Is tap water ok for people with under active thyroid

[shaminak]

Hi,

I have just read somewhere that tap water is bad for people who suffer thyroid issues because of chlorine in it. I have underactive thyroid. I was wondering whether anyone is aware of this and whether this is true.

Many thanks

[RedApple Administrator]

shaminak, Where did you read this? If tap water is bad for people with thyroid issues, what did the information say should be used instead of tap water?

[MaisieGray]

According to Amy Myers MD, chlorine has very similar properties to iodine and can be 'mistakenly' absorbed by the thyroid, displacing necessary iodine. This absorption can happen dermally by swimming in chlorinated pools, and orally by drinking water containing chlorine. This all happens in minute amounts but can presumably have a cumulative effect over however long a time. She suggests filtering drinking water and that used for bathing, and swimming in seawater ..... However, if you have already been diagnosed with an underactive thyroid and are therefore taking exogenous thyroid hormones, I wouldn't think it is a problem since your dose will naturally take up the slack, as it were; and if like me, your thyroid is already well and truly defunct, in thyroid terms it can't make any difference.

[RedApple Administrator in reply to MaisieGray]

Interesting, thanks for the explanation MaisieGray. I wonder then why all the people that swim regularly in chlorinated pool water don't all eventually end up with thyroid issues?

[helvella Administrator Thyroid UK in reply to RedApple]

One of the ironies being that so many recommend increased consumption of salt - which is at least mostly sodium chloride. (Chloride is the name given to an ionised atom of chlorine and therefore substances containing such ions.)

I am, of course, aware that free chlorine, and chlorine in bleaches, has very different effects but I do question how much free chlorine could possibly reach the thyroid?

[MaisieGray in reply to RedApple]

Yes, that's a very good question RedApple . My older brother for instance, was very often in our local swimming baths when growing up, and obviously drank the same water as the rest of our family, but neither he nor our parents developed thyroid issues. For myself, I think the chlorine risk should perhaps be considered with a degree of scepticism until the exact nature of the risk can be validated and perhaps more importantly, exactly quantified, with appropriate research.

[thyroidmom84 in reply to RedApple]

I believe most practitioners think there is a genetic predisposition required

[Hidden in reply to MaisieGray]

Seawater also contains iodine!

True that chlorine is in the same chemical grouping as iodine and fluorine. But I don't think it would make a tremendous difference. It would be easy to get paranoid about some of these things. As you say, if we are on replacement hormones that will adjust things anyway

[Yppah]

I have had a very expensive water filter fitted for many years, but still in last few years developed (had?) Hashimoto’s. I’ll keep buying the replacements though as now when I drink other tap water I can’t stand the taste. 🤷‍♀️

[gillwrayhk in reply to Yppah]

Yes I know what you mean. I have the Kangen water system and can easily tell if it’s tap water I have given instead

[JumpJiving]

O Level chemistry would suggest that anything that involves a reaction with iodine would react with fluorine, chlorine or bromine, and would (based on the order that they appear in the periodic table) be more reactive with fluorine than chlorine, more reactive with chlorine than bromine, and more reactive with bromine than iodine. Having said that, the obvious questions are how those elements (or more accurately molecules containing those elements) would reach the thyroid, what the normal reactions are in the thyroid involving iodine, and whether the bonds in the fluorides, chlorides or bromides are weaker than the attractions resulting from what is going on in the thyroid. Given how mixed opinions are when it comes to iodine and the thyroid, I suspect there would be equally mixed opinions about whether fluorides, chlorides or bromides are an issue.

I happen to be rather partial to seaweed, so get a reasonable amount of iodine through my diet (I limit it to one nori sheet or one helping of seaweed per day). Some people would advise against having that much, but there are mixed opinions. For a while, I avoided toothpaste containing fluorides, although have gone back to using it again. We do use some salt in cooking, so there are chlorides in my diet. And, although we filter tap water, there will be trace amounts of chlorides as the water company does use chlorine (although our water company does not add fluorides, which some do). So, if your view is that you should promote reactions involving iodine in your thyroid, then you could address diet, filter water (tap or bottled), avoid mainstream toothpastes etc., but be aware that there are plenty of people who would advise not supplementing iodine (through supplements or diet), which by implication would suggest not avoiding tap water, toothpaste etc (as well as implying avoiding seaweed etc). Until some science has been investigated, it's going to be down to personal belief IMHO, and not something I am going to stress over personally.

(Having said that, as somebody who prepares for pretty much anything, I do have a stash of iodine tablets in case there are issues at the nuclear plant not that far from us - I don't trust the government to act fast enough were there any issues)

[HowNowWhatNow in reply to JumpJiving]

what a useful, broadbrush contribution.

[Hidden in reply to JumpJiving]

Interesting thoughts. Bromine and bromides are poisonous anyway if i remember. Yet chlorides are not always -as in common salt.

But there does seem to be evidence that, if you are hypothyroid and not actually iodine deficient, taking iodine supplements can further damage or suppress thyroid function.

[JumpJiving in reply to Hidden]

Whilst bromine toxicity is a problem, bromine is an essential trace element for humans (ref. Wikipedia).

I've read differing accounts regarding dietary (inc. supplements) iodine with regards hypothyroidism. If you know of any peer-reviewed scientific papers regarding when it is and when it isn't, a good idea to eat/take iodine I'd be keen to read them.

[Muffy]

I believe it used to be used to treat an overactive thyroid. The late Dr Skinner said how hypothyroidism had increased in areas that had recently had chlorine added to their water supply.

[Hidden in reply to Muffy]

Iodine not chlorine was used to treat overactive thyroid. Or so i read on here. But you could still be right about chlorinated tap water.

[Chippysue]

i Have reverse osmosis water filter so my water tastes amazing.It’s the fluoride and chlorine!

When you look into the fluoride corruption of how it came about, where it comes from and what it does to our bodies it shocks you.

Yes there are many campaign groups against fluoride being added to water being the cause of thyroid damage and more, I met one group at a thyroid uk conference

[silverfox7]

After atgyroid conference I picked up a load of info re not taking fluoride and gave it to my dentist. My teeth aren’t good but he was concerned about me rejecting fluoride. After the info he hasn’t mentioned it since!

[Furface in reply to silverfox7]

Very interested in hearing more about this. Could you share it or the source of information?

[silverfox7 in reply to Furface]

Sorry it’s years ago now. Thyroid Uk held a conference inBirmingham and one huge room was full of things/stalls ‘thyroid’ connected. So I picked up the fluoride literature and passed it on to my dentist. I already knew we shouldn’t have fluoride as before they had modern medicine for hyperthyroid they gave then fluoride to take to slowly kill it slowly till it reached where they could cope with it. Several months ago he tried a gain telling me to spit it out quickly. As I talk my basal temperature daily to dose my NDT or at least keep an eye on it my temperature dropped down from my usual 36.9, it was a noticeable drop not only in temperature but in how I felt.

May be someone else reading our post may have some more ‘scientific’ literature links but I only have my own experience and my dentists ‘apparent’ approval.

All tap water probably has a small amount of fluoride in it as it naturally but several counties add to to the water to help stop tooth decay if you Google the Water board in your area it should tell you whether you have add fluoride, levels etc I’ve alread of something that blocks it and forgotten what but it’s in Volvik water but you have to drink a lot of it and I hated the taste of the water and can’t stand the flavoured ones and the chemicals in that most likely aren’t good either

[Furface in reply to silverfox7]

Wow that was such an immediate response, thank you! Dr Barry Durrant-Peatfield that wrote 'The thyroid & how to keep it healthy' writes so much about this. So does Dr John Bergman, he is very knowledgeable. We all only need to use our common sense and take back responsibility for our own health. Its interesting that dentists have been taught that fluoride is essential for teeth . . . . . . it made me question dentist training (or should i say programming?) and search for evidence that this is true from sources that were not trying to sell me anything. It opened a can of truth worms for me. My own dentist told me at my last visit 'your teeth are looking the best I have seen them and your gums are healthier, not spongy, just keep doing what you are doing, don't change a thing!' . . . . . . . I then told him with a big smile i no longer use fluoride toothpaste so thats great! His attitude changed in a flash and he proceeded to give me a lecture. This is utter madness!

Just like the rest of todays world that has flipped its lid and trying to convince us black is white. The world wants us to believe that what is good is bad and whats bad is good. Gee, give me strength . . . . . . all the so called 'expert' advice, mainstream media has lost its marbles, and 'synthetic pro hormone T4 is good but Natural Desiccated Thyroid is 'bad' (give me strength!). Natural 'is' good. Nutrition 'is' essential. Carbon dioxide 'is' essential for all life, this zero carbon dioxide rubbish means no life can exist. Poisonous toxins do not belong in the body or digestive system yet we are being bombarded with them from every angle, air, water, pharmaceuticals, food. We are all born with everything we need and the many bacterias in our body are there to protect us. It makes no sense to eradicate all bacteria any more than to remove the hard shoulder from motorways and bombard us with constantly lit LED blue lights 24/7! But that is another subject!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[silverfox7 in reply to Furface]

Thank you for you reply! I was shocked that my nasal temp was so low the morning after I’d rinsed my mouth with fluoride mouthwash the evening before. Decided to save my money on that one! But yes we don’t read the small print often enough and yes I’ve been told gums improved. I wrecked my enamel years ago as I used to ‘clean’ mercury at work. Used to distill it in a vacuum so it vaporised but sometimes the glass shattered and so lots of fumes. Then I noticed crazy paving pattern on teeth but in time improved but most lightly damage already been done. Hindsight etc! About a year ago an accident caused me to change my car, only a little bump but in the past year had also had a very bad broken wrist so my car was very heavy for me to manoeuvre so now got a hybrid as gone from diesel to petrol and electric! No change in the legal limit to power etc so started to do my bit!

[HashiFedUp]

I have Hashimoto’s and went on holiday to Canada in June. Staying with a friend who was off grid, we had a well for water, so we had only filtered drinking water. I felt so much better after just a few days that when I came home we bought a water filter. I did some research and chloride, bromide and Floride are all Endocrine Disruptors. In areas where tap water comes from a lake like where I live, the sun heats up the water and chemical changes take place which produce things like bromate (I think from memory) which is carcinogenic and causes endocrine disruption- and consequently can make thyroid problems worse. In some parts of the world they cover lakes with millions of black balls to keep this from happening. It’s on YouTube st a USA lake. It’s fascinating if you have time. Well anyway since I had my water filter for hot and cold drinking water, I’m feeling brill. ElectricQ hot and cold water filter from Appliances Direct £60 free delivery : ) PS I don’t work for them I promise!

[Welshcake1983]

Yes this is true. Chlorine and fluoride can block iodine which affects the the thyroid. I drink bottled water,

[StitchFairy in reply to Welshcake1983]

Can you get bottled water that isn't in plastic? Plastic bottles themselves can leach nasties into their contents, e.g BPA which is known to have endocrine-disrupting properties. Plus we need to drastically reduce use of plastic anyway.

There was something on a TV programme a few months ago that showed bottled water generally has far more bugs and I think less minerals in it, than tap water. Personally I'd rather drink UK tap water and run it through a filter if necessary.

[JumpJiving in reply to Welshcake1983]

Remember that depending on the type of bottled water, there can be minerals in it that will contain chlorides etc. That's from the water itself, the plastic bottle of course has its own issues.

[BlueMoon65]

Hello...I always use a filter jug for water in the U.K., and I don’t use toothpaste with fluoride. The dentist I use understands the reason for this, but my GP doesn’t! Worth reading more on this site...

[Furface]

In this age of information, its good to be aware that mainstream medicine makes its money from 'ill people' not 'well people' . . . . I learnt that staying away from allopathic Drs is beneficial to my health. Having changed so many things after researching from people who are knowledgeable about 'health' rather than 'so-called experts' on pharmaceuticals and sticking plaster patching, my own health has improved greatly and that of the people I know. My own feeling is that each and every one of us needs the vitamins, minerals, exercise, air, good quality water and less exposure to emf's to bring about harmony in the body. Personally, i found it helpful to stop drinking tap water. Great improvements. Ellimination of pharmaceuticals was also especially helpful, there were carcinogenic ingredients in some of them and the end result was polypharmacy and brain dumbing down. Currently Drs are on a massive campaign to get people on acid blockers (under the guise of 'it'll protect your stomach') . . . . er no . . . . that will prevent my body from producing the acid that is essential for digestion of vitamins and minerals . . . . . it seems that this is the intention of those in power. No thank you, I will keep my brain and my body. xxx

People are waking up and realising they have been lied to and kept ill for far too long. Follow the money and you will find the answers.

[Valeriu]

I agree which is why I use filtered water....apparently chlorine & fluoride is bad for you....

[Angel_of_the_North]

If you live in an area where water is fluoridated you might be better off with a filter that removes fluoride. Although chlorine is also a halide (and therefore competes with iodine) it doesn't seem to cause as many problems as fluoride, mainly because fluoride gets there first (because of the way halides work - it's the "biggest"), but you could still filter your water.

[GERALDDAVID]

I don`t know if is bad for thyroid. I always put my tap water into an open jug for one hour to let chlorine evaporate. I was told to do this, years ago by my doctor who was a DO. I still do this to this day. We have very good well water here. I do this for overall health.

[cringoed]

Hi, i live in an area where the water is very hard and so i had a water softening system put in where i have to put in large blocks of salt, can this affect my thyroid?

[shambavi18]

Whether or not you have a thyroid problem its better to avoid tap water and all the hormones, chlorine and other pollutants in it. Best is a reverse osmosis filter, pricey. Or get yourself one of those jugs, better than nothing.