Your thyroid is a butterfly-shaped organ that lies across the cartilage of your neck above the collar bone. The role of the thyroid is to control the bodys metabolic rate and along with the parathyroid glands (found beside or near thyroid), controls the body’s circulating calcium levels. It is controlled by the brain through the thyroid stimulating hormone (known as TSH). This in turn makes hormones within the thyroid, known as T3 and T4 which control your metabolism.
If your TSH levels drop below normal, your thyroid creates more T3 and T4 to compensate, which can cause your body to go into a condition known as hyperthyroidism, which speeds up your metabolic rate and puts all your body processes into overdrive. If your TSH levels are higher than normal, your thyroid creates less T3 and T4, which causes your body to go into hypothyroidism, which slows your metabolism down, can lead to weight gain and your energy levels drop.
Thyroid disorders are becoming increasingly common, particularly in women. By age 50, one in ten women has a thyroid condition.
A new report from the NSW Cancer Institute reveals an alarming trend – over the past decade the number of NSW women being diagnosed with thyroid cancer has increased a whopping 85%. The incidence of thyroid cancer in men has increased by 40%. In contrast, the incidence of most other types of cancer has remained stable.
Why has the incidence of thyroid diseases, including auto-immune thyroid disease, multi-nodular goitre and thyroid cancer increased so dramatically?
Researchers are looking at multiple factors –
- Deficiencies of the minerals iodine, selenium, zinc and vitamin D
- Exposure to radiation from medical procedures, mobile phones, computers, etc.
- Working in certain industries – the manufacture of prefabricated wooden buildings, electric installations, working with fertilisers, oilseed & grain, working with toxic chemicals such as dry cleaning fluids, solvents, pesticides, glues, paints & plastics etc.
The one piece of good news in this is the survival rate of patients with thyroid cancer is over 90%.
Recommendations for keeping your thyroid gland healthy –
- Ensure that you have a healthy diet, rich in nutrients required from healthy thyroid gland function. These include iodine, selenium, zinc and vitamin D.
- Consume adequate high quality protein. The thyroid glands requires the amino acid tyrosine in order to manufacture thyroid hormones. Tyrosine is found in protein rich foods, such as red meat, fish, poultry, and vegetarian sources including almonds, avocados, bananas and pumpkin seeds.
- In Australia, the majority of thyroid conditions are caused by an autoimmune disease; meaning the immune system is responsible for causing the thyroid to become either under active or over active. Research has shown that gluten intolerance can be a triggering factor in autoimmune thyroid disease. Gluten is a protein found in wheat, oats, rye and barley. Many thyroid patients benefit from following a gluten free diet.
- Keep your liver healthy! The liver is the main sire of conversion of thyroid hormone T4 into its more active form T3. A sluggish or fatty liver may impair the efficiency of this process.
- Minimise your exposure to the heavy metals mercury, cadmium and lead, as they can interfere with the manufacture of thyroid hormones.
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