iThei mdcdaelcinfd o c elllllrlllll tThe hlcinfd olsbdkpvouvoxygen species, it can cause tissue damage when insufficient antioxidants
are present. Glutathione peroxidase is the antioxidant responsible for neu-
tralizing hydrogen peroxide. Selenium is a component of this antioxidant
and is required for proper thyroid function.
Iodide (from food) + Hydrogren Peroxide —> Iodine
Most conventional physicians use the TSH screening test to determine
whether a patient has a thyroid disorder, but it is often misleading since lev-
els of circulating hormones may fluctuate at different times. Hashimoto’s
may cause individuals to fluctuate between highs and lows.
When scientists first set the “normal” ranges of TSH for healthy individu-
als, they inadvertently included elderly patients and others with compro-
mised thyroid function in the calculations, leading to an overly lax refer-
ence range. Thus people with underactive thyroid hormones were often
told their thyroid tests were “normal” based on this skewed reference range.
In recent years, the National Academy of Clinical Biochemists indicated
95 percent of individuals without thyroid disease have TSH concentra-
tions below 2.5 μIU/L, and a new normal reference range was defined
by the American College of Clinical Endocrinologists to be between 0.3
and 3.0 μIU/ml.^2
Unfortunately, most labs have not yet adjusted that range in the reports
they provide to physicians, listing ranges as lax as 0.2–8.0 μIU/ml. Most
physicians only look for values outside the “normal” reference range
provided by the labs and may be unfamiliar with the new guidelines.
Subsequently, many physicians miss identifying patients with an elevated
TSH. This is one reason why patients should always ask their physicians
for a copy of any lab results.
Functional medicine practitioners have further defined normal reference
ranges as being between 1 and 2 μIU/ml for a healthy person not taking
thyroid medications.
It’s important to remember that reference ranges may not be applicable to
everyone. What is normal for one person may be abnormal for the next.
Reference ranges take into account the average values of 95 percent of
the population. Not everyone falls within the “normal” reference range.
If you are in the 5 percent who doesn’t, you may experience symptoms
of hypothyroidism or hyperthyroidism even though you have TSH val-
ues considered normal. All doctors are taught the old adage, “Treat the
patient and not the lab tests,” but, sadly, few conventional doctors seem
to follow this advice.