Along with the posts on menstrual cycles and mobility, the health pages on Instagram have started talking about a small but powerful part of the body: our thyroid. Perhaps you’ve also moved beyond the videos, detailing nutrition for thyroid health and exercise tips on reels or carousels.
It may sound like a random body part for the wellness community to jump on, but they’re stepping in for a reason: Thyroid health isn’t discussed enough. And a better understanding of this is really crucial for women; we are 10 times more likely to suffer from thyroid problems than men, and the way our high-stress world is set up isn’t conducive to it working at its best.
Of course, we shouldn’t take everything we read on social media as gospel. So to find out what we really need to know about the gland, we turned to two hormone experts.
What exactly is your thyroid?
“The thyroid is a small, butterfly-shaped gland in the neck, located just in front of the trachea,” explains Dr. Marion Gluck, a hormone specialist and founder of The Marion Gluck Clinic. “The gland produces thyroid hormones called thyroxine and T3. These act on almost every cell in the body to regulate metabolismenergy levels and sensitivity to other hormones in the body, such as estrogentestosterone and progesterone.
The thyroid can be seen as a thermostat for the body, says niki williams, nutritionist and expert in women’s health and hormones. “It can increase or decrease processes like metabolism, energy, temperature, and alertness, depending on what is needed and how well the gland is working,” she explains.
A failing thyroid can lead to thyroid dysfunction; if it is underactive, it is known as hypothyroidism; if it is hyperactive it is known as hyperthyroidism.
What can cause thyroid problems?
You don’t just need to be aware of your thyroid if you have a diagnosed problem with it. We all need to support its function just like any other element of our body, from our muscles to our brain health.
It’s important to know that problems are often genetic, so an underactive or overactive thyroid isn’t necessarily due to your lifestyle, and diagnosed thyroid conditions can’t be fixed with food or exercise. But lifestyle habits can have an impact on the gland for those who simply want to support its function and feel better, says Williams.
“Many different nutrients are needed for our thyroid hormones to be produced and function properly; a deficiency can affect thyroid function,” he explains. These include iodine, tyrosine, selenium, copper, zinc, ironessential fatty acids, vitamin A and vitamin D.
It’s also not a lone worker in the body: just as thyroid hormones affect every cell, other hormones affect the thyroid as well.
“The Kidney glands – which produce hormones like cortisol and estrogen – rely on the thyroid gland for support. Overworked adrenal glands can also cause an overworked thyroid,” says Dr. Gluck. So living in a constant state of stress with skyrocketing cortisol is a disaster for thyroid function; however, we all do it more often than we would like.
Dr. Gluck adds that the relationship between estrogen and thyroxine is also important. “Estrogen dominance can stop the conversion of thyroxine to thyroid hormone T3. This means that although there is no direct problem with the thyroid gland, symptoms of hypothyroidism will be experienced. Too much estrogen can also block the absorption of thyroid hormones, again leading to symptoms of hypothyroidism.”
What are the signs of thyroid dysfunction?
“As thyroid hormones travel to every cell in the body, an imbalance can have a wide range of symptoms,” says Williams.
An underactive thyroid is associated with a slowdown in bodily functions, such as lethargy or fatigue that doesn’t improve with rest, brain fog, and unexplained weight gain. Other symptoms may include susceptibility to cold weather, depression, dry skin, hair and nails, muscle and joint pain, constipation, and sensitivity to stress.
An overactive thyroid has more to do with an acceleration of processes. They can include anxiety, heart palpitations, unexplained weight loss, high blood pressure, sweating, panic attacks, and swollen glands.
“Symptoms can be confused with other common signs of aging or hormonal imbalance, so it’s important to have your thyroid checked regularly,” says Williams. “Make sure you get tested for the full pathway for thyroid health: TSH, freeT4, freeT3, and thyroid antibodies for a complete overview of thyroid health.”
Dr. Gluck also points out that these symptoms can often be confused. “In my experience, women with thyroid problems can often be misdiagnosed and prescribed antidepressants if the symptoms are similar. And estrogen-dominant women are often given thyroxine unnecessarily. With extensive testing, this misdiagnosis can be avoided,” she says.
How to support your thyroid health
If you are concerned that you have thyroid dysfunction, be sure to see your GP. Getting the correct diagnosis is crucial, and hypothyroidism and hyperthyroidism should also be managed with medication. If you’re fine but just want to support your thyroid gland function, you can with simple adjustments:
check your diet
- Include plenty of protein: “Protein breaks down into amino acids, one of which is tyrosine, which is needed to make thyroid hormone,” says Williams.
- Support insulin levels by balancing carbohydrates with fat and protein: “Excess insulin is linked to suppressed thyroid function,” she adds.
- Eat a wide variety of nutrients: in particular, iron (from red meat and green leafy vegetables), iodine (found in nori seaweed), and zinc (from shellfish, whole grains, nuts, and seeds) ).
- Cut back on caffeine: “This can put excess stress on the adrenal glands and affect thyroid function,” says Dr. Gluck.
de-stress
“For thyroid health, relaxation is important. Do something every day to reduce your stress, even if it’s just deep breathing,” says Williams. That also means leveraging your exercise routine for the best de-stressing results.
“Physical activity can increase your metabolism and help transport nutrients to your cells and endocrine glands to support thyroid function. But if you think your thyroid needs extra support, I’d try to avoid particularly demanding exercises that stress the body and instead focus on lower-intensity resistance work, walking, yoga, or Pilates,” adds Williams.
