The Importance of Protein for Thyroid Health
Protein is essential for keeping your thyroid healthy. It's one of the most important parts of a balanced diet, and it plays a crucial role in the function of your thyroid gland. But let's back up for a second. What exactly is the thyroid, and what does it do?
Let's dive in.
How the Thyroid Functions
The thyroid is a butterfly-shaped gland that sits on the front of your neck, just below your throat. It produces thyroid hormones that regulate the body's metabolism, which controls how fast your body uses energy.
When you eat food, it's broken down into simple sugars and amino acids, which are absorbed into the bloodstream through your digestive system. Your liver then converts these simple sugars and amino acids into more complex forms of energy—glucose and fatty acids—and sends them out to all of your cells in the body.
Your hypothalamus (a part of the brain) tells your pituitary gland to release thyrotropin-releasing hormone (TRH), which travels through your bloodstream until it reaches the thyroid gland. Once there, it stimulates an enzyme called iodide organification amidase (IOAD). This enzyme works with iodine in your bloodstream to convert a hormone named thyroxine (T4) into triiodothyronine (T3). T3 is what stimulates the production of energy in your cells.
How Protein Affects the Thyroid Function
Protein is a macronutrient that provides the body with essential amino acids, which are used to build muscle and repair tissue. Proteins are found in meat, fish, dairy products, eggs, grains, and legumes.
Protein is also an important factor in thyroid function because it helps regulate the metabolism of thyroid hormones. When protein intake is high, it can increase levels of T3 (triiodothyronine) by increasing the rate at which the body converts T4 (thyroxine) into T3. This increased conversion results in an increased rate of metabolism. A low-protein diet can cause hypothyroidism (underactive thyroid gland) because it prevents T3 from being converted into T4 effectively.
Why Protein Is Essential for Thyroid Health
Protein is essential for thyroid health because it's needed to produce hormones and enzymes that help the body function. Without protein, you couldn't make thyroid hormones, which are essential to regulating your metabolism.
Protein can help the thyroid do its job by providing a steady stream of amino acids, which are protein's building blocks. Your body needs these building blocks to make thyroid hormones like T3 and T4, which are necessary for regulating metabolism. If you don't get enough protein, your thyroid can't produce enough hormones, and you could experience symptoms like fatigue and weight gain.
How Quality of Protein Is Essential
The quality of protein is essential to your health and wellness. Protein is the building block of life. It's what makes up your muscles, hair, skin, and nails, as well as all your enzymes and hormones. As a human being, you need to consume a certain amount of protein each day to maintain muscle mass.
There are three main protein types: complete proteins, incomplete proteins, and supplemental proteins. Complete proteins are found in animal products like meat, fish, poultry, and dairy products. Incomplete proteins are found in plant foods like beans or lentils. Supplemental proteins come from supplements like protein powders.
Precision ISO Protein is a high-quality grass-fed whey protein isolate with one of the highest protein contents available. A good choice for anyone looking to increase their daily intake of amino acids, which are the building blocks of muscle growth.
Vegetarians and vegans alike need to make sure they're getting enough essential nutrients from their diets. Phyto Perfect protein is the perfect protein supplement as it's all-natural, gluten, lactose-free and contains a full serving of organic fruits and vegetables in each scoop.
As we've seen, protein is essential to the proper function of your thyroid. If you're looking for a way to ensure that you're getting enough protein in your diet, consider taking a high-quality, grass-fed protein supplement and make sure you're hitting your nutritional macros to help support thyroid health.