thyroid gland (noun)
a large ductless gland in the neck which secretes hormones regulating growth and development through the rate of metabolism
A simple definition for a far from simple gland. Thyroid imbalances have far reaching effects and can trigger symptoms of fatigue, depression, coldness, constipation, poor skin, headaches, PMS, dysmenorrhea, fluid retention, weight gain, anxiety/panic attacks, decreased memory and concentration, muscle and joint pain, and a low sex drive.
Do a pattern of these sound familiar? It may be that you have already had your thyroid gland tested by your GP. The results may have come back ‘within range’. Perhaps you were given a thyroid replacement (such as Levothyroxine) but what if symptoms remain?
A wise first move is to visit your GP for advice. But here, I will discuss the limitations of a simple GP thyroid test and what else is on offer by Functional Testing.
The thyroid gland is perhaps best known for its role in regulating metabolic rate, yet it does so much more. Thyroid hormones regulate heart rate, breathing, central and peripheral nervous systems, body temperature, body weight, muscle strength, menstrual cycles and more. It’s no wonder then that when this important gland starts to flag, symptoms can be incredibly varied and adverse effects soon start to set in.
Symptoms don’t always immediately appear as obviously ‘thyroid connected’. For example, would we first consider that sluggish bowels were related to a gland in our neck or that our ‘lack luster’ hair and nails wasn’t just a case of age changes.
Conventional testing isn’t a failsafe way to establish a problem. To understand why, I am using Q&A from an interview with a Genova Diagnostics clinician. Genova is the Functional Testing company which I use when I am digging deeper into a client case in which thyroid malfunction seems evident:
Question
Many patients report ‘normal’ thyroid function following testing with their GP, yet are struggling with multiple symptoms that seem to relate to thyroid dysfunction. Why is this and what testing would you recommend to dig a bit deeper?
Answer
A GP will often only test Thyroid Stimulating Hormone (TSH) and Thyroxine (free T4). There are two main problems with this:
• The references ranges used are quite broad which means that a more subclinical issue may easily be missed. It’s important to remember that everyone is different and what is ‘normal’ for one person may not be ‘normal’ for the next.
• TSH and free T4 will give the clinician an idea of what is happening with central thyroid regulation, however these markers don’t give much indication of peripheral regulation (conversion of free T4 into active (T3) and inactive forms (reverse T3) which happens at a cellular level in target tissues) which is where many problems can occur.
We would recommend taking a more comprehensive look at the thyroid using a test such as Thyroid Plus, which includes TSH, total T4, free T4, free T3, anti TG antibodies and anti TPO antibodies to assess both central and peripheral thyroid function as well as thyroid auto-immunity.
It is the Thyroid Plus test which I use in my clinical practice to determine whether the thyroid is functioning well.
To sum up the purpose of this test, when your GP test result comes back ‘within range’, particularly if on the low range this may not be optimal for you as an individual.
This test will assess the type of thyroid hormone. Is it T4 or T3, and it what quantities? This is important as the active version T3 is required in order to perform all the many functions listed above. So simply testing for T4 is not enough.
Also, there are instances when low thyroid function is due to Hashimoto’s Disease which is an autoimmune condition. The Genova test will assess this possibility by looking for thyroid antibodies. If these were found, then the diet and supplement strategies used in my practice would be very different from a case of low thyroid output for other reasons.
What are these ‘other reasons’ for low thyroid output? These include:
Stress
Poor nutrition (we need certain nutrients to build these hormones)
Nutrients which convert our T4 to the active T3 (are they missing?)
The Thyroid Plus test is £150. It enables us to allow the strategies used to be totally individualized. There should be no set approach for supporting the thyroid as we are all unique individuals.
The root causes are what I am after.
Does this post resonate with your unique case? If so drop me an email to discuss booking this Functional Test for your bespoke health needs.
The test allows us to create a food and supplement plan focused on YOUR data.
bellenutrition@gmail.com