Healing the Thyroid
Both women and men can struggle with hypothyroid and hyperthyroid, meaning the thyroid is functioning too low or too high. The thyroid is an important gland for optimal hormonal balance.The thyroid regulates metabolism, body temperature, fertility, reproductive cycles, weight, and can affect skin and hair too. It is one gland which can frequently become in balanced. The adrenal stress hormone cortisol interferes with thyroid stimulating hormone. And often if one hormone is imbalanced it causes other imbalances. There is also the issue of Hashimoto’s disease and Graves disease, which are auto-immune diseases. These can compound confusion during hormonal transitions. The old endocrinology standards consider a TSH below 5 normal. Newer guidelines suggest below 3. Too low isn’t good either. The thyroid benefits from specific nutrients such as antioxidants, iodine, selenium, inositol, and vitamin D, and of course an anti-inflammatory diet. It is also important to find a practitioner willing to explore treatment options. Some patients report success with synthroid while others feel better with Armour thyroid, as with any hormonal imbalance it is important to re-nourish the thyroid gland.