Thyroid Function and Weight Gain

If you have been unsuccessful in your attempts at shedding those extra pounds despite best efforts, your thyroid could be the culprit. Since the thyroid produces hormones that manage your metabolism, anything that affects your thyroid will ultimately affect your metabolism. Once you address your thyroid problems, the pounds may melt off easily.

Thyroid problems have skyrocketed in recent times owing to the toxic foods and increasing exposure to pollution, petrochemical and industrial wastes . We now have substantial research to demonstrate that environmental chemicals have a direct impact on the thyroid gland. It’s clear that PCBs and other industrial petrochemical toxins as well as other pollutants such as chlorine, fluoride, and bromide can lower thyroid function. In fact, there’s evidence that toxins boost the excretion of thyroid hormones, leaving you with less of this hormone to control your metabolism and the ability to burn fat.

Body weight, energy, sleep, and how much stamina you have for the day is directly related to your levels of thyroid hormone. As main regulators of the body's rate of metabolism, thyroid hormones control how the body burns carbohydrates and fats. In addition to disrupting metabolism, thyroid imbalances also affect appetite control by modulating levels of leptin, a hormone produced from fat cells that is believed to control hunger and stabilize energy levels. When the thyroid gland does not produce enough of these “energy-generating” thyroid hormones, resting metabolic rate becomes low, causing weight gain and obesity.

Thyroid dysfunction symptoms are weight gain, along with fatigue, hot flashes, insomnia, irritability, palpitations, and fuzzy thinking. More women than men suffer thyroid problems, especially low thyroid (hypothyroid) function. Many women experience underactive or hypothyroid issues during perimenopause and pregnancy. These are times of massive hormonal flux, and an imbalance in female hormones, estrogen and progesterone, would strongly impact thyroid function.

Deficiencies in nutrients important to good thyroid function—like selenium, zinc, omega-3 fatty acids. and iodine and tyrosine—can also trigger thyroid problems. Tyrosine, a non-essential amino acid, has a number of functions, including mood regulation and nervous system stimulation. Tyrosine makes important brain chemicals that regulate appetite, pain sensitivity, and the body’s reaction to stress. Tyrosine deficiency can lead to hypothyroidism, low blood pressure, chronic fatigue and decreased metabolism.

Dietary tyrosine is present in almonds, avocados, bananas, dairy products, beans, and seeds. You should include eggs since it provides high quality protein, vitamin B12, selenium, zinc, iron and omega-3. Similarly, salmon, flax seeds and walnuts are excellent food sources of omega 3 fatty acids.

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