Your Thyroid and You
Yun Hwang

Your thyroid is a small, unassuming organ in your neck next to your esophagus. Being an endocrine organ, the thyroid is an essential biochemical factory; it produces hormones. In particular, it produces two related hormones called triiodothyronine (T3), and thyroxine (T4). There is a constant requirement for these two hormones because they help to control the activity of multiple organs, such as the heart, the liver and the pancreas, as well as the rate of synthesis of muscle proteins. The overall effects of the thyroid hormones are expressed in terms of oxygen consumption, or basal metabolic rate.

These two hormones, T3 and T4, possessing very simple structures composed from the amino acid tyrosine as well as the element iodine; this is the same element that can be found in a commercially available antiseptic known as Betadine. When both tyrosine and iodine are available, the thyroid utilizes enzymes that combine tyrosine and iodine, synthesizing the T3 and T4 hormones in the process and eventually storing them in the form of colloids. When the demand for circulating hormones increases, T3 and T4 are released from storage.

Of course, resembling everything else in the human body, the thyroid is prone to functional disorders. The most common disorder is hypothyroidism, which refers to an inactive thyroid and/or insufficient thyroid hormones in circulation. Another less common disorder is goitre, which is an abnormal bulge in the neck. The main cause of goitre is iodine deficiency. Since the thyroid is not getting enough iodine, it increases its surface area by expanding, all in an attempt to absorb as much iodine as possible from its surroundings. Leading sources of dietary iodine are seafood and sea salt. As a consequence, it is not unusual that this condition is frequently found in inland areas that are far from the coast. This problem has been alleviated by artificially adding potassium iodide (KI) to table salt, which can be easily purchased at supermarkets as ‘iodised salt’. This preventative measure has been most spectacularly demonstrated in India, where seafood is rarely on the main menu. By adding KI to table salt, India managed to drastically reduce the incidence of goitre.

Recently, however, there has been a small rise in the incidence of goitre in the Western world. This is attributed to the low-salt diet preferred by overcautious salt consumers. Due to publicity surrounding studies that suggest that high-salt diets cause hypertension (high blood pressure) and increase the risk of heart attacks, many people have chosen to reduce their levels of salt consumption. The amount of iodine intake correlates with the amount of salt intake, which means that reduced salt intake will lead to a decreased iodine intake. While preventing hypertension is a positive measure, it also seems to raise the danger of contracting goitre. What is necessary is a balance between too much salt and too little salt intake; in other words, everything good should be done in moderation. Similarly this principle of moderation appears applicable to many the other kinds of food, minerals, and vitamins that one consumes. Now, who ever said salt is bad for you?

Further Reading

http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/thyroiddiseases.html
http://www.altsupportthyroid.org/t3.php
http://www.planetherbs.com/articles/thyroid.html
http://www.biopsychiatry.com/thyroid.htm
http://www.showfeedsinc.com/educational4.htm

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