Thyroid Health – Thyroid Friendlier Bath Soaks

Dr. Kasia Kines, Nutritionist, CEO and founder of EBV Educational Institute
Virtual clinic serving the US and globally
[email protected]

Thyroid friendlier bath soaks are a very exciting topic. I can’t wait to share with you what I have learned recently. I am writing this blog at the very beginning of winter here in Maryland because I want to share the benefits of a hot bath soak with you, and while the exposure to fluoride and chlorine have always bothered me (that is the fact alone bothers me), a soak done right can really make a difference for you, and I have some very cool solutions for you today!

You must hear my personal story. I developed hypothyroidism as a result of sustained long-term stress and overwork, not iodine deficiency or Hashimoto’s. The tipping point was one November when I flooded the kitchen from my bathtub. You see, soaking in the bathtub even every evening was my go-to for stress relief, especially in fall and winter. When the bathtub broke down, I did not have the funds to fix it, and I rightly feared I feared I really needed to gut the bathroom, while I did not have the funds for it. I knew I was going into the winter with no soaking to be done!!! And that is when my thyroid finally went down. You see, stress (cortisol) can affect your body’s ability to convert T4 into the active T3 and it can cause your Reverse T3 to jump at the same time. I bet my cortisol shot up when I realized I had a long winter of being cold and bathtub-less!!!! Reverse T3 competes with T3 at cell receptor sites. It is the T3 that you need to bind to the cells and not RT3. And that was my story. It took me a year to gut the bathroom and it was the hardest and longest winter indeed. There is just nothing better in the world than soaking in the bathtub. This winter, I have a brand new soaking tub, and my thyroid is very happy. I am trying to be thyroid-friendlier myself.

Thyroid Friendlier Bath Soaks To-Do-List:

1. Minimize fluoride in the water
2. Minimize chlorine in the water
3. Add Epsom salts 1/2 cup to 1 cup
4. Add some baking soda (aluminum –free); around ¼ cup
5. Add just a few drops of essential oil of lavender
6. Turn off the light and light a few candles to tell your brain that the sun is setting and it is time to rest

Thyroid Friendlier Bath Soaks: Fluoride and Iodine

The bad news: so far there is no water filter for a bathtub OR a shower head that removes fluoride. We do know that fluoride can affect your thyroid. If you find one, let me know. The good news is that you would have to also be iodine deficient for fluoride to affect your thyroid. That is the best I can do so far.

Solutions: Make sure you have adequate iodine in your diet. It is so important.

How to get enough iodine in your diet? I take a daily isotonic multivitamin with the standard 150mcg iodine from kelp, and I pick seaweeds whenever I can if I go out to a Japanese restaurant (in a soup or seaweed salad). I also use seaweeds in cooking – I love making my own miso soup, for example. If you cannot tolerate soy, you can get soy-free miso paste, so there are no excuses. Look for my miso soup recipe on my recipe page to try it! When I tested my iodine level, I had more than I needed.

Japanese seaweed and radiation from Fukushima? It is a valid concern Japanese seaweeds might be contaminated. But we have a great resource In the USA with fantastic seaweeds from the coast of Maine. This is as far from Japan as you can get. You have to buy a 25-pound bag, so you will share with a lot of like-minded friends.

Hashimoto’s and Iodine? In that case, you just need to cover your basis, such as 150mcg in a multi. That is typically safe. More can aggravate Hashimoto’s.

Thyroid Friendlier Bath Soaks: Chlorine

The bad news: Chlorine, like fluoride, can be toxic to your thyroid (its toxicity is not limited to thyroid, I am afraid, but that is a different story). Like Fluoride, it is a halogen and will compete with iodine, so do make sure you have your iodine covered.

The Good news: I am particularly excited about what I am about to share with you. Over the years, I have used various water filters for the soaking bathtub… either hanging from the faucet or floating in the water….nothing perfect. There was no way to take all chlorine out no matter what I used.

Vitamin C: I finally found a product that is safe, simple, and very inexpensive, that eliminates 100% chlorine. I just placed an order online for 100 tablets, paying nor much more than $20 dollars. This will cover 100 baths! So while we still have a problem with fluoride, at least, we can completely eliminate chlorine. This can be very helpful also when you have a sensitive skin or you have a baby or a child, as chlorine can be very irritating. I read many reviews and I look forward to hearing from you too.

Effervescent Vitamin C Dechlorination Tablets from Vitabath

• Dechlorination agent: 100% Pharmaceutical Grade Vitamin C.
• Totally remove chlorine and chloramines from your hot tub and spas.
• Improve skin and hair.
• Relief from dry, itchy skin.
• Meets the dechlorination requirements of the US EPAs Clean Water Act.
• Environmentally safe.
• Contains a nutrient which is essential for the health.
• 100% organic.

Thyroid friendlier bath soaks: Why Epsom Salt

Yes, I do want you to make a point of you getting Epsom salts and adding it to the soaking bath. As you remember, stress was the sole cause of my hypothyroid function. Epsom salts are very inexpensive (always a plus) and are high in magnesium. Magnesium can enter right into your muscles through the pores of your skin as you soak in the bath- tub. Magnesium is responsible for every muscle relaxation after every muscle contraction (all muscles, including your heart). When I do analysis of my patients’ food logs, most do not get adequate magnesium in their diet. Research confirms that we are notoriously deficient in this important mineral. Did you know that anxiety, PMS and muscle cramping can all be caused by deficiency of Mangesium?

As you see soaking in a warm bath with Epsom salt can contribute to your wellbeing, turn down the stress response and give you the relaxation you need at the end of the day. Here is my podcast on Magnesium, if you want to know more.

Epsom salt has one more benefit: it contains sulfate, which is very soothing to the gastrointestinal lining, among other jobs.

At least now we can all enjoy the winter with less guilt about fluoride and chlorine, soaking our heart’s desire in a Thyroid-Friendlier bath Soak! Or at least I will!

Dr. Kasia Kines, Nutritionist, CEO and founder of EBV Educational Institute
Virtual clinic serving the US and globally
[email protected]