What exactly is it?
Your thyroid gland is a butterfly shaped gland that is located in the front of your neck, and is responsible for many different functions in the body such as producing key hormones, regulating your body’s temperature, weight and even your mood (1).
Here is a little bit of the science, the two classic hormones the thyroid produces are called thyroxine and triiodothyronine, which are also known as T4 and T3. T4 is converted to T3 which is more biologically active than T4. Having the proper balance of these hormones is an important part of a healthy and active body.
Because this is such an important gland, how do you know if it’s working properly? There a few symptoms that can indicate an imbalance in your thyroid function - feelings of depression, tiredness or even trouble concentrating may be a cause of an underactive thyroid. Feelings of nervousness, anxiety, weight loss and tiredness may be symptoms of an overactive thyroid (1). If you are experiencing any of these symptoms and are concerned it could be an imbalanced thyroid, you should consult your primary care physician for a proper diagnosis.
What does this have to do with fat loss results?
Recently more and more research is pointing out a connection between the thyroid hormones and obesity. For some people it may be extremely difficult to lose weight even though they are on a calorie restricted diet and are exercising. A lot of their struggle may lie in an imbalance with their thyroid hormones. One measurement that determines your metabolism is your BMR or basal metabolic rate. This used to be one of the earliest tests that assessed a patient’s thyroid status. A low BMR represented an underactive thyroid and a high BMR represented an overactive thyroid (3).
For adults, the thyroid hormones are important in the making and the breaking down of proteins as well as promoting the turnover of proteins that are not needed. Due to this process, your body experiences an increased metabolic rate and oxygen consumption, which is also accompanied by heat production (2). Your thyroid needs glucose and fatty acids to be able to do this and to function properly, causing you to expend more energy with an end result of fat loss. Because the thyroid increases adrenaline and noradrenaline release, this can cause the breakdown of fat (lipolysis) and the release of free fatty acids. (2).
Stay tuned for an exciting article about VPX’s brand new supplement called Thyrovex, and how it can help you attain the goals you have always wanted!
- http://www.cdc.gov/nceh/radiation/hanford/htdsweb/guide/thyroid.htm
- Shils M.E, Shike M, Ross A C, Caballero B, Cousins R.J. Modern Nutrition in Health and Disease 10th ed. Lippincott Williams & Wilkins. 2006.
- http://www.thyroid.org/patients/brochures/Thyroid_and_Weight.pdf
