While thyroid diseases were quite uncommon a few decades back, their incidence is increasing significantly worldwide.
According to a study by NIDDK, more than 1.2%, or 1 out of every 100 people in the US, suffer from just hyperthyroidism. Meanwhile, the American Thyroid Association has reported that about 12% of the US population is at risk of developing thyroid disease in their lifetime.
On the other hand, 1 in 300 people in the US also suffers from Hypothyroidism, which is more common in females and the elderly.
Since the thyroid is responsible for various metabolic activities in your body, this drastic increase in documented cases posed a major concern for all doctors and scientists.
After many research and trials, scientists identified various toxins that cause adverse effects on our thyroid health. Shockingly, these toxins are part of our environment, and the general population is exposed to them in their day-to-day life.
Keep reading to learn more about how these toxins can affect your thyroid health. We have also highlighted some efficient methods to minimize your exposure to their detrimental effects in the following article too.
How can Toxins Harm your Thyroid Gland?
Although the thyroid gland is quite small, it produces one of the most important hormones in our body. Thyroxine is responsible for regulating our endocrine activities, metabolism, growth, cardiovascular, and even immune function.
Unfortunately, this small gland in our neck is quite susceptible to harm from environmental toxins. While the thyroid does require iodine and selenium for the normal synthesis of hormones, many toxins can have an affinity for the gland too.
In essence, any toxins that can mimic the thyroid hormone structure, contain halogens, or are heavy metals, are detrimental to your thyroid health. These chemicals or metals deposit in the gland over time and disrupt the normal mechanism of thyroid synthesis.
Which Toxins can Harm your Thyroid Gland?
As mentioned above, there are many environmental toxins with a structure similar to thyroid hormone. Hence, these can deposit in the gland and deteriorate its function.
With the increase in chemical industries, mining, and agricultural activities, metals and fertilizers find their way into our daily life.
Now the question arises, how do civilians get exposed to heavy metals from mining without actually working at a mine? Well, one of the most concerning ways these adverse chemicals find their way into our body is through simple tap water.
Furthermore, many of these toxins are found in our daily use products as well. Such that, even our toiletries and cookware are linked to thyroid toxins too.
The following section highlights some of the most common environmental toxins that have detrimental effects on our thyroid health.
Heavy Metals
Among the various heavy metals present in our surroundings, scientists have named four of the most harmful metals to our thyroid. These include lead, cadmium, mercury, and aluminum.
Notably, occupational exposure or water contamination with antimony and tungsten has also shown remarkable thyroid degeneration.
According to a research from 2008, there is a high association between all these metals with thyroid dysfunction like hypothyroidism, hyperthyroidism, or subclinical disease.
What’s more, adults showed higher levels of exposure to these metals statistically as compared to adolescents.
So, where do these toxicants come from? How do we end up accumulating enough high metals to deteriorate the normal physiology of our thyroid?
We have listed the most concerning heavy metals below along with their origin of exposure and their effect on the thyroid.
Cadmium
Cadmium becomes a part of our environment via smelting, mining, phosphate fertilizers, batteries, plastics, sewage, pigments, and batteries. As per research, long-term exposure to this heavy metal is associated with multinodular goiters, enlarged glands, and a higher risk for thyroid cancers.
Lead
Lead is another notable and well-researched metal known for its wide toxic effect on our body. Besides lung and kidneys, lead has a deteriorating effect on our thyroid gland, reducing its function and increasing TSH levels.
This metal is quite prevalent in our environment owing to its widespread use in paints, metal jewelry, toys, mining, gasoline, and various industrial and chemical processes.
Aluminum
This metal is one of the constituents of our daily use products, including deodorant, food additives, OTC antacids, and even cookware. Aluminum is reported to reduce iodine uptake, inhibit hormone synthesis, and even induce an immune response against the thyroid.
As a result, it can also rarely lead to the autoimmune destruction of the whole gland.
Mercury
Just like the other metals mentioned previously, mercury reduces hormone synthesis, limits iodine uptake, and increases TSH in our body.
The metal has become a part of our environment through dental amalgams, coal-powered plants, and contamination of seafood supplies.
Fluoride and Chlorine Fluoride is normally added to our drinking water to reduce cavities and improve oral health.
However, a research conducted in 2018 found an association of consuming fluoride with higher TSH levels and lower thyroid hormone levels.
What’s more, even two to five mg of fluoride was recorded with thyroid dysfunctions in the US.
Since we normally ingest this quantity in drinking water or even fluoride toothpaste, this toxin plays a significant role in the rising incidence of thyroid diseases.
Similarly, chlorine has shown similar effects on the thyroid too. On the one hand, we are exposed to chlorine in our swimming pools and drinking water, where it is used for killing bacteria.
On the other hand, we can also ingest man-made perchlorate from water, soil, and food produced in contaminated soil. Perchlorate is a normal constituent of explosives, fuel, paint, leather, rubber, and batteries, which find their way into our environment via contamination.
Both chlorine and fluoride are halogens and similar to iodine. Thus, they inhibit iodine uptake by the thyroid, reduce hormone levels, and cause toxicity.
Herbicides and Pesticides
Unless you consume only organic products, there are high chances that you are exposed to agricultural chemicals every day. Due to their widespread use, herbicides and pesticides have become a part of our daily life.
Just like other toxins, these fertilizers and chemicals get run-off in our water supply, exposing us to various toxins for a long time. What’s more, we can ingest these toxicants from the fresh produce as well.
Some of the most toxic chemicals like organochlorine pesticides, paraquat, and benomyl are linked to an increased risk for hypothyroidism in women.
Meanwhile, hypothyroidism in men is associated with commonly used carbamates and organophosphates in pesticides.
Overall, herbicides and pesticides prevent iodine uptake in your thyroid gland, reduce thyroxine uptake by cells, and increase hormone excretion. As a result, you get low hormone synthesis and quantity in both men and women.
Dioxin
Dioxin is an industrial chemical that causes adverse thyroid health due to its toxic effect. It is a byproduct of manufacturing processes of pesticides and plastics and found quite commonly in our environment.
The toxin has a structure similar to thyroid hormone and thus, reduces thyroid function and hormone level in our body. According to research, dioxin affects more females than men, increasing hormone excretion from their bodies.
Overall, it leads to hypothyroidism or subclinical thyroid disease in both genders.
Flame Retardants
Generally, our day-to-day use products are considered safe for everyone. However, there are some products with much higher levels of toxins than others. It is especially concerning for those suffering from subclinical thyroid diseases, where chronic exposure to toxins can worsen their symptoms.
Flame retardants or polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs) are one such example of a toxic chemical in our daily items. You can find this toxin in furniture, TV and computer screens, synthetic textiles, and carpet padding.
As the chemical name suggests, it contains bromine, another halogen with an affinity for the thyroid gland. It has a similar structure to thyroid hormone, and therefore, it disrupts the attachment of thyroid hormone to their binding receptors in the blood.
According to a research, PBDE even has a detrimental effect on estrogen activity. Hence, it is problematic for postmenopausal women with thyroid disease.
BPA
It is not surprising that plastics are one of our daily products with toxins that harm our thyroid health. They are found in various home products, be it food containers, water bottles, or toys.
BPA is one of the most harmful toxins in plastic that can mimic the structure of various endocrine hormones, including thyroxine. As per research, this chemical can disrupt the thyroid structure, compete with the hormone, and reduce thyroxine levels in our body.
Although we can try to limit the use of plastics in our lives, it is quite challenging to cut them out completely. With their widespread use in almost every sector of the industry, plastics are ubiquitous at every home.
How can you Reduce Exposure to Heavy Metals in your Water Supply?
Contamination of our water supply with fertilizers, industries, consumer waste, and old pipes leads to exposure of our body to highly toxic materials for our thyroid. Whether we are using this water for drinking or bathing, chronic exposure to any toxicant harms our whole body.
One way to deal with this problem at an individual level is to invest in high-quality water filters for sinks, showers, and all our tap water.
For example, reverse osmosis is an effective means to remove heavy metals, pesticides, PBA, perchlorates, and various toxins from our water supply. If you don’t want to use reverse osmosis, products like aquasana water filters Aquasana Water Filters can also help you keep the drinking water clean.
Besides this, you need to adopt careful practices and take precautions when it comes to replacing fillers. Not only do you need to replace them within a certain period, but you should seek help from professionals for proper installation too.
In water filters using the reverse osmosis technique, you need to check your filter every 10 to 12 months.
When you have a proper water filtration system set up, you can reduce the number of heavy metals in your water supply to a minimum. This is especially important for mercury, which can even seep through your skin and cause many health risks.
How can you Protect yourself from Thyroid Toxins in our Environment?
While it is impossible to completely remove thyroid toxins from your life, there are ways to reduce your daily exposure. The following tips help to avoid these toxins to reduce your symptoms and improve thyroid health.
- Replace your beauty products and toiletries with organic and all-natural products that are free of heavy metals.
- Ensure that you have adequate levels of iodine and selenium in your body for optimum health. Higher intakes of these elements help to negate the toxic effects of many environmental chemicals.
- You can either take iodine supplements or eat food like pasteurized dairy products, white or oily fish, seaweed, and Brazil nuts.
- People with thyroid disease should switch to organic produce to limit their exposure and consumption of fertilizers, herbicides, and pesticides.
- Either reduce plastic use from your life, including plastic water bottles and containers or use BPA-free plastics. However, the latter still contains many toxins that can disrupt thyroid function. It is best to limit plastic use completely for the best results.
- Instead of using non-stick cookware, opt for stainless steel and enameled cast iron utensils for your kitchen needs. PFOA from the non-stick variety can find its way into your food and harm your thyroid health.
- Do not use soaps and cleaning agents with antimicrobial properties. As per research, these products are further linked to deteriorating thyroid health.
- Cut down strenuous and stressful situations with a more calm and peaceful life to avoid exacerbating your thyroid function.
Conclusion
We have listed the most concerning heavy metals below along with their origin of exposure and their effect on the thyroid.
This article has highlighted how various environmental toxins are causing an increased incidence of thyroid diseases worldwide. While most toxins lead to subclinical disease with little to no symptoms, these toxins are concerning for people suffering from thyroid health problems.
This article has highlighted how various environmental toxins are causing an increased incidence of thyroid diseases worldwide. While most toxins lead to subclinical disease with little to no symptoms, these toxins are concerning for people suffering from thyroid health problems.
