Thyroid Health and Essential Oils

1:29 PM Posted by jo

I just finished reading Inner Tranformations Using Essential Oils by Dr. LeAnn Deardeuff, DC and Dr. David Deardeuff, DC. It is an interesting book and I learned some new things about essential oils by reading about how Dr. LeAnne's is using essential oils in her practice. Dr.LeAnne says she has also used herbs, but she noticed that even though herbs worked, she got a much quicker response when she started using essential oils instead.

She started using the essential oils full time on herself, and she finally got control over her chronic fatigue. She very often experienced phenomenal results when she first used the YL oils in her practice. Infertility, fibromylgia, scoliosis, emotional upsets, tight muscles were just some of the conditions that she says she successfully treated with essential oils in the beginning. Of course, she still successfully uses essential oils in their practice.

It starts with cleansing

As Dr. LeAnn says, "This book is all about cleansing, primarily with essential oils, in order to enjoy the health that is our birthright." The step to better health is to clean the digestive tract, and after that there are ways to clean other organs, glands, and systems. LeAnn says a toxic body combined with poor nutrition can lead to such illnesses such as allergies, chronic fatigue, fibromyalgia, and infertility among others in addition to conditions directly related to the digestive system. The colon is the starting point for effective cleansing. Dr. LeAnn emphasizes that the different systems should be cleansed during different seasons. For example, the kidneys should be cleansed during the winter and the liver in the spring, while the lymph, pancreas and spleen, gall bladder, and heart should be cleansed in the summer. In the autumn it's time to cleanse the lungs, skin, and colon again.

So, with the importance of cleansing in mind, let's move on to what Dr. LeAnn has to say about thyroid health and how she deals with problems related to the thyroid.

The energy trio

I previously wrote about the thyroid in my post, Let's take a Closer Look at the Metabolic Hormones- The Thyroid Hormones, so check it out for more detailed information about the thyroid. The thyroid, pituitary, and the adrenal glands are the glands that make you go. The thyroid gland regulates metabolism, while the adrenal glands produce hormones to assist the body with energy production as well as other functions. The pituitary is often called the master gland of the body. It sends hormones to the other glands to direct them to produce their respective hormones, as well as producing direct-acting hormones. These three are the energy trio. Today the focus is the thyroid, but keep an eye out for my next posts about the other glands of the energy trio.

Dr.LeAnn says it normally takes about 2-3 months in order to notice a big change in the hormone production, so follow a protocol for thyroid that long. It is possible to see changes sooner than that, and most have their hormonal difficulties cleared up within 4 months.

Thyroid

The thyroid is under the direction of the pituitary, and it sends hormones, primarily thyroxin, that boost the metabolism of practically every cell in the body. If the thyroid doesn't send out the correct amount of thyroxin to the other endocrine glands they won't produce their hormones property. The thyroid may malfunction in being over- or under-active. It is more common with a under-active thyroid. According to Dr. LeAnn, hypothyroidism is one of the causes of chronic fatigue syndrome. She explains that there are many different causes of hypothyroidism, including inflammation, nodules, and hypo-pituitarism, but she also says hypothyroidism is fairly easy to treat.

Dr. LeAnn's treatment plan for the thyroid

Dr. LeAnn begins with jump starting the treatment with a blend of sesame seed oil, spearmint (Mentha spicata), sage (Salvia officinalis), geranium (Pelargonium graveolens), myrtle (Myrtus communis), nutmeg (Myristica fragrans), and German chamomile (Matriciaria recutita).

Dr.LeAnn's uses her Jump Start to make big changes quickly (for low adrenal function, stomach flu, or sinus problem):
Take one drop of therapeutic grade essential oil in the cheek every 10 minutes for an hour, then one drop every waking hour of the day. If you rub the inner cheek lining of the mouth, it doesn't leave such a bitter or tangy taste as it would on the tongue, and it also absorbs more readily.

She also says that the thyroid also responds well to myrtle essential oil, it is found in the blend mentioned above, but sometimes Dr. LeAnn let a patient use more myrtle in addition to the blend above She also says that it is helpful to rub 1-3 drops of Endoflex, myrtle, and lemongrass on the throat. Some react to lemongrass and break out in a rash, so you can try to dilute it, but never put it in the mouth undiluted.

Supplement
Dr. LeAnn also says that Thyromin is an excellent supplement to feed the thyroid gland wether it is under- or over-active. She suggests to take two capsules at night since the thyroid receives its major energy from the meridian system between 9-11 PM. So by taking it at night allows the body to use it at the proper time. It is not unusual that the her patients experience insomnia the first few nights of taking Thyromin, but it will pass within 5 days or so. Remember, it may take time before you see results so keep going.

For patients that also shows adrenal insufficiency in addition to hypothyrodism, Dr. LeAnn recommends to take two capsules of Thyromin at night, as well as one capsule in the morning until the level is reached where the energy rises.

Besides hypothyroidism, a goiter can sometimes cause hyperthyroidism, which is an increase in the body metabolism. It shows up as a swelling around the thyroid. Other things may cause the swelling so it is best to have it checked out by the doctor.

What Gary Young says
Young says that in cases where the thyroid deficiency is caused by a malfunctioning pituitary or hypothalamus, better results may be achieved by using essential oils that stimulate the pituitary or hypothalamus such as cedarwood. He also says that people with the type A blood type have more tendency to have weak thyroid function.

For Hypothyroid (Hashimotos disease) Young recommends:
Ledum (Ledum groenlandicum)
Lemongrass Cymbopogon flexuosus)
Myrtle (Myrtus communis)
Peppermint (Mentha piperita)
Spearmint (Mentha spicata)
Myrrh (Commiphora myrrha)
Clove (Syzygium aromaticum)

For Hyperthyroid (Graves Disease) Gary Young Suggests the following oils:
Myrrh (Commiphora myrrha)
Spruce (Picea mariana)
Blue Tansy (Tanacetum annuum)
Lemongrass (Cymbopogon flexuosus)

Diet and other cautions

This is a post mainly about essential oils and the thyroid, and I have a future post planned about nutrition and diet for thyroid health in my Let's Take a Closer Look at the Metabolic Hormones Series.

But here are some things to consider:

It is important to avoid flouride, chlorine, bromides, and unfermented soy.
Be aware of uncooked cruciferous vegetables, The Healthy Home Economist has a great article about what vegetables to avoid uncooked if suffering from hypothyroidism.
Sarah, The Healthy Home Economist, also has a great article about millet and how it actually is a goitrogen.
Add coconut to your diet since it is said to stimulate the thyroid.
Don't self diagnose, and consider that a regular blood test is not always enough in order to detect a thyroid problem. More about that here.
Make sure you get a sufficient amount of vitamins, minerals and fat.

This information is all based on using therapeutic grade essential oils, Oils not listed as dietary supplements should not be ingested.

As always, this information is for educational purposes only, and is not meant to diagnose or prescribe. If you are pregnant, breastfeeding, or suffer from a medical condition, consult with your health care practitioner prior to using essential oils.

Before you leave:

I recommend that you always perform a skin patch test when you try a new oil.

Check out my safety page to make sure you are aware of any contrindications before you use essential oils. Some oils are not suitable when suffering from certain conditions. Also, Read this Before You Start Using Essential oils. Some oils should not be applied prior to sun exposure so make sure you check this list before spending time in the sun.

Not sure how to apply the oils? Visit these pages to learn how to apply the oils:

Topical Application

Inhaling Essential Oils

Are You Diffusing the Oils Correctly?

How to Dilute Essential Oils

Vita Flex Technique

If you're new to essential oils you might want to check out my Getting Started Guide.

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Johanna is an aromatherapist and she is passionate about educating people about health, essential oils, real food, natural remedies, and nutrition so they make healthier choices in their lives.
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