The thyroid gland is a small gland in the neck that has an important job: producing the thyroid hormones that regulate the body’s metabolic function. These hormones also help to maintain a variety of physiological functions throughout the body.
A Sluggish Thyroid: Hypothyroidism
Hypothyroidism is the most common type of thyroid imbalance. It occurs when the thyroid gland is under-active and may cause many different symptoms, including:
- General fatigue
- Hair loss and dry skin
- Weight gain (both fluid and fat)
- Puffiness in the face
- Low body temperature
- Digestive problems (i.e., constipation, irritable bowel)
In some cases, hypothyroidism is the result of an autoimmune disease known as Hashimoto’s thyroiditis. The immune system in people with this condition attacks and destroys the thyroid gland tissue. When damaged, the thyroid gland is not able to produce thyroid hormones at the levels that the body needs.
Low levels of thyroid hormones, overall, are not the only form of hypothyroidism. It’s also important that you body is properly converting the relatively inactive thyroid hormone T4 into the active thyroid hormone T3. To do any good in your body, T4 has to be converted into T3. This conversion occurs in the liver and is performed by a certain enzyme that relies on nutrients in your diet. So, if you have liver disease or a deficiency in the nutrients this enzyme needs to convert T4 into T3, you may experience hypothyroid symptoms despite having adequate levels of T4.
Under-diagnosed and Ineffectively Treated
Traditional thyroid tests only check for TSH or free T4 levels – they don’t check T3 levels. If your body is not converting T4 into T3, these tests may come up negative for hypothyroidism, even though you do not have adequate levels of the thyroid hormones your body can effectively use. The only way to evaluate your ability to convert T4 into T3 is to test for free T3 levels, which most physicians are not trained to do.
Many people have been theoretically treated for hypothyroidism but still have very low levels of T3. This is because the typical hypothyroid drugs, Synthroid and lethothyroxine, only include T4. Since they still have a T3 deficiency, they continue to experience the symptoms of hypothyroidism. But there are many ways to treat this deficiency – and hypothyroidism, overall. In many cases, you may not even need medication.
Nutrition and Hypothyroidism
Proper nutrition is among the first lines of defense against hypothyroidism. An underactive thyroid is frequently the result of nutritional deficiencies and, once these deficiencies have been reversed, thyroid function usually improves. Doctors have seen dramatic improvements in many patients after nutritional guidance and supplementation, often without the need for medication.
Iodine is among the major nutrients needed by the thyroid gland to produce thyroid hormones. It can be found in iodized salt, kelp (as found in sushi and seaweed salads) and many multivitamins. However, there’s a huge epidemic of unrecognized iodine deficiency in America. We’re reverting back to a situation seen in the early 1900s, when people developed goiters due to iodine deficiencies.
Back then, this goiter problem was addressed by fortifying bread and salt with iodine. However, in the 1960s, the government decided to stop fortifying bread with iodine and relied on iodine-fortified salt. In the last 20 to 30 years, though, the concern about salt consumption and heart disease and blood pressure has encouraged many people to reduce their salt intake. When you reduce your consumption of iodized salt without eating more kelp or taking a multivitamin that includes adequate iodine levels, you put yourself at risk for hypothyroidism.
Iodine isn’t the only nutrient that your body relies on to produce thyroid hormones and convert T4 into T3. You also need an amino acid called tyrosine (found in certain proteins) and several trace minerals and nutrients, including zinc, selenium, iron and the B vitamins. To absorb and process all of these nutrients, you need a healthy gut. If you have intestinal problems, you may not be able to absorb the nutrients you need – leading to hypothyroidism.
Food Allergies and Sensitivities
The autoimmune form of hypothyroidism, Hashimoto’s thyroiditis, may also respond to nutritional intervention. It’s well known by doctors that people with this autoimmune disease are often gluten-sensitive and may also have a condition called celiac disease. In celiac disease, your body produces an immune response to any gluten, which is found in wheat, rye and barley that you eat. This response attacks and damages the lining of your intestine, causing a number of digestive symptoms.
However, many doctors do not realize that people who have gluten sensitivity or celiac disease also have a much higher risk for other autoimmune diseases, including Hashimoto’s thyroiditis. In many cases, when you treat these conditions by eliminating gluten from your diet, Hashimoto’s thyroiditis also improves. Some doctors may recommend removing gluten from your diet even if you haven’t been diagnosed with gluten sensitivity or celiac disease, because these conditions often go unrecognized.
Other food allergies may also contribute to autoimmune hypothyroidism. Doctors may recommend that you undergo food allergy testing through blood tests to determine if you may be reacting to any other foods, such as dairy or eggs. When any such allergens are removed from your diet, the levels of anti-thyroid antibodies that are attacking your thyroid gland may decrease, resulting in an improvement in symptoms.
Thyroid Levels and Other Hormones
The other hormones in your body can also affect your thyroid hormone levels. All of the hormones in your body work together, so levels of one hormone affect all your other hormones. Hypothyroidism may result due to an imbalance in your hormones, such as:
- Estrogen. Estrogen can inhibit the function of the thyroid gland. If your estrogen levels are too high, your thyroid gland may not be able to produce thyroid hormones in the levels that your body needs.
- Progesterone. Progesterone has a stimulating effect on thyroid hormone production. A decline in progesterone levels, as occurs in women undergoing menopause and perimenopause, may result in an under-functioning thyroid gland.
- Testosterone. Testosterone also helps to stimulate the thyroid gland. When your testosterone levels decline, such as during andropause (the male menopause), you may experience reduced thyroid function that can result in hypothyroidism.
Hypothyroid symptoms frequently improve when your hormone levels are balanced through bioidentical hormone replacement therapy, BHRT for short. A BodyLogicMD affiliated doctor can help you to test your current hormone levels to see if you have any imbalances and help you to bring your hormones back into harmony.
When Medications are Necessary
While proper nutrition and hormone balance can improve hypothyroid symptoms for many people, some may still need medications. If your body is converting T4 into T3 effectively, traditional hypothyroid medications such as Synthroid and levothyroxine may be sufficient. However, if this conversion is not occurring properly, you may need a medication that includes T3.
Cytomel is the typical form of medicinal T3, but it must be taken two or three times a day. Many people find this inconvenient and prefer T3 that has been compounded in a specialty pharmacy in a sustained-release form that can be taken just once a day. T3 can also be given in combination with T4 in desiccated thyroid such as Armour, Naturthroid or Westthroid
Treating Hypothyroidism Effectively
A whole-body approach produces a better outcome than the traditional approach to hypothyroidism. Traditional medicine frequently relies solely on medicating a patient with synthetic T4 rather than addressing the entire picture of patient health and wellness. At BodyLogicMD, we look at a patient as a whole person. We look at your nutritional status, hormone levels, diet and general overall health. We look for a safe, effective treatment that works for you and helps you to reach optimal overall health.
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