free thyroid gland cannot be overstated. If stimulated even slightly, many of the healthy hormones in glandular tissues can begin their genetic tasks (e.g. a small polypeptide material present in one tissue can have selective effects in encouraging another tissue at a different site in the body to produce hormonal materials, which then may affect a final target tissue and change its physiological function). This domino effect can happen only if target-specific polypeptides from specific organs are present.

Why medication is not working?

Treatment of subclinical hypothyroidism with levothyroxine, though commonly practiced, is not associated with improvements in quality of life or thyroid-related symptoms, according to a new meta-analysis.

Twenty-one randomized clinical trials including 2,192 participants with subclinical hypothyroidism, thyroid hormone therapy was not significantly associated with improvements in general quality of life (standardized mean difference −0.11) or thyroid-related symptoms (standardized mean difference 0.01).

Findings: Among non-pregnant adults with subclinical hypothyroidism, the use of thyroid hormone therapy was not associated with improvements in general quality of life or thyroid-related symptoms. These findings do not support the routine use of thyroid hormone therapy in adults with subclinical hypothyroidism.

Why iodine treatment alone does not work?

Iodine deficiency is one cause of hypothyroidism. However, studies are also showing that in the case of chronic autoimmune thyroiditis, the highest prevalence occurs in countries with the highest intake of iodine, such as the US and Japan.  So, although iodine supplementation should be implemented to prevent and treat iodine-deficiency disorders, supplementation should be maintained at a safe level.[5]

With evidence presented it is clear that current treatment for thyroid disease is not working and more and more are developing thyroid deficiencies. The hormones in thyroid medication are not always needed, instead desiccated thyroid gland concentrates produced without chemical residue from non-GMO, grass-fed bovine. Non-medicated and hormone free can offer a balanced solution and be a safe and effective natural source of absorbable iodine.

Desiccated thyroid extract a safe alternative to levothyroxine in hypothyroidism[6]

According to Thanh D. Hoang, DO, staff endocrinologist of the Walter Reed National Military Medical Center in Bethesda, Md. “desiccated thyroid extract could be a viable treatment option for patients with symptoms of hypothyroidism, despite normal TSH (thyroid stimulating hormone) measurements while taking levothyroxine alone. Further, the desiccated thyroid extract yielded superior weight loss compared with levothyroxine.”

The randomized, double blind, crossover study examined the efficacy of both drugs, according to Endocrine Today. Seventy patients aged 18 to 65 years with primary hypothyroidisms were randomly assigned to either desiccated thyroid extract (DTE) or levothyroxine for 16 weeks. According to data, patients assigned to DTE lost 3 lb, compared with those assigned levothyroxine (172.9 lb vs. 175.7 lb, P<.001).

“We didn’t find any differences in the neurocognitive measurements between the two therapies, but at the end of the study we did ask our patients which regimen they preferred.” At the end of the 16-week study, 34 patients (48.6%) preferred DTE therapy, whereas 13 (18.6%) preferred levothyroxine; 23 (32.9%) did not specify a preference, he said. Further analysis confirmed those who preferred DTE lost even more weight over a 4-month period. “We now know that once-daily desiccated thyroid extract is a safe alternative treatment for patients with hypothyroidism who are not satisfied with levothyroxine treatment. It’s an option for them to try, and also desiccated can cause modest weight loss in these patients as well,” Hoang said.

Life Choice Thyrodine® Thyroid Gland

Thyrodine® is a proprietary Master File protected preparation preserving the integrity of the thyroid gland without chemical residue (not an industry standard) and a safe and effective natural source of iodine. The raw desiccated whole thyroid gland concentrate is derived from non-GMO grass-fed bovine, that is non-medicated and hormone free, and could help restore the balance needed for those with both hypothyroidism and hyperthyroidism. Thyrodine® is formulated by a naturopathic doctor, manufactured under GMP guidelines, using USP pharmaceutical grade raw materials to ensure therapeutic results with all safety markers in place.

References:

[1] n.a. 2023

[2] According to the American Thyroid Association (ATA), an estimated 20 million Americans have some form of thyroid disease but the numbers are much higher with those border lined with hypothyroidism, the numbers could reach over 60% of the USA population.

[3] Vanderpump, Mark P. J. 2011, 40.

[4] Favaro, Avis. 2018.

[5] Melville, Nancy A. 2018.

[6] Hoang, Thanh D. 2013.