Could your thyroid be slowing your digestion and metabolism?
Experiencing some digestive issues? Check. Working out and eating healthily, but you just can’t seem to shed that extra fat? Check. These narratives are common – but why?
Well, it might have something to do with your thyroid – the butterfly shaped gland in your neck that controls metabolism.
Read on to find out what your thyroid might have to do with your digestive and metabolic issues!
Why the Thyroid is Important
So, the thyroid controls your metabolism – but what exactly do we mean when we say “metabolism?”
Your metabolism, scientifically speaking, refers to all the chemical processes that occur in your body that keep you alive and moving – like walking, digesting, thinking, and even breathing! Each one of these processes requires energy, which we get from food.
So, to put it simply, your metabolism is (basically) the amount of energy your body uses throughout the day.
As you can imagine, your metabolism is key to keeping your body functioning optimally. And in order to do that, the gland that controls it – the thyroid – has got to stay in check!
How the Thyroid Affects Your Metabolism
Think of your thyroid as a conductor of an orchestra (the orchestra being your body’s metabolism). If the conductor slows the song’s pace down, the whole orchestra slows its pace down too. And if the conductor speeds up, the orchestra does also.
The conductor needs to operate at the correct pace for the orchestra to play its song properly – just as your thyroid needs to operate correctly to keep your body’s metabolism functioning at the right pace!
To “conduct” your body’s metabolism, your thyroid gland sends out thyroid hormones, which are chemical compounds that communicate with your cells. If the thyroid sends out too much thyroid hormone or not enough, your body’s metabolism will go haywire (either too slow or too fast).
But why does it matter if your metabolism is operating too slowly or too quickly, anyway – and what does that have to do with digestion and weight?
Why is a Too-Fast or Too-Slow Metabolism a Problem?
Let’s recap for a second.
Your metabolism is the energy used to carry out every chemical process in your body, and it mirrors your thyroid’s commands. So if your thyroid is slow, your metabolism is slow – which would mean every chemical process that occurs in your body, like thinking, moving, and digestion, is slowed. A fast thyroid would do the opposite.
When we refer to a “slow thyroid,” we’re talking about a thyroid that does not produce enough thyroid hormone. This condition is called hypothyroidism. And when we refer to a “fast thyroid,” we’re talking about a thyroid that produces too much thyroid hormone. That condition is called hyperthyroidism.
Are Hypothyroidism and Hyperthyroidism Common?
The simple answer is yes.
12% of the US population will develop a thyroid condition during their lifetime – wow (1)! And 60% of them are unaware of their condition – even more of a reason to get tested, just in case!
Thyroid conditions are much more common in women; one in eight women will have a thyroid issue in their lifetime.
Also, hypothyroidism is much more common than hyperthyroidism, especially for women. So today we’ll focus on hypothyroidism.
Hypothyroidism Symptoms
To the readers who are experiencing digestive symptoms and difficulty with losing weight – this one’s for you guys!
Hypothyroidism occurs when your thyroid does not produce enough thyroid hormone, which subsequently slows down your body’s functions (your metabolism).
When I say “slows down your body’s functions,” I literally mean slowing down your body’s functions. For example, hypothyroidism patients often experience constipation; their digestive system is slowed, which prevents them from pooping as often as they need to.
The following are symptoms of low metabolism that may be caused by hypothyroidism:
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- Weight gain (lowered metabolism and insulin resistance)
- Digestive issues (usually constipation)
- Fatigue (low energy)
- Mental health issues (usually depression)
- Brain fog
- Irregular menstruation
- Difficulty exercising: slowed heartbeat and breathing
- Bradycardia (slow heartbeat): usually under 60 bpm
- Swelling of hands, feet, or face
- Cold intolerance: your body can’t carry out homeostasis quickly enough
That’s quite a long list! That’s because thyroid hormones affect every cell in the body.
Testing Your Thyroid
Testing for thyroid issues is key to addressing your symptoms, even if they’re mild, especially because thyroid conditions are so common.
So – what does testing look like? It’s actually pretty simple – just a blood test!
It’s important that you get a full thyroid panel, testing for TSH, T4, T3, RT3, and TPO antibodies – a test for just TSH and T4 is not enough!
Why? Well, some hypothyroidism patients have normal TSH and T4 values, but abnormal T3 and RT3 values. Any presence of TPO antibodies indicates that your body is attacking its own thyroid (which is called Hashimoto’s disease, the most common cause of hypothyroidism). You can read more about why that is here and here.
If these values come back normal, it’s a good idea to consider the possibility of cellular hypothyroidism. Cellular hypothyroidism occurs when you have enough thyroid hormone in your blood, but the hormone can’t get into your cells. Read more about this here.
The Takeaway – Test for Hypothyroidism!
Let’s summarize what we went over quickly.
- The thyroid gland controls your metabolism, which is the amount of energy that your body uses up to complete every task it needs to – even including simple things like breathing and thinking!
- Your metabolism follows your thyroid’s lead; if your thyroid is slow, meaning it doesn’t produce enough thyroid hormone, your metabolism will slow down.
- That in turn slows down every process in your body, which can be particularly problematic for certain organs like your heart. It can also lead to weight gain and digestive issues (see the full list of symptoms above).
- The slowing of your thyroid is called hypothyroidism, and the speeding up of your thyroid is called hyperthyroidism. Both of which are very common – especially hypothyroidism.
- It’s important to get comprehensive testing done (not just TSH and T4), and to make sure your doctor considers the possibility of cellular hypothyroidism.
- If you’re struggling with what you suspect to be thyroid issues, don’t get discouraged from your weight loss or digestion goals. Hypothyroidism is treatable!
- Contact Kylie and Kate for treatment options and testing recommendations!
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Co-written by Lana Schwartz
