Dear ladies... As you all know, I have been recently diagnosed with hyperthyroid. But I wasn’t really under tremendous stress… and I try to think what could have triggered it. I think back... and what I did differently in the past few months... BODY SHOP came into the picture. I have nothing against Body Shop and I love their products. But…
I read somewhere that excessive IODINE could lead to over-active thyroid a.k.a. hyperthyroidism. I have not been taking excessive iodine-salt. Or seaweed… except for the occasional sushi meals. SEAWEED Yes! I have been taking seaweed facial products for the past 2-3 months before I started losing weight – one of hyperthyroidism symptoms. That is the Body Shop's seaweed series, especially the serum and moisturizer, on a daily basis. Then I started having bad heart palpitations….
So I did some reading on the internet. Basically, this is what I got.
“Seaweed is rich in iodine, essential for a healthy thyroid. Iodine is 100% transdermal, meaning it has the ability to be absorbed through the skin. Our skin absorbs the iodine and minerals in seaweed and stores them in the lower skin layers, then releases them into the bloodstream.”
A paragraph about seaweed soap “Some manufacturers claim their seaweed soap can also detoxify the body, increase metabolism, reduce cellulite and even have a slimming effect by stimulating the thyroid with the iodine seaweed contains. Research has not been done to prove or disprove these claims, but many users report success with certain soaps for these purposes."
And from Body Shop: Our wild–harvested seaweed comes from our fantastic Community Trade partner in Ireland, the Roaring Water Bay Seaweed Co–operative. Bladderwack is a type of brown seaweed that grows on the northern Atlantic and Baltic coasts of Europe. It has the largest trace mineral content of any known single source of seaweed and contains high levels of iodine , antioxidants and vitamins….
Needless to say, my conclusion is… <u> it is highly possible that Body Shop’s seaweed products have caused my hyperthyroidism – to a large extent. </u> That is what I believe. While I have no scientific data/research to prove that, I would prefer to err on the side of caution. I would stop using Body Shop’s seaweed products and see how it goes. If you pour over the internet, there are many “hate Body Shop” websites. The reason I’m sharing here is not to bad mouth Body Shop, but to share to all the ladies who are ttc-ing that this could hamper your ttc journey, just like it did mine. Better be safe than sorry.
now you just relax and focus on yourself and ttc, ya! Don't stress 
