Ever heard the phrase you are what you eat? Usually said when deciding between a crisp, green salad or a juicy hamburger at dinner, there’s actually more truth to the statement than you might think. You don’t actually become what you eat as it is more complicated than that on a cellular level, but your health certainly reflects it on many levels. In fact, research shows that the health of your gut impacts almost every other system in your body. The gut-thyroid connection is inextricably linked and these organ systems do not operate independently.
One way your gut health impacts your body is through the gut-thyroid connection. How does gut health benefit your thyroid? I’m glad you asked! There’s a funny thing called your gut microbiome, which we’ll talk about more below, but it affects everything from your thyroid function to the greater health of your immune system. Basically, a healthy gut means a happy, healthy thyroid.
You are what you not only eat, but what you eat, digest, absorb, and assimilate in your body at a cellular level.
What Is Your Gut Microbiome?
Gut microbiome refers to the microorganisms that live in your digestive system. This micro-ecology in your stomach includes: bacteria, archaea, protists, fungi, and viruses. Don’t think of these little guys as parasites though, they perform many critical functions for the wellbeing of your body. The gut microbiome supports your metabolism, immune system, hormones and even your brain.
In fact, the trillions of tiny minds inside your gut make up nearly 1,000 different species of bacteria, and the more the merrier! So, how does this affect your thyroid? Well, let’s take a quick look at what happens when your gut microbiome is no longer a happy camper.
Gut Dysbiosis
Gut dysbiosis typically occurs when the bacteria in your GI tract become imbalanced. That means there are more bad bacteria (pathogenic) than beneficial bacteria taking up housing inside your gut.
Your microbiome plays a key role in supporting the thyroid such as balancing blood sugar, cooling chronic inflammation, supporting immunity, and converting thyroid hormones. Gut dysbiosis can adversely affect the function and health of your thyroid.
Additionally, low thyroid function, also known as hypothyroidism can cause impaired digestive function, and poor digestive health can exacerbate hypothyroidism in a vicious cycle. If you think you may have a thyroid disorder read about the symptoms here!
Three Ways Gut Health Impacts Your Thyroid
1. Gut health affects production and conversion of thyroid hormones
Gut health specifically affects two hormones that your thyroid produces: T3 (triiodothyronine) and T4 (tetraiodothyronine). In order to produce these hormones your body needs iodine. Your gut aids in the production of these hormones by pulling iodine out of the food you eat and delivering it to your thyroid. However, if you have gut dysbiosis you will not have sufficient iodine to deliver to the thyroid.
Additionally, T3 is the active form of the thyroid hormone. Your body produces less of it and simply converts T4 into T3 when it needs extra T3. However, about 20% of T4 is converted into T3 inside the GI Tract. Again, if your gut bacteria are imbalanced, your body won’t be able to convert enough T4. This will cause you to suffer from those bothersome symptoms of hypothyroidism.
An overgrowth of unfriendly bacteria, as in the case of SIBO, inhibits your thyroid from properly producing the thyroid hormones.
2. Gut health supports your immune system
Did you know up to 80 percent of our immune system is housed in the gut? Yep, that’s right, things like allergies and chronic inflammation both start in the gut. Where does the thyroid come into play? Over 20 million people in the United States alone have a thyroid disorder, and about 60% of them don’t even know it. Also interesting to note is that hypothyroidism is more common in women than in men.
The most shocking fact, however, is that Hashimoto’s is the most common thyroid disorder. Hashimoto’s thyroiditis is an autoimmune disorder. These types of disorders are caused by a malfunction in your immune system. In the case of Hashimoto’s, your body begins attacking the thyroid and fails to produce enough thyroid hormone.
Meanwhile, when you have a healthy gut the bacteria will send chemical signals to a layer of cells lining the gut, called epithelial cells. These signals help the immune system recognize harmful versus helpful bacteria. A healthy gut means a properly functioning immune system, which means a lower likelihood of experiencing Hashiomoto’s.
3. A healthy gut absorbs nutrients and minerals from food
I already mentioned that your gut is supposed to draw iodine from the food you eat and deliver it to the thyroid. This helps the thyroid to produce the proper amount of hormones. However, iodine is not the only nutrient that the thyroid needs to function properly. Selenium is another vital nutrient to the health of your thyroid.
The gut absorbs nutrients through the fingerlike projections called villi from the epithelial cells in your gut lining. When the gut is inflamed due to gut dysbiosis, the villi malfunction resulting in impaired nutrient absorption.
When you have a healthy gut your body is able to work in harmony and produce all the necessary requirements for a fully functioning thyroid. I like to think of a healthy gut as a robust, abundant garden. If we have good, microbial rich soil, we can grow an abundance of nutrient dense produce that are packed full of vitamins and minerals. If our garden is missing essential nutrients and the soil is poor, we end up with lack luster and diseased fruits and vegetables.
The wellness of our gut is similar to that of a garden. If our gut is unwell, then our garden is missing essential vitamins and nutrients for health and vitality. This directly impacts the thyroid. If we are stressed and burning through our nutrients, this directly impacts the thyroid and the gut.
Tips For A Healthy Gut And Thyroid
Since we know about the importance of the gut-thyroid connection, how can we maintain both a healthy gut and thyroid?
Heal the gut and cut out inflammatory foods – this journey will look different for each individual based on their unique medical history and lifestyle. However, healing the gut is the first step to healing the thyroid. In many cases it will also involve cutting out inflammatory foods like gluten, dairy, and processed food.
Eat Protein – There are two essential nutrients needed for thyroid function: selenium and zinc. Low protein diets often don’t provide enough of these vital nutrients, both of which support the conversion of T4 into T3.
Take probiotics or eat fermented food – studies show that the inclusion of lactic acid bacteria improves thyroid function. Lactic acid bacteria are commonly found in fermented vegetables such as sauerkraut and kimchi and fermented dairy products like yogurt and kefir.
Remove toxins – other steps you can take to heal your gut, and your thyroid, include removing environmental toxins such as those found in indoor air or personal care products and managing stress.
Work With A Holistic Health Coach
If you need support to heal your gut or think you may be suffering from a thyroid disorder reach out to me! Sometimes the hardest part is knowing where to start. As a Certified Holistic Health Coach my job is to identify the root cause of illness and help you bring joy back into your life through vibrant physical and mental health! Fill out my contact form to get started!
