Keeping your body in check includes ensuring all body systems are in working order. One essential system is your thyroid. It’s responsible for many routine tasks in the body, but it’s also a massive part of your health. Let’s take a look below to understand the importance of thyroid health. We'll also learn why thyroid testing could be what you need for an in-depth look at your health profile.
What does the thyroid do?
The thyroid is certainly tiny but mighty. This is a small gland located on your neck that produces three hormones. These are thyroxine (T4), triiodothyronine (T3), and calcitonin. It’s easy to assume that a " simple " task is unnecessary, but that’s where we are proven wrong! The thyroid’s hormone production is essential. This is because the hormones themselves are essential. So, proper thyroid production and regulation are also essential!
Why are these hormones important?
Let’s start with the basics. The first two hormones, T4 and T3, focus on increasing your body’s metabolism. Health-conscious readers may know that the metabolism helps you burn calories and fat. So, when T4 and T3 hormones are produced and put to work at proper levels, you can enjoy a heightened metabolism.
As part of the positive chain reaction to an increased metabolic rate, your body will better use its energy. You’ll also be able to better regulate your body’s temperature. Your body will also use those two hormones to help build protein and burn fat.
The third hormone helps keep healthy levels of both calcium and phosphorus in your blood. While you can get these minerals from your diet, you also need your thyroid to help keep them in balance. This healthy balance helps keep your bones strong. This is good at any age but becomes especially important as you age.
What can I do to help keep my thyroid healthy?
Now that you can see more about why thyroid health is essential, it naturally leads you to wonder how to focus on it! Keeping yourself in good health will always be an excellent first step, but what else can you do?
Some evidence suggests that keeping your gut healthy is another wonderful choice. It will help improve thyroid function, directly producing better thyroid health. Gut health is also vital for your general body health. That’s why probiotic supplements are some of the most common!
Can supplements help keep my thyroid health in check?
So, will it turn out that health supplements are best for long-term thyroid health? As most professionals will tell you, eating a varied diet is your best approach to long-term health. A varied diet also helps offer top thyroid health benefits since it helps ensure a proper combination of vitamins and minerals.
But food intolerances, allergies, lifestyle choices, or general likes and dislikes make eating a varied diet hard. In that case, you can consider supplements. As mentioned above, probiotic supplements are great for your whole body. Studies show that probiotic supplements can particularly improve thyroid function.
Check with your GP before loading a pill dispenser with supplements, though. You should never change your diet without checking your GP. Taking supplements at the wrong dosages can interfere with your thyroid!
Do you need some clarification about searching for the best thyroid health benefits? One of the best things you can do is consider thyroid testing to see what’s going on with your hormone levels. This will help you learn if they are at healthy or abnormal levels.
If everything is okay, focus on doing what you’re doing with a few minor changes for a healthier diet. If your thyroid test results come back abnormal, you should follow up with your GP. They'll be able to offer you a more personalised approach to what’s going on.
How do I know if I have a thyroid problem?
Technically, the most logical way is to get abnormal results after conducting an at-home thyroid test. However, the most common way to know you have a thyroid problem is by paying attention to what’s happening in your body. Since your thyroid does so much, you’ll likely notice thyroid symptoms elsewhere in your body. Some of the most common ones include difficulty staying warm, having weight loss or weight increase unexpectedly, having no appetite or constantly feeling starving, etc.
If you think thyroid testing is proper for you to help you see what’s going on, then there’s no better time to get started. As you’ve learned, your thyroid health is critical; your entire body will thank you if you detect a problem.