Keep Your Body’s Metabolic Thermostat in Great Shape!

Many folks may feel frustrated about thyroid symptoms and how, in many cases, they have all the signs of low thyroid, yet their doctors do not find evidence of that condition in their normal blood work. Well, don’t be discouraged, thyroid and our hormonal system, in general, is one of the most important yet complicated systems in our body. Thyroid imbalance can be the result of a variety of imbalances including low Vitamin D, low iodine, low iron, high estrogen, high cortisol, and low progesterone.

If hypothyroidism is not taken care of, it can raise your cholesterol levels and could possibly make you more likely to have a heart attack or stroke. People of any age can get hypothyroidism, but older adults are more likely to get it. Women age sixty and older have the highest risk. You are more likely to get this problem if it runs in your family. It can also be secondary—that is, lack of thyroid hormone secretion due to inadequate secretion of either TSH from the pituitary gland or TRH from the hypothalamus (secondary or tertiary hypothyroidism).*

The symptoms for low thyroid function outlined in your metabolic assessment questionnaire are:

· Tired, slugggish

· Feel cold- hands, feet, all over

· Require excessive amounts of sleep to function properly

· Increase in weight gain even on a low calorie diet

· Gain weight easily

· Difficulty, infrequent bowel movements

· Depression, lack of motivation

· Morning headaches that wear off as the day progresses

· Outer third of eyebrow thins

· Thinning of hair on scalp, face or genitals, or excessive hair loss

· Dryness of skin and/or scalp

· Mental Sluggishness

How the Thyroid Works, Short Story!

Let’s start with the basics! The thyroid is a butterfly-shaped gland in the front of your throat. The thyroid and adrenals are secondary glands. They both are controlled and regulated by the primary glands and organ of the body, namely the pituitary (master gland), pineal and hypothalamus in the brain, I like to call air-traffic control.

Thyroid cells are the only cells in the body which can absorb iodine. These cells combine iodine found in many foods and the amino acid tyrosine to make two hormones –thyroxine, (T4) and triiodothyronine (T3).T4 and T3 are then released into the blood stream and are transported throughout the body where they control metabolism by turning on or turning off your metabolic thermostat. These hormones can affect nearly every tissue and cell in the human body. Your thyroid must produce sufficient hormones in order for you to be in good health.

Your thyroid is in charge of two main functions. First, it controls the rate of metabolism in the body, in other words, regulate the body's ability to break down food and to either use that energy or store it; second, it helps regulate calcium levels in the bone with the hormone calcitonin. But thyroid hormones also have influence on body composition, glucose metabolism, lipid metabolism, neurotransmitter expression, estrogen metabolism, cortisol metabolism, bone metabolism, male steroidogenesis, (the biological process by which steroids are generated from cholesterol and transformed into other steroids), gallbladder and liver function, growth hormone and IGF-l production, (Insulin-like growth hormone factor, which is responsible for many physiological impacts of growth hormone on tissues), phase II detoxification (in the liver), hypochlorhydria, protein metabolism, hot flash physiology, and progesterone receptor site expressions.

Both the pituitary gland and hypothalamus (air-traffic control in the brain), control the thyroid. When thyroid hormone levels drop too low, the hypothalamus secretes Thyrotrophic Releasing Hormone (TRH), which alerts the pituitary to produce Thyroid Stimulating Hormone (TSH). You can view the TSH like a messenger sent to knock on the door of the thyroid. And its purpose is to regulate your thyroid gland–to tell it to produce more, or to tell it to produce less. In a healthy individual, its message is based on whether your blood levels have too little thyroid hormones to meet the demands of your body, or too much.

Once the thyroid is stimulated by TSH, it produces (T4) and (T3) by transporting iodine into the thyroid and by stimulating Thyroid Peroxidase (TPO) activity. Once the brain senses the thyroid gland has produced enough thyroid hormone, through what’s called a negative feedback loop, it will tell the pituitary to decrease TSH production. NeuroBiologix T3/T4 Support is a comprehensive freeze-dried, BSE-free, bovine, multi-glandular, mineral and herbal formula to support healthy thyroid function. This formula provides essential nutrient, herbal, and glandular support for production of thyroid hormones.*

In good health,

Radhia Gleis – wellness expert, CCN