Blog — thyroid health

By Dr.Ted Zava of ZRT Laboratory. Have you ever wondered where dietary iodine comes from? Most people are familiar with iodized salt and shellfish containing high levels of iodine, but few realize a vast assortment of food and drinks contain this essential nutrient.  What Food Products Contain the Highest Levels of Iodine? It may come as a surprise that most dietary iodine comes from dairy products such as milk, cheese and yogurt. Iodine is used to prevent bacteria growth in cattle feed and it can also be used as a sanitizer when milking cows. Because cows typically graze in fields...

Part 2 By Margaret Groves As more health care practitioners have understood the need to assess thyroid function based on what is going on at the cellular level, there has been an increasing demand for testing of reverse T3 (rT3), a hormone sometimes referred to as the “hibernation hormone.” However, there is also much confusion about how it fits into the picture of thyroid function, and controversy regarding whether or not there is a clinical utility for this test in patients suffering from thyroid imbalance symptoms. The “hibernation hormone” that isn’t Technically, the term “hibernation hormone” is inappropriate to describe reverse T3.  Reverse...

Environmental pollutants are in food we eat, in the air we breathe and water we drink and bathe in. In excess, they can have profound negative effects on the basic mechanisms of body chemistry and affect the synthesis and actions of hormones essential for maintaining our health. The thyroid, which is primarily responsible for regulating metabolism, is profoundly affected by natural and environmental pollutants. Iodine & Selenium Deficiencies Affect Thyroid Function Iodine and selenium are supplied in the food, water and nutrients we consume. Low levels in these sources can directly impact thyroid hormone synthesis and action. This may impact...

 The increasing incidence of thyroid cancer makes it a timely topic for any time of the year. In fact, something that every healthcare provider should know is that there's an expectation that will see a record number of papillary thyroid cancers being diagnosed, and the corresponding awareness campaign promotes a "neck check" for early detection and treatment. Additionally, it's hoped that heightened public awareness will encourage research leading to a cure for all types of thyroid cancer (TC). My review of the research literature for thyroid cancer reveals a controversy around the upsurge of this common endocrine cancer. Are more...