Re: Does oil pulling cause Hashimoto's Thyroiditis?

I would seriously doubt it. OP is just food.

I don't diminish the effectiveness of OP. And I don't believe anymore that OP "pulls" anything out of you except the destruction of harmful bacteria in your mouth. Bacteria that would eventually find their way into your system.

You efficiently absorb all the nutrients of the oil.

However, please see some of my posts below about Flax Oil. Flax has too much Omega 3, and too much of Omega 3 has been shown to diminish thyroid function. That is why it's so important to have a balanced Omega 3-6-9 in your diet. I think I read that it's flax seed that is tough on the system, but I don't remember reading about the oil.

From Udo Erasumus:

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.

And here is something from our buddy Mercola on coconut oil (and thyroid):


http://www.mercola.com/2001/mar/24/coconut_oil.htm


Molly