Talking Thyroid Health with Naturopath Leone Wilson

Yes, you heard it from the naturopath. Water is healthy but tap water is not! “Oh, but I should be able to drink the council water”…. Many of my clients have said this, but once informed of what our ‘free’ water contains and how it harms us, particularly our thyroid, they chose a different option.

Our thyroid is a small, yet vitally important, endocrine gland found at the front of the lower neck. It releases thyroid hormones that are inherently involved in the regulation of human metabolism, as well as endocrine, cardiovascular, neurological, and immune functions. Our thyroid is very susceptible to damage from external influences such as environmental toxins.

Why is the thyroid so vulnerable? This is due in part to the fact that several types of environmental toxins have a structural similarity to thyroid hormones. Additionally, the thyroid gland has a high attraction for both halogens and metals. This attraction allows the thyroid to draw the halogen, iodine, and the metalloid, selenium, into the gland for the production and metabolism of thyroid hormones. However, in the presence of chemical halogens and metals, this mechanism can also result in the accumulation of harmful chemicals. The types of toxins that affect the thyroid are generally substances that mimic thyroid hormone structure, contain halogens, or are heavy metals. Fluoride, bromide and chlorideare a part of the halide family on the periodic table. Nature provides all three elements, but these chemicals are also industrial toxic by-products. Unfortunately, fluoride, bromide, chloride halides are toxic to our body and block the uptake of Iodine. Iodine is an essential trace element and important component of thyroid hormones, helping with the normal growth and development of bodily tissues.

Chlorine is a halogen with the same ionic charge as iodine. Chlorine competes with Iodide, an essential component of thyroid T4, for uptake by the thyroid gland. This results in reduced thyroid hormone production. Unfortunately, chlorine is a commonly used water treatment additive in public drinking water. Although ‘safe’ amounts are used, chlorine levels may vary due to the flow rate of water in your system, your homes proximity to the water treatment plant and during water maintenance periods.

Recently tumeric and curcumin supplements have demonstrated a range of health benefits as research continues to surface on the therapeutic effects and benefits.

Now to fluoride, another water treatment additive, apparently to ‘strengthen’ our teeth. However, the fluoride found in nature is considerably different – 

• Calcium Fluoride is found in limestone within mother Earth. This naturally occurring fluoride is not the same as what we find in toothpaste or added to the water supply today.

• Sodium fluoride, a man-made toxic by-product of the aluminium industry was once used as cockroach and rat poison! It has been found in anti-depressants and documented as an ingredient in nerve gas. This is the type of fluoride most commonly found in store bought toothpaste. Clearly we aren’t eating toothpaste and very little would make its way into our gut, providing we use it correctly.

• Fluorosilicic Acid is another man-made toxic by-product from the manufacture of fertilisers. This one is often added to our water supply.

• Sodium Hexafluorosilicate is an acutely toxic chemical.  It is ‘toxic by ingestion, inhalation and skin absorption and used as a rodenticide.’  Interestingly this is another form of fluoride that is added to our water supply.  

All forms of fluoride have the potential to be poisonous. 

• The most toxic form is hydrofluorosilicic acid, a by-product of the phosphate fertiliser industry. This is the chemical added to fluoridate our water. This chemical is a classified a Schedule 7 poison in Australia, which means it has a high to extremely high toxicity and can cause death even at low exposure.

Say what? I hear you cry! And this is why I ask my clients NOT to drink tap water at any cost. 

So, if fluoride is added to tap water how do we measure the amount we are exposed to? This would vary from person to person as it would depend on how much tap water a person drinks, their bathing practices, how frequently they brush their teeth or swim in chlorinated  or salt-water home pools. We don’t have to ingest fluoride or chlorine to be exposed – hot showers where we inhale the steam, steam mops, floating in the local pool in summer – these are all methods of exposure. The opportunity for fluoride overexposure is very concerning. Written by Leone Wilson.

Leone Wilson is an Australian Naturopath, Nutritionist and Welllness Coach based in Coomera, Queensland. Leone has a Health Science degree in Naturopathy and Honours degree in Herbal Medicine & Post-Graduate degree in Human Nutrition. Follow Leone on Instagram @harvesting_health_naturopathy and sign up to her blogs at harvestinghealth.com.au 

Interested in removing fluoride from your water - see our range of options at the link below or call our friendly team to help find the right solution for you on 02 8405 7998;

https://www.alkaviva.com.au/collections/fluoride