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What if you have totally normal TSH levels but low T3 or another thyroid hormone?

All too often, when we get our thyroid checked by our doctor, they only run the standard TSH test, see that it’s normal, and then send you on your way. But, if you were to run a full thyroid panel, you might learn that there’s some sluggishness on a cellular level – which can be seen from other markers, especially our free T3.

With hypothyroidism, your thyroid obviously slows down… but so do your mitochondria! These small but mighty organelles are the powerhouses of your cells, helping to generate energy in the form of ATP (the primary currency of your body), synthesizing biochemicals, regulating your metabolism and preventing oxidative damage.

In order to support your mitochondria, you have to look at:

  • Are they getting enough nutrients, especially B vitamins and antioxidants?
  • Are you damaging your mitochondria by over-exercising?
  • Is your diet high in heavy metals?
  • What’s going on with your liver? 

After all, your liver is responsible for 70% of thyroid hormone conversion through its production of the enzyme deiodinase. It works hard to:

  • Convert the inactive form of thyroid hormone (T4) to the active form of thyroid hormone (T3)
  • Convert T4 to an inactive form of thyroid hormone called reverse T3 (rT3)
  • Metabolize and excrete thyroid hormones from your bloodstream through bile or urine

Some ways you can support your liver if you’re low in T3:

  • Take milk thistle (which is in our thyroid formula ThyroPro!)
  • Consider supplementing with glutathione 
  • Eat sulfur rich foods that help you make glutathione, like: onions, garlic, and cruciferous vegetables

Lastly, you might want to ask yourself the deeper question of why is my body slowing down in the first place? Maybe it’s inflammation, or maybe it’s as simple as a nutrient deficiency. We know that we need minerals to convert T4 to T3, specifically selenium, magnesium, and iodine. But inositol, a sugar alcohol, also plays a big role in your thyroid hormones since it acts as a cofactor for thyroid peroxidase (TPO) – an enzyme needed to make thyroid hormones.

There’s ALWAYS a deeper root cause to thyroid imbalances, we just need to ask the right questions and that’s where wonderful practitioners can be so transformative. 

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