The Shine Lab Report- Thyroid: How you can have normal labs and still have a thyroid dysfunction
As a functional practitioner, I see a lot of thyroid issues come through my practice even in clients who have "normal" test results. This proves to be very frustrating as many practitioners are simply running incomplete tests, not understanding the full thyroid hormonal cascade.
I am often asked "How is this possible"? Simply answered the labs being run are not telling the entire story.
Let's put on our white coats and safety goggles and head into the Shine Labs to shed some light on the topic of thyroid function!
THE HORMONE CASCADE SIMPLIFIED
The produced T4 is then further converted into either that active T3 or into reverse T3 written simply as rT3. T3 and rT3 are in competition in the body.
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| The Thyroid Pathways |
Thyroid symptoms occur when excess cortisol (a hormone released by the adrenal cortex) blocks the pituitary's production of TSH, OR when it prevents the conversion of T4 into the usable T3.
Additionally, you can have labs that show that your TSH, T4 and T3 values are all "normal" however if you have too much rT3 in your system, then your body will not use the active T3 resulting in thyroid symptoms.
The quickest way to determine if you have impaired thyroid hormone function when your labs appear normal is to look at the ratio of Total T3 to reverse T3 (TT3/rT3). In the functional world, we like to see this value over 10 and anything under 10 indicates a sub-optimally performing thyroid system.
THYROID SYMPTOMS
Some symptoms of thyroid dysfunction are: fatigue, cold intolerance, weight gain, memory problems, poor concentration, depression, hair loss, dry skin and eyes, poor nail quality and infertility.
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| How To Recognize Thyroid Issues |
HOW CAN I INFLUENCE MY THYROID FUNCTION?
What can possibly effect your thyroid negatively?
- Stress
- Infection/trauma/radiation/medication
- Fluoride (it impedes iodine in the body)
- Toxins such as pesticides, mercury, cadmium and lead
- Celiac and other autoimmune diseases
- Low-calorie diet
- Liver and kidney dysfunction
- Inflammation
- Postpardum
What can help your thyroid perform optimally?
- Nutrients such as iodine, iron, tyrosine, zinc, selenium, and vitamins E, B2, B3, B6, C, and D
- Additionally exercise helps improve your sensitivity to thyroid hormones (T3, T4, etc.)
As we can see, we never be afraid to dig a little deeper into our lab results when it comes to thyroid function. If you feel that you have a potential thyroid issue, speak to your functional practitioner about ways to boost thyroid function naturally and how to determine where the dysfunction is occurring in your system.
The contents of this article are for informational purposes only and are not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis or treatment. Always seek the advice of your physician or other qualified health provider with any questions you may have regarding a medical condition.
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