Myself and many of the client that I work with seem to have some thyroid deficiency. In fact, An estimated 20 million Americans have some form of thyroid disease. Up to 60 percent of those with thyroid disease are unaware of their condition. Women are five to eight times more likely than men to have thyroid problems. One woman in eight will develop a thyroid disorder during her lifetime. Let’s do a little deep dive on how the thyroid works in order to understand how to better support proper thyroid function.
The thyroid is first regulated by your hypothalamus by way of thyroid releasing hormone (TRH). TRH signals the anterior pituitary to release thyroid stimulating hormone (TSH). TSH then signals the thyroid to release thyroxine (T4). T4 has little affect on cells metabolic function and must be first converted to its more active form Triiodothyronine (T3 ). T3 moves into cells of the body and upregulates metabolism through gene expression.
The body regulates this process through a negative feedback loop. When T3 accumulates in the blood, it signals the pituitary and hypothalamus to stop producing TRH and TSH respectively.
It is important to support thyroid function by having enough essential trace minerals in your diet. One of these trace minerals is selenium. Several studies have shown that supplementing with selenium reduces thyroid peroxidase antibodies (TPO), as well as the severity of hypothyroidism symptoms. Additionally, T4 to T3 or rT3 conversion is catalyzed by 3 different selenium-dependent thyroid deiodinases referred to as D1, D2, and D3.
The easiest way to get sufficient selenium into your diet is the brazil nut. Brazil nuts are rich in selenium, with just one nut containing 96 mcg, or 175% of the RDI. Most other nuts provide less than 1 mcg, on average (3). By have one nut, you can support your thyroid health!
There is so much more to thyroid function and metabolic health than just selenium, and it helps to have a guide along the way to save you time, money, and stress! Click the link below to get started on your nutrition journey today!