Thyroid
A critical gland situated in the base of the throat. It produces several thyroid hormones which regulate every cell’s metabolism, energy, temperature regulation and growth. It speeds up and slows down cells. The consequences of deficiency or excess can range from minor ‘missed’ symptoms to catastrophic life-threatening illness.
Take the Thyroid questionnaire to see how you score. Thyroid Symptom Checklist
Typically, a person with established under active thyroid lacks energy, feels the cold excessively, has dry coarse skin, cant lose weight, is puffy and has a slow mind. The list goes on. But there may be subtle signs and symptoms forewarning thyroid failure which can slowly take place and be missed as the person and close family-friends become used to the changes and never think something is wrong. So typical of many gradual hormone deficiencies. There may be enlargement of the thyroid.
Testing
Routine lab blood tests measure T4 and T3, the main hormones and TSH which is released by the Pituitary gland in the brain to stimulate (control) the Thyroid gland production of T4. So its easy, check all three. However, because of financial constraints and ‘accepted practice’, health authorities control what doctors are allowed to test for and so only TSH is used as a screening test. Most of the time that gets by as long as the doctor also remembers to check thoroughly the patients symptoms looking for clues of deficiency. You CANNOT rely on just the TSH !
Importantly blood tests can sometimes be misleading. They can be in the low normal range, yet the patient still be unwell from thyroid problems. Normal ranges are a GUIDE ONLY. There is much debate about hormone resistance to thyroid hormones requiring some people to require extra dosing than others just to feel normal. It may be similar to the resistance increasing numbers have to the insulin hormone. I believe hormone ‘resistance’ is widespread to perhaps many hormone systems for many reasons perhaps including xeno-chemical interference.
Research confirms that increasing numbers are deficient in iodine (present in seasalt and marine foods). various techniques of measuring iodine are used – even wiping iodine on the skin and seeing how long it takes to absorb. I cant vouch for the validity of such practice, it might be valid. Blood tests are not suitable. Best is the Iodine loading test which we can supply.
A full questionnaire, examination and body temperature series (see side-bar) as well as bloods should be done. If in doubt still, and pending comprehensive assessment of all other hormones and other causes, a ‘trial of therapy’ may be warranted to assess the benefit of improving the hormone status. Such a trial is the only way to assess the situation in the end.
As with all hormone treatments, it is mandatory to be under a doctor’s care who understands the biochemistry and physiology of hormones.
Why low thyroid function
This depends on where the fault lies – examples:
- Deficiency of nutrients, vitamins or other hormones
- Zinc, B1, B6, Stomach acid, Vit A, Vit E
- Tyrosine, Iodine, Selenium, Vanadium, Vit B12, Vit C
- Progesterone
- Disease of thyroid itself – Autoimmune disorder as Hashimoto’s thyroiditis
- Effects of drug side-effects and environmental pollutants, PCB’s, thiocyanates, perchlorates etc
- Burnout following over-activity – thyroiditis
- Pituitary failure
- Thyroid hormone blocking – rT3 possibility – other anti-thyroid hormone resistance causes
- Excess diet ‘goitrogens’ from brassica foods.
- Thyroid receptor site resistance – genetic or environmental causes such as chlorine, bromine, fluorine (the Halide group interfere with iodine) and perhaps heavy metals Pb, Hg, As, Cd.
Thyroid Function
Our brain monitors all functions. If more Thyroxine is required, it signals to the Pituitary which secretes TSH into the bloodstream which reaches the Thyroid and causes production of several Thyroid hormones especially T4.
However T4 is quite inactive until it reaches the tissues, loses one iodine (it has 4) and becomes T3, the very active and now fully functioning Thyroid hormone. As the levels of T3 and T4 build up the brain senses this and slows TSH release. Its all fine tuning.
So by measuring TSH, T4 and T3 we can assess whether the Hypothalamus-Pituitary-Thyroid axis is within normal limits.
That’s the simple situation. An individual’s symptoms do not always match the blood result. The final functionality of the thyroid system depends on how well the T3 accesses the cell receptor sites within each cell. And how many receptors are available. Many things from gene expression, toxins, other hormones etc can decrease or increase cell responsiveness. Relatively normal blood levels can occur with significant dysfunction and symptoms. So you can understand why simply measuring the TSH is so basic and whilst may be quite suitable for many, for others it is hopelessly inadequate.
How important is IODINE
| Iodine Key for IQ; Pregnancy Deficiency Affects Kids’ Brains. Even a mild level of iodine deficiency during pregnancy is associated with adverse effects on the resulting child’s cognitive development, according to a study of 1040 mothers and their offspring in the United Kingdom.The World Health Organization (WHO) in fact refers to its deficiency as “the single most important preventable cause of brain damage worldwide.” The Nutritional Medicine MSc Program at the University of Surrey, Guildford, United Kingdom quotes: “Our sizable study adds to the sparse scientific literature describing the possible in utero effects of mild to moderate iodine deficiency,” the First Trimester is the Key Stage for Iodine Uptake (by the foetus). Based on WHO guidelines on recommended concentrations of iodine during pregnancy, researchers classified iodine/creatinine ratios of less than 150 µg/g as being iodine deficient and a ratio of 150 µg/g or more as iodine sufficient….women with iodine/creatinine ratios of less than 150 µg/g were more likely to have children with scores in the lowest quartile for verbal IQ……the findings underscore the importance of maintaining sufficient iodine levels, particularly in the earliest stages of pregnancy.Pinpointing dietary sources of iodine can be challenging, said Dr. Rayman, because food product labels often do not contain iodine levels. “So if at all possible, women should check their diet in good time, and if they haven’t done so, they should take a multivitamin and mineral supplement containing 140/150 µg iodine as recommended by the various US authorities,” she noted. Dr Elizabeth N. Pearce, MD, from Boston University, Massachusetts notes: “I think it is both remarkable and concerning that cognitive effects of iodine deficiency were demonstrated even in children of only mildly iodine-deficient mothers.”Iodine Testing Method – read more >>>>> |