Lifestyle modifications, including following a simple sattvic diet suitable to one’s body type, which is rich in iron, iodine and selenium, are recommended to manage hypothyroidism. This know-how is helping rural patients in a big way.
Ahana (name changed), a 48-year-old resident of a rustic habitation called Thannichal in Thiruvananthapuram, came to me with a six-month history of mood swings, irritability, excessive bleeding and a host of other issues.
It was during this time that I conducted my Sunday camp in Thannichal, something that I have been doing on a weekly basis for the last three years. For starters, Thannichal in Pangode panchayat of Thiruvananthapuram district is known for its red dragon fruit farms.
Ahana had avoided seeing medical practitioners thinking it could be a part of her menopause and resorted to home remedies, with little respite. The mother of two would be tired throughout the day, leaving her husband and children clueless. It was at her husband’s behest that she came to see me.
Over the course of my detailed interaction with her, I gained an understanding of the nature of her issue, its onset and development. Ahana thought that she had something “terribly wrong” with her uterus and feared that she would have to be operated upon.
My initial diagnosis was an underactive thyroid or hypothyroidism. Amazed, they asked me, “How can a gland in the neck affect the uterus?”
I prescribed a blood profiling to assess the thyroid function via the Thyroid-Stimulating Hormone (TSH) test and an abdominal scan done to assess the organs.
The results were as predicted. Ahana suffered from an underactive thyroid that was causing her symptoms including excessive bleeding. I reassured the couple that hypothyroidism could be managed and reversed in Ayurveda and that Ahana wouldn’t need an hysterectomy as feared.
While modern science sees the thyroid and the reproductive organs as separate entities and provides different treatments for the two, Ayurveda sees them as a single unit. The root cause of menstrual irregularities, that is thyroid dysfunction, is treated. Furthermore, the patient is not dependent on synthetic pills for the rest of their life and their quality of life is enhanced as TSH values can be brought within limits without resorting to thyroxine tablets.
At Tanmatra Ayurveda, the thyroid gland is reset by following a three-step approach. The first is cleansing and anti-inflammatory management. During the second step, thyroid and gut are reset. This is followed by Rasayana therapy or cellular regeneration.
I put Ahana on a six-month thyroid gland reset programme. This also involved prescribing her with a diet chart based on her Prakriti or body constitution. Considering that Ahana was low on thyroid hormones, we put her on a simple sattvic diet that is easy to metabolise and is rich in iron, iodine and selenium. We encouraged her to include dragon fruit in her daily diet, which fortunately for Ahana, was easily available in her locality. Dragon fruit contains a moderate amount of iodine, which is crucial for thyroid function. It was also included in her diet to tackle the anaemia that resulted from excessive blood flow and sluggishness of the thyroid gland.
A host of lifestyle modifications, including circadian rhythm reset, was adopted. To help the patients stay on course with the modified lifestyle patterns, Tanmatra Ayurveda follows a system of daily diet analysis by our nutritionist, weekly check-ins and WhatsApp assistance by the team doctor.
Ahana today is a changed person without any of the symptoms that were bothering her and her family members. She religiously followed all the prescriptions set for her. One year later, her thyroid levels continue to be normal.
So does Ayurveda have a cure for hypothyroidism? As someone who has recovered from hypothyroidism following Ayurvedic principles, and as someone who has treated more than a thousand patients, my answer is a confident ‘Yes’.
The path of lifestyle modifications is tough, but it is much easier than having to suffer from the untold maladies caused by a thyroid disorder.
While there is a well-deserved talk about cardiovascular diseases, cancers and strokes; thyroid function has not got the attention it deserves.
The ‘Butterfly Bytes’ public awareness campaign that Tanmatra Ayurveda has started is part of our humble efforts to spread awareness for this cause. The month-long campaign in connection with the World Thyroid Day on 25 May is ongoing across all our social media platforms.
To the over 40 million people suffering from thyroid disorders in India, there’s one thing that I wish to share – there’s hope.
The lead image on top shows dragon fruit slices and smoothie. (Photo from Shutterstock)
Dr Alka Vijayan is founder, Tanmatra Ayurveda
