Issue #340: 3 Critical Thyroid Tests
Good morning. It’s Thursday, May 9th.
Stat of the Day
Patients with hypothyroidism (low thyroid) were 81% more likely to be diagnosed with dementia. This isn’t causation - just correlation, but still. (source)
Learn
The Importance of the Thyroid
Our thyroid is a little gland in our neck that affects the health of our entire body.
You know your thyroid is important, but you probably don’t exactly know why.
Well - because it affects just about every organ in our body.
Most notably hormones from the thyroid activate genes that boost our metabolism and temperature regulation. Basically - it gives us energy and keeps us warm.
Thyroid hormones also increase the oxygen in our blood and give a boost to those fast twitch muscles that we need to create power and explosiveness.
How do you know if your thyroid isn’t functioning properly?
You’re tired, you’re cold, and you’re slow.
PRO TIP - if you’re saying you’re always cold - put a standard thermometer next to your bed. When you wake up, put it in your armpit for 10 minutes before getting out of bed. Anything below 97.8 degrees might suggest a thyroid issue.
But that’s not all - a working thyroid is also necessary for our brain health. There is a correlation between dementia and suboptimal thyroid function.
“Thyroid function is like the accelerator in your car - the faster you push on it, the faster all your cells will go. It also affects your heart rate and mental sharpness.”
And it also helps our kidneys work the right way - Dr. David Perlmutter talks about how thyroid problems increase our uric acid (which we absolutely don’t want).
So basically it’s important to make sure we know our thyroid health.
Measure
TSH, T3, T4
If you go to the doctor they will typically measure our thyroid stimulating hormone (TSH).
This is the hormone that activates our thyroid. So in theory, if the thyroid isn’t working, we make more TSH to try to help - so a high TSH means a bad thyroid.
But in reality you can have a normal TSH and a thyroid that doesn’t do what it’s supposed to.
You should also request T3 and T4.
Free T3 is the active thyroid hormone and is actually what matters
Free T4 is the inactive thyroid hormone, but can be converted to T3
Everyone should get all three (3) of these tests.
TSH
Normal Range = 0.4-4.2 mIU/L (milli-International Units per liter)
Optimal Range = 0.4-2.0 mIU/L
**Anything over 2.0 might indicate hypothyroidism and you should talk to your medical professional if you’re also experiencing any symptoms of being tired, slow, cold, constipated, or even have brittle nails.
Free T3
Optimal Range = 3.2-4.2 pg/mL (picograms per milliliter)
Free T4
Optimal Range = 1.3-1.8 ng/dL (nanograms per deciliter)
Be sure to check those measures as each have a different unit.
Now, if you do have an issue with these results, you should then request a Reverse T3 test.
This sounds confusing, but stick with us - Reverse T3 acts like a stand-in. It takes up the space on the cell that T3 needs, but doesn’t activate the cell. So that’s one way we can get low metabolism. Sometimes T4 converts to Reverse T3 instead of the real thing.
Again, probably only necessary if your initial test results aren’t in line.
If you want to go deep (like real deep) on a thyroid biology lesson, Dr. Peter Attia has you covered:
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In the News
$40K Gym Membership: Equinox is now offering longevity memberships (“Optimize”) that include not just personal trainers while working out among other beautiful people, but also lab tests and access to nutritionists. (CNBC)
Chilling Out: Yoga can help with flexibility, digestion, mood and sleep. Two breathing techniques can provide immediate relief from stress and anxiety - breath retention (bahya kumbhaka) and interrupted breathing (viloma pranayama). (Source)
Do you really need to use toothpaste?: Contrary to recent dentist opinions, toothpaste with fluoride is indeed necessary for optimal oral health - unless you want cavities. (Big Think)
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The information in this newsletter is for informational purposes only and may not be appropriate or applicable based on your individual circumstances. Thrive25, Inc. does not provide medical, professional, or licensed advice. Please connect with your healthcare professional for medical advice specific to your health needs.