Can your thyroid be the reason you can’t lose weight?
Is your thyroid working properly?
Should you get your thyroid tested?
Did you know that a tiny, butterfly shaped gland nestled in your throat is responsible for producing and regulating some of the most important hormones in your body? This mighty gland is called the thyroid, and while it’s relatively small in size, it plays a large role in our endocrine (hormone) system.
The thyroid gland produces hormones that interact with many other hormones (like insulin, cortisol, estrogen, progesterone, and testosterone). We’re still learning so much about how the endocrine system works, but looking at how intimately all hormones communicate with each other, it’s no wonder so many symptoms and diseases are tied to a poorly performing thyroid!
How does the thyroid gland work?
Almost all of the hormones the thyroid produces are in an inactive form called thyroxine, or T4. Most of the active thyroid hormone, triiodothyronine (or T3), comes from the conversion of T4 to T3 in different areas of the body, including liver, gut, brain and muscles.
The “active” T3 is then able to regulate many function in the body including energy production and regulation of metabolism. When all systems in the body are working well, the right amounts of T4 and T3 are produced. But if something is negatively affecting the thyroid or other organ systems in the body, this hormone balance gets disrupted and we start to experience various symptoms.
Some of the factors that impact a healthy functioning thyroid are; nutritional imbalances, toxins, allergens, infections, and stress. All of these can all be problematic to the proper function of the thyroid, leading to dysfunction of the gland, and potentially to wider spread systemic disease.
What kind of testing should I do?
To test your thyroid accurately, you'll need to do a blood test that includes:
-TSH (thyroid stimulating hormone)
-free T4
-free T3 (active thyroid hormone)
-AntiTPO and AntiTG (antibodies to the thyroid)
-reverse T3 if possible
Often only TSH will be tested but that does not give us the full story. We often see normal TSH but the thyroid can still be suboptimal. It's worth the extra money to get in tested accurately.
In addition to the above tests, getting a urine test done to measure the amount of iodine and selenium you have, can also be very valuable.
What happens when the thyroid can’t function normally?
When the thyroid is compromised, the body is unable to produce or convert the right amounts of thyroid hormones. Consequently, we experience disorders such as hypothyroidism, hyperthyroidism, and thyroid cancer. In fact, thyroid diseases are highly prevalent in North America with an estimated 20 million Americans and 1 in every 10 Canadians having some form of thyroid disease, and over 12% of Americans developing a thyroid condition during their lifetime. Because thyroid conditions are tied to so many varying symptoms, up to 60% of people with thyroid disease are unaware of their condition, with women being 5-8x more likely to affected than men. It is estimated that one in eight women will suffer from a thyroid disorder during her lifetime.
Thyroid disease or poor thyroid function is tied to many less obvious disorders including acne, autoimmune diseases, eczema, fibromyalgia, gum disease, irritable bowel syndrome, and infertility. Because the thyroid is linked to almost every bodily function, symptoms of an underlying thyroid problem are wide and varied, making it more difficult to identify the thyroid as the root cause of the disorders. As a result, many people are misdiagnosed and treated for other conditions before looking at the thyroid.
Hypothyroidism
A number of symptoms often point to an underactive thyroid, which is the basis of hypothyroidism.
Lethargy or fatigue, foggy thinking, depression, weight gain even if you’ve been exercising and eating well consistently, persistently rough/scaly skin and/or dry/tangled hair that are unresponsive to treatments, hair loss (particularly in women), sensitivity to cold, an inability to warm up in a sauna or to sweat during exercise, and a consistently low basal body temperature.
Hyperthyroidism
Some symptoms of hyperthyroidism include feeling restless, nervous, or emotional, poor sleep quality, fatigue, muscle weakness, difficulty concentrating, frequent bowel movements, disappearance of or irregular menstruation, weight loss, rapid, forceful, or irregular heartbeat, eye problems (associated with Graves’ disease) or swollen thyroid/goitre.
Given that the thyroid is so deeply important to overall health, whether you have an obvious thyroid dysfunction or not, it's imperative to understand how the thyroid works so that you can keep your endocrine system and your body functioning optimally.
Thankfully, you can help maintain your thyroid health naturally!
When it comes to managing the optimal function of your hormones, the building blocks are almost always found in nutrition first.
To maintain a healthy thyroid, first make sure you’re maximizing your nutrition by:
You can increase your iodine levels by:
You can gain control over your health by learning how to manage and maintain your hormones through nutrition, lifestyle, and medical support. If you’re dealing with, or suspect you have, thyroid issues, please take time to book an appointment to visit us. We want to help you take control of your health! Testing and comprehensive hormonal assessments are available.
Call or email us at (519) 804-6949 or email info@willowwellnessclinic.com.
To your best health!
Dr. Cecilia de Martino, ND at Willow Wellness Clinic
References:
J Clin Endocrinol Metab. 2015 Aug 25:jc20152222. Epub 2015 Aug 25. PMID: 26305620