THYROID FUNCTION
The reasons why women are so prone to this condition are complex, although one important factor is simply the delicate nature of a woman’s hormonal system. The thyroid gland belongs to a group of glands on the HPAT axis. This stands for “hypothalamus, thyroid, pituitary, adrenal axis.” The HPAT axis is the site of all hormonal direction and instruction in the body. All the glands in it work in synergy. If the body senses a state of stress or starvation, the hypothalamus tells the pituitary gland and thyroid gland to slow down. The thyroid gland is tied to the success and health of other glands in a woman’s body, so it’s no wonder it’s so sensitive to damage.
There are several different ways that the thyroid gland can malfunction. The most prominent form is due to the autoimmune disease Hashimoto’s thyroiditis, which accounts for about 90 percent of clinical hypothyroidism cases in the US.
An autoimmune disease is one in which the body’s immune system has gone into overdrive and accidentally started attacking its own cells as a result of poor gut barrier health. In Hashimoto’s thyroiditis, the thyroid gland is the victim.
You can tell for sure if you have Hashimoto’s (as opposed to other types of thyroid malfunction) only through a blood test. A quick explanation of thyroid function is helpful in understanding this blood test.
First, your thyroid gland works only after it receives a “green light” signal for the pituitary gland to produce, which comes in the form of thyroid-stimulating hormone (TSH). When TSH reaches the thyroid gland, the thyroid gland produces a molecule called T4. However, that is not the end. The cells in your body do not use T4. T3 is. T4 is converted to T3 by the liver. T3 then becomes active in the body. It is responsible for delivering energy to all of your cells.
In Hashimoto’s thyroiditis, the body receives a TSH signal from the pituitary gland, but the thyroid gland has a hard time making T4. As a result, low T4 is the primary marker most doctors look for in a blood test to signal Hashimoto’s thyroiditis. High TSH is also a potential indicator of Hashimoto’s disease, as TSH levels rise as the body tries to coax the weakened thyroid into making more T4. The final and most definitive test for Hashimoto’s thyroiditis is a thyroid own antibody (TPO) test. When it’s present in large amounts in your bloodstream, you know your thyroid gland is under attack.
The way to overcome Hashimoto’s thyroiditis is to heal the gut as much as possible. Do this using the recommendations made above: avoid intestinal irritants like grains, dairy, and even legumes, focus on vitamin-rich foods like greens, organ meats, and egg yolks, eat fermented foods or probiotic supplements regularly .
Unfortunately, with Hashimoto’s, part or most of the thyroid gland is irreparably destroyed. If that’s the case, you likely need some type of thyroid hormone supplement to achieve optimal health.
While Hashimoto’s may be the most common form of hypothyroidism, it’s not the only one. The other primary form of hypothyroidism that affects women is simple sluggishness of the thyroid. Many women struggle with this regardless of whether their blood thyroid hormone levels are clinically “low” or not. It is entirely possible to suffer from this problem and not test “officially low”, but close to it.
Regardless of whether the test is “super low,” “low,” or just “moderate,” nearly all women can benefit from optimizing thyroid function.
Thyroid production slows down in response to stress. This is what I’ve called a “slow” thyroid (and no, it’s definitely not a medical term). This includes both physical and psychological types of stress. Physical stressors include undereating, a low-carb diet, excessive weight loss, excessive exercise, or an inflammatory diet. Psychological stressors are all the usual pressures that come from adult life. In response to both types of stress, thyroid production shuts down in two main ways. First, the signals from the HPAT axis say: “Stop!” This “stop!” the signal shows up in blood tests as reduced production of TSH. With low TSH comes a lower T4 level and often a lower T3 level as well.
The second way that stress affects thyroid function is by altering the link between T4 and T3 production. Stress causes the body to produce something called reverse T3, which actually stops T3 from working in your body. So a blood test indicating this type of hypothyroidism will show lower T3, elevated RT3, and possibly T4 and TSH on the low end as well.
The way to overcome “laziness” is to reduce stress, get more sleep, eat when you’re hungry and stop when you’re full, and perhaps most importantly, make sure you eat plenty of carbs. The liver needs carbohydrates to convert T4 to T3. Be sure to eat at least 100 grams of dense carbohydrates every day (about four servings of fruit or starch) on a low-fat diet and at least 25-50 grams (1-2 servings of fruit or starch) on a low-fat diet. fats. carbohydrate diet
You can also support thyroid health by making sure you have some iodine and selenium in your diet, as these nutrients are necessary for thyroid function. Include iodized salt in your diet. If you don’t consume iodized salt (note that most sea salt does not contain iodine), eat seaweed once a week if you can. For selenium, you can take a supplement or just eat Brazil nuts, which are an excellent source of selenium. Shellfish also contain selenium. If you have Hashimoto’s, be sure to keep iodine and selenium in good balance (or avoid supplements altogether), as excess iodine in Hashimoto’s patients can cause a brief period of intense hyperthyroid activity called a “thyroid storm.” and damage to the thyroid gland.
