THE THYROID: WHY IS IT SO CHALLENGING?

March 14, 2024

Many factors contribute to the health of our thyroid, and getting an accurate diagnosis before it becomes a problem can be challenging. The thyroid works systemically, managing our metabolism by interacting with many body systems. However, it doesn’t work alone, so don't go blaming your thyroid just yet for your metabolism issues.

There is a whole communication process in place called a negative feedback loop which ensures proper communication between the thyroid and other systems. It's like a game of Chinese whispers, where sometimes this process can go wrong, leading to complications with metabolism. Additionally, a lack of nutrients or minerals required to make the hormone can also cause issues.

Some things to consider are

• Are we providing our bodies with the necessary nutrients and minerals to ensure proper function and hormone synthesis?

• Are these nutrients and minerals being absorbed effectively in the gut?

• Are we inadvertently disrupting hormone production through the use of endocrine disruptors found in everyday items?

• If hormones (synthetic or natural) are available, are they being converted to T3 (the active form of thyroid hormone) or are they being converted to reverse T3, which is inactive and competes for receptor sites?

• How sensitive are the receptors on our cells to accept the hormone?

• How is communication in the Hypothalamus-pituitary-adrenal axis?

• Is medication playing a role in inhibiting any of these steps?

Common signs and symptoms of having a thyroid condition

If you’re experiencing symptoms of a thyroid condition, it could be due to an underactive or overactive thyroid.  Generally speaking, an underactive thyroid may cause you to feel like everything is more difficult and slowing down. This can manifest differently in everyone due to different receptors at cell sites, but generally, symptoms include fatigue, weight gain that is hard to shift, constipation, low mood, hair loss, dry skin, sensitivity to cold, and joint pain. These are just some of the symptoms of hypothyroidism. 

On the other hand, an overactive thyroid can have some similarities to hyperthyroidism, but it often has reverse symptoms such as fatigue, weight loss, diarrhea, sensitivity to heat (sweating unnecessarily), heart palpitations, anxiousness, and immune dysregulation, which are all symptoms of hyperthyroidism.

Visit your local Market Organics store to speak with our team of practitioners about how you can improve your thyroid health and get on the path to better health.