You may not know this, but your liver is one of the unsung heroes of your thyroid hormone status! It’s true, the liver plays a big role in the body, but when it comes to your thyroid hormone health, the liver in an integral player.
The liver is a dynamic and critical organ that has over 500 different functions inside the human body.
With all of the functions the liver is responsible for doing, it is safe to say that this organ requires a lot of fuel! Not only does the liver need ample amount of calories, it requires a good balance of those calorie from each macronutrient group (proteins, fats, carbs) as well as a robust supply of micronutrients (vitamins, minerals, amino acids, fatty acids). Nutrient-dense macro-nutrients provide an ample amount of micro-nutrients, which is why paying attention WHAT you’re eating as well as HOW MUCH your eating is a more success approach than calorie and macro counting alone! After all, 100 calories of broccoli and 100 calories of sugar and 100 calories of chicken behave very differently in the body!
One of the most notable functions of the liver is detoxification. Detoxification is a process in which toxins, which are predominantly fat-soluble, are transformed into more water-soluble molecules to allow for ease of excretion via bowels, sweat, urine, and breath. Detoxification occurs in 2 phases in the liver.
With the high energy and nutrient demand, suboptimal status due to poor supply or increased needs can lead to a slow-down of sort in many of the liver’s functions. Think of it sort of like a battery running low or a light-bulb flickering. With inconsistent or unavailable resources, certain functions must take priority because they’re vital while others can begin to down-regulate in an effort to be as conservative as possible with the resources available.
Much of the thyroid hormone conversion from less active T4 to more active T3 occurs inside the liver. The conversion of T4 to T3 requires adequate energy, carbohydrates, selenium and zinc. When the liver experiences a degree of sluggishness, whether related to toxic burden, inadequate supply of energy resources, or other impairing factors like fat infiltration (fatty liver), this can slow the process of conversion. Slowed conversion can lead to lower than ideal levels of T3 and then to hypothyroid symptoms.
The opposite is true wherein lower than ideal levels of thyroid hormones negatively influence the liver. Thyroid hormones set the pace of many metabolic functions including digestion. The liver is an extension of the digestive tract and hypothyroidism can slow the pace of the hepatocytes (liver cells), impair bile production, and decrease fat clearance from the liver (which can be a cause of fatty liver).
There is a big crossover in the set of symptoms both sluggish liver and thyroid will present. It can be a bit of a challenge to know, but working with a practitioner skilled in assessing symptoms as well as labs alongside your unique story can help to identify where to place most of your targeted efforts. While many of the same nutritional approaches can have positive outcomes for different areas of the body, knowing which may need a little extra support can help up the ante a bit for either focusing more on the liver or the thyroid.
This is not a complete DIY guide nor is this an exhaustive list, but rather a list of things to consider when assessing which may need more attention– the liver of the thyroid.
Nicole
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