The number of people suffering from thyroid disorders continues to rise each year. As of 2014, levothyroxine, a synthetic form of thyroid hormone, was the highest-selling drug in the United States.
Read on…
Vital Thyroid Hormones!
Every cell in the body has receptors for thyroid hormone. It is responsible for the most basic aspects of our body’s function, impacting all major systems.
Thyroid hormone directly acts on the:
- Brain
- Gastrointestinal tract
- Cardiovascular system
- Bone metabolism
- Red blood cell metabolism
- Gallbladder and liver function
- Steroid hormone production
- Glucose metabolism
- Lipid and cholesterol metabolism
- Protein metabolism
- Body temperature regulation
Needless to say, if you don’t the right amount of thyroid hormones, your health is severely affected in any area of the body.
There are MANY symptoms related to the thyroid due to this, but the most common symptoms are as follows:
- Fatigue and energy problems.
- Weight gain or loss.
- Shedding hair – thin hair at the temples, sparseness on the outer third of the eyebrows.
- Changes in mental faculties – brain fog, ‘cotton wool’ brain, forgetfulness.
- Muscle soreness, cramping, restless legs, carpal tunnel.
- Lack of libido or infertility.
- Puffiness – hands, feet, eyes.
The Underlying Causes of Thyroid Disorders
The two major causes of thyroid disorders are nutrient deficiency and autoimmune disease.
Nutrient Deficiency
Thyroid hormone is rich in iodine, and deficiency of iodine can cause hypothyroidism, thyroid nodules, and goiter (a swelling of the thyroid gland). Zinc is required for the synthesis of thyroid hormone, and deficiency of zinc has been shown to result in hypothyroidism. Selenium, a cofactor for iodothyronine deiodinase, is required to convert T4 (the inactive form of thyroid hormone) into T3 (the active form of thyroid hormone). Selenium deficiency exacerbates conditions caused by inadequate iodine intake.
Here’s the trick.
Many people with a nutrient deficiency end up with a toxic burden in the space the nutrients would normally be stored. Here’s an example; you take all the weeds out of a garden, exploring the bare soil. 2-3 weeks later, a whole new crop of weeds has grown there, taking advantage of an easy space for seeds to drop and embed in the soil.
This happens in our body with nutrients and toxins. One example is the relationship between zinc and copper.
If you take a standard dose of zinc (20-40mg) but you have high copper, the copper blocks the zinc from absorbing.
If you have tried taking a supplement and found it didn’t do much for you, this may be happening to you.
Naturopaths are trained to use specific doses of nutrients to correct this, detoxify the harmful toxin, and replace the essential nutrient in the body again. This generally takes 12 weeks, but may take longer in some individuals.
Book a call to discuss how our approach is corrective rather than a band-aid.
