Dr. Udo Erasmus on Thyroid Disease, Weight Loss and the Optimal Diet for Thyroid Patients

[Guest guest]

Fats That Heal: Fats That Kill

Dr. Udo Erasmus on Thyroid Disease, Weight Loss, and the Optimal Diet for

Thyroid Patients

May 2002 ... Based on an interview by Mary Shomon (www.thyroid-info.com)

 

I had an opportunity to interview nutritional expert Dr. Udo Erasmus, regarding

the role of essential fatty acids in thyroid and metabolic health. By way of

introduction, Udo Erasmus received his BS degree in Honors Zoology with a major

in Psychology, followed by two years of graduate studies in Biochemistry and

Genetics from the University of British Columbia.

 

Dr. Erasmus' direction changed when he was poisoned while working with

pesticides, and when conventional approaches didn't work, sought to find

solutions in nutrition. Dr. Erasmus concentrated his research on the effects of

fats and oils on human health, and became an expert in this area, leading to his

best-seller Fats and Oils. This book also became his thesis and earned him a

Ph.D. in nutrition in 1986. The book is now available in expanded, revised,

updated form as Fats That Heal Fats That Kill, which is in its 10th printing,

with over 150,000 copies sold.

 

 

 

Dr. Erasmus has pioneered the technology and formulation for pressing and

packaging fresh oils, ensuring that they remain nutritious, and believed so much

in the power of essential fatty acids that he worked for years to create the

famous " Udo's Oil, " a balanced essential fatty acid oil that is recommended by

nutritionists and holistic practitioners around the world. More than 15 years of

exploring the practical aspects of fats has earned Dr. Erasmus authoritative

status in the field, as well as the nicknames " The Fatman " and " His Royal

Oiliness! "

To understand Dr. Erasmus' life work -- the study of essential fatty acids --

it's important to start with the basic premise -- what is an essential fatty

acid? There are a variety of different types of fats, the only two that are

considered " essential, " are Omega 3 fats, and Omega 6 fats. These fats must be

consumed directly from food sources. Other fats, such as Omega 9

(monounsaturated) fats, and saturated fats -- among others -- are not considered

essential because they can be produced by the body by consuming other sugars and

starches.

Omega 3 fatty acids come from foods like flaxseeds, green leafy vegetables, and

high fat, cold water fish such as albacore tuna, sardines, Atlantic halibut and

salmon, coho, pink and king salmon, Pacific and Atlantic herring, Atlantic

mackerel, and lake trout. Omega 6 fatty acids are found in sesame and sunflower

seeds and other seeds and nuts. Some fish and animal meats also provide a

derivative form of Omega 6. When it comes to fish, Dr. Erasmus always prefers

the fish themselves to fish oil supplements - which he claims can easily become

ineffective or even toxic.

 

According to Dr. Erasmus, since 1900, Omega 6 consumption has increased by about

20 times the previous levels, primarily because of increased use of certain

vegetable oils in food preparation, while Omega 3s are now only 1/6 of previous

levels. This means that we get too much Omega 6 and too little Omega 3 fatty

acids.

 

 

It's far more important to bring in the good fats than to avoid the bad fats.

Low-fat and no-fat take us in the wrong direction. We need a right-fat approach.

 

 

Ultimately, imbalances and deficiencies in essential fatty acids are, according

to Dr. Erasmus, the cause, a trigger, or a contributing factor to many diseases

and conditions, and addressing those deficiencies through proper foods, or use

of healthy oils, can have huge implications for health. According to Dr.

Erasmus, some benefits of proper essential fatty acid intake and balance

include:

 

 

 

Increased energy, performance, and stamina

 

Reduced risk factors for cardiovascular disease, especially

high blood pressure, triglycerides

 

Improved brain function, including mood, intelligence, behavior, and vision

 

Reduced depression

 

Improvement in glandular and organ function, including liver, kidneys,

adrenal and thyroid

 

Faster recovery and healing

 

Healthier babies and pregnant women Improved digestion

 

Decreased infection

 

Better skin, hair, and nails

 

 

 

There are other, more specific benefits that are pertinent for thyroid

sufferers.

 

 

Thyroid Hormone Receptors

 

According to Dr. Erasmus, essential fatty acids are critical to thyroid function

because, first, they are required for the integrity of the structure for every

membrane of every cell. Second, they increase energy levels in the cell. And

third, there is some evidence that essential fatty acids, especially Omega 3s,

improve the efficiency of the hormones on the receptor sites.

 

To understand the importance of the receptor issue, think about the situation of

diabetes. Pre-diabetes, the condition that is considered a marker for future

diabetes, is also known as insulin resistance. Insulin is in the body, but it

isn't being utilized because saturated fats block insulin receptor function, and

ultimately receptors become desensitized -- and ultimately immune to and unable

to receive -- insulin. Essential fatty acids are required for receptor function

and can make diabetics more insulin sensitive. So diabetics taking essential

fatty acids may need less receptors, and ultimately, less insulin.

 

Dr. Erasmus believes that this same mechanism takes place with other hormonal

functions, such as the androgens, pineal glands, adrenal glands -- and

specifically, the thyroid.

 

There are practitioners who believe that thyroid hormone resistance is not a

rare occurrence, and is actually a more common sign of impending thyroid

disease, much like insulin resistance is a precursor to diabetes. This issue of

receptors is critical, because according to Dr. Erasmus, " With proper essential

fatty acid nutrition, what will sometime happen is that you get fewer receptors

but they work better. " This would mean that proper levels of essential fatty

acids might make the thyroid hormone receptors work better, so that thyroid

hormone actually accomplishes its mission.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Inflammation

 

Dr. Erasmus also points to the role that essential fatty acids play in

preventing and reducing inflammation. In particular, essential fatty acids make

hormone-like eicosanoids that regulate immune and inflammatory responses, and

Omega 3s in particular have anti-inflammatory effects that can slow autoimmune

damage.

 

Inflammation of the thyroid -- known as goiter -- is central to many cases of

autoimmune thyroid disease, and inflammation is seen in almost all autoimmune

diseases in general.

 

 

 

Says Dr. Erasmus:

 

I believe that inflammation is at the core of nearly everything that goes wrong

in the body, including cancer, diabetes, and cardiovascular problems. We know

that Omega 3s decrease inflammation.

 

If proteins are the juice, fats are the insulators, not just of nerves, but

cells and membranes.) Protein reactions lead to inflammation, allergies and

autoimmune disease. Essential fatty acids seem to help to prevent the proteins

from becoming hyperactive -- and therefore triggering these various immune

reactions

 

Weight Loss

 

When thyroid function goes down, the metabolic rate goes down, and the body

burns fewer carbohydrates. Dr. Erasmus believes that people with hypothyroidism

should switch from starches to green vegetables as their primary source of

carbohydrates. Green vegetables, plus good fats and proteins, should form the

core of the diet.

 

Sufficient essential fatty acids help increase energy and suppress appetite,

thereby aiding in weight loss. In addition, they have been found to block the

genes that produce fat in the body (saturated and trans fat do not have this

same effect) and increase thermogenesis -- the burning of fat.

 

Dr. Erasmus actually feels that Omega 3s work better than the heralded

conjugated linoleic acid (CLA). He feels that CLA may have some negative side

effects, particularly at higher doses.

 

 

 

The Optimal Thyroid Diet

According to Dr. Erasmus, for a thyroid patient to lose weight, they need:

 

 

Green vegetables (While he says the efforts at 5 fruits and vegetables a day or

9 a day are a step in the right direction, the reality is that we should strive

for more like 1 fruit, and 8 or 9 vegetables each day.)

 

Good fats

 

Protein

 

Proper digestion

 

Limited carbohydrates. ( " If you gain weight, you're not burning enough carbs, "

says Dr. Erasmus. How much should you limit them? " Until your weight is

normal! " )

 

Exercise

 

In addition to supplementing with essential fatty acids, he also recommends

proper balance of zinc, vitamin C, and digestive enzymes.

 

 

Udo's Oil: How Much Do You Need?

Certainly, if we could also focus our diet on vegetables, fish, and good fats

from other foods, we'd be working toward redressing the imbalances in essential

fatty acids.

 

But when diet is less than optimal, or you can't get enough of the foods that

provide the right balance and quantity of Omega 3s and Omega 6s, then an option

is to consider a supplement, such as Dr. Erasmus' oil, known as " Udo's Oil. "

Udo's Oil is an organic blend of oils, from fresh flax, sesame and sunflower

seeds, as well as oils from evening primrose, rice germ and oat germ. This is a

product I personally use and recommend, and have seen a number of people

stabilize their thyroid function and lose weight after switching over to Dr.

Erasmus' dietary recommendations, plus use of his oil.

 

Dr. Erasmus recommends a tablespoon of oil per 50 pounds of body weight per day

in winter. That would mean 4 tablespoons a day for a 200 pound person in winter.

The way you know you've taken enough oil is, according to Dr. Erasmus, your skin

is not dry, flaky or itchy -- common complaints in the winter. Summer dosages

can be dropped slightly, and again, dryness of skin should be used as the

evaluation.

 

For weight loss, Dr. Erasmus has said that working with obese people, he has had

them on as much as 5 tablespoons of oil a day. For rheumatoid arthritis

patients, he's had them on as much as 10 tablespoons a day.

 

At high levels of oil, calorie intake goes up, so to reduce overall caloric

intake, Dr. Erasmus recommends taking out carbohydrate calories - particularly

starches in processed foods -- to make up for the calories in the oil, and

concentrate the diet on healthy protein, green vegetables and the oil.

 

Is supplementation with essential fatty acids the answer for you? It may be

worth trying for a few weeks to start, to see if you start to feel any of the

short-term benefits, and notice a difference in your skin. Just remember that to

avoid weight gain, you should decrease the amount of carbohydrates you are

eating, in order to offset the oil's calories and maintain an optimal amount of

daily calories.

 

http://www.udoerasmus.com/articles/reviews/item21.htm

 

 

 

The complete " Whole Body " Health line consists of the " AIM GARDEN TRIO "

Ask About Health Professional Support Series: AIM Barleygreen

 

" Wisdom of the Past, Food of the Future "

 

http://www.geocities.com/mrsjoguest/AIM.html

 

 

 

 

 

 

Tax Center - File online, calculators, forms, and more