Hypothyroid Causes Weight Gain and more

The thyroid is an endocrine gland located in the front of the neck. It secretes thyroid hormone
which regulates protein synthesis, growth, temperature, oxygen consumption of cells, and
metabolic rate. When thyroid hormone levels are low, signals from the brain tell the thyroid
gland to release more thyroid hormone in the form of T4. Thyroid hormone is very influential
over a person's ability to burn fat therefore low thyroid is a very common cause of weight gain.

How does the Thyroid Work?
Here is the simplified version that will give you a good understanding of proper thyroid function:
1.        Your brain determines that your body’s metabolism is not working fast enough, perhaps
because your body temperature drops.
2.        Your brain sends a signal from the pituitary gland to the thyroid gland in the form of
Thyroid Stimulating Hormone (TSH).
3.        TSH tells the thyroid gland to produce thyroid hormone in the form of T4.
4.        Once in the blood stream, T4 travels to the liver where it can be converted into a more
active form of thyroid hormone called T3.  
5.        The T3 will then bind to different tissues in your body (muscle, heart, brain, etc.) and
causes the metabolism of those tissues to increase.
6.        Body heat rises as does overall metabolic rate.
7.        Your brain is satisfied and stops releasing TSH.  

What is Hypothyroid?
Hypothyroid (low thyroid) refers to decreased function of the thyroid gland or of the thyroid
hormone itself.  If the function of the thyroid is compromised in any of the steps described
above, one of the first symptoms you will experience is fatigue due to decreased energy
production or metabolism. With a decreased metabolism, it makes sense that hypothyroid is a
common causes weight gain. Other symptoms of hypothyroid include emotional instability,
mental sluggishness, muscle weakness, muscle tremors, nervousness, anxiety, cold
intolerance, dry skin or hair, puffy hands or face, loss of the outer third of the eyebrow, joint
aches, muscle cramps, and constipation.
Hypothyroidism can significantly affect ones life and a healthy thyroid gland is vital to overall
health for many reasons.


What can cause hypothyroid?
There are many reasons for low thyroid. Autoimmunity, specifically Hashimoto’s hypothyroidism,
is a condition where your immune system is attacking the thyroid gland. Autoimmune thyroid is
the most common cause of hypothyroidism, yet it remains wildly undiagnosed by mainstream
medicine. To properly treat hypothyroidism we must know the true cause of it. There are many
blood tests that need to be completed and evaluated before determining the course of
treatment. The majority of hypothyroid patients have only had TSH (thyroid stimulating
hormone) and T4 levels tested, but this is not enough to determine the cause of hypothyroid.  
This leads to ineffective treatment and potentially an autoimmune disorder that is left
unattended to. If you have a disorder that is destroying your thyroid gland, you need to know
about it so it can be dealt with properly!.

Nutrient deficiency can cause hypothyroid. There are many nutrients (Mg, Fe, Zn, Tyrosine,
etc.) that are required for the thyroid to work properly. When you are deficient in a nutrient,
one or more of the step described above might fail, resulting in hypothyroid.  Simple testing can
determine the exact deficiency that could be causing your low thyroid. Once the deficiency is
identified, supplementing with high quality nutrients will be the key to regaining thyroid health.
One of the most important nutrients for thyroid function is Iodine because it, along with tyrosine,
is one of the basic building blocks of thyroid hormone.

How would I know if I am Iodine deficient?
Sub-optimal Iodine levels are very common in America today. Testing reveals that many people
do not get enough Iodine to meet their total body needs or for optimal thyroid health. Iodine is
not only concentrated in the thyroid, but also in breast tissue, prostate, testes, ovaries,
stomach and the sweat glands of the skin. Often, individuals with low Iodine do not sweat as
much as normal. Those low in Iodine are susceptible to thyroid disorders as well as hormonal
imbalance, irregular or painful menstruation, indigestion, fibrous cystic disorders of the breasts,
ovaries (PCOS), testes and prostate and eventually cancer in those respective tissues. Testing
reveals that some people require very high doses of Iodine to re-establish normal iodine levels
in their bodies. Testing Iodine levels is very simple, accurate and inexpensive. The test will tell
you if your body is starving for Iodine or if your body can not properly absorb Iodine. The
treatments for either case are very simple and inexpensive as well.  A months supply of Iodine
can cost as little as $4-5. Often this is all it takes to get someone's energy back and to trigger
healthy weight loss, not to mention the reduction in cancer risk.
Caution: You should NOT take high doses of Iodine without being properly tested for Iodine
deficiency. If you have autoimmune thyroid disease, Iodine can make it much worse.

Toxicity can also be a root cause of hypothyroid. Here are a few chemicals that can have a
toxic affect on the thyroid.
•        HRT and Birth control
•        PCB, BPA, Phthalates
•        Soy
•        Mercury, Arsenic
•        Fluoride, Bromide
•        Benzene, Toluene
•        Recreational Drugs and Alcohol

Excess estrogen can cause your body to release a protein called thyroid binding globulin
(TBG). As its name suggests, TBG will bind to circulation thyroid hormone. Once bound to
TBG, the thyroid hormone is rendered useless and the metabolism continues to suffer. For this
reason, excess estrogen (and excess TBG) can be considered a cause of hypothyroid.

Poor conversion of T4 (thyroid hormone) into the more active form (T3) is a very common
cause of low thyroid function. If conversion of thyroid hormone is not sufficient you will have all
of the signs and symptoms of low thyroid. Poor thyroid conversion can be caused by Adrenal
Fatigue (excessive stress leading to low cortisol production), exposure to certain chemicals,
and nutrient deficiencies (Se, Zn, Vit. D, etc.). Poor conversion is not true hypothyroid so it will
not show up on standard thyroid blood tests (TSH, T4).  Luckily, we can easily test for thyroid
conversion problems and the underlying causes.

As you can see, there are many potential causes of hypothyroid. Uncovering the true cause of
your low thyroid is the crucial first step in finding the best treatment for you.

Natural Treatment and Diet for Hypothyroid
As with any illness, diet and nutrition play a huge role in rehabilitating your thyroid. Food is our
fuel; unless you provide your body with quality fuel then your body will begin to fail. A diet of
processed food heavily laced with chemicals and additives will not provide your body with the
specific nutrients that you need to complete the thousands of tasks occurring every single
second in your body. A poor diet can create a toxic environment within your body and your
health will decline. To help increase the nutrients specific to the thyroid it is advisable to get on
a hypothyroid diet.

Exercise can play a big role in thyroid health. In fact, exercise has been shown to increase T4
production.  The right type of exercise is very important as well. Too much cardio can often
increase adrenal fatigue, leading to increased symptoms of hypothyroid.  We recommend a
combination of burst training, interval training and strength training for our patients in a
customized ratio that is compatible with their individual metabolism. We use both metabolic
testing and genetic testing to determine the exact type of exercise that best fits each individual.

Detoxification and other lifestyle modifications will also be utilized where appropriate.
Remember, the cause dictates the treatment so if a toxin is causing you to have low thyroid,
then detoxification may be the best treatment plan for you. If your hypothyroid is caused by low
iodine or another nutrient, then diet and supplementation would obviously be a part of your
plan. Everyone is different so we feel like their natural thyroid treatment plans should be
equally unique.

How do I get Evaluated for Treatment?
Call Complete Health and Weight Loss today for a complete thyroid analysis.
972-735-0707

If you are having trouble losing weight and have symptoms of low thyroid but you do not
live in the Dallas Fort Worth area, we can still help you through phone consultations.