Withania Natural Health

11/14/2025

Community Harvest Food Drive

We are pleased to announce our support for Community Harvest 2025, benefiting the Crystal Lake Food Pantry!

08/06/2025

Want better thyroid function? 👉

Then we also need to optimize the liver and the gut. Here’s why:

🔁 Thyroid & Gut:
Thyroid hormones influence gut motility (causing constipation when underactive). Gut dysbiosis or inflammation can worsen oxidative stress that damages the thyroid.

🔁 Thyroid & Liver:
Thyroid hormones influence fat metabolism in the liver (contributing to insulin resistance and fatty liver when underactive). Conversion of T4 to active T3 takes place in the liver, meaning that a compromised liver could compromise thyroid function.

Poor thyroid function can impair gut and liver function—and the reverse is also true.

If you struggle with thyroid health and want to take a holistic approach to feeling better, Withania can help.

08/01/2025

Anyone with lungs can get lung cancer. Today is World Lung Cancer Day, so let’s talk about why this is something ✨everyone✨ should be aware of!

According to the journal of the American Cancer Society, globally, lung cancer was the most frequently diagnosed cancer in 2022, responsible for almost 2.5 million new cases, or 1 in 8 cancers worldwide!!

There are 5 known causes of lung cancer:

1️⃣ 🚬 SMOKING

According to Lung.org, smoking causes about 90% of lung cancer cases, and while the risk goes down after you quit, it’s still elevated. Secondhand smoke is also linked to lung cancer, so if someone in your household smokes, everyone is at risk.

2️⃣☢️ RADON

The 2nd leading cause of lung cancer is radon - an invisible, odorless, tasteless radioactive gas found naturally in soil. Radon gas seeps up into your home through small gaps and cracks and levels are higher in basements and first floors. It’s estimated that 14–17% of lung cancer cases and 3% of all cancer mortality can be attributed to radon.

You can look up radon maps to see if there are higher levels of radon where you live. Radon mitigation systems are effective and pretty affordable.

3️⃣⚗️TOXIC CHEMICALS
Exposure to harmful chemicals like asbestos, arsenic, formaldehyde, and others is directly linked to lung cancer. DIY home reno projects are a common path of asbestos exposure, which typically happens within occupations like construction/renovation & automotive, arsenic can be found in drinking water, and formaldehyde in building materials.

4️⃣🏭PARTICULATE POLLUTION

Air pollution from industry, vehicle exhaust, and wildfires, especially small particles (PM2.5) can be highly dangerous and can lead to cancer and other respiratory issues.

5️⃣🧬GENETICS

Although a smaller risk factor, genetics can play a role in the development of lung cancer.

Testing your home for radon & asbestos, using VOC-free products, and improving ventilation in your living spaces are practical steps you can take to reduce exposure. Stay safe and breathe easy friends!

References: PMID: 38572751, PMID: 29856911, PMID: 31160966
https://www.lung.org/clean-air/outdoors/what-makes-air-unhealthy/particle-pollution

07/29/2025

How we optimize thyroid function beyond TSH 👇

Anyone who struggles with thyroid function knows that it’s all too common for their labs to look “fine” and yet still feel tired all the time or have mood swings, brain fog, constipation, hair loss, or other concerns.

This is usually because nobody is looking at the bigger picture.

From a functional perspective, we also…

✔️ Monitor more than just TSH
✔️ Optimize nutrition for thyroid hormone synthesis
✔️ Support conversion of T4 to the more active T3
✔️ Calm inflammation & oxidative stress
✔️ Identify & address root causes (autoimmunity, toxins, nutrient deficiencies, infections, stress, etc.)

If you have questions about thyroid health and want to explore a holistic approach, be sure to message us for next steps.

07/25/2025

🥫 Nearly every pantry contains at least a few canned foods (including mine!). Canned foods are a staple for millions of people: they are inexpensive, convenient, and they last a long time. Many people rely on canned foods to keep them and their families fed.
Unfortunately, canned food consumption is also our primary source of exposure to bisphenol-a, or BPA.

BPA is a well-established endocrine-disrupting chemical that has been detected in more than 90% of people sampled. Our exposure to this chemical is ubiquitous.

Bisphenol chemicals are used to line most food cans, creating a barrier between the food and the metal, which is important to prevent the can from breaking down and potentially allowing bacteria to enter. Most canned foods are heat-packed - meaning the food is hot as it goes into the can. Heat, along with acidity and time can increase the leaching of these chemicals into the food.

One study found that eating canned soup over a 5-day period (admittedly more frequently than most people consume canned soup) resulted in a more than 1000% increase in urinary BPA levels. Another study found that eating 1 canned food item, vs none, was associated with 24% higher urinary BPA concentrations.

BPA has been linked to numerous chronic health issues, from behavioral problems in children to hormone disruption to metabolic disease.

While canned food isn’t our only exposure, it is our primary one, so working towards minimizing exposure may be helpful.

The good news is that BPA is metabolized and excreted (meaning, we p*e it out) very quickly - in as short as a few hours. This means that if we actively lower the amount coming in, we can very quickly lower the levels in the body!

Aim for fresh, frozen, jarred, or dried!

References:
PMID: 25645382
PMID: 34132197
PMID: 22110104

07/21/2025

Labs to test for thyroid function👉👉

This post is for anyone who goes to their annual checkups, gets routine lab tests, and has been told their thyroid is normal…but still has unexplained health issues.

You know something’s not right.

This is not to say that thyroid is the cause in your case (only the tests can say that), but it is to say that routine screenings often only test for TSH and miss thyroid problems.

TSH stands for Thyroid Stimulating Hormone, which is the hormone released from the brain to stimulate the thyroid gland to release thyroid hormone (T4). It is only one of several markers of thyroid function.

Other thyroid tests include:
▪️ T4 and free T4
▪️ T3 and free T3 (active hormone)
▪️ Reverse T3 (inactive hormone)
▪️ Antibodies (TPO, Tg, or TRA)

The thyroid gland regulates metabolic rate, gut motility, body temperature, hair, nails, and more.

If you have questions about your thyroid function and want a holistic approach to healing your hormones, reach out to Withania!