What this sweetener is doing to your health; EMF sensitivity-identifying towers in your area; Two critical nutrients for optimal thyroid health
Splenda damages your gut; do you know how many cell towers are in your area?; thyroid nutrients you may not be getting from your diet.
Sucralose Causes Leaky Gut
Most of my clients are adamant that they do not consume any artificial sweetener, but when I look at the labels of their commonly used products, that is precisely what I find. Some people confuse sucralose with sucrose, thinking it is natural sugar. Sucralose is also known as Splenda.
Other people think since they do not consume diet soda, they automatically do not consume artificial sugar. It is in thousands of products such as yogurt, English muffins, protein bars, Pedialyte, protein powders, cookies, crackers, gum and mints, and much more.
If you are a diabetic, many “diabetic-friendly” foods contain sucralose.
Many products may be safe in limited quantities and occasionally, but the food-like substances that may be better to avoid are hydrogenated fats, high-fructose corn syrup, and artificial sweeteners.
Sucralose can cause gas, bloating, and diarrhea and has been shown to widen the gaps of the intestinal wall, allowing larger molecules to pass through, creating an immune inflammatory response to the invaders that can now enter the bloodstream.
As the gaps in the tight intestinal wall widen, it also leads to disruption of the gut microbiome leading to a vicious cycle that continues the cycle of leaky gut and inflammation.
What to Do
If you consume artificial sweeteners, replace them with natural options such as organic coconut sugar and raw local honey. Swap the processed packaged foods for whole food options. Swap examples could include swap gum that contains sucralose with one that contains xylitol, replacing a protein powder with sucralose with one that contains stevia or monk fruit; instead of saving a few extra calories on the low-cal English muffins, purchase the regular ones.
Gut-Healing Options
A gut-healing approach may need more than just removing the food. Removing the irritant allows time for the body to rest and reduce inflammation, but you may need additional gut support. Options include L-glutamine (supports intestinal barrier health), a combination of calcium-magnesium-butyric acid (supports healthy inflammatory response, promotes gut microbiome and its function, and cleanses liver and GB), probiotics (microbiome support), and additional gut support such as immunoglobulins which can support gut barrier integrity and enhance mucosal immunity.
Avoid L-glutamine if you have kidney disease. L-glutamine is free-form and should be taken with food. Alanyl-L-glutamine is another form that may be more readily absorbed by some and can be taken on an empty stomach.
Berberine (a plant extract studied for its benefits for type 2 diabetes, central obesity, and lipidemia) may also help to lower zonulin levels and heal a leaky gut.
Other gut-healing options include aloe vera, turmeric/curcumin, and ginger. A diet with fiber-rich whole foods, bone broths, healthy fats, and intermittent fasting may be useful in some instances to allow time for the body to rest.
Sources
https://www.food-safety.com/articles/8641-researchers-warn-against-sucralose-after-finding-it-damages-dna-causes-leaky-gut
https://academic.oup.com/jid/article/203/11/1602/863485
Are You Electromagnetic Sensitive?
How many cell towers are in your vicinity?
Some people with random symptoms that no one can figure out may be sensitive to all the electromagnetic frequencies in their environment. It is difficult to escape, but you can identify where the towers and antennas are in your area and just how close you are to them.
Go to https//www.antennasearch.com/ and plug in your zip code to identify the towers and antennas in your area.
Thyroid and Two Critical Nutrients
The rates of hypothyroidism are increasing. Could this be due to a nutrient-deficient diet?
In the span of 50-70 years, the nutrient content (vitamins, minerals, protein) in our foods has declined by anywhere from 5% to 40%, depending on the food, but vegetables saw the most significant decline.
A conventional doctor may tell you that a multivitamin/mineral supplement wastes money. I disagree if you purchase a high-quality supplement since even the healthiest eater may have difficulty meeting their needs through diet alone.
The deiodinase pathway to move iodine from T4 to the active form of T3 requires selenium. Most people require 100 mcg of selenium, but if you have hypothyroidism, you may require 200 mcg in the form of selenomethionine. People with hypothyroidism may also require iodine supplementation in the form of iodide at 150 mcg.
The issue of iodine is controversial, with some professionals recommending much higher doses. Other research indicates that too much can backfire, causing more significant thyroid complications. Check your multivitamin to see if it contains 150 mcg. of Iodide.
Food sources vary in iodine content even for the same product and brand, so there is no accurate way to know how much you consume via food. Therefore it may be wise to consume it via a supplement. If you want to go higher than the 150 mcg dose, speak with your health professional first.
Iodine food sources include seaweed, iodized salt, and dairy products.
Selenium food sources include Brazil nuts, organ meats, bananas, eggs, brown rice, sunflower seeds, and mushrooms.
Sources
https//journals.ashs.org/hortsci/view/journals/hortsci/44/1/article-p15.xml
Teng, Weiping et al. Effect of iodine intake on thyroid disease in China. NEJM, 354,26 (2006) 2783-93. doi10.1056/NEJMoa054022