Got thyroid or other hormonal issues? What's the cause? Gut issues, EDCs, non-organic produce (glyphosate), tap water (fluoride, chlorine), and nutrient deficiencies are likely.
A series on identifying the root causes of disease. Use quick links to verify research and sources.
Androgens are the group of sex hormones that give men their ‘male’ characteristics (collectively called virilisation). The major sex hormone in men is testosterone, which is produced mainly in the testes. The testes are controlled by a small gland in the brain called the pituitary gland, which in turn is controlled by an area of the brain called the hypothalamus. Androgens are crucial for male sexual and reproductive function. They are also responsible for the development of secondary sexual characteristics in men, including facial and body hair growth and voice change. Androgens also affect bone and muscle development and metabolism. The term androgen deficiency means your body is not making enough androgens, particularly testosterone, for full health.
Historical patterns of disease have shifted. While infectious diseases have decreased, there’s been an increase in chronic conditions like heart disease, cancer, and emphysema. The book suggests many of these may be linked to undiagnosed thyroid issues.
Glyphosate has been shown to act as an endocrine disruptor – a chemical that can mimic or interfere with your body’s natural hormone production – with studies linking glyphosate exposure to an increased risk of thyroid problems worldwide including cancer and Hashimoto’s. One study even found that women who were married to men who used pesticides in their daily work were at a higher risk of developing thyroid problems compared to other women. Since glyphosate is an endocrine disruptor, its hormonal effects go far beyond your thyroid health. Glyphosate toxicity has been linked to an increased risk of other hormone imbalances including estrogen dominance due to its increased estrogenic activity. In fact, glyphosate’s estrogenic activity is so powerful, studies have found that it can even promote the growth of breast cancer cells via your body’s estrogen receptors.
Endocrine-disrupting chemicals (EDCs) are among the most destructive chemicals in our environment. Exposure to them is linked to growth, neurological and learning disabilities, obesity, diabetes, male and female reproductive dysfunction, birth defects, cardiovascular disease and some cancers… EDCs lurk in food packaging, nonorganic food, nonstick cookware,detergents, cosmetics, lotions, products with fragrance, antibacterial soaps, medicines, toys, fabrics, carpets, furniture, construction materials treated with flame retardants, pesticides and more.
Some EDCs trick our body into thinking that they are hormones, while other EDCs block natural hormones from doing their job. Other EDCs can increase or decrease the levels of hormones in our blood by affecting how they are made, broken down, or stored in our body. Finally, other EDCs can change how sensitive our bodies are to different hormones. EDCs can disrupt many different hormones, which is why they have been linked to numerous adverse human health outcomes including alterations in sperm quality and fertility, abnormalities in sex organs, endometriosis, early puberty, altered nervous system function, immune function, certain cancers, respiratory problems, metabolic issues, diabetes, obesity, cardiovascular problems, growth, neurological and learning disabilities, and more.
Contents
Genes Aren’t the Problem (So, What Is?)
Implications
Hormonal Issues Overview
Root Causes of Hormonal / Endocrine System Issues, Thyroid Disorders, PCOS, Early Puberty, Androgen Deficiency, Gynecomastia, Demasculinizing, Feminizing, Serotonin Syndrome
Toxic Drugs as First-Line Treatment? Used for a Prolonged Period?
For Wellness Providers & Educators: Boost Your Impact — Premium Resources Just a Click Away from $19
Context
Genes Aren’t the Problem (So, What Is?)
With knowledge of causal factors, true healing is possible.
Establishment medicine has long promoted the belief that genes are a “blueprint” for a person’s biology and health. This was proven incorrect by the Human Genome Project completed in 2003.
Defective genes are spoken about as if they are “disease time bombs,” fatalistically programmed to go off inside of us... And yet, despite common misconceptions… diseases that result from errors in the nucleotide sequence of a single gene… [account for] less than 1% of all diseases… Following the completion of the Human Genome Project in 2003, it is no longer accurate to say that our genes “cause” disease.
Genomic researcher Craig Venter remarked… “Genes have very little impact on life outcomes. Our biology is way too complicated for that and deals with hundreds of thousands of independent factors. Genes are absolutely not our fate. They can give us useful information about the increased risk of a disease, but in most cases they will not determine the actual cause of the disease, or the actual incidence of somebody getting it.” … As we migrate from one country to another, our chances of being diagnosed with most chronic illnesses are determined not by the country we come from but by the country we migrate to… [and] the concordance between identical twins for breast cancer was found to be only 20%. Instead of our genes, our lifestyle and environment account for 90–95% of our most chronic illnesses.
Genes are better understood as potentialities.
Genes express differently based on the cells’ environment — which means our exposure to toxins, nutrients, stress, exercise, and so on.
Those environmental factors determine whether genes are “signaled” or not.
Implications
The presumption that conditions that seemed to “run in the family” were due to genetic inheritance overlooked all the other things (the “environment”) that family members may share: the food they eat, the toxins in their water, the electro-magnetics in their area, the chemicals in their cleaning products, the way they deal with emotions, their stress levels and so on.
The implications of the genetic “blueprint” model were profound and long-lasting. Western medicine promoted the false belief that disease is due to genetic inheritance, propagating a medical system built on the false belief of fated outcomes and “no cures”, resulting in:
Helplessness, disempowerment
A focus on symptom management
Excessive use of pharmaceutical drugs
Distraction from identifying and addressing root causes
Dr. Bruce Lipton: “We are not victims of our genome”
My research on how environment [toxins, nutrition, exercise, stress relief, etc] shapes genetic activity was published in 1977… Twenty years after I started my stem cell research, the same conclusions were officially recognized by science in advancing the revolutionary field of Epigenetics … the science of how environment controls genetic activity. The most exciting consequence of these studies is the revelation that we are truly masters of our genome…We are empowered creators, not victims of our genome.
While genes play a role in life and disease, there are innumerable epigenetic triggers that differentiate us from mice and each other [and express as health or illness].
Hormonal Issues Overview
Hormonal issues or conditions are those related to the endocrine system. They include the following.
Addison’s Disease — An autoimmune disease affecting the adrenal glands; also called primary adrenal insufficiency (PAI) [source]
Demasculinizing, Feminizing, Androgen Deficiency — “Androgens are the group of sex hormones that give men their ‘male’ characteristics (collectively called virilisation)… androgen deficiency means your body is not making enough androgens, particularly testosterone, for full health.” [source and source]
