Part IX: The Thyroid-Nutrient Connection
Over the past several months I, along with our Healthy Beginnings readers have explored, in-depth, all things thyroid. We reviewed its anatomy, physiology, symptoms of altered thyroid output, how to gauge that output, remedies of thyroid dysfunction and a detailed look into five of the thyroid’s six major root causes. Today, we explore the sixth.
There are hundreds of books, pamphlets, articles and websites dedicated to the science of thyroid function. An obvious, but quite often overlooked question arises: Where does it all come from? TSH doesn’t grow on trees. T4 isn’t dropped on your front porch by a stork. T3 isn’t found in the bottom of a Cracker Jack box.
Parts IV through IIX of our Patient Mystery series explored the root causes and laid a foundation for correcting or controlling thyroid disease. The Root Causes of Thyroid Disease led us to explore the gastrointestinal tract, heavy metal toxicity, infectious diseases, adrenal gland, and iodine deficiencies. None of these, however, addressed a question any five or six year old asks: Where did I (in this scenario, the thyroid hormones) come from?
The expression, ‘You are what you eat,’ is attributed to French author Anthelme
Brillat-Savarin. (1) In an 1826 work, Physiologie du Gout, ou Meditations de Gastronomie
Transcendante. Verbatim Brillat-Savarin stated, “Tell me what you eat and I will tell you what you are.” (2,3)
Simply stated, Thyroid Stimulating Hormone, T3, T4 and all of their derivatives come from what we eat. In order for thyroid-stimulating hormone (TSH) to form and function properly, we need adequate dietary protein, magnesium, vitamin B12, and zinc.
Protein is necessary to transport Thyroid Stimulating Hormone to the tissues.
Magnesium and Zinc are key nutrients for the production of TSH. Zinc, common in beef, aids in the conversion of T4 to T3.
T4 requires iodine, found in iodized salt, fresh vegetables, seafood, kelp, and seaweed, to be absorbed into the thyroid gland. To properly open the gate of T4 transport, Vitamins B12 and C must also be present.
Vitamin B12 is naturally found in animal products including fish, meat, poultry, eggs, milk, and milk products, but is not present in plant foods. Vegetarians, especially vegans are at risk for B12 deficient pernicious anemia.
To convert T4 to T3, the form of thyroid that does the actual work, deiodination, an enzymatic process necessitating selenium, must occur. Foods rich in selenium include brazil nuts, yellowfin tuna, halibut, sardines, beefsteak, shrimp, and hard-boiled eggs.
Adequate selenium reduces inflammation and autoimmune (TPO) antibody levels by
40%. (4) A deficiency in selenium skews the deiodination pathway towards self-destruction, called “autoimmunity.” T4 rather than converting to T3, in the face of inadequate selenium levels, converts to hydrogen peroxide, producing an inert or inactive form of T3 called reverse T3. Reverse T3 (rT3) is a false flag.
T3 also needs Vitamins A, D, and Omega 3 Fatty Acids (fish oil) for adequate cell performance. (4)
Supplements to improve thyroid function include:
Ashwagandha and Guggulipids stimulate the production of T4 and T3.
Forskolin increases the production of cAMP resulting in increased thyroid hormone function. Forskolin touted as a weight reduction agent increases circulating hormone resulting in a net loss of body fat.
L-Tyrosine creates thyroid molecules. It is useful in depressive states and in chronic fatigue syndrome. Do not use if you have hypertension.
A healthy thyroid is essential for a healthy life. A comprehensive review of all our Healthy Beginnings articles provides a road map for finding the root cause, and treatment, of your thyroid maladies. With a little prodding and a lot of legwork, most root causes become readily apparent. Do not accept “take a pill, kid, and go away because nothing else can be done,” until the root causes of thyroid disease are explored.
Contact us at 775-359-1222 to get started on the road to thyroid health!
(1) http://www.gingersoftware.com/content/phrases/youarewhatyoueat/#.
VvSzo6crLIU, accessed March 24, 2016.
(2) http://www.cooksinfo.com/jeananthelmebrillatsavarin, Accessed February 13, 2016.
(3) Brillat-Savarin, A, The Handbook of Dining Corpulency and Leanness Scientifically
Considered, parsnip, swede and beetroot. ((xxx12), Paris, France, 1819.
(4) Osborne, D., Healing Thyroid Disease Naturally, Gluten Free Society
https://www.glutenfreesociety.org/healingthyroiddiseasenaturally/, accessed
September 8, 2015.
