Running my Thyroid to the Ground
Thyroid issues in my twenties.
Qualifying in Phlebotomy at the age of 28, naturally led me into blood testing and interpretation and where better to start than my own bloods.
I would say my diet is very healthy throughout my teens and twenties, drinking only very occasionally and eating very pure, natural foods. However when I looked at my own bloods there were a few worrying markers, my overall Thyroid level was very low, which came as a big surprise to me.
Introduction to the Thyroid Gland:
Thyroid is part of the endocrine system (collection of glands that produce hormones).
The gland is a tiny butterfly-shape, found at the front of your neck; it makes two thyroid hormones: triiodothyronine (T3) and thyroxine (T4) - key to energy levels, internal temperature, hair, skin, weight and more.
The Thyroid gland takes its direction from both the hypothalamus (located in brain) and the pituitary gland (pea-sized gland located base of your skull). The hypothalamus releases thyrotropin-releasing hormone, triggering the pituitary gland to produce the thyroid stimulating hormone (TSH). The TSH is then what helps your thyroid gland release T4 and T3 (without TSH the system would fail).
Thyroxine (T4) is responsible for your metabolism, mood and body temperature.
T3 is also made in the thyroid gland, and it can also be made in other tissues within the body by converting T4 into T3. T3 is at the centre of your digestive and metabolic function.
If your T3 and T4 levels are too low, the pituitary gland will release more TSH. If they’re too high, the gland releases less TSH.
The production of thyroid is dependent upon adequate protein levels in the diet (from which the amino acid tyrosine is required), plus iodine, and iron. In addition, the conversion of T4 to T3 requires selenium, zinc, and glutathione in the diet.
Optimal ranges:
TSH males and females: 1.5-2.0mui/L (TSH levels may be expressed as milli-international units per litre: miu/L).
T4 males and females: 77.2-154.4nmol/L (6.0-12.0mcg/dL) Total T4 may be expressed as nano moles per litre (mol/L) or micrograms per decilitre (mug/dL).
T3 males and females: 1.54-3.53nmol/L (100-230ng/dL). Total T3 may be expressed as nano moles per litre (mol/L) or nanogram per decilitre (ng/dL).
If you have heard about the thyroid, then you have probably heard that a lot of people, particularly woman have issues with it, either being too high (hyperthyroidism) or too low (hypothyroidism). In my case my TSH, T4 and T3 markers were all too low, however at the age of 28 and with none of the classic symptoms of hypothyroidism, my case was suggested rare by nutritional experts. Further blood tests were taken out which confirmed I did not have a thyroid related auto-immune disease which helped by ruling out what one of the causes could be.
Working with my mentor Kate Knowler, further tests on myself, such as the Iodine patch test concluded I was not absorbing an essential mineral for Thyroid production. Along with this, delving into my lifestyle over the last year which had been extremely busy and high stress at times coupled with excessive amounts of running, suggested my body had been running on cortisol (known as the stress hormone) for too long and in effect had taken a toll on my thyroid level.
With helpful recommendations from my mentor Kate Knowler, some lifestyle changes and supplementation were prescribed which I will share with you ( please note this is an insight into my own thyroid level issues and healing):
replacing cardio with pilates, resistance weights and Nordic walking
reducing coffee from my diet (caffeine increases cortisol levels)
eliminating use of plastic food containers switching to glass food containers (BPA leakage into food can inhibit thyroid disfunction) wherever possible
more time out to relax
While I am still on my own journey to improve my thyroid, these changes have dramatically improved my life and well-being. It appears running was over-stressing my body and pilates has not only taught me a new skill but increased my range of motion and flexibility, removing coffee from diet has made me calmer and more collected, using glass containers feels nicer to eat my lunch from and more time to relax has greatly improved my headspace and smile.. stay tuned to find out if my thyroid levels have improved in due course.