Large human study links phthalates, BPA and thyroid hormone levels

[OKIsItJustMe]

http://ns.umich.edu/htdocs/releases/story.php?id=8473

July 11, 2011

Large human study links phthalates, BPA and thyroid hormone levels

http://ns.umich.edu/htdocs/releases/story.php?id=8473">Listen to podcast

ANN ARBOR, Mich.—A link between chemicals called phthalates and thyroid hormone levels was confirmed by the University of Michigan in the first large-scale and nationally representative study of phthalates and BPA in relation to thyroid function in humans.

The U-M School of Public Health study also reported suggestive findings consistent with a previously reported link between a chemical called bisphenol-A and thyroid hormone levels. BPA is best known for its use in certain plastic water bottles and in the linings of canned foods.

Researchers used publicly available data from the U.S. National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey to compare urine metabolites and serum thyroid measures from 1,346 adults and 329 adolescents. Generally speaking, greater concentrations of urinary phthalate metabolites and BPA were associated with greater impacts on serum thyroid measures, said John Meeker, assistant professor at U-M SPH and lead study author.

Specifically, researchers found an inverse relationship between urinary markers of exposure and thyroid hormone levels, meaning as urinary metabolite concentrations increased, serum levels of certain thyroid hormone levels decreased.

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[OKIsItJustMe]

1. See also…

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=222&topic_id=106703&mesg_id=106703">Research Shows 'BPA-Free' Bottles Live Up to Manufacturers' Claims

[txlibdem]

7. We threw out all of our plastic drink bottles a couple years ago

The first time I read that BPA is linked to human hormone levels I tossed them all in the recycle bin and bought stainless steel containers from one of those green products retailers online. I also bought two extra and sent them to my daughter.

The sickening thing is our elected "leaders" are too spineless to pass laws against using harmful chemicals in products we use for food and drink: even the ones designed for use by babies.

[KT2000]

2. Decreased thyroid hormone

levels could explain the apathy of Americans as we watch our country slip away.

IMHO - hormone disrupting chemicals are not only creating illness but distorting what it is to be a "healthy" human.
We should have been paying more attention to the health of our pets. Treating a cat for thyroid dysfunction is not rare anymore.

[OKIsItJustMe]

3. Treating humans for thyroid dysfunction is also much more common

I personally know more than a half dozen people who have received some form of treatment (up to and including surgery.)

[KT2000]

6. Yes

besides the high and low thyroid issues, there is the autoimmune condition called Hashimotos. This is common among people who have been chemically injured.

[Manifestor_of_Light]

9. Hashi's is the most common cause of low/dead thyroid.

Autoimmune diseases run in my mom's family.
Mom got it when she was ten or eleven and was put on Armour Thyroid. This was in the Depression.
I got Hashi's and my thyroid died when I was eleven years old. Exact same thing happened to me. I have taken Armour Thyroid for something like 45 years.

More people have thyroid problems than have diabetes, but you never see publicity on TV about thyroid problems. Doctors are reluctant to prescribe thyroid to tired people, and especially afraid to prescribe Armour Thyroid which is cheap because it's a by product from the slaughter house (the name Armour should give a clue).

In medical school, they tell a lie about Armour Thyroid. I have had a board certified Endo tell me "Armour is not stable, you never know what dosage you will get."
That is a lie. I answered him with, "I read the label. It says United States Pharmacoepia, Biologically Assayed".

Dr. Board Certified Endo shut up.

My grandmother had an overactive thyroid and thought the rest of us were just lazy because we couldn't keep up with her.

The adrenals also work to help the body use thyroid hormones and a lot of people have exhausted adrenals due to the huge amounts of stress we have in our lives. My doctor has ignored my pleas to run blood tests on my thyroid and check my adrenals. GRRRRR.

More info: www.stopthethyroidmadness.com

http://thyroid.about.com

[KT2000]

11. Is there any way

you could see another doctor? I know there is controversy over the tests because some say they are not catching people with low thyroid that could really benefit from iodine or the Armor.
I see a doctor who is trained in nutritional /preventive medicine, considered alternative. But when I was going from doctor to doctor getting worse and only getting offered antidepressants, he took one look at me and could see that my electrolytes were seriously out of whack. A particular ratio of cal/mag/pot got me back in shape. I was even taking a prescription that as it turns out required monitoring for such a thing to happen but no one but the "alternative doctor" picked up on that.

Good luck to you.

[Manifestor_of_Light]

13. They only run the TSH test.

You are talking about the TSH tests, which is the one they run to see if you are thyroid deficient in the first place.

The TSH is Thyroid stimulating hormone, which is produced by the pituitary to kick start the thyroid.
If your TSH is high that means your thyroid is most likely dead, and the pituitary produces more TSH to try to start the thyroid.

I wanted my dr. (board certified internist and pulmonary (lung) dr. I've seen for 25 years) to run thyroid tests that would tell us whether the T3 and T4 were actually getting to the tissues. There's Free T3, Free T4 and others. They refused to run those.

And as I said, they ignored my claims of adrenal exhaustion. In 1988, I filed for divorce and my health broke. I had bacterial pneumonia caused by non-pathogenic bacteria. I would say that is an indication of a destroyed immune system. the idiot respiratory techs could not figure out why I was sick. My doctor had to vacuum the pus out of my lungs four times in five years to save my life.

I don't know who to go to. I live in the country and have no idea if the doctors in the nearest city of 20k are competent or not. I know the local doctor is incompetent. I've heard too many horror stories about him and his nickname is "Killer Cutshaw".

[lunasun]

4. Got cat off any product with soy and included kelp

and herbs like lemon balm > He was over the limit last time for hyperthyroid which is becoming common in cats and i tried to avoid plastic lined cat food cans but he still has a taste for it and definitely wont do the raw food recommended ...i tried .
But just removing the cans more along with other diet changes brought him well with in limit for now.

He goes again for 6 month check up but this is becoming an issue for pets and people.

Soy which is going in everything people and pets eat (GMO soy for most part too)now does a number on thyroid too

Lack of iodine (like kelp)in our diets can change thyroid levels and can go up OR down

I had temporary hyperthyroid along with my brother, who was in another state, both after big pharma drugs and probably all the plastic around us in our daily life even though we try to avoid it may have helped bring it on.
That is when I learned about all the things doing a number on thyroid glands nowdays

Although we both came back to normal levels after a while - me 8 months- him a little longer it was not something either one of us ever were told could be a side effect of the 2 different medications thank you FDA

the dr. cure is surgery - we both said wait and see and glad of that but it could have caused a serious surgery if we had not recovered before it got worse

Same with the cat, if it did not go away I would not play around with diet and herbs and get treatment if levels got worse
he was not that bad yet when it was found
The big cure is radioactive cat for a few days it would have had to be done.

Do not get me wrong; you can only avoid/fight this enviroment assault so much sometimes . If you chip a front tooth they want to use a form of plastic (resin) with BPA most times...its everywhere

Alot of recent changes are doing a number on our bodies all at once!!!!

[KT2000]

5. Changes indeed!

Had not thought of soy - thanks.

Glad to hear the changes helped your cat. My brother's cat had the radiation and he lived a nice long life, if it should become an issue later on.

My thyroid tests were coming out lower and lower and iodine really helps. Have not been tested again but feel much better.

Know a man who started his career as a chemical engineer at 3M. He quit and became an successful organic farmer. He said the reason he quit was that he realized these companies are really conducting human experiments with their products. They have no idea what their products will do to human health, especially when mixed with all the other chemicals.

[txlibdem]

8. Re Chemical companies conducting human experiments via their products

Too bad there isn't a government agency that would oversee these chemical companies and would require them to prove the safety of a chemical before it can be brought to market or used anywhere near people.

[KT2000]

10. The Precautionary Principle

is a goal of many environmental and public health groups. I hope lots of people suppotr tthese efforts.
This is from http://www.sehn.org

The Science and Environmental Health Network is working to implement the precautionary principle as a basis for environmental and public health policy. The principle and the main components of its implementation are stated this way in the 1998 Wingspread Statement on the Precautionary Principle:

"When an activity raises threats of harm to human health or the environment, precautionary measures should be taken even if some cause and effect relationships are not fully established scientifically. In this context the proponent of an activity, rather than the public, should bear the burden of proof. The process of applying the precautionary principle must be open, informed and democratic and must include potentially affected parties. It must also involve an examination of the full range of alternatives, including no action." - Wingspread Statement on the Precautionary Principle, Jan. 1998
The precautionary principle, virtually unknown here six years ago, is now a U.S. phenomenon. In December 2001 the New York Times Magazine listed the principle as one of the most influential ideas of the year, describing the intellectual, ethical, and policy framework SEHN had developed around the principle.

In June 2003, the Board of Supervisors of the City and County of San Francisco became the first government body in the United States to make the precautionary principle the basis for all its environmental policy.

Read Frequently Asked Questions for a quick overview of the precautionary principle or this White Paper for full background.

Understanding the Role of Science in Regulation. The Wingspread Statement and the European Union in Environmental Health Perspectives Volume 117 Number 3 March 2009.

[txlibdem]

12. Great link, thank you

Unfortunately for us, the official policy of the gov't agencies who are supposed to be protecting the public is the exact opposite.