Your body converts food and drink into energy using what doctors refer to as the metabolic process. You then use this energy to think, grow, move and exist. Several hormones in your body's endocrine system work to control the speed of your metabolism, which gives some a naturally fast metabolism and others a slower one. You should seek medical attention if you believe you are experiencing changes in your metabolism.
Factors that Affect Metabolism
Several factors determine body's metabolic baseline, known as the basal metabolic rate: your size and muscle mass, your age, and your sex. If you are large, overweight or have a large muscle mass and are a man you are likely to have a faster metabolism than if you are small, underweight with little muscle and are a woman. In addition, how old you are has a huge impact on your metabolic speed, which slows down as you age.
Hypothyroidism
Hypothyroidism is a common metabolic disorder caused when your body does not produce enough thyroid hormone and slows down your metabolism. Since the main purpose of thyroid hormone is to run the body's metabolism, it is understandable that people with this condition will have symptoms associated with a slow metabolism.
Common Symptoms
Most people first become aware of a slow metabolism and thyroid disorder when they gain weight or have trouble losing it. Fatigue and weakness also accompany this, along with cold intolerance, muscle aches or cramps, and dry hair and skin. Mental health symptoms are common as well and include depression, irritability, loss of libido and even memory loss.
Varying Spectrum
Symptoms of hypothyroidism and slow metabolism vary from person to person and depend on how deficient in thyroid hormone your body is and for how long. While some patients do not have any symptoms, most have a combination.
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