Mangosteen and Thyroid Disorder Symptoms

When we talk of thyroid disorders, the first thing that comes to mind is problems of metabolism. There are two types of thyroid disorders – hyperthyroidism and hypothyroidism. It is very easy to differentiate these two, since their names already speak for themselves. Hyperthyroidism is the overactivity of the thyroid gland, while hypothyroidism is its underactivity.

In order to further elaborate on these two, here is a detailed discussion of these two thyroid disorders.

Hyperthyroidism

A person with a hyperthyroid disorder has an overactive thyroid gland, so that his or her metabolism is quicker than normal. It is pretty easy to spot a person with a thyroid disorder, since one of the most common symptoms is goiter, or enlargement of the thyroid gland. This is due to the increased activity in that area, which is why the thyroid gland hypertrophies.

Most of the symptoms experienced by a hyperthyroid person stems from the fact that he or she has an increased metabolic rate. For example, palpitations and nervousness are a couple of symptoms that can be attributed to the increase in metabolic rate. The person with hyperthyroid disorder also has heat intolerance, because his or her body already produces more heat than normal because of the high metabolic rate. In addition to this, he may have warm, moist skin. He may always feel tired, as if his body is working overtime. Coupled with this fatigue is constant breathlessness and muscle weakness.

The person may also experience insomnia as well as increased bowel movements. His eyes may be protruding. With regard to appetite, an individual with hyperthyroid disorder eats voraciously, but to no avail–he continues to lose weight despite his more than satisfactory appetite. The person also becomes irritable and restless. Basically speaking, almost everything is increased because of the increase in metabolic rate.

The causes of hyperthyroidism vary. Some cases may be due to hereditary factors, while some may be due to an underlying disease process, such as Plummer’s disease, inflammation of the thyroid gland, and pituitary tumors. Grave’s disease, which is the most common form of hyperthyroidism, is said to be autoimmune. The intake of too much thyroid drugs can also cause hyperthyroidism, as well as excessive intake of iodine-rich foods.

Several options are available to treat hyperthyroidism. It all depends on varying factors, such as the age of the patient, the type of hyperthyroidism, the underlying cause, the concurrent medical conditions, the severity of the disorder, and even the doctor’s preference.

The simplest and least invasive way to treat hyperthyroidism is through taking antithyroid medications, like propylthiouracil and methimazole. The action of these drugs is to inhibit the uptake of iodine in the thyroid gland, thus reducing the amount of thyroid hormone produced and regulating the gland’s activity. These drugs may be coupled with beta-blockers to deal with the thyroid hormones in the bloodstream.

Another way to treat hyperthyroidism is through radioactive iodine therapy, in which radioactive iodine is taken by the patient. When this radioactive iodine is absorbed by the thyroid gland, it damages the cells of the gland, thereby shrinking the gland and halting its activity. The radioactive iodine leaves the patient’s body through body wastes in a few days, but the disorder can reoccur in a year of a few months.

Finally, surgery is the best option for people with large goiters and those who had relapses. The procedure is called total or partial thyroidectomy, which is the removal of the thyroid gland or just a part of it. When the thyroid gland is removed, however, the opposite condition ensues – hypothyroidism. Therefore, a person who had undergone thyroidectomy needs to take thyroid hormone replacements for life.

Hypothyroidism

Hypothyroidism is the exact opposite of hyperthyroidism, since it is a condition in which the body lacks sufficient thyroid hormone because of the underactivity of the thyroid gland. If untreated, hypothyroidism can give rise to two disorders – myxedema coma and cretinism. The former is an emergency situation, while the latter can cause mental retardation.

Symptoms of hypothyroidism are the opposites of hyperthyroidism symptoms: depression, cold intolerance, memory lapses, dizziness, constipation, slow heart rate, dry skin, weight gain despite poor appetite, and low energy levels. However, they have one thing in common, and that is goiter. Therefore, it is hard to tell whether a person with goiter is hyperthyroid or hypothyroid.

The reason why the thyroid gland also enlarges in people with hypothyroidism is that the thyroid gland overexerts itself to produce the sufficient amount of thyroid hormones needed by the body. There always seems to be not enough thyroid hormone in the bloodstream, which is why the thyroid gland continues to function, thereby leading to its enlargement. Thus, both hyperthyroidism and hypothyroidism have the same symptom, but different causes as to why that symptom manifests.

Just like hyperthyroidism, causes of hyprothyroidism are also diverse. As mentioned above, the thyroidectomy surgery used as a treatment for hyperthyroidism will definitely lead to hypothyroidism. The same goes for radioactive iodine therapy, since it suppresses the activity of the thyroid gland. Another reason is when the hypothalamus or the pituitary gland fail to produce the hormones necessary to stimulate the production of thyroid hormones in the thyroid gland. Other causes include underlying medical diseases like Hashimoto’s disease lack of iodine, and the use of anti-thyroid drugs.

Unlike hyperthyroidism, there is only one treatment option for hypothyroidism, and that is the thyroid hormone replacement therapy. The principle is simple–when the hormone is lacking, supply the lacking hormone. These thyroid supplements can either be natural or synthetic. The therapy may be required for life since hypothyroidism is a lifelong condition.

Mangosteen supplements for hypothyroidism

One alternative thyroid supplement that people with hypothyroidism can use is mangosteen supplements. Mangosteen can help alleviate symptoms brought about by hypothyroidism. Remember that one of the effects of mangosteen is that it increases metabolism, which is the main problem in hypothyroid disorders. Because the underlying cause of hypothyroidism is the slow metabolism of the body, taking mangosteen will erase the symptoms brought about by hypothyroidism. Moreover, the body will feel more energetic rather than fatigued. It can also contribute to weight loss since the body is able to burn calories in the normal way.

In choosing the form of the mangosteen supplement that you are going to take, you need to consider if you are getting all the nutritional content that the mangosteen fruit has to offer. In this aspect, the freeze dried or powder form is preferable over the juice form since it does not contain preservatives that can interfere with the concentration of the nutrients in the supplement. Also, the freeze dried form does not undergo pasteurization, which might lessen the nutritional value of the mangosteen supplement. It is also cheaper than the juice form.

Why rely on drugs when you can go all natural with mangosteen supplements?