Epstein Barr Virus and Thyroid

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Featured Physician: Dr. Jonathan Shaffer

If you found this article helpful, Book an appointment with us to start your healing journey. My name is Dr. Jonathan Shaffer, and I am a graduate of the National University of Natural Medicine in Portland, Oregon and licensed doctor of naturopathic medicine. I have additional training in Applied Kinesiology and Neuro-Emotional Technique as well as direct instruction from Dr Danielle Lockwood to treat chronic and complex cases. I am also receiving instruction in Ayurvedic medicine, and continue to expand my knowledge in this modality. I use these various lenses to create a comprehensive picture of any disease or disorganization in the body.

I work within the scope of practice in Oregon with full prescriptive rights. I am happy to manage prescriptions and understand their inherent value, but tend to lean more heavily on other modes of treatment. I use homeopathy, botanicals, muscle testing, and body manipulations to address most concerns. I treat patients with attention disorders, spectrum disorders, brain injury, autoimmune disorders, neuropsychiatric disorders, and gastrointestinal disorders. I especially focus on complex cases, specifically pediatric mental health/chronic conditions, and men’s health at any age. No matter who I am working with, reinstating a balance is my core focus.

I currently live and practice in Portland, Oregon. I love learning, helping people and exploring the outdoors.

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Causal chain: autoimmune thyroid conditions

1. Stressors on the body create susceptibility to viral infection, reactivation of a latent virus like EBV, or other infectious process
2. Immune system, weakened by stressors, resorts to attacking the body in an attempt to fight off infection
3. Endocrine function harmed via immune response, (Epstein Barr and Hashimoto’s Disease can be related in this way).

The (overly) simplistic view of autoimmune conditions is that the body just randomly starts attacking itself for unknown/no reason. However, as primary care doctors specializing in naturopathic endocrine treatments, we know that latent viral infections like EBV can and do contribute to autoimmune conditions like Hashimoto’s Disease. As part of our ongoing Thyroid Rehab Series, we’re going through these underlying viral causes so that our patients and the public more fully understand the endocrine system and how to improve hormone balance.

Stressors Triggering Epstein Barr Recurrence

• Low vitamins and minerals (namely zinc and b-vitamins)
• Exposure to toxins such as pesticides, herbicides & heavy metals
• Chronic stress from emotional trauma, physical injury, work, personal life, over-training or exercise-related nutritional deficiency
• Certain medications
• Hormonal imbalances

Although these stressors may well end up in autoimmune conditions, they are only one step in the chain of events leading to these conditions. In our clinical experience, we have found that the causal chain for autoimmune conditions often proceeds as follows: stressors on the body lead to a viral or other infection which causes the immune system into an autoimmune scenario where it attacks the body’s hormone-secreting glands. By understanding the autoimmune process in this way, we can begin to break this cycle of thyroid harm and autoimmune conditions while also improving general health and well-being.

Thyroid Cleanse: The last 30 days

The rules for the last 30 days of the cleanse are the same as the first two months with a few food additions.

1. Drink about 16 ounces of celery juice on an empty stomach each morning. If you have an allergy to celery you can substitute this for cucumber juice, although celery juice is a stronger juice for the purposes of getting trace minerals and mineral salts. Be sure to drink freshly made plain celery juice with no additives. Note that celery juice is not a breakfast substitute and does not have sufficient calories to sustain health. That said, the juice helps build up healthy stomach acid to kill off pathogens that you may be exposed to and properly breakdown and digest food. If 16 ounces is too much start with a smaller amount and work up to the full 16 ounces.
2. Sip roughly 16 ounces of lemon or lime water at midday or early afternoon. Lemon juice helps with bile production and liver health. Thinning the bile helps with elimination of toxins accumulated from plastics, pharmaceutical drugs and other environmental exposures.
3. In the evening drink 16 ounces of aloe water or cucumber juice add in extra parsley or cilantro in this juice.
4. Eliminate the following: Pork, dairy, gluten, eggs, canola oil, corn, soy.
   Add in “healing foods” throughout the day. See Chapter 22 Powerful foods, herbs and supplements for healing” AVOID any foods that you have known allergies to or if you develop allergic symptoms. Add these foods liberally to your diet as each of them has antioxidant, antiviral support properties and very helpful for boosting the immune system, helping the body to eliminate heavy metals and cleaning the lymphatics.
   Avoid fish and seafood high in heavy metals especially tuna, bass and swordfish
   Lower your intake of fat by at least 25% this helps thin the blood and alleviate liver congestion allowing for an easier detoxification process.
5. Add in the following:
   • Sip 1 cup of the healing tea at any time of the day.
   • Sip 1 cup of the healing broth at any time of the day.
   • Sip 1 cup of the healing juice. You can substitute this for your plain celery juice a few times a week, or add in as an extra juice. Healing juice is best enjoyed in the evening.

   All recipes can be found in chapter 24 of the Medical Medium Thyroid Healing by Anthony William.

Shopping List For Last Month of Cleanse

• Celery Bunches
• Cucumbers
• Lemon
• Limes
• Dried Thyme
• Dried Fennel
• Dried lemon balm
• Apples
• Cilantro
• Ginger root
• Sweet potatoes
• Onion
• Garlic
• Turmeric root
• Atlantic dulse powder
• Kelp powder

Continue to incorporate thyroid healing foods as addressed in the previous two parts of the cleanse.