Understanding your thyroid
The thyroid is the butterfly-shaped gland located at the front of your neck and produces the master metabolism hormone that controls every function in your body, including its speed and enhancement. It interacts with all the other hormones in your body, including insulin, cortisol, and estrogen and progesterone (your sex hormones).
Hence it improves your mood, skin, hair, and nails; your sex drive, heart function, cholesterol, fertility and hormonal symptoms such as PMS and menopause. It also influences muscle aches and pains, joint pains, body temperature, and your metabolism (weight management)!
The thyroid gland produces 2 major thyroid hormones: T4 and T3.
But it is your brain that acts as a command center controlling the hormone production and feedback loop.
The hypothalamus (the “CEO”) in your brain, detects a need for more thyroid hormone and releases TRH, which sends a signal to the pituitary (the “COO”), also in the brain, to release more TSH which then enters the bloodstream and goes to the thyroid gland. This gland (the “Head of Divisions”) stimulates the production of T4 and T3 accordingly which are released into the blood and into your cells. Their objective is to make sure they function properly and increase their metabolism.
T3 is critically important because it increases the fat burning in your mitochondria, lowers your cholesterol, improves your memory, keeps you thin, promotes hair regrowth, relieves muscle aches, relieves constipation, and even cures infertility.
If you produce too little T3, or if the T4 you produce is not being properly converted into T3 in your liver, your whole system goes into chaos and you may suffer from the symptoms of hypothyroidism. In addition, you can become more inflamed, develop additional problems with your insulin levels, and have a more difficult time metabolizing sugar in your blood—all of which further compromise your health and your ability to lose weight.
Conversely, your thyroid can be overactive and secrete levels of hormones that are too high, resulting in the pituitary gland producing less TSH. You might experience hyperthyroid symptoms such as: unexplained weight loss or inability to gain weight, heat sensitivity or excessive sweating, excessive or persistent hunger, restlessness or fatigue, light or irregular menstruation, insomnia, diarrhea, hair loss, tremors, fast heart rate or abnormal heart rhythm, nervousness, hyperactivity, or panic attacks.
The delicate balance of TRH, TSH, T3 and T4 hormones can be disrupted by nutritional deficiencies, toxins, allergens, infections, and daily low-grade stress.
Get the right tests for thyroid function. Unfortunately many doctors do not test for the right markers. Request to check TSH, free T3 and T4 markers, as well as thyroid antibodies including thyroid peroxidase (TPO) and anti-thyroglobulin antibodies. I also recommend measuring reverse T3 (rT3) to check if heavy metals (like mercury), pesticides, yeast or nutritional deficiencies like selenium, vitamin D, zinc or even iodine could block thyroid hormone function.
Thyroid disorders can oftentimes be managed naturally and holistically with diet changes (removing food triggers and introducing anti-inflammatory foods), supplementation and lifestyle adjustments.
Overwhelmed? Unsure of where to begin? Book a health history evaluation session with me now to discuss!