Thyroid in ‘simple’ terms.
The thyroid is one of the body’s endocrine glands, and has many functions in the body. It has a similar shape to a butterfly and sits wrapped around the trachea at the front of the throat.
The most talked about function of the thyroid gland is the regulation of the metabolic rate, and thermal regulation. The bodies aim is to sustain life, and It does this by speeding up or slowing down your metabolism to suit the input of fuel.
Many things can cause dysfunction of the thyroid gland. The most popular reason I have seen in clinic is HIT (high intensity training) or burning the candle at both ends. A very common picture is a male, or especially a female, eating low calorie meals, high intensity training or long distance running, trying to find their goal weight, only finding that weight just keeps jumping back up to previous levels the harder they train.
If you are on a high intensity training plan and also follow a fasted, low carb, low calorie diet, to try and lose weight, the thyroid may be receiving messages from the hypothalamus to reduce thyroid hormone production. The reason for this message is to help keep the body viable and reduce the chances of starvation. Water and electrolyte regulation, growth and reproduction also are important functions supported by the thyroid.
Thyroid regulation requires certain nutrients to be efficient, most importantly, iodine, selenium, tyrosine, iron, zinc, calcium and B vitamins.
If insufficiencies of these nutrients occur, irregularity of conversion of hormones and thyroid function may occur. Chronic stress and dietary items such as gluten and dairy can also affect thyroid function, although speak to your Naturopath before removing even more foods from your diet.
Hashimoto’s (low thyroid function) and Graves (high thyroid function), are auto-immune diagnosis’ that are becoming more common due to chronic stress and dietary and life style choices.
Symptoms that may occur include, loss of hair, heart palpitations, weight gain or loss, muscle weakness, poor libido and low mood, constipation or diarrhoea, feeling cold or hot when others are not, and dry skin or brittle hair. Putting the blame on others, and carpel tunnel issues are also common.
You may find your GP might arrange for a simple test of one or two thyroid hormone levels. These tests are just a snippet of what is really going on in the body. A Naturopath is likely to add other tests to get the full picture of your hormone and antibody levels to find the cause of your thyroid issues and the weight gain you just can not shift.
If any of the above symptoms seem familiar to you, or if you have already had a diagnosis of Thyroid dysfunction, we would love to help you bring you a healthy balance, and provide a sustainable path so you can reach optimal health goals.
