Thyroid health
Thyroid function plays a crucial role in health and well-being. The thyroid gland, a small butterfly-shaped gland located in the front of the neck, produces hormones that regulate metabolism, and energy levels and support the brain, heart and muscles to work optimally. When the thyroid gland is struggling, it can result in a condition known as hypothyroidism, or low thyroid function.
The thyroid gland produces two key hormones: thyroxine (T4) and triiodothyronine (T3). These hormones influence metabolism, growth, development, body temperature, and energy levels. Proper thyroid function is essential for maintaining a healthy weight, regulating body temperature, and ensuring optimal functioning of organs and systems.
A lot of people going through perimenopause may think their symptoms are related to their hormonal fluctuation, but it could actually be your thyroid.
Common symptoms of low thyroid function
Below are some symptoms that may indicate low thyroid function.
- Fatigue
- Dry skin and hair
- Hair loss
- Weight gain
- Constipation and digestive issues
- Cold hands and feet and cold intolerance
- Brain fog and memory problems
- Muscle weakness
- Changes with your menstrual cycle
- Depression, anxiety and stress response issues
These symptoms are just a guide as to what someone with hypothyroidism may experience, though not everyone will experience all of these.
There are a number of contributing factors that can lead to impaired thyroid function including nutrient deficiencies, high stress, inadequate liver function, and a big factor that I believe gets overlooked, the abundance of endocrine-disrupting chemicals and halogens in our daily lives.
What can be done to support your thyroid?
There are many things that can be done to reduce your chances of thyroid issues, this is just a guide of some things to help, speak to your healthcare practitioner to work out what is right for you.
It can be overwhelming when we start to see how many endocrine-disrupting chemicals are in our lives. But small steps go a long way
- Reduce/avoid endocrine-disrupting chemicals such as phthalates, found in perfumes and many personal care products. Downloading the app Yuka gives you a rating and a breakdown of the ingredients in cosmetics and beauty products.
- Each time you finish a product, swap it with something more natural that doesn’t contain all of the synthetic chemicals.
- Purchase glass and stainless steel containers, worth the investment as these will last you a lifetime. Never reheat in plastic as these leach a huge amount of chemicals into the food/drink.
- Reduce halogen chemicals (chlorine, fluorine, bromine) by using a good quality water filter. See my article on Halogens here
- People with hypothyroidism should avoid raw cruciferous vegetables and limit the amount of cooked cruciferous vegetables they consume, these include broccoli, cauliflower, brussel sprouts and kale. As healthy as these foods are, they also contain goitrogens which can impair thyroid function.
- If you have an autoimmune thyroid condition (Autoimmune thyroiditis/Hashimoto’s or Graves), it’s very important to avoid wheat and gluten for the following reasons
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- Molecular mimicry: Gliadin is a protein found inside gluten and wheat products, it has a very similar structure to cells in the thyroid gland and can lead to an increased attack of your thyroid.
- Inflammation: Gluten is inflammatory to the gut lining which is often compromised in autoimmune and thyroid conditions, further exacerbating health concerns
- Endocrine disrupting: Glyphosate is sprayed on most wheat, this weakens the digestive system and the chemical itself can cause thyroid dysfunction as it is an endocrine-disrupting chemical
Important nutrients for thyroid function
There are many nutrients required for optimal health including thyroid function, this is just a brief list and please speak to your practitioner before starting any of these as some supplements may not be right for you and they can cause damage if taken in excess.
- B vitamin complex
- Selenium
- Iodine (only small amounts if you have thyroid antibodies)
- Iron
- Tyrosine
- Zinc
- Vitamin D
Testing
Low thyroid function isn’t always picked up with your GP as they are restricted in what Medicare is allowed to test for, they will only test for TSH – which has a very broad reference range and doesn’t actually tell you what your thyroid hormones T3, T4, rT3 and thyroid antibodies are doing.
What to request
If you are suspecting thyroid issues and want to see a practitioner, ask them to complete a full thyroid panel including reverse T3, as this particular thyroid hormone indicates there is something else going on rather than being a direct thyroid issue. If a full thyroid panel isn’t an option due to the cost, checking your basal temperature in the morning first thing before you move out of bed can give an indication of low thyroid function. Check for a month, and if there are more than a couple of days under 36.3, you likely have a sluggish thyroid.
If you are sick of feeling tired and would like some support to feel better – physically, mentally and emotionally, reach out to me. I offer a complimentary 15-minute chat to see if I’m the right practitioner for you. Text or call me on 0407197250.
Skye Bartley 🌿