Thyroid & autoimmune diseases are one of most prevalent medical conditions across the globe. In fact, thyroid disease is considered an epidemic. If you are experiencing any or all of the following, probably you are suffering from thyroid:
- You feel tired all the time as if you do not have energy.
- Your metabolism fluctuates all the time.
- You find it impossible to regulate your body temperature.
- Your weight fluctuates all the time
In developed countries, this epidemic is impacting around 12 % of the population. So the question arises, why is Thyroid a bigger problem? Thyroid is responsible for many metabolic functions such as immunity, metabolism & energy. Just under your voice box sits the biggest hormone-gland- thyroid. Thyroid secretes two hormones- T3 & T4. We have discussed these hormones at length in our e-book “ KNOW YOUR BODY”. Briefly, these hormones increase our metabolic rates & are essential for normal growth. A lot of cells in our body responds to T3 & T4. T4 is produced by Thyroid gland under the regulation of hypothalamus and pituitary gland. The feedback loop signals to the hypothalamus to release thyrotropin, releasing hormone, which then stimulates the pituitary gland to release the thyroid stimulating hormone (TSH). On the other hand T3 helps maintain muscle control, brain function, development and digestive mechanism. It is produced by the thyroid gland but also found in other tissues. It also helps in maintenance of bone health and regulates the body’s metabolic rate
T4 is the inactive form & is converted into T3 before it is used by our body. This leads to significant increase in free radicals through oxidation reactions. Let us discuss hormones that create these thyroid hormones.
- Thyroid Stimulating Hormones(TSH)- TSH helps in increasing thyroid hormone synthesis. For this TSH needs a series of biochemical steps to occur in thyroid, the first one being availability of iodine.
- Thyroid binding globulin(TBG)-TBG is produced by the liver & these bind T3 & T4 when circulating in the blood. This helps in increasing the lifespan by making sure that concentration of T3 &T4 is steady in the cells.
- Thyroid releasing hormones(TRH)- TRH comes from hypothalamus & works with TSH for T3 & T4 secretion
Therefore for proper functioning of thyroid an optimum balance of all these thyroid support functions is required.
Some of the important functions of thyroid are:
- Metabolism-increasing rate of glucose, fat & protein uptake
- Blood cholesterol reduction
- Regulating body temperature
- Mitochondria activity & numbers- impacting energy & heat production.
For carrying out normal metabolism activity & regulating body temperature, it is necessary that our thyroid should function properly.
Thyroid hormones also impact our growth with specific reference to growth of
- Bones
- Hair
- Teeth
- Nerves.
- Connective tissues
- Brain
So when we talk of thyroid disease- it has an impact on both sides of the spectrum- hypothyroidism & hyperthyroidism. Hyper refers to too much thyroid hormones while hypo means too less. Both can cause thyroid gland to enlarge. How do both forms of thyroid diseases impact our overall health?
Hypothyroidism
- Iodine deficiency: This increases TSH levels & results in goitre
- Goitrogenic substances: These are chemicals that hampers thyroid hormone synthesis
- Thyroid gland removal
- Lack of TSH secretion
- Hashimoto’s disease
Hyperthyroidism
- Tumors
- Sudden thyroid hormone release
- Grave’s disease
Two most prevalent autoimmune thyroid diseases- Grave’s disease & Hashimoto’s disease often co-occur with Celiac disease & non-celiac wheat sensitivity. Both these conditions show inflammation & impaired gut lining. Leaky gut allows pathogens to enter your bloodstream impacting immune reaction & sensitivities. Both TRH & TSH impact development of gut associated lymphoid tissue(GALT). This makes up 70% of our immune system.
Both sides of thyroid disease- hyper & hypo results in inflammation & negative impact on gut lining, thereby resulting in leaky gut. Also gut dysbiosis has been found in various thyroid diseases. There are a lot of gut-thyroid connections. This imbalance further impacts availability of thyroid essential micronutrients since your gut bacteria diversity has a role to play here.
Some of these micronutrients are
- Sodium, iron & copper: These are required for thyroid synthesis.
- Selenium & zinc: These are required for conversion of T4 to T3
- Vitamin D-regulated immune system.
It is interesting to note here that gut bacteria plays an important role in T4 to T3 conversion.
Hyperthyroid is linked with decrease in levels of gut bifidobacterium & Lactobacillus & increase in Enterococcus levels. Bifidobacterium & Lactobacillus provide essential metabolites that reduce our inflammation & makes our gut lining thrive. Our gut can inform us about a specific level of bacteria that tells us about hypothyroidism. As a result production of short term fatty acids in our hypothyroid gut is decreased, leading to increase in inflammation & increased blood levels of lipopolysaccharide(LPS). LPS is a detrimental molecule( floating around in your blood) that comes from gut bacteria. When these bacteria are in abundance, your gut lining becomes leaky & LPS can enter your bloodstream. LPS has the following impact:
- Reduces thyroid hormone levels
- Reduces TSH
- Increases inactive T3
So what hack do you need to overcome this problem?
- Getting enough Iodine is essential for your thyroid health. Have plenty of fish, seafood & eggs
- Iron & selenium is required for thyroid synthesis & iodine absorption. Additionally selenium helps in removal of free radicals developed during thyroid hormone synthesis. Almonds, Cashews, Pumpkin seeds are great sources of iron & selenium
- Zinc is required for converting T4 to T3 since people suffering from thyroid generally have Zinc deficiency. Since Zinc is absorbed in the gut, an improved gut health is critical. Red meat, beans, poultry & nuts are great sources of Zinc.
- Vitamin D: This is important for calcium absorption that is essential for bone health. This regulates our immune system. People suffering from hypothyroidism have low levels of Vitamin D. Fish, red meat & egg yolks are great source of Vitamin D besides sunlight.
- Probiotic & fermented foods: This helps to balance microbiome by providing lactobacillus with the food they thrive on. This particular bacteria is linked with improved thyroid health. Rich sources are kimchi & fermented vegetables.
- Balance your gut: Balancing your microbiome is essential to keep away from pathogens that can create inflammation so that your thyroid health is intact.
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