The thyroid gland is a small, butterfly-shaped organ located in the neck. The thyroid is an endocrine gland, and is the primary gland that controls our body’s metabolic rate. Thyroid hormone is used by all organs and systems.
The Most Common Thyroid Symptoms Are:
- fatigue
- cold hands and feet
- hair loss
- constipation
- dry skin
- anxiety or depression, or manic cycling (from manic to depressive)
- poor wound healing
- infertility
- too many others to list here….
Thyroid problems are very common, and Synthroid, the synthetic thyroid replacement medication, is the third most common prescription in the U.S. Usually, the medication is prescribed after a blood test reveals high Thyroid Stimulating Hormone (TSH). However, Synthroid does nothing to address the underlying cause of the underactive thyroid gland.
Assessing the Thyroid
Thyroid hormone is created, released, transported, and used by a series of processes in the brain and body, and many things can disrupt the successful creation and conversion of thyroid hormone. A careful assessment of a complete thyroid blood panel is necessary to know where to direct action to correct a thyroid imbalance. This test includes:
- Thyroid Stimulating Hormone (TSH)
- Free T3
- Free T4
- T3
- T4
- rT3 (reverse T3)
- Thyroid antibodies: TPO and TG
Evaluating the TSH value, as is most commonly done, only tells us that the body is trying to produce more thyroid hormone to make up for a deficiency, but it doesn’t tell us WHY the body has too little thyroid hormone. If you suspect a thyroid condition, you may need to advocate for yourself with your doctor to run the whole panel. Evaluating the full panel allows a pracitioner to identify where the hormone is losing its effectiveness. For more information about how to interpret your thyroid labs, as well as lots of other thyroid resources, check out Stop the Thyroid Madness.
Thyroid Disruptors
Many factors can disrupt thyroid function. Stress can really disrupt thyroid function. When we are stressed, our body has elevated levels of a hormone called cortisol. Cortisol inhibits the production of Thyroid Stimulating Hormone (TSH), inhibits the body from converting T4 hormone (the transport form of thyroid hormone) into T3 hormone (the useable form of thyroid hormone), raises levels of rT3, which blocks the T3 receptor sites. Often, when stress is appropriately managed, and the adrenal system supported, thyroid levels return to normal. In this case, the thyroid dysfunction is a secondary problem.
Gut dysbiosis is another player in thyroid dysfunction. Some bacteria produce toxins, called Lipopolysaccharides, which decrease TSH AND disrupt the conversion of T4 to T3, while certain healthy bacteria assist with the successful conversion of certain intermediary forms of T3 into useable T3 hormone. Infection with pathogens can also impact the liver, as it tries to clean up their waste products, and T4 is converted into T3 in the liver. As with cortisol levels and stress above, when gut dysbiosis is corrected, by eliminating pathogens in the digestive system, thyroid symptoms often improve or disappear.
Problems can also occur at the cellular level: high stress, endotoxins (as mentioned above), systemic inflammation, and nutritional deficiencies can all disrupt the ability of cells to utilize the thyroid hormone at the cellular level. Addressing these kinds of root causes requires digestive function evaluation, nutrient status labs, and dietary and lifestyle modification.
Dietary choices can also have a huge impact on thyroid health, particularly with regards to autoimmune thyroid conditions. Testing for antibodies allows us to see whether the body is producing autoantibodies to thyroid tissue and damaging the thyroid gland. Antibodies will usually be elevated long before the organ has sustained permanent damage. Autoantibodies and autoimmune processes in general indicate that the digestive system needs support with it’s microbiome community, as well as the integrity of the barrier of the intestine. Consumption of certain foods, including gluten, diary, soy, and sugar are particularly damaging for those with autoimmune processes, which will be evident by checking for elevated TPO and TG antibody levels. If you’d like more information about how to get started avoiding these foods, click here to get a free recipe ebook by Dr. Izabella Wentz.
Help Your Thyroid Heal
A thyroid diagnosis doesn’t have to be a lifelong sentence to medication and feeling bad. Many people have been able to get into remission by addressing their gut health, adopting a thyroid-supportive diet and lifestyle, and for those that aren’t able to stop taking medication, using more bio-identical thyroid medications to provide more functional support.
If you know or suspect you have a thyroid condition, work with a functional health care practitioner who can help you fully evaluate your thyroid, test your gut for dysbiosis, and provide supportive dietary and lifestyle recommendations.
As a starting place for diet, you can explore and use the Autoimmune Paleo Diet. This diet removes foods that aggravate autoimmune conditions, and is anti-inflammatory. Changing your diet can be difficult, but it can also be the gateway to a positive change in your health. If you’d like to learn more about the Autoimmune Paleo Diet, Dr. Izabella Wentz, who recently released The Thyroid Secret film series, is offering a free, two-week cookbook and meal plan.
Click here to get your free copy.
The recipe book has 14-days-worth of delicious meal plans and recipes, including breakfast, lunch, dinner, and snack for two weeks. It also has a shopping list for each week, so that you can go to the store, stock up on everything you need and move on with your life.
If you would like support evaluating your thyroid, you can schedule a consultation with Amanda here.
