How to Support Thyroid Hormone Conversion

Although the thyroid gland is only a small organ located in the middle of the lower neck, it is vital to our health and well-being. The butterfly-shaped gland produces a hormone that influences every cell, tissue, and organ in the body.

The thyroid gland’s hormones help the body use energy and keep warm, and they help the brain, heart, muscles, and other organs work properly. 

Yet, an estimated 20 million Americans have some form of thyroid disease, with up to 60 percent of them unaware of what is impacting their health. Women are nearly eight times more likely to have a thyroid problem than men. (1)

How can a disease that affects so many people go undiagnosed so frequently? And what can we do about it?

In this article, I’ll outline why thyroid hormone conversion is often a major issue when it comes to thyroid disorder diagnosis and treatment. Most importantly, I’ll share how you can best support your thyroid hormone conversion. 

Why Is Thyroid Disease Often Misdiagnosed?

There are two main reasons that thyroid disorders are not detected, which I will detail below:

Reason 1: Many Thyroid Dysfunction Symptoms Mimic Other Disorders

A healthy thyroid gland produces enough thyroid hormone to prompt your cells to function at the right rate. It produces more when the body is under stress, such as when you are cold or if you are pregnant. If the conversion of T4 (the inactive version of the thyroid hormone) to T3 (the active version) is low, you may experience some of the common symptoms of hypothyroidism, including

• Fatigue

• Muscle weakness and muscle aches

• Sensitivity to cold

• Extreme constipation

• Dry skin

• Weight gain

• Slowed heart rate

• Hoarseness

• Elevated cholesterol level

• Stiffness or swelling in your joints

• Slow metabolism

• Heavier or irregular menstrual periods

• Hair loss

• Puffy face

• Depression

• Impaired memory and concentration

• Tingling in the hands

• Enlarged thyroid gland (goiter) (3)

If you’d like to explore more about the symptoms of a thyroid disorder, please read my previous blog, How to Know if You Have a Thyroid Problem.

Reason 2: Routine Blood Tests Do Not Check Your Main Thyroid Markers

Even if you do get tested for TSH (Thyroid-Stimulating Hormone), that level alone is not enough to fully assess thyroid function. A full thyroid panel measures how well the body converts the main, inactive thyroid hormone (T4) to the active thyroid hormone (T3). This thyroid hormone conversion is essential for your body to get the benefits of a healthy thyroid gland. (2)

To learn more about the specific types of thyroid hormones and what to look for on a blood test, please check out this past blog: Best Lab Tests for Thyroid Problems.

What Slows the Conversion of T4 to T3?

Since a poor thyroid hormone conversion can occur even if your TSH levels test in the normal range, it’s important to find the root cause of your symptoms in order to optimize thyroid function. Many factors can affect your body’s conversion of T4 to the active T3 form.

Stress. When you are dealing with chronic stress, your body responds by producing more of the stress hormone cortisol. Elevated levels of cortisol can hamper the conversion of T4 to T3.  Our body will cope with the stress by redirecting T4 to a different hormone called reverseT3 (which is basically an inactive version of thyroid hormone).

Poor liver function.  Most T4 to T3 conversion occurs in the liver and other organs. Therefore, a healthy liver is essential to thyroid hormone conversion.

Unhealthy gut. The conversion of T4 to T3 also occurs in the gut, so an imbalance of “good” versus “bad” gut bacteria, a leaky gut, or inflammatory bowel disease may hinder the process.

Inflammation. Inflammation anywhere in the body can prevent the thyroid hormone from entering the cell. Chronic inflammation, such as arthritis, diabetes, and obesity, can interfere with the thyroid hormone conversion process. If you have one of these conditions, that could be why you have symptoms of hypothyroidism even though your TSH levels test in the normal range. (4)

Restricted calories. When you eat a very low-calorie diet, you can impair thyroid function. Your body will switch to survival mode by redirecting T4 into the reverse T3 version, which causes a lower metabolism. People who have thyroid problems should avoid or carefully consider serious fasting because it puts strain on the adrenals and liver. When these two organs are strained, it can hinder T4 to T3 conversion.

Environmental factors. Research is ongoing on how the environment affects thyroid function, with mold and industrial pollutants as two of the factors under scrutiny. Exposure to toxic mold also can affect thyroid function, which can lead to both hypothyroidism and low immunity. You may be breathing in mold from exposure to damp buildings at home or at work. Experts estimate that 85% of buildings in the U.S. have had past water damage that can harbor toxic mold species. (5) (6)

One study found that as many as 20% of its test participants with mold-related illness had thyroids infected with Aspergillus mold. Researchers that this mold-related infection encourages the development of Hashimoto’s thyroiditis. (7)

Immunity disorders. Another significant part of this puzzle is the thyroid and immune function. Your thyroid gland regulates your body’s metabolism control. Basically, that means it tells your body how fast to work. An overactive thyroid causes your body systems to work too fast (hyperthyroid), and an underactive thyroid causes your systems to work too slowly (hypothyroid).

A healthy immune system protects your body from foreign invaders by producing antibodies. However, sometimes your immune system makes antibodies against your own tissues. The two types of autoimmune thyroid diseases are Graves’ disease and Hashimoto’s thyroiditis. Both conditions are autoimmune diseases, which means the body attacks the thyroid gland as if it was foreign tissue.

We’ve already discussed that women are more likely to experience thyroid problems than men.  So, you may not be surprised that a conservative estimate is that women are 78% more likely to have an autoimmune disorder than men. The most common times in a woman’s life to be diagnosed with autoimmunity are after childbirth, after breast implant surgery, after a major stress, and during the shift into menopause. (8)

Natural Ways to Boost the Conversion of T4 to T3

The good news is that you can optimize your conversion of T4 to T3 with some diet and lifestyle changes. 

Anti-inflammatory diet. One of the best ways is by eating an anti-inflammatory diet, since poor thyroid hormone conversion can often be due to chronic gut inflammation. You can check out my customizable anti-inflammatory diet guide, the MATH diet, here.

Iodine. Maintaining the right balance of iodine in the body is essential for a healthy thyroid. The body does not make this micronutrient, so we must get it from the foods we eat. Common sources of iodine include fortified foods, saltwater fish, seaweed (including kelp, nori, and dulce), shellfish, soy sauce, and iodized table salt. Our Hi-Potency Multivitamin contains optimal amounts of iron and other nutrients not easily obtained in most diets. The recommended dosage is two capsules per day with meals, or as directed by your health care practitioner. This dosage is safe and correct for thyroid maintenance.

Iron. Iron is also critical to the healthy conversion of T4 to T3. We need the thyroid hormone to absorb iron from our diet effectively, so an iron deficiency and poor thyroid function go hand in hand. Another part of this vicious circle is that the body also needs iron for adrenal function, and when the adrenals aren't working properly, there is more strain on the thyroid. 

A standard blood panel such as our Thyroid Test should let you know if you are low in iron. Foods that are high in iron content are spinach (and other dark, leafy greens), lean beef, beans, lentils, cashews, whole-grain bread, and tofu. 

Women are more susceptible to iron deficiency than men, due to their menstrual flow. Pregnant women are also at risk because the increased blood volume during pregnancy requires more iron to drive oxygen to the baby.

Zinc and selenium. I also recommend eating foods that are rich in zinc and selenium, two minerals that are necessary for T4 to T3 conversion. Food rich in zinc include cashews, chickpeas, pumpkin seeds, beef, crab, and oysters. Selenium-rich foods include sardines, Brazil nuts, halibut, turkey, and beef liver. (9) (10) Take 2 capsules of Hi-Potency Multivitamin daily and you’ll get the needed amount of Zinc and selenium for keeping your thyroid hormones in balance.

Stress management. Managing stress is a crucial way to optimize the T4 to T3 conversion by lowering your cortisol levels. Stress can strain the adrenals, liver, and pancreas, causing imbalances in blood sugar levels. So, reducing stress (yes, this can happen) will allow your liver to work more efficiently. We all are under stress these days, so I recommend that you look for ways to reduce stress through meditation, yoga, and deep breathing exercises. Here is a video I shared on stress management.

Essential oils. Another way to support your thyroid function is with essential oils. In my interview with Dr. Mariza Synder, we learn how the thyroid gland runs and supports cellular metabolism. In both my interview and in her book The Essential Oils Hormone Solution, Mariza focuses on how you can help achieve hormone balance through relaxation techniques and harnessing the power of essential oils for immune support.

I like to use essential oils to help calm my mind and body on stressful days, thereby lowering my cortisol levels. Aromatherapy stimulates the nose’s smell receptors, sending messages through the nervous system to the limbic system, which is part of the brain that deals with emotions. My favorite essential oils for thyroid support are lemongrass, myrrh, frankincense, lavender, and geranium. You can learn more about how and why I incorporate these oils (and how to make your one essential oil thyroid blend ) into my health regimen in this previous blog. (11)

Know Your Thyroid Levels

I’m excited to tell you about the best way I’ve found to analyze thyroid function correctly. If you’re like many women, you may have suspected a thyroid problem only to be told by your doctor that your blood test is normal. 

Some doctors will not agree to run full thyroid lab panels. That decision may be based on your doctor’s lack of experience with autoimmune disease or the functional medicine approach to thyroid management. Their ability to order blood tests also may be restricted by insurance guidelines. Another roadblock is that even if your doctor orders the additional thyroid lab tests for you, they may not have the training or experience to interpret them for you.

After reading this article, you now know that you need more than one marker to assess your thyroid health. How can you get those tests and get the answers you need? I have done the research for you, and I am proud to offer Thyroid Testing

With our thyroid testing package, you can order the thyroid lab tests you need and have the option to get a professional test review by a functional coach. 

Includes:

• Complete blood count (CBC), including TSH, Total T3, Total T4, Free T3, Free T4, TPO (thyroid antibody), TgAB (thyroid antibody), and Reverse T3

• Fasting glucose (marker of short-term blood sugar) & Insulin

• Hemoglobin A1c (marker of long-term blood sugar issues)

• Ferritin (marker of iron deficiency and inflammation)

• Vitamin D3

• Blood sugar markers

• Supplement recommendations based on your test results (optional)

Here are some reviews on our Thyroid Plus testing package.

“This was a very complete test and included so much more than just thyroid.  The results came directly to me by email and were very clear and easy to read.  Of great value was the half hour thorough analysis session with Bridgit Danner.  She was very engaging and was able to make many suggestions.  I found her very friendly and focused.  I had her complete attention and it was most refreshing.  I even received follow up notes after the time she had already given me.  This was a great opportunity and I appreciate that it was made available to me.”

“Bridgit exists at the intersection of both thoughtfulness and knowledge, whereas most practitioners have just one of the two. I would recommend this package to anyone with questions or concerns about their thyroid health.”

If you are struggling with symptoms of thyroid imbalance and want the thyroid function results you need to start healing, this test package for you. Order yours today!

---

Bridgit Danner, LAc, FDNP, is licensed acupuncturist turned functional health coach. She has worked with thousands of clients over her career since 2004. She is the founder of Functional Detox Products - a source for vetted lab tests and supplements to recover from chronic illness.

She is also the author of The Ultimate Toxic Mold Recovery Guide: Take Back Your Home, Health & Life, available on Amazon.

Get a copy of her 5-Day DIY Detox Guide here!

---