What is the thyroid gland:
The thyroid is an endocrine gland, located on the front of the throat, more precisely under the cartilage surrounding the larynx (the "Adam's apple"), made up of two lobes united in the center, pink in color and shaped like a "butterfly" . It has a weight of about 20-30 gr. and it is, obviously together with the ovaries, the best known gland especially in the female world.
The endocrine glands produce hormones, substances that are released into the bloodstream and which will then act on various organs, systems and functions of our body.
What the thyroid needs to function:
The thyroid is the fundamental organ for the uptake and use of a fundamental element for the survival of all mammals: the iodine. This substance is present in numerous foods but mainly in fish and sea algae.
However, it can also be found in varying quantities in meat, eggs and milk. Fruits and vegetables may also contain iodine but in quantities that greatly depend on how rich the soil on which these products were grown is in this element and on the use of fertilizers used. Unfortunately, however, this variability does not allow the quantities of iodine taken with these foods to always represent a sufficient source to satisfy the needs of the organism. For this reason, both the Ministry of Health and the World Health Organization recommend preventing iodine deficiencies by using iodized salt instead of common table salt, with the pros and cons that this practice represents.
What is the thyroid gland:
The thyroid is an endocrine gland, located on the front of the throat, more precisely under the cartilage surrounding the larynx (the "Adam's apple"), made up of two lobes united in the center, pink in color and shaped like a "butterfly" . It has a weight of about 20-30 gr. and it is, obviously together with the ovaries, the best known gland especially in the female world.
The endocrine glands produce hormones, substances that are released into the bloodstream and which will then act on various organs, systems and functions of our body.
What the thyroid needs to function:
The thyroid is the fundamental organ for the uptake and use of a fundamental element for the survival of all mammals: the iodine. This substance is present in numerous foods but mainly in fish and sea algae, especially inFucus seaweed.
However, it can also be found in varying quantities in meat, eggs and milk. Fruits and vegetables may also contain iodine but in quantities that greatly depend on how rich the soil on which these products were grown is in this element and on the use of fertilizers used. Unfortunately, however, this variability does not allow the quantities of iodine taken with these foods to always represent a sufficient source to satisfy the needs of the organism. For this reason, both the Ministry of Health and the World Health Organization recommend preventing iodine deficiencies by using iodized salt instead of common table salt, with the pros and cons that this practice represents.
What is the thyroid gland for:
it is the only gland that produces the thyroid hormones, substances that are fundamental for numerous biological functions, from cell replication to basal metabolism, from heart rhythm control to the production of body temperature. But that is not all. Basal metabolism is stimulated by increasing oxygen consumption; thyroid hormones are responsible for mobilizing water from the tissues and controlling cholesterol levels in the blood. On the bones and muscles, the thyroid gland exerts a positive activity, increasing their physiological development. The thyroid gland also stimulates their production on red blood cells, both directly and indirectly (by increasing the synthesis of erythropoietin), thus resulting in a fundamental gland not only for the correct use of oxygen but also for its transport through these blood cells. . The maintenance of a constant and adequate heart rhythm also occurs by the thyroid which, as already mentioned, also regulates the control of body temperature. Last but not least, it is the function of the thyroid gland on the development and integrity of the nervous system. This aspect is particularly important especially in pregnant women (and females of mammals) because for the correct development of the fetus, the thyroid hormones of the mother are of fundamental importance.
The thyroid and other glands:
The thyroid is capable of "dialogue" with other glands such as the ovaries and adrenals. The goal of dialogue between glands is always to maintain a balance as stable as possible. This is why sometimes when we are suffering from an endocrine problem, the doctor will also investigate the functionality of other glands.
The gland with which the thyroid has a particularly close correlation from a functional point of view is the pituitary gland. Also called the pituitary, the pituitary is a tiny gland found at the base of the brain. The pituitary gland produces a hormone, the TSH which is nothing more than a message intended for the thyroid gland, a message in which it is written exactly when and how much to produce thyroid hormones. The stronger the message, the more it means that the body needs thyroid hormones. As a result, a high amount of TSH prompts the thyroid to produce more of it.
This is the reason why, in hypothyroid subjects, who therefore produce less hormones, the TSH rises, to order the thyroid to produce a greater quantity of hormones. T3 And T4.
T3 and T4, who they are and what they do:
respectively triiodiothyronine and thyroxine, these are the two main actors who lead the balancing act of our metabolism. These hormones travel through our body anchored to proteins, some specific and others less specific. It must be said that most of the T3 circulating in the blood comes not so much from the direct production of the thyroid but from the transformation of the T4 in T3 inside the cells.
We have already talked about the many functions of the thyroid and its hormones and the absolute need to have iodine available to train T3 And T4. But why are they important for keeping the metabolism in balance?
Basal metabolic rate:
it is the amount of energy we consume when we are in a state of rest. Self T3 And T4 they do not circulate in adequate quantities, there may be alterations in the use of sugar and a reduced activity of an enzyme responsible for reducing adipose tissue. In addition to this, thyroid hormones stimulate the synthesis and oxidation of cholesterol which is converted into bile acids. A lack of thyroid hormones also affects the development of the so-called "lean mass", ie muscles, bones and structural proteins. The consequence of a low production of thyroid hormones could therefore translate as a transformation of the body with an increase in fat and a reduction in muscle. With the same weight, therefore, a subject with poor thyroid function will have an unbalanced relationship between adipose and muscle tissue, with a series of very variable consequences on their health.
Thyroid and blemishes:
Although it may seem superfluous, thyroid disorders have a more or less important impact on theaesthetics.
Even the skin, nails and hair, in fact, are significantly affected by the scarce or excessive presence of thyroid hormones in the circulation, undergoing damage that is often attributed to vitamin deficiencies or other causes. From an aesthetic point of view, the thyroid therefore plays an important role in maintaining the health of the skin and appendages, for example by contributing to the elasticity of the skin, reducing the water retention around the eyes (bags and dark circles) and regulate the amount of water in the tissues. As already mentioned, a deficiency of thyroid hormones facilitates the accumulation of fat in the tissues. In particular, the thyroid hormone T3 activates the enzyme HSL (hormone sensitive lipase) which mobilizes fat and consequently if the thyroid works optimally, the risk of finding fat pads on the buttocks, hips and thighs can be reduced.
If your thyroid is not working properly, hair becomes dull, dry and brittle. In humans, the loss of beard and hair and in both sexes, loss of pubic hair and the outer part of the eyebrows can be observed, especially when the thyroid is over-functioning.
Rapid and abnormal hair loss occurs for example when there is an abrupt onset of hypothyroidism. The decrease in sebum secretion contributes to dryness of the hair and scalp.
In the vast majority of cases where the thyroid is sluggish, the nails are thinning, quite brittle, and have streaked with furrows. The size and speed of growth also decreased.
The iodine therefore it represents an extremely important element for the proper functioning of the thyroid and the Ministry of Health recommends the daily intake of 150 micrograms of iodine in adolescents and adults, while for pregnant women it is also recommended 250 micrograms per day.
It is very important that the integration of Iodine And Fucus seaweed occurs with a constant quantity of iodine, preferably titrated, in order to guarantee a well-defined daily intake of this element of fundamental importance for the proper functioning of our thyroid.
Sources:
- AM Leung, Braverman, LE; Pearce, EN, History of US iodine fortification and supplementation, in Nutrients, vol. 4, no. 11, 13 November 2012
- Cobin, RH; Gharib, H; Hennessey, JV; Klein, I; Mechanick, JI; Pessah-Pollack, R; Singer, PA; Woeber, KA for the American Association of Clinical Endocrinologists and the American Thyroid Association Taskforce on Hypothyroidism in Adults, Clinical Practice Guidelines for Hypothyroidism in Adults, in Thyroid, vol. 22, n. 12, December 2012
- DL Longo, Fauci, AS; Kasper, DL; Hauser, SL; Jameson, JL; Loscalzo, J, 341: disorders of the thyroid gland, in Harrison's principles of internal medicine., 18th, New York, McGraw-Hill, 2011
- van den Boogaard, E; Vissenberg, R; Land, JA et al., Significance of (sub) clinical thyroid dysfunction and thyroid autoimmunity before conception and in early pregnancy: a systematic review (Review), in Human Reproduction Update, vol. 17, n. 5, 2011
- EN Pearce, Update in lipid alterations in subclinical hypothyroidism, in The Journal of Clinical endocrinology and Metabolism, vol. 97, n. 2, Feb 2012
- AL Maia, Goemann, IM; Meyer, EL; Wajner, SM, Type 1 iodothyronine deiodinase in human physiology and disease: Deiodinases: the balance of thyroid hormone, in Journal of Endocrinology, vol. 209, n. 3, March 17, 2011
- SY Cheng, Leonard, JL; Davis, PJ, Molecular aspects of thyroid hormone actions, in Endocrine Reviews, vol. 31, n. 2, Apr 2010
- K Charlton, Skeaff, S, Iodine fortification, in Current Opinion in Clinical Nutrition and Metabolic Care, vol. 14, n. 6, November 2011
- World Health Organization, UNICEF, ICCIDD, Assessment of iodine deficiency disorders and monitoring their elimination, 3rd Geneva, World Health Organization, 2008
- Public Health Committee of the American Thyroid Association, Becker, DV; Braverman, LE; Delange, F; Dunn, JT; Franklyn, JA; Hollowell, JG; Lamm, SH; Mitchell, ML; Pearce, E; Robbins, J; Rovet, JF, Iodine supplementation for pregnancy and lactation-United States and Canada: recommendations of the American Thyroid Association, in Thyroid, vol. 16, n. 10, Oct 2006
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