Your body carries out a multitude of functions without your effort. It uses vitamins, minerals and nutrients to produce hundreds of chemicals necessary for health and proper function. Your thyroid gland is a small, butterfly-shaped gland at the base of your neck that produces hormones necessary for metabolic health.
Function
Your thyroid uses the trace mineral iodine and the amino acid tyrosine to produce two primary thyroid hormones, triiodothyronine, known as T3, and thyroxine, known as T4. Both hormones are necessary for proper metabolic function. T4 is the most abundant thyroid hormone, accounting for 80 percent, while T3 accounts for 20 percent of the thyroid hormones in your body. Though T4 is more abundant, T3 is stronger and more active than T4.
Healthy Hormonal Balance
A healthy thyroid balances hormones through an intricate feedback system. Your pituitary gland produces thyroid stimulation hormone, or TSH, which regulates the production of thyroid hormones. High TSH levels result in an increased release of thyroid hormones. TSH is governed by thyroid release hormone, or TRH, produced by your hypothalamus. TRH, stimulates TSH, which then stimulates thyroid hormone production when blood levels decline. When blood levels are high, the opposite occurs to promote a reduction in thyroid hormone production. This checks and balance system promotes hormonal balance.
Diet and Healthy Thyroid
Because your body uses iodine and tyrosine to produce thyroid hormones, your diet influences thyroid health. Your body cannot manufacture iodine, so dietary intake is crucial. Your body can manufacture tyrosine; however, it does so by converting another amino acid, phenylalanine, which your body cannot produce and must receive from your diet. This makes diet important to thyroid health. Iodine-rich foods include eggs, dairy, kelp and seaweed, while meat, fish and poultry are high sources of phenylalanine. Tyrosine is also found in foods such as meat, poultry and dairy products.
Thyroid Disorders
A number of conditions can cause your thyroid to malfunction. Hashimoto's thyroiditis is the most common cause of hypothyroidism, or underfunctioning thyroid. Hashimoto's is an autoimmune condition in which your immune system identifies your thyroid tissues as antigens, attacking them. Over time, this can prevent your thyroid from making enough hormones and cause symptoms such as fatigue. Iodine deficiency can also cause hypothyroidism. Hyperthyroidism, is when your thyroid produces too much thyroid hormone. A faulty feedback system can cause your hypothalamus to trigger your pituitary gland to overstimulate your thyroid.
