The thyroid hormones have many functions.  Hormones are chemical messengers of the body.  They send commands into cells, which help to stimulate or inhibit chemical processes in the body.  The thyroid helps to balance other hormones, helps regulate metabolism, helps regulate protein synthesis, and many other functions. 

One of the primary functions of the thyroid hormones is to control protein synthesis and nitrogen balance.  From Harper's Biochemistry, 25th edition, "A major effect of T3 and T4 (thyroid hormones) is to enhance general protein synthesis and cause positive nitrogen balance (Ref. Robert K. Murray, MD, Ph.D., Daryl K. Granmer, MD, Peter A. Mayes, Ph.D., D.Sc., Victor W. Fodwell, Ph.D., Harper’s Biochemistry, 25^th Edition, Appleton & Lance, Stanford, Connecticut, 2000, Page 565)."  Another function of thyroid hormone, "T3 and glucocorticoids (adrenaline hormones) enhance transcription of the GH (growth hormone) gene, so that more GH is produced (page 565)."  Growth hormone helps control proper utilization of fatty acids inside cells, to be burned for fuel in the mitochrondia (where the body manufactures much of the energy used by the body).  Thus thyroid hormones are involved in protein and fatty acid metabolism (metabolism- the chemical methods the body uses to process and handle molecules, that are used to build structures and produce energy in the body.)   Thyroid hormones also help metabolize carbohydrates, a primary source of fuel in the body. 

Thus, when your thyroid hormones are imbalanced, either low or high, you need to consider methods to help balance protein, carbohydrate, and fatty acid metabolism.  You also need to consider methods that help optimize thyroid hormones. 

The following explains the primary methods used by the body to regulate thyroid hormones.  Understanding these methods helps in finding ways to optimize thyroid hormones.

TSH is a hormone that helps stimulate the production of T3 and T4, the active thyroid hormones.  The hypothalamic hormone called TRH regulates TSH.   The mineral iodine and the amino acid tyrosine are the precursors of T3 and T4.  Iodine and tyrosine are needed to produce thyroid hormone.  Calcium-phosphatidylinositol mechanism is also considered a possible mediator of TRH release (page 551).  The T3 and T4 need to attach to receptors on cells (cell receptors are chemical structures on cells that hormones attach

and get inside cells to transmit instructions).  All of these ideas need to be optimized to help produce proper thyroid hormones. 

Supplementation ideas to possibly optimize thyroid hormone. 

1.      Measure iodine levels at a doctor’s office.  "About 50 ug of thyroid hormone iodide (25-30% of the iodide ingested), the daily iodide requirement is between 150 and 200 ug (page 562).”  This means consider no more than 150 mcg of iodine supplementation if you are low iodine.  There are many that are not aware that iodine can be toxic above its daily requirement levels.  To further optimize testing by a doctor, consider measuring the T:S ratio, the ratio of iodide in thyroid to iodide in serum.  "The T:S ratio in humans on a normal iodine diet is about 25-1 (page 562)."  Many times transporting mechanisms in the body are not working properly and lead to imbalance.  The T:S ratio can provide information if your transporter mechanisms are working properly.

2.      Consider supplementing tyrosine if your tests prove low thyroid.  Tyrosine is a building block of thyroid hormone. 

3.      Consider supplementing amino acid L-phenylalanine for low thyroid.  L-phenylalanine is a precursor to tyrosine.

4.      Consider using a B-50 or B-100.  The B vitamins help control many aspects of metabolism.  As described in this article, thyroid is involved in metabolism and needs B vitamins to help metabolism proceed properly inside cells.

5.      TRH helps regulate TSH.  TSH helps regulate thyroid hormones.  Thus optimizing TRH will help produce balanced thyroid hormones, by helping optimize TSH hormones.  TRH release is inhibited by the hormone somastatin.  Growth hormone and somastatin help regulate each other.  Therefore, measuring growth hormone levels by a doctor and keeping them balanced will help regulate somastatin, which will have a positive effect on TRH release.  It was also mentioned that adrenaline hormones help enhance growth hormone.  Thus, see an anti-aging doctor, called A-4 doctor, or endocrinologist, to help balance vital hormones that support thyroid hormones. The national number for A-4 doctors is 773-538-4333.

6.      T4 and T3 levels, when no thyroid medications are being used, should be at a ratio of 7-1 or lower.  Thyroglobulin is the precursor that directly produces T4 and T3.  In thyroglobulin the ratio of T4 and T3, "when iodine supplies are sufficient, the T4:T3 ratio is about 7:1.  In iodine deficiency, the ratio decreases (page 561)."  Also, "the T4:T3 ratio in this blood is lower than in thyroglobulin."  So the T4:T3 ratio in the blood is 7:1 or lower.  If levels of T4:T3 are higher than 7:1 ratios, you may have imbalance of thyroid hormone.  Levels below 7:1 may be proper or may be imbalanced.  Your doctor will need to see if your thyroid hormones are imbalanced or normal when levels are below 7:1.  Many times doctors only measure TSH hormone levels.  You can get more exact details of your thyroid hormones by asking your doctor to check T4 and T3 levels and checking the ratios.

7.      If your thyroid levels are low or high, the supplement inositol can help mediate thyroid hormones, helping to balance thyroid levels.  Calcium-phosphatidylinositol mechanism may be involved with TRH release.  TRH helps control TSH levels, so balancing TRH will help thyroid balance.  The calcium-phosphatidylinositol mechanism is a second messenger hormone.  This means the messages from TRH are carried by a second messenger, to TSH hormones, in this case it may be calcium-phosphatidylinositol mechanism.  This mechanism can help mediate TRH by its ability to carry messages that will inhibit or stimulate TSH.  When you are high or low thyroid, you can help this mechanism by supplementing inositol.  Also consider checking calcium-magnesium-B-6 levels at a doctors.  These levels help control calcium balance, needed for such functions as a second molecule messenger, such as “calcium”-phosphatidylinositol.  The balance of calcium-magnesium is approximately 2:1.  The ratio of magnesium to B-6 is approximately 3:1.  You can get laboratory tests by a doctor that measures these levels.

8.      Cell receptors need to work properly to get hormone messages inside cells.  There are many aspects to receptors working properly.  One important requirement is proper amino acids and proper fatty acids.  The amino acids and fatty acids compose the structure of cell membranes, such as receptor sites.  Without the proper amino acids and fatty acids, receptors may not work properly.  Ion-exchange whey protein powder can supply as high as 98% quality for essential amino acids and can be considered one source of high quality protein.  Supplementing omega 3 and omega 6 fatty acids in the proper ratios can also help cell receptors work properly.  The omega oils can help improve cell membranes, thereby increasing permeability.  This will help molecules, such as thyroid hormones, get into cells more efficiently.  Read the article, 'Low Thyroid Hormone Levels,' and find out more about whey and fatty acid supplementation for thyroid hormones.

9.      Consider a multivitamin and mineral.  The body needs many cofactors in the chemical processes that go on in the body.  A multi can provide many cofactors.  We recommend Maxilife multivitamin and mineral powder.     

The ideas mentioned in this article can help improve the health of the body and can be useful to possibly help balance thyroid hormones.  It is clear in this article that you should seek a qualified doctors help, who can do all of the proper measurements, thus providing a great amount of detail about your thyroid hormones.  Many times doctors measure only TSH, the hormone that stimulates or inhibits active thyroid hormone.  You can see that iodine measurements, adrenal hormones, growth hormone, and other hormone measurements, T4 and T3 measurements, and even mineral and vitamin levels, are all helpful in analyzing thyroid conditions.  Optimizing treatment ideas can help to decrease stress from improper thyroid levels.  Decreasing stress in the body can be considered anti-aging. 

Thyroid Metabolism 

It was mentioned in this article that thyroid metabolism is involved in protein, carbohydrate, and fatty acid metabolism.  You can consider the following ideas, nutritional ideas to help improve metabolism

1.      Consider supplementing ion-exchange whey protein powder.  Thyroid is involved with proper protein metabolism.  Imbalanced thyroid can result in decreased protein synthesis or breaking protein down to rapidly.  In either case the body is no longer maintaining appropriate protein levels, and supplementing whey protein can help replace depleted protein levels resulting from improper thyroid metabolism.

2.      Another condition of imbalanced thyroid hormones can be inappropriate nitrogen levels.  Nitrogen levels are the result of proton balance in the body, hydrogen molecules.  OKG supplement and AKG supplement can help scavenge and reduce ammonia levels in the body, which will result in reducing hydrogen levels.  This will help to balance nitrogen levels.  You can read more about the specific details in the article, “Atkins Diet/High Protein Diets/in Diabetes”.

3.      Consider digestive enzymes.  They can help support the processes of digestion and metabolism.  To read about methods to use digestive enzymes, read the article in the diabetes section, “Control Of Blood Sugar Is Only Part Of The Story-Diabetics Need To Increase The Efficiency Of The Pancreas”.

4.      Proper levels of growth hormone help to control fatty acids used for fuel inside cells.  See an A-4 doctor and balance your growth hormone levels.

5.      Consider supplements that increase oxygen in the body.  When thyroid metabolism is not proper, this can lead to decreased ATP levels.  ATP is the energy currency of the body and oxygen is needed to help make ATP in the mitochrondia.  "Cytochrome oxidase has a very high affinity for oxygen, which allows the respiratory chain to function at the maximum rate until the tissue has become virtually depleted of O2 (oxygen) (page 140)."  Thus oxygen can keep proper ATP metabolism continuing, which can help thyroid and metabolism.  Consider ginseng with G-115 (Ginsana), ginkgo biloba, the prescription drug hydergine, the prescription drug pircetaem, antioxidants, CoQ10, and other supplements that can increase oxygen levels in the body.  Read the articles in the Parkinson's section of this web site for more information on supplementation to help increase ATP levels and oxygen levels in the body.

6.      Reduce levels of fatty acids used as a fuel supply to produce ATP.  Increasing oxygen in the body is one method that decreases fatty acids used to produce ATP.  When oxygen decreases, this leads to decreased ATP levels in the body.  More fatty acids will be released into the bloodstream, to become fuel, to compensate for the decreased energy potential from lower ATP levels.  You can help reverse this process, by increasing oxygen to tissue, resulting in decreased fatty acids used to produce ATP.  Also consider cutting down on fats you eat, that can raise the levels of blood fats in the bloodstream.  The more fats, the more oxygen required to burn the fats for energy, thus depriving oxygen that can be used to make ATP from carbohydrates.

7.      For low thyroid eat more carbohydrates and for high thyroid eat fewer carbohydrates.  Carbohydrates help increase ATP levels.  In low thyroid you need to increase ATP levels and in high thyroid increased carbohydrates will only help to stimulate thyroid hormones more.      

In conclusion, in thyroid conditions you need to consider proper utilization of protein, carbohydrates, and fats.  Balancing metabolism can help improve the efficiency and function of digestion and metabolism, and help support thyroid function.  Considering methods to maintain proper carbohydrate metabolism, leading to production of ATP, is a method to help balance proper utilization of carbohydrates, fats, and proteins.

Note – In order for these anti-aging ideas to be successful, you must use supplements of the highest quality. Dr. Bob often said, "almost all supplement companies produce poor quality." You can consider the product page of this web site. Almost all the products met Dr. Bob’s approval. Since he passed away we have attempted to keep the same high standards.

WARNING:  DO NOT STOP ANY TREATMENT OR MEDICATION YOU CURRENTLY USE.  CONSULT WITH YOUR DOCTOR BEFORE STARTING THE USE OF SUPPLEMENTS. 

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