Have you ever heard an overweight person say, “Oh, I have a sluggish thyroid,” and wondered what that has to do with a person’s weight? Well, first you need to know what the thyroid gland is and what it does.

The Thyroid

Part of the endocrine system, the thyroid is a small butterfly-shaped gland that sits in your neck just above the collarbone. Its sole purpose is to produce the hormones thyroxine (also known as T4) and triiodothyronine (T3), which regulate the body’s metabolism. Starting to see the thyroid-obesity connection now? Besides regulating how fast calories are burned, T3 and T4 are important for normal growth and brain development, heart rate, normal nervous system and muscle function, the rate at which we digest food, and immune function. They affect literally every cell of the body. Many people rely on thyroid-boosting supplements to keep things in working order.

Someone with a healthy thyroid is able to take iodine and combine it with the amino acid tyrosine (both ingredients of NOW Foods Thyroid Energy) to produce adequate amounts of T3 and T4. However, if your diet is too low in iodine, you can develop a goiter, which is actually the thyroid growing and trying to produce more hormones. While there are other medical reasons for developing hypothyroidism, low iodine intake can be to blame. Hypothyroidism and low thyroid hormone production can cause symptoms including fatigue, weight gain, cold intolerance, depression, irritability, and poor memory.

Without a Trace?

Our declining salt intake is generally a positive development. However, owing in part to the fact that many of us take in iodine in the form of iodized salt, our iodine intake is falling right along with our salt intake. Even when adding salt to their food at home, some people choose the non-iodized variety. A diet that excludes seafood, sea vegetables, and dairy products may also be low in iodine. If you think that salty bag of chips will boost your iodine intake, though, think again. Heavily processed, high-sodium foods are not a good source of this essential trace element.

Guggul

Another common ingredient in thyroid-boosting supplements (such as Absolute Nutrition’s Thyroid T-3 Radical Metabolic Booster) is guggul, which is derived from the guggul plant. Multiple studies have found that guggulsterones—active compounds in guggul—can stimulate thyroid activity and increase T3 synthesis. T3 appears to be the more potent hormone and is better utilized by the body than its sibling T4. The thyroid naturally produces more T4, which is converted in smaller amounts to T3. Guggul appears to work by turning a greater amount of T4 into the more useful T3.

A Delicate Balance

Achieving and maintaining thyroid hormone balance is quite complicated, and it’s important to know that just as too little iodine can be detrimental to the thyroid, so can too much. An excessive amount could actually slow hormone production, while in some people, it could trigger hyperthyroidism. So, except under the advice of a knowledgeable health professional, do not exceed supplement dosing instructions, and don’t regularly exceed the Recommended Dietary Allowance (RDA) for iodine, which is 150 micrograms for an adult.