{"id":6183,"date":"2017-05-05T14:00:10","date_gmt":"2017-05-05T21:00:10","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.everywomanover29.com\/blog\/?p=6183"},"modified":"2017-05-04T23:53:24","modified_gmt":"2017-05-05T06:53:24","slug":"more-women-than-men-have-thyroid-disorders","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.everywomanover29.com\/blog\/more-women-than-men-have-thyroid-disorders\/","title":{"rendered":"It’s not just you: More women than men have thyroid disorders"},"content":{"rendered":"

Guest post by Izabella Wentz, PharmD, FASCP<\/em><\/p>\n

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If you\u2019ve ever wondered why more women than men seem to have autoimmune disorders, you\u2019re not alone\u2014I repeatedly get asked this question by people (mostly women!) who come to me seeking help with a thyroid disorder.<\/p>\n

Even if you have had a hunch that more women than men are affected by autoimmune diseases such as lupus, rheumatoid arthritis, and multiple sclerosis, you\u2019ll be surprised by this statistic: women account for a whopping 78% of all cases of autoimmune disease<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Hashimoto\u2019s thyroiditis, which I was diagnosed with at 27, is five to eight times more common in women. (I\u2019ve since gotten myself into remission and have dedicated my life to helping others heal from this condition.)<\/p>\n

These disproportionate figures have perplexed experts for some time. After years of research and time spent working with people with thyroid disorders, I have formed my own theory, which I call the Izabella Wentz Safety Theory. I can\u2019t wait to share it with you\u2014but first, I\u2019ll tell you a little about some of the other influences autoimmunity.<\/p>\n

Searching for an Explanation<\/h2>\n

When we consider why more women than men have Hashimoto\u2019s and other diseases of autoimmunity, we have to consider two key differences between men and women: hormones and a propensity to use more personal care products.<\/p>\n

Regarding the first, there\u2019s no denying that hormones could play a major role in autoimmunity developing. Three of the most likely times for the onset of thyroid disease are during and around puberty, pregnancy, and perimenopause.<\/p>\n

Sex hormones such as estrogen and prolactin help regulate the immune system and fluctuations in these could contribute to thyroid disorders especially. Estrogen can alter the requirements for thyroid hormone, which could result in an autoimmune condition, especially if nutrient deficiencies are present. Prolactin, a hormone released by the pituitary gland in women after childbirth, can become elevated in women with Hashimoto\u2019s (even in those not postpartum) and has been linked to increased thyroid antibodies and infertility.<\/p>\n

Women do have a higher risk of developing diseases of the thyroid after they\u2019ve given birth. But theories, such as \u201cfetal microchimerism\u201d which suggests that the presence of fetal cells in a woman\u2019s thyroid gland after childbirth could be the spark of an immune system response, haven\u2019t proven to be true. \u00a0<\/p>\n

All this is to say that at present, there isn\u2019t enough information to support the idea that hormones alone are to blame for the higher rates of autoimmunity in women.<\/p>\n

It\u2019s also been considered that because women generally use a greater number of personal care products\u2014makeup, lotions, perfumes, etc.\u2014they are more exposed to a greater number of chemicals, which could alter the immune system.<\/p>\n

I haven\u2019t seen enough evidence to convince me of this explanation either.<\/p>\n

In truth, I think the answer is much more complicated and requires us to consider some of the underlying vulnerabilities that often occur in people with Hashimoto\u2019s.<\/p>\n

Unsafe Conditions Ahead: Go Back to Bed!<\/h2>\n

After working with thousands of people with Hashimoto\u2019s, I\u2019ve found that there are some common co-occurring factors. Many have nutrient depletions, intestinal permeability, food sensitivities, an impaired stress response, an impaired ability to get rid of toxins, and infections.<\/p>\n

The more I thought about these factors, the more I realized that they have something in common: they all send a message to our bodies that the environment isn\u2019t entirely safe and maybe self-preservation mode is what\u2019s best for now. This provided the basis for my Safety Theory.<\/p>\n

Let me explain.<\/p>\n

Women are responsible for bringing new life into the world. And with this job comes a more finely tuned ability to sense the safety of the environment. We may be more inclined to sense that it\u2019s not be the best time to reproduce\u2014this could be because resources are scarce and we need to focus on our own survival, or for some other protective reason.<\/p>\n

In either case, it\u2019s a result of an evolutionary adaptation, or what\u2019s known as adaptive physiology.<\/p>\n

When we were cavewomen, one of the main sources of stress was food scarcity\u2014we didn\u2019t always know when we were getting our next meal. When we didn\u2019t eat, consumed things that we weren\u2019t intended to digest, or developed nutrient deficiencies, our bodies would conserve resources and reduce calorie burning.<\/p>\n

Strangely enough, even though these scenarios first occurred hundreds of thousands of years ago, there are aspects of modern living that are replicating these signals: we go on calorie-restricted diets (signals food scarcity), eat a highly processed diet (creates nutrient deficiencies), and try to eat foods we\u2019re not intended to digest, such as gluten (leads to digestive difficulties\/intestinal permeability).<\/p>\n

And when these vulnerabilities are present, they set the stage for an attack on the thyroid to take place and for some of the symptoms of self-preservation to develop. As thyroid function is disrupted, metabolism is slowed and you are sent into a quasi-hibernation mode.<\/p>\n

Your body is signaling to you to conserve energy, hold onto weight, making you feel cold and tired all the time so you stay in your cave (or your bed), and lowering your interest in reproduction (low libido) until the environment is safe and fertile once again.<\/p>\n

Other Environmental Threats Women Face and How the Thyroid Responds<\/h2>\n

Did you know that your thyroid gland can sense danger and initiate the autoimmune response? I think in this ability lies another possible clue as to why more women than men develop thyroid disorders.<\/p>\n

It\u2019s no secret that the world we live in is not as safe for a woman as it is for a man. Women are more likely to be abused, physically, emotionally, and sexually. And abuse is one of the most undeniable messages to our bodies that we are not safe. The function of the perceptive and sensitive thyroid is put at risk when this is the case.<\/p>\n

This is part of my Safety Theory, but it\u2019s not just a theory\u2014multiple studies have confirmed that thyroid hormone imbalances occur in people who have been abused:<\/p>\n