Hashimoto's thyroiditis
What is Hashimoto's thyroiditis?
Hashimoto's thyroiditis or chronic lymphocytic thyroiditis is an autoimmune disease where the body's own antibodies attack the cells of the thyroid. The disease affects more women than men between 45 and 65 years of age. It is more common in America than Europe, where an atrophic form of autoimmune thyroiditis called Ord's thyroiditis is prevalent.
Causes
One of the main reason for Hashimoto's thyroidis is genetic inheritance. Patients with chromosomal disorders such as Turner, Down's and Klinefelter's syndromes suffer increased risk.
The specific reason for the destruction of thyroid cells is not clearly understood. A small percentage
of the population may have the same antibodies without developing Hashimoto's thyroiditis. The condition usually results in hypothyroidism.
The thyroid is gradually physiologically destroyed by the antibodies attacking follicles in the thyroid gland.
The detection of the disease clinically can be done by looking for antibodies for thyroid peroxidase and/or thyroglobulin.
One of the symptoms is the invasion of the thyroid by leukocytes, mainly T-lymphocytes, and this is associated with non-Hodgkin lymphoma.
Symptoms of Hashimoto's thyroiditis
Symptoms vary and may include hyperthyroidism in the early stage of the disease, and then hypothyroidism at the late stage. Weight gain and loss, depression, mania, fatigue, panic attacks, low pulse, fast pulse, high cholesterol, reactive hypoglycaemia, constipation, migraines, memory loss, infertility and hair loss are all possible symptoms.
How holvita™ colostrum can help people with Hashimoto's thyroiditis?
Colostrum contains immuno-regulatory factors which enhance the immune reaction when it is under-active and supresses it when over-active. Colostrum could support the body in regulation of the immune system. Proline-Rich-Polypeptide is a powerful regulator which increases the permeability of skin vessels and stimulates or suppresses an immune response (Staroscik). Suppressing the immune system is important to prevent it from attacking the body “itself”, in the case of Hashimoto's thyroditis immune system is attacking the thyroid cells. Our colostrum can help with this over-activity and balance the immune system back to normal function.
References
Staroscik, K. et al “ Immunologically Active Nonapeptide Fragment of a Proline-Rich-Polypeptide from Bovine-Colostrum: Amino Acid Sequence and Immuno-regulatory Properties” Molecular Immunology (1983) Vol. 20(12), 1277-1282.
Wieczorek, Z., et al “Proline-Rich-Polypeptide from bovine colostrum; its effect in skin permeability and on the immune response” Immunology, 1979; 36(4): 875-881.