30 Million Women Suffer from Thyroid Problems and Most Don't Know

I see thyroid issues in at least 70% of the women I'm working with these days, so I feel passionate about educating people on this subject and helping people feel better.

So, in honor of Thyroid Awareness Month I wanted to share with you why your thyroid is oh-so important, some symptoms to look out for, and many of the natural ways you can support it! 

An often overlooked health issue:

• Thyroid disease affects an estimated 30 million Americans - nearly 90% of those are women.

• Up to 60% of people with thyroid disease don't know it. This is because many of the felt symptoms are seen as "normal".

• An exorbitant number of women suffer with this condition for up to 5 years before getting a proper diagnosis or treatment, are dismissed and made to feel that it’s in their heads, and/or told that it should be less of a problem than they’re making it out to be. Untreated hypothyroidism has serious risks.

• Hypothyroidism is the most common thyroid disease: 80% of hypothyroidism in the U.S. is auto-immune thyroiditis (aka Hashimoto's).

Just what does your thyroid do?

The thyroid’s job is to make hormones—most importantly triiodothyronine (T3) and thyroxine (T4)—that are secreted from the blood and carried from your thyroid to other tissues in your body. These hormones work to regulate your metabolism, body temperature, digestive and brain functions, even mood and energy levels.  

In hypothyroidism, your gland is not making enough thyroid hormone to function properly, thus causing symptoms association with slowing down body systems.

Common symptoms of hypothyroidism (you don't have to have all of these to have a problem): 

• Changes in energy and mood

• Weight gain or loss

• Irregular body temperature

• Diarrhea or constipation

• Changes in heart rate

• Swelling in the neck

• Fatigue

• Moodiness/Irritability

• Joint pain/carpal tunnel syndrome

• Depression, Anxiety

• Hair thinning/Hair loss

• Dry skin

• Cold intolerance

• Elevated cholesterol

• Infertility/miscarriage/postpartum depression

• +More

What's behind thyroid disease?

Genetic predisposition, environmental and lifestyle factors, nutritional deficiencies, constant stress (that HPA Axis dysregulation I talk about so much!), intestinal permeability (aka leaky gut), and an imbalanced microbiota can all be factors.

Other risk factors include:

• Hormonal changes 

• Age over 50 years

• Being female

• Postpartum

How do you know if you have a thyroid disorder?

Many doctors just take a measurement for TSH (thyroid stimulating hormone), but to get the full picture you want the full thyroid panel: Free T4, Free T3, T4, Reserve T3, and TPO.

Note: my clients fill out a hormone questionnaire that gives a very clear picture as to whether or not a thyroid imbalance is happening. This is a great starting place and you can do a lot for your thyroid before even having to get testing (though I often recommend the testing if we see a definite imbalance!).

 

Can you treat it naturally?

There's much you can do for your thyroid naturally, however, if you've been diagnosed with Hashi, or another thyroid disease you would want to do this in conjunction with your medication:

1. Revamp your diet:

An essential part of improving thyroid health is eating the right foods for your body. Many people have a sensitivity to foods like gluten, wheat, proteins in dairy like Casein, and eggs that they are unaware of. These sensitivities can trigger immune attacks on the thyroid and drive overall inflammation in the body, which can trigger to autoimmune thyroid conditions like Hashimoto’s and Graves Disease. Not everyone has the same sensitivities so figuring out which ones are triggering you is really important.

2. Eat thyroid boosting foods that contain selenium, iodine, zinc, potassium, and antioxidants. For instance:

• Brazil nuts

• Oysters

• Dulse flakes

• Avocados

• Dark leafy greens

3. Supplementation:
For your thyroid to properly function, there are key nutrients you need to focus on in order for T4 to convert to T3 (which is active thyroid hormone). If you aren't able to get this from food, finding out your levels and supplementing can be hugely beneficial. Working with a functional nutrition coach (like myself) :) can be really helpful here!

4. Adaptogenic Herbs

Adaptogenic herbs have been shown to have a positive effect on stress reduction, adrenal function, and thyroid function. The herb you choose is based on a few individual factors.
 

But wait, there's more! Remember, repairing your hormonal balance is key because no one hormone works in a vacuum. Cortisol impacts thyroid, as do heavy metals, toxins, and more. Hence, getting to the root cause will help you alleviate symptoms and feel your best (whether you are already on a medication or not!).

Reach out if you'd like to sit down to go over your own health history and see if there's something we can do to get you on the right path. I've been working in functional nutrition for the last few years and have been helping so many women feel better. I know that together we can get you on a path to feeling vibrant and energetic again.
 

Love and brazil nuts,

Stephanie