Where Did Water on Earth Come From? Venus, Earth and Mars

Water On Earth Brings You Here?

My Very Educated Mother Just Served Us Nine Pies. If 2^nd grade wasn’t yesterday you might have forgotten this mnemonic device. Mercury, Venus, Earth, Mars, Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, Neptune, (Pluto omitted)— the order of the planets moving away from the sun.

To understand how water remained on Earth, Marcia Bjornerud pictures the three neighboring planets Venus, Earth, and Mars. The mass of planets is generally given in yoctograms (Yg). One yoctogram is equivalent to 10^21 kilograms when mass is given relative to mass on Earth. Mars is approximately 0.11 Yg, Earth 1 Yg, and Venus 0.88 Yg according to NASA’s calculations. An effect of Mars being so small in mass is that it does not have the gravitational pull to maintain an atmosphere. Venus, which is much more similar to Earth in mass, maintains close proximity to the sun. This proximity prevents Venus from being able to stabilize its temperature. At the beginning of formation all three of these planets were too close to the sun to have actually had water in the pure form, H₂O. This is why scientists guess that water resided on the planet in the form of hydrous silicate minerals we call amphiboles.

An example of an amphibole is a form of asbestos, Ca₂Mg₅Si₈O₂₂(OH)₂. General chemistry would tell you that under tremendous heat and pressure these atoms could rearrange themselves to produce 1 molecule of water for every 8 molecules of silicon. These amphiboles are predicted to rearrange molecularly at a depth of 60 miles beneath the surface of the Earth. This answers the question of where Earth’s “native” water came from.

However, the answer to where water came from does not stop at the dehydration of asbestos. Researchers conjecture that comets supplied Earth with up to 50 percent of its water. Wherever it came from, water is implicated in nearly EVERY geological process that takes place on Earth above and below our surface. 

Hypothyroidism And Your Thyroid

A Lesson in Biology; Metabolism and the Thyroid

“I wish I had your metabolism!” says your mom as you devour your high Calorie pasta dish. What she means is I wish my body could burn Calories as fast as your body. Biochemically speaking, metabolism refers to any chemical reaction that is building or breaking down molecules within your cells. To maintain life requirements the average female adult human needs around 1450 Calories and male 1750. However, these averages are not specific to the differing metabolic rates of individuals. The simple answer for why we gain weight is because we eat more Calories than we spend. If thyroid disease is at play, this is not at all the complete answer (Hoefnagles, Biology 2^nd Edition).

I believe the first step to recovering from or learning to live with a disease is to understand the biology of the disease itself. If you feed yourself the information, your mind and body both become more consciously informed of the processes at work in your body and how to adjust accordingly. This is why understanding the basic biology behind the functions of the thyroid is important to healing your body. Even though your body is a continuum, lets isolate part of the endocrine gland to increase our understanding of the thyroid.

“If you feed yourself the information, your mind and body both become more consciously informed of the processes at work in your body and how to adjust accordingly.”

Endocrine glands produce and secrete hormones into the bloodstream, hormones that travel through the bloodstream to alter your metabolism. The thyroid is one of these glands located in the neck. A chain of hormone-releasing actions results in the final hormone released by the thyroid that increases metabolism. The first in this chain is the hypothalamus, which releases a peptide hormone that targets the anterior pituitary. When this peptide hormone reaches the anterior pituitary, it stimulates the release of the thyroid-stimulating hormone (TSH) a glycoprotein that targets the actual thyroid gland. The thyroid gland secretes thyroxine and triiodothyronine.  Two important effects of the release of these hormones are the increased absorption of nutrients by the small intestine and fat levels within cells and within the blood plasma to decline. When thyroid hormone levels are low, the hypothalamus amps up its release of thyrotropin-releasing hormone (TRH). This stimulates the anterior pituitary to release more TSH, thus stimulating the thyroid to release thyroid hormones (Hoefnagles, Biology 2^nd Edition).

Individuals are commonly affected by hypothyroidism. “Hypo” meaning low or under; hypothyroidism means that the thyroid gland is not releasing enough hormones. The effect of hypothyroidism is generally a slow metabolic rate. Interestingly, hypothyroidism is usually treated with supplemental iodine. Iodine is important to the thyroid because thyroxin contains four atoms of Iodine and is therefor sometimes called T₄ and triiodothyronine contains three atoms of Iodine; sometimes called T₃. Iodine comes from the water vapor from the sea that forms rain. Rain is what carries Iodine to the soil for crops to use. Worldwide, low iodine levels remain the cause of most thyroid deficiency (Vanderpump, Thyroid Disease). Today, iodine is common in table salt; Americans rarely suffer from low levels of iodine (Hoefnagles, Biology 2^nd Edition). In non-iodine deficient countries like the United States, hypothyroidism is caused by chronic autoimmune thyroiditis, also known as Hashimoto’s disease. The thyroid gland is one of the most common organs or tissues to be affected by autoimmune disease (Vanderpump, Thyroid Disease).

Thyroiditis can be obvious meaning the gland is painful or tender to the touch. Obvious thyroiditis can even cause discomfort when swallowing. “Silent thyroiditis” means that the thyroiditis does not cause any painful physical symptoms of the gland itself. Infection or inflammation of the gland is not at all uncommon and if the thyroiditis is obvious the inflamed thyroid could be under viral attack. Other signs that you might be suffering from hypothyroidism include slow heart rate, little bowel activity, dryness of the skin, intolerance of cold weather, depression, loss of hair, swelling around the eyes, and our favorite- weight gain.

“Other signs that you might be suffering from hypothyroidism include slow heart rate, little bowel activity, dryness of the skin, intolerance of cold weather, depression, loss of hair, swelling around the eyes, and our favorite- weight gain.”

Doctors test for a failing thyroid by testing the levels of TSH in the blood. This makes sense because when thyroid hormones are low, the pituitary gland responds by secreting more TSH. When TSH is high, your thyroid production is shy! Other tests for thyroid failure are those that test for free T₄ in water of the blood. Something to know about T₄ is that it is somewhat dependent on the amount of T₄ that is already attached to transport proteins. Free T₄ refers the “extra” T₄ that does not have any transfer proteins left to attach to. Levels of T₄ can be decreased when the number of carrier proteins is increased- causing hypothyroidism. Increase in carrier proteins (decrease in T₄ in the blood) can be linked to anti-depressant drugs, Aspirin therapy, kidney disease, hereditary low, and more.

“When TSH is high, your thyroid production is shy!”

Antibodies can damage and destroy thyroid cells. Antibodies known as thyroid peroxidase (TPO) can be tested for and are usually found in the blood of people with Hashimoto’s thyroiditis. If you are suffering from “silent thyroiditis” it is most probable that your hypothyroidism is autoimmune associated. But it may not be a good idea to blame hypothyroidism immediately on these antibodies until you have investigated other options. From studies of thyroid overactivity we have seen that a significant number of people will develop hypothyroidism within 2-3 months of iodine therapy. Over-the-counter medicines, especially cough medicines, generally contain iodine. Prolonged use of these medications cause underactivity of the thyroid. Certain foods can also produce an anti-thyroid effect- these foods are cabbage, kale, and seaweed. Fortunately, as long as dietary iodine intake is sufficient the consumption of these vegetables does not induce hypothyroidism.

“Prolonged use of over-the-counter cough medications can cause underactivity of the thyroid.”

Besides the prior mentioned symptoms, women with hypothyroidism may notice their periods becoming heavier and last longer, short, stubby forearm hair, deepening of the voice, and a sensation of pins and needles in their fingers and hands especially during the night or upon waking. People with mild hypothyroidism can become depressed or anxious. Because depression is common, patients must be aware that depression even after correction of thyroid deficiency is common and is a cause for people to feel dissatisfied with their response to thyroid treatment. Thanks to modern medicine, great evidence supports the effectiveness of thyroid treatment and hypothyroidism should not go untreated! Many people around the world who have not yet found a better solution to treating hypothyroidism are using hormone replacement therapy. But is this the limit to treating hypothyroidism or are there better methods out there beyond the science of western medicine? 

The number of people in the United States alone suffering from hypothyroidism who take some type of thyroid replacement hormone is an outstanding 10 million. Throughout the world as many as 200 million people are medicated with a thyroid replacement hormone for underactive thyroid. Thyroid problems are about 10 times more common in women than in men (Vanderpump, Thyroid Disease). Symptoms of an underactive thyroid can go unnoticed for years. If you think that you might be experiencing irregular symptoms at all you should consult with your doctor.

Information from this blog entry can be found in Thyroid Disease Fourth Edition by Mark P.J. Vanderpump and W. Michael G. Tunbridge

Fight Prostate Cancer with Dieting

Think of all the kinds of cancers that are familiar to you. What do they have in common? When I think of cancer words that come to mind are prostate, breast, ovarian, colon, stomach, and skin. Think of what these similarities entail. The kinds of cancer that we commonly see are those arising in sex-hormone controlled organs like the prostate, breast, uterus, and ovary; and organs that aid in digestion i.e., the stomach, colon, liver, and esophagus. A large body of evidence suggests that eating habits are linked especially to these types of cancers. I will focus particularly on the eating habits associated with prostate cancer. 

Leaving Western countries, the chance of encountering patients with prostate cancer radically decreases. Prostate cancer is far less common in Asia than in Europe or the United States. A man in Hong Kong is 50% less likely to develop prostate cancer than a man in Sweden. In China, an even less Westernized country, prostate cancer is even less likely to encounter. What is it about our diet that separates us from these countries? The consumption of animal products. Meat, milk, eggs, cheese, cream, and butter have all been linked to prostate cancer. What do these foods give our diet? A load of fat and NO FIBER. 

In any matter involving your health, I believe it is important to have an understanding of the molecular level at which your body is participating. With this said, why is fiber important to living a cancer free life? The richer your diet is in plant foods (fiber), the more readily it makes the protein SHBG, sex-hormone binding globulin. SHBG binds to testosterone rendering it inactive until it is needed. Vegetables, beans, and grains are all high in fibers. Crucifers, such as broccoli, brussels sprouts, cabbage, bok coy, and kale all have cancer protective phytonutrients like sulforaphane and are great sources of fiber. 

It is important to note here that new research has reevaluated the importance of testosterone on having an effect in the development of prostate cancer. I take caution in this research due to the increase in the prescription of Hormone Replacement Therapy that has enveloped our market, giving older men an opportunity to feel like they are 20 again by injecting them with testosterone. 

Despite the "go-ahead" to inject men with synthetic, bio-identical testosterone, consider the process by which testosterone works in the prostate. Testosterone is carried in the blood to the prostate where prostate cells use the enzyme 5-alpha-reductase to convert it into dihydrotestosterone, or DHT. DHT promotes the growth of the prostate, in some cases growing too large, concernedly around the urethra. Cancer itself is a disease of unlimited growth fueled by our own biochemistry.   

To further our evidence that a high fiber vegetarian diet can reduce your risk of prostate cancer, we 

have seen that prostate cancer is less common in vegetarians and people who consume more vegetables 

and fruits (Armstrong B, Doll R. Environmental factors and cancer incidence and mortality in different 

countries, with special reference to dietary practices). 

In addition to fiber, prostate cancer can be fought with a plant molecule called lycopene. Lycopene comes from the red pigment found abundantly in several fruits. A Harvard study of 47,000 health professionals found that men who eat plenty of strawberries and tomatoes have less risk of developing prostate cancer. Eating a serving of cooked tomatoes will release more lycopene. Other fruits high in lycopene are watermelons, pink grapefruit, and guavas. 

According the the American Cancer Society, every year there are about 238,600 new cases of prostate cancer in the United States. Not all men who are diagnosed with prostate cancer need to seek immediate treatment. Doctors are able to monitor the progression of prostate cancer through blood tests for PSA, prostate-specific antigen. A steep rise in PSA indicates aggressive spreading cancer. In one study, 93 men were placed in either a control group or on a low-fat vegan diet. In the control group Dr. Ornish found that PSA levels rose 6 percent on average over a year. In the low-fat vegan diet group the PSA levels actually fell by an average of 4 percent over the year (Kolonel LN, Hankin HJ, Lee J, Chu SY, Nomura AMY, Hinds MW, Nutrient intakes in relation to cancer incidence). The danger in using only active surveillance and diet to treat prostate cancer is that cancer can undergo a process called metastasis. Metastasis is when cancer cells break off and spread through other parts of the body. Because of this, some patients find that proton therapy is highly effective for treating prostate cancer as well as more invasive surgeries that remove the cancerous cells from the prostate. 

Dieting smart can reduce your risk of developing prostate cancer as well as keep existing prostate cancer at bay. Avoid animal products and minimize the use of vegetable oils. Introduce foods that are rich in fiber like grains, vegetables, beans, peas, and lentils. Do your own research on macrobiotic diet programs that may be of benefit to you. Prostate cancer is beatable. 

This blog with special thanks to Foods That Fight Pain by Neal D. Barnard, MD.