Underactive Thyroid Quotes

Total T4/Total thyroxine = the amount of T4 bound to a carrier protein and the amount of unbound T4 in the blood. T4 is one-fifth to 1/10 as active as T3. T4 is converted into the more active T3 in the liver and kidneys. Total T3/Total triiodothyronine = the amount of T3 bound to a carrier protein and the amount of unbound T3 in the blood. FREE T3 = the amount of unbound T3 in blood. Low levels could mean an underactive thyroid. FREE T4 = the amount of unbound T4 in blood. Low levels could mean an underactive thyroid. Anti-TPO = anti-thyroid peroxidase (TPO). TPO is an enzyme needed to produce thyroid hormone. High levels of this antibody are an indication of an autoimmune disorder like Hashimoto’s or Graves disease.

In addition, you’re eating tons of soy—again, on the advice of your doctor. You’ve probably been led to believe that soy is a health food—but in reality, it’s a hormone disruptor that may cause your thyroid, the “conductor” of your body’s hormones, to become underactive.

Gut dysfunction. Includes small intestine bacterial overgrowth (SIBO), infections (e.g., parasites, pathogenic bacteria, viruses, candida), low stomach acid, bile, and enzyme production, intestinal permeability, and food intolerances. Nutrient imbalance. Includes deficiency of nutrients like vitamin B12, iron, folate, magnesium, zinc, EPA/DHA and fat-soluble vitamins (most common), and excess of nutrients like iron (less common). HPA axis dysregulation. Includes regulating the communication between the hypothalamus, pituitary, and adrenal glands, and balancing the production of hormones associated with those glands (e.g., DHEA, cortisol). Toxic burden. Includes exposure to chemicals (e.g., BPA, phthalates, etc.), heavy metals (e.g., mercury, arsenic), biotoxins (e.g., mold/mycotoxins, inflammation), or impaired detoxification capacity due to nutrient deficiency, GI issues, or other causes. Chronic infections. Includes “stealth” infections by tick-borne organisms (e.g., Borrelia, Babesia, Bartonella, Ehrlichia), intracellular bacteria (e.g., Mycoplamsa, Chlamydophila), viruses (e.g., HHV-6, HPV), and dental bacteria. Hormone imbalance. Includes hormones associated with metabolism (e.g., insulin, leptin), thyroid, and gonads (e.g., estrogen, progesterone, testosterone). Immune dysregulation. Includes autoimmunity, underactive immune function, and chronic, systemic inflammation. Cellular dysfunction. Impaired methylation, energy production, and mitochondrial function, and oxidative damage.