The thyroid liver connection
According to the American Thyroid Association, “more than 12 percent of the U.S. population will develop a thyroid condition during their lifetime…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.”
Those are some alarming numbers. You could be sitting here reading this right now and not even realize that you could be part of those statistics.
Thyroid conditions are one of the most common health issues that I see in the clients I work with, and one of the most overlooked because the symptoms can look like so many other things…
Symptom: Weight gain – typical thought, you’re not exercising enough or eating too much.
This is also a thyroid symptom.
Symptom: Hair loss – typical thought, this is this part of aging or genetics.
This is also a thyroid symptom.
Symptom: Constipation – typical thought, is it something you ate or IBS.
This is also a thyroid symptom.
Symptom: Fatigue – typical thought, is it lack of sleep, over-scheduled life, or insomnia?
This is also a thyroid symptom.
This list goes on and on.
But is the thyroid really the problem? Or could it be something else…
We have to ask the question – what is causing all of these thyroid conditions in the first place? Why do the numbers keep rising?
Bear with me while I set the stage for you…
Two of the most important thyroid hormones are T4 and T3. These two hormones control everything from your metabolic rate, energy, body temperature, hair growth and loss, and weight.
Your thyroid gland produces thyroid hormone T4, which is then converted into T3, and T3 is the active form of thyroid hormone that is actually used by your cells.
Here’s the kicker, the majority of T4 is NOT converted in the thyroid gland.
About 20% of T4 is converted to T3 in the liver.
Twenty percent is a lot in the big scheme of things. If your liver isn’t converting thyroid hormone like it is supposed to, that means you could see a 20% decrease in the availability of T3.
Low T3 levels can lead to symptoms such as:
- Constant fatigue not relieved by sleep
- Depression and anxiety
- Feeling bloated, puffy, or weight gain
- Dry skin and hair, and hair loss
So again I’ll ask you, is the thyroid really a problem? Or could it be the liver?
In this week’s video and blog, I dive into more detail about how supporting your liver can greatly impact your thyroid function and help you feel like your best self!
With 20% of thyroid hormone T4 relying on the liver to be converted to T3, there is certainly a huge healing opportunity here if you are already suffering from a thyroid imbalance, or even if you’re trying to prevent one.
But we must dig deeper…
Why wouldn’t the liver be able to convert T4 to T3 optimally in the first place?
This scenario slows down the function of the liver, which means it can’t convert thyroid hormone or do any of its other important functions very well.
The liver is also important for balancing cortisol and sex hormones, both of which can trigger thyroid issues if they are out of balance.
Let’s look at some of the top lifestyle factors that slow down liver function:
- Eating foods high in sugar, simple carbs, or processed foods
- Exposures to environmental toxins that burden the liver
- Waking up in the middle of the night disrupting liver detox
- Intestinal parasites, bacteria and yeast waste products
The biggest liver offenders are toxins that we come across daily. Aside from converting hormones, the liver’s number one most important job is keeping the body clean by breaking down harmful substances, such as toxins, to be excreted by way of stool and urine.
Since the 1940s, over ONE HUNDRED THOUSAND toxic chemicals have been released into our environment. Could you imagine taking on 100,000 new tasks without any extra pay or hours in the day? That’s basically what we have asked our livers to do.
If you want to improve your thyroid health or prevent a future thyroid condition, it’s crucial to start paying attention to the burden you’re knowingly or unknowingly placing on your liver.
The good news is that you do have some control over the toxins you are exposed to AND there are some simple daily activities that you can do to support your liver function naturally!
Want to learn more about toxins – how they impact your thyroid, and liver, and what you can do about them?
Stay tuned and follow me closely.
I’ll be sharing more information soon to help you explore these missing pieces of your health puzzle so you can feel like your best self again, or for the very first time.
P.S. I created a program called the 28-Day Cleanse Challenge that gives you a step-by-step formula for increased energy, weight loss, hormone, and digestive balance while decreasing belly bloat, allergies, and other symptoms of poor health. It’s specially designed for health-minded people like you who want to take their health to the next level, naturally.
The Cleanse Challenge will be opening again soon. To get exclusive offers and hear about it first, click here to join the waiting list.
