The thyroid is the master metabolism gland. This amazing little gland can control body temperature, help in food digestion, and enhance cognitive ability. Without the thyroid, our bodies would not have the ability to convert nutrients into energy.
Let’s talk about few of the most essential functions our thyroid performs:
20 Important Facts You Need To Know About The Thyroid
1. The butterfly-shaped thyroid gland is located in the neck. Hormones produced by the thyroid direct calorie intake, oxygen usage, digestion, the brain and neuromuscular function. What an exceptionally powerful gland!
2. More than 27 million Americans have some sort of thyroid issue. About 13 million have no idea they suffer from a thyroid imbalance.
3. Generally, women are more prone to thyroid issues than men.
4. Thyroid disease becomes more common as we age.
5. The thyroid secretes 3 crucial hormones– thyroxine (T4), triiodothyronine (T3), and calcitonin. T3 and T4 are the thyroid hormones responsible for our overall metabolism and affect almost every cell in our bodies. Calcitonin helps regulate calcium stores in the body as well as directs our bone-building process.
6. Iodine is essential to form both T3 and T4. Populations around the globe with iodine-deficient soil are known to have thyroid issues.
7. T4 is essentially the very same in structure as T3, just it has an extra iodine particle, which makes it the inactive kind. However, when the thyroid gland is working correctly, 80% of the hormone it makes is T4 while 20% is T3, so T4 is easily converted to T3.
8. The conversion of T4 into T3 takes place mostly in our liver however also in cells of the heart, muscles, gut, and nerves. It is incredibly important that our liver function optimally for T3 to be produced and become active.
9. T3 affects nutrient absorption from carbs and fats, the rate of protein creation, the rate of food digestion, muscle building, oxygen utilization in cells, and energy production performance in the cells.
10. Most thyroid hormone in the blood stream is bound to protein carrier molecules. It is the unbound (or free thyroid hormone) that exerts its impacts on our cells.
11. Thyroid hormone production is managed by the hypothalamus and pituitary gland (situated in the brain). Communication with the brain keeps optimum balance in the body.
12. Dopamine, a neurotransmitter, stimulates the hypothalamus to release TSH (thyroid-stimulating hormone) and thus affects T3 production. Dopamine is made from the amino acid tyrosine, so consuming good quality proteins is very important to both thyroid and brain health.
13. Stress is a major aspect that negatively affects the thyroid.
14. Hypothyroidism is an underproduction of thyroid hormone. The most common form is an autoimmune disease called Hashimoto’s thyroiditis. In Hashimoto’s, the body sees the thyroid hormone as foreign and attacks it. Symptoms are fatigue, sensitivity to cold, excess weight gain, poor blood circulation, dry skin, loss of hair, depression, and poor food digestion.
15. The overproduction of thyroid hormone is called hyperthyroidism. In the United States, one in 1,000 females have hyperthyroidism. It triggers boosts in metabolic rate, sensitivity to heat, restlessness and anxiety, goiters, and weight-loss.
16. Iodide can be displaced by fluoride and chloride which may lead to the inability to produce T4. Furthermore, heavy metals can disrupt metabolic paths by obstructing essential nutrients from performing their functions.
17. In hypothyroidism, HCl (hydrochloric acid) production is reduced, resulting in malabsorption of nutrients, undigested proteins, and digestive complaints.
18. Numerous thyroid problems are seen throughout times of fluctuating reproductive hormones such as pregnancy and perimenopause.
19. Numerous blood tests for thyroid just test TSH. However, a more comprehensive panel will drop more light into one’s thyroid function by testing free T4, free T3, reverse T3 (rT3), TSH, and TPO (thyroid peroxidase antibody).
20. Essential nutrients for the thyroid are iodine, tyrosine, B vitamins, vitamin A, selenium, zinc, and the essential fatty acids to name a few.
The thyroid is a detailed network of cellular communication that helps the body in functioning properly. It is very important to supply it with the nutrients and building blocks it requires so we can benefit of all that it provides for us on daily basis.
Source: blog.wellnessfx.com
0 commentaires:
Enregistrer un commentaire