Thyroid function

The reasons why women are so inclined to this situation are complex, although an important factor is only the subtle nature of the female hormone system. The thyroid gland belongs to a group of glands on the HPAT axis. This represents "hypothalamic, thyroid axis, pituitary, adrenal gland". The HPAT axis is a locus for all hormone orientation and in vivo guidance. All of these glands work synergistically. If the body detects stress or starvation, the hypothalamus will tell the pituitary and thyroid to slow down. The thyroid is related to the success and health of other glands in the female body, so it's no wonder that it is very sensitive to damage.

There are several different ways the thyroid can fail. The most important way is due to the autoimmune disease Hashimoto's thyroiditis, accounting for about 90% of the clinical cases of hypothyroidism in the United States.

An autoimmune disease is a disease in which the body's immune system has been over-accelerated and unexpectedly begins to attack its own cells due to poor health of the intestinal barrier. In Hashimoto's thyroiditis, the thyroid is the victim.

Only by completing blood work can you determine if you have a Hashimoto [rather than other types of thyroid dysfunction]. Quick explanation of thyroid function helps to understand this blood work

First, your thyroid gland only works when it receives a "green light" signal from the pituitary gland formed by the pituitary stimulating hormone [TSH]. When TSH reaches the thyroid gland, the thyroid produces a molecule called T4. But this is not the end of it. Your body cells do not use T4. T3 is. The liver converts T4 to T3. Then T3 continues to be active in the body. It is responsible for providing energy to all your cells.

In Hashimoto's thyroiditis, the body receives TSH signals from the pituitary, but the thyroid produces T4. Therefore, low T4 is the main marker for most doctors looking for Hashimoto thyroiditis signals in blood tests. High TSH is also a potential indicator of Hashimoto because TSH levels increase as the body tries to convince the weakened thyroid to produce more T4. The final and most definitive test for Hashimoto's thyroiditis is the testing of the actual thyroid antibody [TPO] itself. When a large amount of blood is present, you know that your thyroid gland has been attacked.

The way to overcome Hashimoto's thyroiditis is to heal the intestine as much as possible. Use previous advice: Avoid intestinal irritants such as cereals, dairy products, and even beans, focusing on vitamin-rich foods such as vegetables, organ meats and egg yolks, and regular consumption of fermented foods or probiotic supplements.

Unfortunately, in the case of Hashimoto, some or most of the thyroid gland was irreparably destroyed. If this is the case, you may need to continue using some form of thyroid hormone for optimal health.

Although Hashimoto may be the most common hypothyroidism, it is not the only one. Another major form of thyroid dysfunction affecting women is simple thyroid dysfunction. Many women struggle with whether their blood thyroid hormone levels are clinically "low". It is entirely possible to encounter this problem instead of testing "specially low" but approaching it.

Whether you are testing "ultra low", "low", or just "moderate", almost all women can benefit from optimizing thyroid function.

The thyroid gland is slowed down by stress. This is what I call the thyroid "dull" [no, this is definitely not a medical term]. This includes physical and psychological types of stress. Physical stress factors include hypotension, a low-carb diet, excessive weight loss, excessive exercise, or an inflammatory diet. The source of psychological stress is the common stress in adult life. In response to these two types of stress, thyroid production is turned off in two main ways. First, the signal from the HPAT axis says "Stop!" This "stop!" As the TSH yield decreases, the blood test shows a signal. At lower TSH levels, T4 levels are lower and usually lower T3 levels.

A second method of stress-damaging thyroid function is to apply a wrench in the connection between T4 and T3 production. Stress causes the body to produce something called reverse T3, which actually prevents T3 from working in your body. Therefore, a blood test that reflects this hypothyroidism will show lower T3, elevated RT3, and possibly lower T4 and TSH.

The way to overcome "dullness" is to relieve stress, sleep more, eat when you are hungry, stop when you are full, and sometimes, most importantly, make sure you eat a lot of carbohydrates. The liver needs carbohydrates to convert T4 to T3. Eat at least 100 grams of low-fat carbohydrates [about four servings of fruit or starch], a low-fat diet, at least 25-50 grams [1-2 servings of fruit or starch] of carbohydrates.

You can also enhance your thyroid health by ensuring that your diet contains iodine and selenium, which are essential for thyroid function. Add iodized salt to your diet. If you do not eat iodized salt [note that most sea salt does not contain iodine], if possible, eat algae once a week. For selenium, you can add or only eat brazil nuts, which is an excellent source of selenium. Seafood also contains selenium. If you have a Hashimoto, you must ensure that iodine and selenium maintain a good balance [or avoid supplementation altogether] because excessive iodine in patients with Hashimoto's disease causes a brief, intense hyperthyroidism called "thyroid storm" and "damages the thyroid gland." .

How to optimize thyroid function? was originally published on Spring