The Thyroid Foundation of America says YES!
There could be tens of millions of women in American suffering from an under active thyroid gland who aren’t even aware that this little gland causes their problem. Certainly there are over 11 million women known to have a thyroid gland not working properly, says the Thyroid Foundation of America.
Women ages 35 to 55 are most affected – during this time women start and go through the change of life – menopause.
Many Americans suffer from symptoms such as cold hands and feet, low body temperature, sensitivity to cold, a feeling of always being chilled, headaches, insomnia, dry skin, puffy eyes, hair loss, brittle nails, joint aches, constipation, mental dullness, fatigue, frequent infections, hoarse voice, ringing in the ears, dizziness, loss of libido, and weight gain, which is sometimes uncontrollable. These symptoms can be caused by an under active thyroid gland.
Studies show that under active thyroid is possibly the top cause of weight gain, particularly in women.
A thyroid gland that does not produce enough hormones is a condition called hypothyroidism, where your body uses energy more slowly than it should. This is the most common condition. Hyperthyroidism is when the thyroid gland produces too much thyroid hormone, causing the body to use energy more quickly than it should. Besides the above listed symptoms, hypothyroidism can also be responsible for hot flashes, irritability, depression, high cholesterol, and palpitations.
Controlling thyroid hormone production can help control weight gain.
As main regulators of the body’s rate of metabolism, thyroid hormones regulate how the body burns carbohydrates and fats. Hypothyroidism occurs when the thyroid gland does not produce enough of these “energy-generating” thyroid hormones, causing a low resting metabolic rate, which can cause weight gain and obesity.
Lack of thyroid hormones also affects the appetite. Some studies found that thyroid hormones control levels of leptin in the body. Leptin is a hormone produced from fat cells that is believed to control hunger and regulate energy levels.
How much energy people have, how well they get up in the morning, how well they sleep, and how much stamina they have for the day is directly related to their levels of thyroid hormone, in addition to body weight. When your thyroid level is too low, you don’t have the energy to cope adequately with anything, much less the additional stress and emotional liability associated with the menopausal years.
In addition to the condition of an under active thyroid gland, hypothyroidism can also include hormone imbalance. There can be a deficit of the thyroid gland’s main hormone, T4 or thyroxin. But thyroxin must be converted by the liver to its active form, T3 or triiodothyonine. The body then must utilize T3. Symptoms of hypothyroidism can be caused by malfunction of any of these processes, bringing on a slow down of bodily functions.
Since there is such a wide range of symptoms, the only certain tests for hypothyroidism are blood tests.
Get your thyroid hormone levels stabilized and experience:
1. Increase metabolic rate and number of calories burned.
2. Diets now work because of thyroid hormones are available to cells.
3. Less feelings of hunger.
4. Relieve other thyroid symptoms such as fatigue and mood swings.
Tags: alternative medicine, hormone replacement therapy, Menopause, Perimenopause, thyroid