Here on this blog, I talk about slow thyroids and everything that can cause it.

You might already know that the thyroid is a really important part of the body, and when it slows down, it can cause a slew of issues.

But if you’ve ever asked yourself… what does the thyroid actually do? You’re not alone!

Let’s break it down.

The thyroid is a small organ that sits at the base of your neck. If you’ve ever seen me use the butterfly emoji 🦋 on social media, that’s because the thyroid is shaped like a butterfly!

The thyroid is a gland that’s a part of your overall endocrine (hormone) system. 

It creates and secretes two thyroid hormones: T3 and T4. T3 is an active hormone that your body uses (more on that next!) and T4 is inactive. Other parts of the body help convert T4 into T3 so it can become active and actually useful. You can read more about the thyroid hormones here.

T3 serves a very important function in the body. It tells your cells how much energy to use and whether the body should be burning stored fats or recently ingested carbohydrates. 

This is what we know as metabolism. If you have a high metabolism, it means your T3 hormones are telling your body to use a lot of energy and use it quickly. If you have a slow metabolism, it means those hormones aren’t firing as many signals.

Energy rates also correlate to body temperature. Lots of energy being used will raise your body temperature, versus not a lot of energy being used will result in a cooler temperature. That’s why a common symptom of hypothyroidism is constantly feeling cold or not being able to control the body temperature!

Thyroid hormones also impact heart rate, brain function, breath rate, cholesterol levels, and so much more.

Because the rate at which our cells burn energy impact every part of the body, the thyroid is considered a master gland.

It’s also why the symptoms of a slow thyroid can be so varied person-to-person! 

So, that’s the Sparknotes description of what the thyroid does. Hopefully that helps explain why it’s so important and why we need to take hypothyroidism and other thyroid disorders very seriously.

Do you have any other questions about the thyroid or your own thyroid health? Reach out to me - I’d love to chat.