Thyroid health... it's so important!

Hypothyroidism and hyperthyroidism 

These are two conditions which are experienced by many women, and also sometimes undiagnosed and under-diagnosed. When visiting the GP, they can tell you your thyroid blood tests are 'OK'. Well sometimes, hypothyroidism particularly, can be at the upper end of their tolerance range and a person can still have thyroid issues which can affect the body in so many ways. 

With the thyroid being responsible for metabolism, bowel regularity, moisture in the body, hair condition, mood, fatigue etc., creating good thyroid health is paramount.

So what can be done? 

With an expert nutritional practitioner there are various ways to work on thyroid health including working with the health of the adrenals.  When stressed, the cortisol produced by the adrenals negatively affects the thyroid's performance and can result in hypothyroidism when stress is experienced for prolonged periods. What about minerals the thyroid uses as well as the infamous pro-hormone albeit known as Vitamin D! Had your blood levels tested recently? Going into winter, Vitamin D can plummet so taking extra Vitamin D supplements is a good idea.

Then there is the liver; it is responsible for 80% conversion of thyroxine thyroid hormone to the active form T3. What if the liver is under-functioning? Again foods, supplements, detoxing can all be needed to help clear the liver's energy system. Autoimmunity can pop up to in the form of Hashimoto's autoantibody and attack your thyroid tissue. Reducing inflammation and working with the bowel is key. 

Traditionally hyperthyroid people can be prone to losing weight, but sometimes this might not happen for a long period of time albeit they have elevated thyroid hormones which are so sensitive to stimulation by the pituitary gland. Grave's disease again rears its head through autoimmunity as mentioned above. When there is too much thyroid hormone all the body's systems can be over-stimulated and the balance of the body becomes seriously affected. Sometimes thyroid hormone suppressant medication is given, but these can have a negative effect on liver function. Usually liver function will be tracked whilst on such medication. Ultimately would it not be better to look at this holistically? 

So if you have thyroid issues, please consult with an expert nutritionist to help you through the body's endocrine system, and the all-important thyroid gland.