Thyroid Issues and Radishes

I’ve been doing some research on which natural foods, if any, can help with thyroid problems. It seems more and more people are suffering from some form of thyroid disorder. Of course, it is no wonder since we have so much radiation exposure on our planet, both from nuclear disasters like Fukushima, which is still ongoing (although the mainstream media doesn’t cover it), as well as other sources of radiation.

According to the US Energy Information Administration “There are currently 62 commercially operating nuclear power plants with 100 nuclear reactors in 31 states in the United States. Thirty-five of these plants have two or more reactors.”  Independent research has shown that most of these reactors have leaks, not as catastrophic as a Fukushima, or Three Mile Island, but leaks, nonetheless.
Radiation is cumulative. Radiation displaces electrons, breaking molecular bonds, and creating free radicals, which can lead to DNA damage which results in disease.

Further sources of radiation contamination in our daily lives come from:

cell phones
cell phone towers
computers
microwaves
microwave ovens
Ipads
Iphones
X-rays
CT Scans
smoke detectors
fluorescent lights
airport body scanners
TVs (but not LED TVs)
air travel
Radon gas
Some pesticides mimic the effects of radiation
fallout from nuclear weapon tests
depleted uranium missile heads
and there is more…

The thyroid gland receptors seem to pick up radioactive copycats unless they are full of the real stuff. So the question becomes how to keep them full of the good stuff? If you are on a raw/live food diet with all its associated high nutritional values, you are on the right track.

Recently, I was trying to understand the conflicting information on foods that are termed to be goitrogenic, meaning they suppress the activity of the thyroid gland. In this category are the cruciferous vegetables such as kale, collards, broccoli, cauliflower, cabbage, bok choy, arugula, Brussels sprouts, turnip, rutabaga, maca, mustard greens, mustard seeds, radish, and more. These are some of the most outstanding and nourishing foods on the planet, with cancer suppressing properties, as well as inhibitory activity against viruses, some fungi and various bacteria. (See a) below.)

Raphanin is the main sulfur component in radishes. And it seems that raphanin has an affinity for the thyroid gland and is an adaptogen. Raphanin has the ability to regulate the gland, so whether the gland is underproducing or overproducing hormones, it brings it back to the normal range. Wow! Kind of like a thinking plant.

In the old Soviet Union they have used red and black radishes as accepted medical treatment for hypothyroidism.

Some other things that can be done to mitigate radiation in the body are:

a) Ingesting kelp or other seaweeds for adequate iodine. It seems that the key to whether cruciferous vegetables will suppress the thyroid depends on whether the thyroid is adequately supplied with iodine. If you are low in iodine or deficient, then, it seems that the cruciferous vegetables have a negative effect. That’s the hypothesis anyway.

b) Chlorella has radiation protective effects, as evidenced by various studies

c) Keeping an adequate supply of electrons in the body. There is a product invented by Patrick Flanagan called Mega Hydrate which does just that. You take each capsule with a full glass of water. The water activates the Mega Hydrate and this keeps your body supplied with extra electrons, so when oxidation happens and your cells and molecules lose electrons, there are sufficient replacements at hand to prevent a negative cascade of cellular damage. Of course, a mostly raw/live food diet supplies anti-oxidants as well.

d) Infrared Saunas aid the detoxification process of the body, as well as reducing the radiation burden.

e) Intermittent Fasting by inducing Autophagy detoxes the body at the cellular level.