Links between Artificial Sweeteners, Obesity & Auto-Immune Thyroid Issues

The balancing Relationship between our Autoimmune System & the Gut 80% of the immune system is reported to be reliant on the microbiome of the gut.

This is where the immune system will detect and identify 'foreign objects' that it considers as harmful for our body.

This inter-relationship between the gut and the immune system makes sense when you think about it - because as we evolved, historically we were most likely to receive a harmful foreign object or substance through ingestion of daily foods, or drink, than in almost any other way!

The immune system has been built upon the need to recognize foreign objects which have entered into the inner biology of the organism (i.e. inside our body), this may be because we may have inadvertently ingested something (or we have been cut or penetrated by a foreign object). It is the immune systems role to disable any foreign 'invaders' and rid the body of them as fast as possible. If the body sees these invaders as a real threat, then their elimination takes precedence over almost everything else (as the body considers this potentially life threatening).

The microbes in the gut influence many aspects of our biology, including the immune system, organ development and metabolism. Many of the intricate relationships between the gut microbes and the chemical and physiological processes of the host are still largely unknown, but this is a growing area of research for scientists, especially as there is growing evidence that the gut microbes may have an influence on metabolic processes which may affect and influence levels of obesity, and other auto-immune diseases and disorders, all of which is a huge and rapidly growing problem within the western world.

In terms of Meta Health, the purpose of viruses, bacteria, bugs and other 'foreign bodies' which end up causing "undesirable" symptoms in our bodies, does not adhere to the standard medical thinking that they are 'attacking' our system, and that our bodies are being invaded or overtaken.

In Meta Health, we consider that the actions of our biology and the actions of viruses and bacterias in our system are actually involved in more of a symbiotic 'dance' that is all about KEEPING BALANCE.

To discuss this further I will be writing a blog on Viruses & Bacterias: friend or foe? so please do sign up to my email list if you are interested in knowing more about this.

However, today we are looking at the relationship between Artificial sweeteners and thyroid function.

Artificial Sweeteners & Thyroid Function

Reduced Gut Flora

Artificial Sweeteners have been shown to reduce the healthy bacteria in the gut micro biome by up to 50%. Due to the importance of gut flora (healthy bacteria living in the digestive tract), and its affect on our immune responses, this is likely to have an adverse affect on the immune system.

There are growing correlations between auto-immune thyroid disease (Hashimotos) and gluten intolerance, which may be connected to the reduced capacity of the gut to perform effectively and healthily, leading to the migration of gluten molecules into the blood stream. This cross-over of these 'food particles' into the blood stream (where they should not be) could initiate the immune response connected with the destruction of healthy thyroid tissue.

Reduced TSH Levels

Endocrine health has been shown to be adversely affected from drinking diet fizzy drinks and TSH levels have been seen to be reduced by simply eliminating any fizzy drinks (along with all other foods and beverages) that use artificial sweeteners. This report finding was established in 2013 by Dr. Sachmechi, an endocrinologist, who subsequently went on in his practice to advise Hashimoto patients that cutting out their artificial sweeteners may reduce their TSH and hypothyroidism. Of all his patients since 2013, only 3 have taken his advice and completely eliminated artificial sweeteners from their diets. Of these, 2 patients have completely reversed their disease, going from antibody positive to antibody negative. They are now completely without thyroid medication.

The third patient saw no change, but significantly to the other two patients, her mother was also hypothyroid, and therefore Dr. Sachmechi believes that there may be some connection with her genetic disposition, which may supersede the artificial sweeteners contribution to thyroid function.

Increased Antibody levels correlate to high levels of artificial sweetener usage

Recently, in 2015, a study conducted at Mount Sinai Hospital in New york reported that tests on 100 Hashimoto patients in Nashville, Tennessee showed that 53% of them use more than 3.5 packets of artificial sweeteners every day. This is compared to an alternative test group of 125 people, who were all thyroid antibody negative. Of these only 12% reported using artificial sweeteners, leaving the remaining 88% of those without antibodies as not using artificial sweeteners. The study was not stringent, but it has given researchers reason to further consider and investigate the links with autoimmune thyroid disease and artificial sweeteners.

Sweeteners that Raise Insulin & Leptin

Current studies are indicating that artificial sweeteners have many unpleasant and potentially opposing results to those intended by those people who are taking them.

Ironically, studies are beginning to show that they are potentially contributing to weight gain and even diabetes!

Wei-na Cong, at the National Institute of Aging, has been working to understand the potential health effects of long-term artificial sweetener use. Her studies showed that mice that ingested high doses (relative to those regularly ingested by many humans) of ACK (the artificial sweetener acesulfame potassium) for 40 weeks, produced higher levels of circulating insulin and leptin. These hormones are both important in sugar metabolism, fat burning and appetite control.

Insulin tells the body to store sugar.

Leptin plays a key role in regulating food intake, fat burning, body weight, and energy homeostasis.

She thinks that the ACK stimulates pancreatic cells to excessively secrete insulin.

At the same time, “the increased leptin levels occurred because the mice became resistant” to leptin.

Insulin concentration and leptin resistance are associated with obesity.

Importantly for those who suffer with thyroid issues, her "studies also revealed that ACK accumulated in the mice’s brain tissue and that the mice exhibited decreased cognitive function in the form of slow learning and impaired memory." (National Institutes of Health: NIH)

This is rather important for people who suffer with the symptom of BRAIN FOG in hypothyroidism to be aware of!

Whilst, in mind-body detective terms, there may be other connections and associations involved in understanding and addressing why people with thyroid issues are experiencing brain fog, there is no doubt that adding a soup of chemical cocktails that affect brain function is potentially undesirable. Unfortunately, for many women with hypothyroid issues, weight gain is such a huge symptom of the disease, that using artificial sweeteners is often common in the battle to reduce or halt the weight gain!

Wei-na Cong also explains that her studies show that ACK also affected energy metabolism in brain neuronal cells, inducing an “energy crisis” in the cells. “Energy metabolism for the neuronal cell is very important” for brain-tissue health, she says.

Her work suggests that long-term ACK use may contribute to the development of other cognitive disorders such as Alzheimer disease.

Leptin Resistance

Leptin is a hormone that is released by fat cells. Leptin can be thought of as the 'hormone signal' that communicates to the brain, to let it know how much fat stores (= energy reserves) the body has.

When excessive amounts of food are eaten, (or even if excessive amounts are not eaten, but someone is already leptin resistant) and therefore fat cells in the body are increased; the increased number of fat cells means that an increased amount of leptin will be released into the blood. The increase in this hormone circulating in the blood is meant to communicate to the brain, via the hypothalamus, that the metabolism can increase, sensations of hunger can be reduced, and it should also stimulate an increase in the process that increases 'fat burning' (lipolysis).

This combination of processes should help the body to 'burn' off the excessive amount of fat stores!

Increasing the energy usage of the body. It is effectively a 'stocking of the fire', which would increase the energy burn!

However, in people with hypothyroidism, the metabolism is operating very slowly. Hypothyroidism, by its very nature is restricting the energy burn.

As a mind-body detective, we understand that there may be an intelligent reason that the thyroid has restricted its energy burn. Often in response to an underlying belief or because of an unresolved survival issue.

If the thyroid has reduced its function in order to slow down metabolic processes and reduce energy burn, we can see that if this was an intelligently assessed program (meaning the biological system was working correctly as a purposeful response to a deeper need to stop the body metabolising efficiently), then we can understand that the body, via the mind, would be receiving two opposing needs.

Therefore, the body has an automatic conflict when receiving increased levels of leptin in the brain, if it is already hypothyroid.

It has to consider which of the two biological programs is more important to the overall survival of the person:

• The restriction and therefore decrease of energy burn (which is part of the hypothyroid program)

• The increase of energy burn (which is being indicated via the increased leptin levels in the blood)

If the body makes a decision that it is more important (in terms of the persons survival) to remain in the hypothyroid program, then the intelligent decision will be made by the brain to IGNORE the Leptin levels.

THIS, in mind-body detective terms is the reason a person would become Leptin resistant!

When there is leptin resistance in the mix, along with a hypothyroid program, the normal fat-burning and energy usage processes of the body will alter.

In Summary:

• Many people who have weight issues often have issues with leptin.

• People with weight issues and obesity may have high leptin levels, but will find that leptin resistance is likely.

• Therefore, there is also a strong correlation between people with increased weight gain or obesity, leptin resistance and thyroid issues.

• This is because the thyroid program itself is integral to the conflict (outlined above) which means that the body has to choose between increased energy burn (as we observe in leptin resistance), or decreased energy burn (as we observe in hypothyroidism), and
  

• The thyroid program is chosen by the body as being more important than the energy burn program
  

Point of Action:

In a healing setting and self-regulation, or biological auto-regulatory terms, this means we need to be looking at what threat the thyroid is responding to - as it has been 'weighed' as MORE IMPORTANT in an overall bio-energetic assessment of survival but the individual (remember that this is all happening on a mainly unconscious level).

The Leptin Resistance Process

Lets look at how the normal leptin process alters when we have become leptin resistant.

This is the current medical definition of the process:

• As we gain increased levels of fat in the body, the leptin levels correspondingly rise in the blood.

• As the leptin levels rise the brain stops 'seeing' the leptin in the blood - which we refer to as being "leptin resistant".

• The leptin is present in the blood, but the brain ignores it, and as a result the body begins to believe that it is in a form of starvation mode! (See section in "the thyroid detective: why would the brain ignore the leptin levels?")
  

• Ironically this 'ignoring' of the leptin levels means that the metabolic processes reduce further and that many people will also potentially feel 'hungry' - even after finishing a meal!
  

Symptoms of Leptin Resistance

Symptoms and sensations experienced with leptin resistance include:

• Sensations of starvation

• Weight Gain - often even if calorie counting and dieting

• Never 'feeling full'

• Continuing eating after finishing a large meal

• Constant food cravings

• Low resting heart rate: between 50-60 when measured first thing in the morning (and assuming you are not fit and healthy and of normal weight)

• Body temperature of less than 98.0 degrees F

• Hypothyroid Diagnosis - or possibly just Hypothyroid Symptoms if undiagnosed (there are reasons that the blood hormone levels may not indicate hypothyroidism when it is combined with leptin resistance, which will be covered in a different blog
  

Understanding the importance of leptin in our body's ability to recognise and regulate food intake and its energy conversion is an important key here I feel, not only because there is an epidemic of people who are being affected by issues of weight gain and obesity, but because there are many other aspects that can be attributing to such severe weight gain.

Therefore food and calories will always be an incomplete and insufficient solution to people with leptin and hypothyroid issues in addressing their weight gain, because the biology will not be responding appropriately.

Hypothyroidism & Leptin Resistance:

A multi-pronged approach is necessary to address the issues:

• Tackle Leptin Resistance

• ​​Address foods and beverages, that are interfering with the normal leptin processes: such as ARTIFICIAL SWEETENERS

• Understand the mind-body intelligence behind leptin resistance: know your body is not broken, but trying to find the right way to respond to an emotional issue, or an issue around survival.

• Tackle Hypothyroid Issues

• ​Address environmental issues that may be affecting the gut and autoimmune system

• Understand what thyroid medication may help you reverse the leptin resistance

• Understand the mind-body intelligence behind hypothyroid dysfunction: identify the specific emotional issues and survival issues that are affecting how your thyroid is working

• Find a specialist who deals with hypothyroid issues and leptin issues in combination. As the blood results usually relied on to diagnose thyroid issues is potentially affected by leptin resistance. I will write a follow up blog on Leptin Resistance & The Thyroid: A multi-pronged Approach
  

• Find a specialist who can help you find the specific ROOT CAUSE of your own emotional and survival issues. Even if you are not aware what they are yet (the mind can bury our fears in order to keep us safe and able to function on a daily level). Also, the specific incidents that can create the thyroid programs (when I say program I mean the 'biological program' that tells us if the thyroid is working or not), are not always extreme or severe, and can often be from one or many small experiences from our youth or our childhood. However, they will always be present if we have something happening in the body!

• Follow my Mind-Body Detective Series and my Thyroid Detective Series to better understand the general themes that can help you in doing the emotional and energy detective work around your thyroid issues! Sign up to my email list to receive these, or send me an email with something you would like me to write about :-)
  

High Leptin levels are related to high blood pressure, obesity, heart disease, stroke and high blood sugar levels.

The link between leptin resistance, hypothyroidism and obesity is complicated, and often they all inter-relate.

A Summary of the Mind-Body Connections to being hypothyroid and having Leptin Resistance

The Intelligence behind Leptin Resistance

As a mind-body detective, we understand that there may be an intelligent reason that the thyroid has restricted its energy burn. Often in response to an underlying belief or because of an unresolved survival issue.

There will always be a 'positive purpose', so what is it?

• If you would like to understand the beliefs or unresolved survival issues around hypothyroidism, I will be holding a free webinar, details of which I will be releasing in the next couple of weeks. Please sign up to my email list in order to receive details of this.
  

Why would the brain reduce leptin levels?

As a thyroid detective we would look at the alternative possible mind-body explanation.

Currently, when scientists assert that the brain 'ignores' the leptin levels, the mind-body associations are not even considered. So whilst we gain a scientific and chemical understanding of the process of leptin resistance with this explanation, we are still at a loss as to why would the brain ignore the leptin levels?

For me, this is the real core, the real root of the issue we need to address as a mind-body or thyroid detective!

If the body has intentionally reduced thyroid function in order to slow down metabolic processes and reduce energy burn, we must consider that if this was an intelligently assessed program (meaning the biological system was working correctly as a purposeful response to a deeper need to stop the body metabolising efficiently), then we can understand that the body, via the mind, would have assessed which need were more important, when receiving two opposing needs. This is exactly what happens when we are both hypothyroid and simultaneously receive high levels of leptin in the blood!

Therefore, the body has an automatic conflict when receiving increased levels of leptin in the brain, if it is already hypothyroid.

It has to consider which of the two biological programs is more important to the overall survival of the person:

The restriction and therefore decrease of energy burn (which is part of the hypothyroid program) The increase of energy burn (which is being indicated via the increased leptin levels in the blood)

If the body makes a decision that it is more important (in terms of the persons survival) to remain in the hypothyroid program, AND NOT BURN ENERGY STORES, then the intelligent decision will be made by the brain to IGNORE the Leptin levels.

THIS, in mind-body detective terms is the reason a person would become Leptin resistant!

The Thyroid Program behind Leptin Resistance

When leptin is present in the blood, but the brain ignores it, the body begins to believe that it is actually in starvation mode!

In terms of the thyroid detective this has an alternative possible explanation, which is not so much about starvation, but that the body is in a prolonged state of "freeze", which is an immobilised state which is part of the fight or flight response to a very stressful or traumatic experience.

The body in this scenario, is intentionally reducing the metabolic process in order to reserve energy and is "waiting" until the danger is passed and a solution is found. After which, the metabolic system can resume as normal and the stored 'fat reserves' will be burned in order to bring about the appropriate action.

We can see the similarity here to a 'starvation' concept, but as a mind-body detective we are always asking the question, why is the body responding in this way?

If it is an intelligent response to a problem (and NOT a malfunction), then what is the problem?

By reversing our thinking, we can begin to understand that all the time we are still experiencing an emotional or a psychological trauma (either consciously, or unconsciously) which keeps us in a state of 'freeze' (where we feel we are unable to run away, or to fight our way out of a situation; a situation that we feel is intrinsically dangerous to either ourselves or our family), then our body will design ways to stop us from 'burning' our energy reserves fully - because it is saving them until the time we will find the solution, and can either fight our way out or run away!

The interesting aspect of this way of thinking is that we need to address the underlying emotions and beliefs that are keeping us 'stuck', before our body will truly begin to rebalance, and the brain will no longer need to "ignore" the leptin levels!

Resources

https://irp.nih.gov/catalyst/v22i3/artificial-sweeteners-and-leptin-impaired-lipid-storage-and-starvation