Guest blogger Dr. Turbide shares some expertise with us on Crohn's disease and other gastrointestinal disorders. Dr. Christian Turbide is a gastrointerologist working in Canada. He is a fellow health blogger with a passion for health like my own. I'm happy to give Dr. Turbide an opportunity to share with my readers.

In the United States the most common cause of hypothyroidism is Hashimoto's autoimmune thyroid. An autoimmune condition is an immunological response of the body against its own tissue and organs. Named after the scientist who first identified this condition, Hashimoto's involves a progressive attack of the thyroid gland by the immune system.

Hashimoto's Thyroiditis

The slow and gradual attack on the thyroid gland by immune cells eventually destroys enough tissue of the gland that it stops producing enough of its hormones. This causes the pituitary to release more thyroid stimulating hormone and can be seen as elevated TSH levels in the blood. This process can take many years and will often go undiagnosed until a large portion of the thyroid tissue has been destroyed.

Is that a sweet potato? Or is that a yam? Good question! I was confused myself for so long. But now I know there is a distinction. That orange colored flesh of the picture on the left is the sweet potato, though it is often labeled as a "yam." It comes from the plant family known as Convovulaceae, or Morning Glory. It is very different from the yam that comes from the Caribbean, which is an edible root of the Discorea genus. The true yam is rough and scaly. And its nutrient content is much different from the sweet potato. There are several varieties and colors of the sweet potato. To make matters even worse, the sweet potato is not a potato either!

If you haven't been following my latest series, I've been discussing the thyroid gland. This seemingly insignificant organ produces hormones that can affect the metabolic rate of every cell in your body. If the thyroid is not functioning properly, your body will begin to feel the negative results of this malfunction.

Last week in Part 3 (Read Part 1, Part 2) I explained the effects of a slow thyroid gland that is not producing enough hormone. This condition is called hypothyroidism.

We have been examining the function and disorders of the thyroid gland, the butterfly shaped gland just below our skin and surrounding our throat. As we get older we become more susceptible to disorders of the thyroid. Unfortunately, most thyroid conditions are not diagnosed early enough to prevent deterioration of the gland and its function. A dead or dying thyroid will impact the quality of one's life. Identifying and preventing damage to this gland will ensure healthy thyroid function.

In part 2 of our series Healthy Thyroid Function we will learn what a healthy thyroid is supposed to do (Read Part 1). This complicated little butterfly shaped organ is quite remarkable in its function and influence on our health.

The word thyroid comes from the Greek word thyreos, which means shield. The thyroid gland not only resembles a shield wrapped protectively around our larynx and trachia, but it acts very much as a protector of our body and our health. This, the largest endocrine gland in our body, releases hormones into our blood which travel to our many organs to regulate many of the functions that keep us alive and well.

The butterfly shaped organ that wraps around our throat is called the thyroid gland. This seemingly indescript organ can actually have a tremendous effect on our health. It's function is somewhat complicated, and disorders of the thyroid are very often overlooked or downplayed. This occurs in spite of the prevalence of thyroid disorders in our society.

Thyroid disorders are believed to affect one in thirteen Americans. That's about twenty million people in the US alone. Of those twenty million, about sixty percent don't even know they have a problem. The numbers of affected further break down into the different types of thyroid disorders. Low thyroid function, high thyroid function and various autoimmune conditions are troubling the bodies and overall health of millions of people.

Glutathione is known as the "Master Antioxidant." Without antioxidants, nature's free radicals would cause endless damage to our bodies and living healthy would be quite difficult. Fortunately, we have a built in system of antioxidant power that when operating optimally, the dreaded effects of aging can be thwarted and youth preserved.

Glutathione is revered because of it's amazing power over free radicals. Free radicals are unstable molecules in our body that cause damage to our tissue and organs because of their irradic behavior. Glutathione, like other antioxidants, grab on to the unruly free radical and remove an electron, the bad influence on the free radical, and render it harmless. Glutathione is our most abundant antioxidant found in our cells and livers, and even stored in our protein. Science has observed that when there is marked illness, glutathione levels plummet. It is crucial to maintain adequate levels of glutathione, especially for those with chronic disease and autoimmune conditions.  Those with autoimmune conditions are often low in gluathione levels.

No nutrient rich food I can think of has been given a worse reputation than chicken eggs. Well, maybe raw milk is getting the boot now, but eggs are right there with them. The poor chicken egg has been blamed for high cholesterol, high fat and bacterial poisoning. But this stigma is rightfully and hopefully disappearing while the truth about eggs prevails.

Eggs are a storehouse of nutrients all contained in a built-in protective package. Unless you've chosen a vegan/vegetarian approach to food, I highly recommend incorporating eggs into healthy diet. But not just any eggs, as you will see below, but the highest quality eggs you can find. And let me explain why.

As humans we share many commonalities, starting with our genetic code found tangled up in our DNA. It is common for us to try to prescribe practical measures towards things like health and nutrition that we try to apply to everyone. However, the concept of biochemical individuality has taught us that in spite of our many similarities, each one of use has a uniqueness that deserves a less general approach to our health and well being. We each are biochemically unique and have unique health requirements.

Unraveling the genetic code of the human was the goal of the Genome Project. Our fascination with DNA and inherited characteristics has also developed the study of epigenitcs. Epigenetics, like biochemical individuality, is very fascinating to me. This new science is teaching us that our genes can be changed by our environment and by our lifestyle choices. For a nutritionist this is tantamount! We've been saying all along, "you are what you eat."