The Thyroid Gland

By Dr. David Brownstein, M.D.
Dr. Brownstein - Author of Ensuring that the endocrine system is functioning optimally is vital to achieving your optimal health. My clinical experience has clearly shown that it is impossible to have a balanced hormonal system if the thyroid gland is not optimally functioning. This article will show you how to recognize thyroid problems and what steps you can take to improve the functioning of the thyroid.

The thyroid is a small gland in the lower part of your neck that weighs less than an ounce. The thyroid gland produces approximately 30cc of thyroid hormone per year.
This amount of thyroid hormone is responsible for regulating the metabolism of each of the billions of cells in our body. If there is too little thyroid hormone produced, the metabolism of the body is sluggish. If there is too much thyroid hormone produced, the metabolism of the body is overactive. The best scenario is for the thyroid gland to produce an optimal amount of thyroid hormone to help the body maintain homeostasis.What happens when the thyroid gland produces an inadequate amount of thyroid hormone? A constellation of symptoms develop. These symptoms are collectively referred to as hypothyroidism. Table 1 lists the signs and symptoms of hypothyroidism.

Table 1
The prevalence of hypothyroidism is staggering. The Colorado Thyroid Disease Prevalence Study estimated that the rate of hypothyroidism in the general population was approximately 10%. In the United States, this may mean that 13 million adults have an undiagnosed hypothyroid condition. Although this study used blood testing alone to diagnose a hypothyroid condition, my research has shown that relying solely on blood tests for this diagnosis will result in missing approximately 40% of those who have a hypothyroid condition. A holistic approach, which takes into account the laboratory tests, the basal body temperatures, and the patient’s signs and symptoms will identify many more individuals suffering from hypothyroidism. It is my opinion that the true figure for hypothyroidism is closer to 40% of the population or approximately 52 million adult Americans. I believe these same percentages apply to people all over the world.

What are the different thyroid hormones? The hormones are named according to how many iodine molecules are bound to the thyroid hormone (thyroxine). The two most common thyroid hormones are known as thyroxine (or T4) and triiodothyronine (or T3). T4 contains four iodine molecules and T3 contains 3 iodine molecules. It is very important to know the difference between these two similar hormones. T4 is known as the inactive thyroid hormone. Most of the thyroid hormone secreted from the thyroid gland is in the form of T4. T4 gets released into the blood stream and is picked up in the periphery of the body where it gets transported into the cells of the body. It is inside the cells where T4 is converted to the more active thyroid hormone T3. Although T4 does have some activity in the body, T3 is 300% more active as compared to T4.

Why is it important to know about the difference between T4 and T3? Most medical doctors do not pay attention to the different hormones. It is common practice in medicine to check the blood work for thyroid function when a doctor suspects there may be a thyroid problem. What test is the most common test? It is the TSH (thyroid stimulating hormone) test. When the body needs more thyroid hormone, TSH is secreted from the pituitary gland. TSH goes to the thyroid gland and stimulates the thyroid gland to release T4. T4 becomes T3 in the cells of the body, where thyroid hormone has its effect of increasing the metabolism. When this system is functioning well, it is easy to maintain a healthy weight and have enough energy to have a productive day.

However, when the system is not functioning optimally, a host of problems can develop as shown in Table 2. As can be seen from this table, it is vitally important to ensure an optimally functioning thyroid gland, not only to avoid developing the illnesses shown in Table 2, but to obtain your optimal health. I have witnessed all of these problems improve when the thyroid function is optimized. In a future issue, this series will focus on why blood tests may be missing many of those suffering from hypothyroidism and what natural steps you can undertake to help overcome a thyroid problem.

Dr. Brownstein is a board-certified family physician and Medical Director of the Center for Holistic Medicine in West Bloomfield, Michigan. A leading practitioner of holistic medicine, he has authored seven books including Overcoming Thyroid Disorders, Iodine: Why You Need It, Why You Can’t Live Without It, and Salt Your Way To Health.

This article was taken from our ‘A Grain of Salt®’ Summer 2008 issue available as a PDF.

Here is an article summary for this issue:  The Thyroid Gland by Dr. David Brownstein, MD, Five Critical Parts of Healthy Aging – Part 1 by Chris D. Meletis, ND, Female Hormones Naturally by James Biddle, MD, Fats and Oils by Paul Chek, Exercise Your Heart Really Needs by Dr. Al Sears, Feed Your Genes Right by Jack Challem, Food Not Lawns by Heather Flores.

Also, you can checkout Dr. Brownstein’s book “Salt Your Way To Health” below

"Salt Your Way To Health" by Dr David Brownstein