In a previous blog we discussed the many functions of the liver and why you should do everything you can to keep it happy. After all, not only does it metabolize medicines, carbohydrates, alcohol, and fat, but it also helps with blood clotting, stores vitamins and minerals, and create bile! (We’re pretty sure that’s the first time an exclamation mark has ever followed the word “bile.”) Considering all it does (up to 600 different functions, by some estimates), you should definitely treat your liver right and maybe buy it some milk thistle pills.
But pound for pound, there’s another contender for the “Amazing Things Done In Small Packages” award, and that’s the thyroid. Though the thyroid weighs 1/80th as much as the liver, it’s incredibly important to your health and the roles it plays in your body. Let’s learn more about this amazing organ and how Nutriflair’s thyroid health supplements can help support it.
What Is The Thyroid?
The thyroid is an organ (technically a gland, like the liver) that is butterfly-shaped and is located at the front of your neck. It has two lobes that are connected by an isthmus.
What Does The Thyroid Do?
The thyroid gland can affect the body in many ways. First of all, the thyroid can control the rate at which calories are burned, and you won’t be surprised to know that many people are interested in natural thyroid support because this plays a major role in weight loss/gain. Not only that, but it can also affect how quickly food moves through your alimentary canal (digestive system)
In addition to helping control a person’s weight, the thyroid can also affect heart rate, control body temperature, and alter the way that muscles contract. These functions are all performed by the release of two thyroid hormones, triiodothyronine (T3) and T4 thyroxine (T4).
How Does It Work?
The thyroid works in tandem with the pituitary gland, a tiny gland in the brain that tells the thyroid when to perform its functions. By releasing TSH (thyroid-stimulating hormone), the pituitary gland instructs the thyroid to release more or less of T3 and T4. If there’s too much in the body, it will release less. If there isn’t enough to keep the body in balance, it will instruct the thyroid to release more of these two hormones. These two hormones end up affecting every cell in the body.
Where Does Iodine Come In?
The only cells in the body that can absorb iodine are the cells in the thyroid. The thyroid then combines the iodine with tyrosine, a standard amino acid, in order to create T3 and T4. Obviously, without iodine the thyroid has no way to make these two essential hormones. This can lead to an enlarged thyroid (also known as a goiter), hypothyroidism (discussed below), and severe birth defects or miscarriage.
Because of the thyroid’s need for iodine, it has been added to ordinary table salt so that everyone can have access to it even if they don’t eat iodine-rich foods. However, iodine isn’t the only thing that can keep the thyroid gland in good shape. That’s why we’ve added many other ingredients to our thyroid health supplements to help support this important gland and the role it plays in the body, including vitamin B12, magnesium, zinc, selenium, copper, manganese, and molybdenum.
What Can Go Wrong?
There are two major things that can go wrong with the thyroid: hypothyroidism (an underproduction of thyroid hormones) and hyperthyroidism (an overproduction of thyroid hormones). Let’s take a deeper look at each and how they can affect you.
- Hypothyroidism - Also called “low thyroid” or “underactive thyroid,” hypothyroidism is an endocrine system disorder in which the thyroid doesn’t produce enough thyroid hormones. It can occur when you don’t get enough iodine, when the thyroid itself isn’t working properly, or when the pituitary gland isn’t sending out the proper signals. Symptoms of hypothyroidism include weight gain, depression, constipation, tiredness, and an inability to tolerate cold. It can also lead to memory problems or affect the ability to think clearly.
- Hyperthyroidism - Hyperthyroidism occurs when the thyroid is producing too much T3 and T4. The leading cause of hyperthyroidism is Graves’ disease, though it can also occur from taking in too much iodine or using too much synthetic thyroid hormone. Symptoms include muscle weakness, sleeping problems, moodiness and nervousness, weight loss, diarrhea, intolerance to heat, and an overly-fast heartbeat.
With an unhealthy thyroid leading to so many health problems, it’s pretty obvious that everyone should do whatever he or she can to keep it in as good a shape as possible. While our natural thyroid support can’t fix problems currently occurring with your thyroid, our thyroid pills give it what it needs to support it in its tasks. As we said up above, we’re not just providing iodine but many other vitamins and minerals that can assist in the proper distribution of the hormones that are only produced by the thyroid. If your doctor says you should be taking better care of your thyroid, try Nutriflair’s all-natural thyroid support today!