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Why Thyroid health is important for ALL of your health goals!

By Dr John Barnett

January is national Thyroid health awareness month and this often overlooked, 2″ organ in the throat is so important for accomplishing your goals this year.  January is the perfect time to talk about thyroid health, because so many people make new years resolutions or goals for the coming year, and healthy thyroid function gives us the energy, the vitality to reach and achieve these goals.

Why is the thyroid gland so important ?

The main reason that thyroid health is essential for accomplishing YOUR goals is because it related directly to brain and mitochondrial function in the body. In every cell the mitochondria is the power plant, and without sufficient energy production people often find it very difficult to have the strength, energy, and motivation to accomplish their goals and aspirations.

For many, New Year’s goals may involve either weight loss or gaining lean muscle mass. Because thyroid function regulates our metabolism, having optimal thyroid function is essential for achieving goals related to weight loss or muscle growth. For many, even if they exercise regularly and hit the gym hard this January, they are underwhelmed, or really struggle to get great results because they have poor thyroid function.

Another goal for many this year may be Fertility, and thyroid health is so important for getting pregnant AND for reducing miscarriage. So many patients that we help with fertility have had difficulty getting or staying pregnant, and had no idea that it was because of poor thyroid function.

Why is Thyroid dysfunction so common?

Low thyroid function has become so prevalent that medical researchers are considering lowering “normal” body temperature. This is because so many people suffer from low thyroid that when research measures the body temperature across large numbers of people they are finding that the average temperature has dropped by about 1 degree over the last 50 years.

There are 2 primary reasons why thyroid problems are so common these days. The first reason that thyroid dysfunction is so prevalent these days is due to the inordinate amount of stress in modern life. Stress, specifically the stress hormone cortisol interferes with normal hormone signaling that causes improper inhibition of thyroid hormone. This creates a feedback loop that prevents the thyroid gland from functioning normally.

The other reason that thyroid dysfunction is so common is due to the Standard American Diet, or SAD. The standard American diet is low in quality protein as well as vital micronutrients such as iodine that are critical to healthy thyroid function. Many Americans also consume wheat that has been processed with Roundup. This product increases crop yield, but is highly detrimental to thyroid function because of its effects on the microbiome. Due to the prevalence of leaky gut and microbiome dysbiosis, many foods that most Americans consume everyday become detrimental to their thyroid.

How does decentralized medicine improve Thyroid function ?

One of the best treatments for preventing thyroid problems, and improving thyroid function is Acupuncture. This is because acupuncture has been shown to prevent the negative effects of stress on the body, including its effects on the thyroid. Acupuncture has a variety of other thyroid benefits such as optimizing immune function, as autoimmune disease is the most common type of thyroid dysfunction.

Optimizing your circadian rhythm, by getting plenty of quality sleep when the sun goes down, as well as quality sunlight especially at sunrise and sunset is essential for rebuilding thyroid health.

Phytonutrients, ideally from herbs prescribed by a professional herbalist are excellent for balancing hormone function, including restoring thyroid health. It is important to have these prescribed by a professional, because it’s not “1 size fits all”. Some people need to have their gut health and microbiome addressed first, whereas others need cortisol reduction, and for some immune system balancing is the priority.

Bringing it all together:

I hope that this post has increased your awareness and understanding of thyroid function and its importance for health. Here are a few things to remember:

1) Thyroid health is essential for energy levels and metabolism, so it is important for achieving health goals such as weight loss, gaining muscle, or fertility.

2) Start small. Small changes, done consistently over a long period of time is the best way to improve chronic disease.

3) Get regular Acupuncture or use other techniques to manage your stress levels and optimize your hormones and immune function.

4) If you know you have thyroid disease see a specialist like a functional medicine doctor or acupuncturist along with an endocrinologist to help you on your healing journey.