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The Thyroid Gland
The thyroid gland is a small butterfly-shaped organ that is found in the neck where it sits slightly below the Adams’ apple.
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The “wings” of the butterfly are called lobes, and the central piece of tissue connecting the lobes is called the isthmus.
There is a natural variation in some people where the thyroid gland has no isthmus; this is normal and does not affect glandular function.
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The two lobes of the thyroid wrap around the windpipe, also known as the trachea, which is a tube that allows air to pass into the lungs.
The thyroid gland helps to regulate numerous bodily functions including:
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Growth and Maturation
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Breathing
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Heart rate
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Metabolism
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Menstrual Cycles
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Body Temperature
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Cholesterol levels
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Mood
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And more!
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The thyroid gland is part of the endocrine system. The endocrine system includes all of the organs called glands in the human body. Glands are responsible for the production of hormones.
Thyroid Hormones
The main hormones produced by the thyroid are:
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T0, T1, and T2; these hormones have no active function and are primarily precursors to other thyroid hormones.
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Calcitonin, which controls the level of calcium in the body.
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T4, also known as thyroxine or tetraiodothyronine.
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T3, also known as triiodothyronine.
T0, T1, and T2, the hormone T4 is inactive, meaning it does nothing as it is. T4’s biggest claim to fame is that it’s required for conversion into T3, which is the active thyroid hormone. T3 is what gets the metabolism revved up, which allows the body to digest foods better, burn fat, and process sugars.
There is a second form of T3, which is called reverse T3, or RT3, and that acts much like T4 in that it doesn’t boost the metabolism. RT3’s purpose is to slow the metabolism when it’s running too fast. If there is too much T3 in the system, the body will switch to making RT3 to keep the metabolism under control. A healthy body keeps T3 and RT3 in careful balance.
The balance of T3 and RT3 can be disrupted by numerous things:
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Chronic illness
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Chronic stress
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Serious physical injury
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Smoking
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Drug addiction and/or alcoholism because both cause stress on the body and can cause malabsorption of nutrients
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Autoimmune disorders like rheumatoid arthritis or diabetes.
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Digestive/intestinal disorders that result in malabsorption issues
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Long-term poor diet
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Long-term inactivity
Too little T4, and/or too little T3, and/or too much RT3 can all lead to hypothyroidism.