Has Teflon And Thyroid Got You Worried?

Ever suspect you might have a sluggish thyroid?

Low thyroid function will slow down your metabolism and the obvious symptoms are weight gain and fatigue. Sound familiar?

Now, a new study confirms what we in the integrative medicine community have long suspected- a connection between environmental toxins and sluggish thyroid.

The new study- done at the University of Exeter in England- looked at blood samples from about 4,000 people and measured the concentrations of a nasty little chemical called perflurooctanoic acid (PFOA) and perfluoroocatnoic sulfonate (PFOS). Both are found in Teflon, the non-stick coating widely used in pots and pans.

Those with the highest amounts of these chemicals in their blood were twice as likely to report thyroid problems than those with the lowest amounts.

This isn’t the first time the connection between Teflon and thyroid has come up.

Back in 2008, a study of 69,000 people in Ohio and West Virginia found that elevated levels of these same “Teflon” chemicals in the bloodstream harmed the thyroid as well as the immune system and liver. That study was funded by some of the money from a $107.5 million settlement paid by the DuPont company- which makes Teflon– to settle a lawsuit over the company’s dumping PFOA in the region’s water supply.

Nice.

Interestingly- and tellingly- it only took “moderate” levels of exposure to affect the thyroid.

In animal studies, early exposure to the “Teflon chemicals” resulted in obesity later in life.

And Teflon’s hardly the only source of thyroid disrupters. There’s long been a vocal contingent of nutritionist, doctors and health practitioners who worry that goitrogens (thyroid disrupters) are common in soy products.

So what’s the take-home?

Here’s my take: There’s no way to know how many environmental chemicals we’re exposed to on a daily basis- some estimate that there are as many as 80,000 chemicals in the environment, most of which have not been studied and are not regulated by the EPA. There’s also no way to know for sure how many of these may turn out to have a link to thyroid problems and obesity. Emerging evidence- like the current study- suggests that there may be more of a connection than anyone previously thought.

What to do, what to do?

My take: avoid as many chemicals as you can. Stick with cooking utensils that haven’t been treated. (Plain old cast iron pans are great!) Avoid plastics. Avoid foods with tons of unpronounceable ingredients. Be cautious about “studies” that show these things are “perfectly safe”. If you can afford it, buy organic food or at the very least wash your produce thoroughly. Eat grass-fed meat if you eat meat (hormone and steroid free). Follow Michael Pollan’s “Food Rules”.

It’s hard enough to lose weight and keep it off. We don’t need to make it harder by playing Russian roulette with our metabolism.

Avoiding chemicals, processed foods and pesticides may not guarantee an easier time of weight loss, but- as my grandmother used to say– it sure couldn’t hurt.