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Things That Affect Thyroid Hormones in the Body

Facts Treated Thyroid Patients Need to Know

Sep 1, 2009 Jim Lowrance

With treated hypothyroidism the therapy is a set dose of thyroid hormone replacement. Patients need to be aware of things that can affect thyroid hormone levels.

When a person’s own thyroid gland is supplying hormone to the body, the levels will fluctuate as there is a need for them to do so. The pituitary gland in the brain regulates the amount of thyroid hormone released via stimulation of the thyroid gland by TSH (Thyroid Stimulating Hormone).

With thyroid hormone replacement therapy to treat hypothyroidism, the dose given remains steady in the body and does not fluctuate due to things that might change the amount of hormone that is needed. This fact demonstrates the need by treated hypothyroid patients to know what things in their diets and lifestyle practices can affect thyroid hormone levels in the body.

Hard Physical Exercise

While exercise has many benefits, both physical and emotional, hard physical activity can have a lowering affect on thyroid hormone levels. It is important for hypothyroid patients to pace their exercise regimens, so that they do not exceed their tolerance level because thyroid hormones will not rise to meet the extra demand when a set-dose is being taken. The resulting effect can be severe fatigue and slow recovery from hard physical activity. Exercise should be built upon slowly to a reasonable level and afterward maintained at the proper level, so that a thyroid hormone dose remains adequate, reflected in follow up blood retests that monitor the dose.

Alcohol, Caffeine and Smoking

Medical research studies have shown that alcohol consumption can negatively affect thyroid hormone levels and is especially true in pregnant women who can cause thyroid function to drop in both their own bodies and that of their fetuses with alcohol use. Alcohol acts as both a stimulant and a depressant and it could be that there are increases in thyroid hormones with alcohol use in smaller amounts that are followed by decreases in the levels with increased or prolonged alcohol use.

Another stimulant that has been shown to alter thyroid hormone production, is caffeine and medical studies done with animal models have shown that caffeine consumption temporarily increases thyroid hormone levels, which might cause a temporary increase in energy as well but as with any stimulant, will also cause a resulting crash when levels drop back down to normal values. Hypothyroid patients feel these fluctuations more intensely than do people with normal thyroid function whose bodies can adjust the thyroid hormone levels in response to these type influences.

A third stimulant that has also been studied by medical research groups but in this case using human models, is tobacco smoking. Studies have shown that smokers have elevated thyroid hormone levels and decreased TSH levels (Thyroid Stimulating Hormone). Some of the conclusions state that smokers have a three-fold increased risk for developing Graves’ disease, the autoimmune-cause of hyperthyroidism.

In hypothyroid patients with Hashimoto’s thyroiditis (autoimmune cause), smoking may place them at higher risk for episodes of Hashitoxicosis (hyperthyroid phases) or for transitioning over to Graves’ disease. A substantial risk that has been confirmed in medical research is the fact that smoking increases chances for development of “Thyroid Eye Disease” in autoimmune thyroid disorder patients.

Goitrogen Foods

It is a well known fact that eating foods high in calcium and/or iron or taking supplements containing these elements can hinder absorption of a thyroid hormone dose, unless taken at least four hours apart from the dose. There are, however other foods that can actually cause thyroid hormone levels to decrease, regardless of when eaten, called “goitrogens”. These type foods are medically recognized for their ability to lower thyroid hormone levels in the body due to their effect in blocking the action of “thyroid peroxidase” (protein/enzyme).

One major food group well-known for its thyroid hormone diminishing ability, is soy products. Reading ingredient labels can reveal what products contain soy apart from the obvious ones. Other foods that can have a goitrogenic affect are those from the cruciferous family of vegetables including mustard, rutabaga, turnips, broccoli, brussel sprouts, cabbage, cauliflower, kale, kohlrabi. spinach and radishes. Nuts, grains and fruits in the goitrogen category include Millet, peanuts, soybeans, strawberries and peaches. Treated hypothyroid patients should avoid these foods beyond small servings and by thoroughly cooking them, can help diminish their goitrogenic effects.

The copyright of the article Things That Affect Thyroid Hormones in the Body in General Medicine is owned by Jim Lowrance. Permission to republish Things That Affect Thyroid Hormones in the Body in print or online must be granted by the author in writing.

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