What is the Thyroid?
The thyroid gland regulates your metabolism and energy production on a cellular level, so any lack of function can have profound effects on your body. It is responsible for controlling heart, muscle and digestive function, brain development, and bone maintenance. It plays a vital role in extracting and absorbing iodine from your blood and incorporating it into the essential hormones it releases. Discover more about 'what are thyroid hormones?'
What Hormones Does the Thyroid Produce?
The thyroid produces thyroxine (T4), which is a pretty inactive hormone. More importantly, it also provides triiodothyronine (T3), which, in comparison, is highly active and vital in processing energy in your body. The thyroid produces relatively low levels of active T3 (around 20%) compared to high levels of inactive T4 (80%). After being released, special enzymes in organs such as the liver and kidneys can convert the T4 into active T3 depending on your body's needs.
What is Hypothyroidism?
Hypothyroidism is a condition when your thyroid is not producing enough hormones. This condition harms your bodily function and, importantly, how you feel. The effects can vary from individual to individual and can be challenging to diagnose. In women, symptoms are easier to read, yet not exclusive, such as cold hands and feet, dry skin, tiredness, and bowel function changes. Symptoms that differ between the sexes can cause diagnosis issues, such as weight gain in women, compared with muscle loss and lack of strength in men.
Male symptoms can include
- A decrease in testosterone levels (Low T)
- Erectile Dysfunction
- Low libido (decreased sex drive)
- Hair loss and balding
- High Cholesterol
- Depression
- Impatience, short temper and lack of ability to deal with stress
- Tiredness and lack of motivation
- Increased insecurity
- Muscle loss
- Loss of Strength
How Does Low Thyroid Function Affect Testosterone?
Many people associate low thyroid function (hypothyroidism) with women. Often though, men are now getting a diagnosis too. Male Excel always tests thyroid function due to its essential role in testosterone distribution around the body.
As discussed before, hypothyroidism is when the thyroid gland releases insufficient amounts of thyroid hormones T3 and T4. The effects of this on men are similar to other more common conditions, such as low testosterone.
Low testosterone is well documented in the media and more recognized amongst the male population. Often men with low T will also suffer from a thyroid problem. Low thyroid function often leads to an imbalance in essential hormone levels vital to usable testosterone in your system.
An underactive thyroid produces less of the protein' Sex hormone-binding globulin' (SHBG. This protein binds to and transports testosterone, estrogen, and dihydrotestosterone (DHT) around your body. SHBG controls the amount of testosterone that your body tissues can use.
Diagnosing Low Thyroid in Men
Diagnosing an underactive thyroid is not easy unless you have access to proper health care. Often by misdiagnosis, many men suffer the long-term effects of low thyroid unnecessarily. They jump from doctor to doctor, looking for a solution that none offer. Symptoms can be life-altering and affect work, relationships, general health, and mental wellness.
Our Desiccated Porcine Thyroid is a natural product that contains hormones T4, and T3, minimal levels of T1 and T2, as well as iodine and calcitonin. Because of its natural origin, desiccated thyroid mimics real thyroid hormone production far more closely than synthetic versions, which don't contain such a broad spectrum.
Desiccated Thyroid Extract (DTE). A Quick History
Desiccated Thyroid extract (DTE) is sometimes called natural desiccated thyroid (NDT) or porcine thyroid. DTE comes from the dried and powdered thyroid glands of animals, usually pigs and cows. It has been a treatment for underactive thyroid (hypothyroidism) for decades. It became available back in the 1890s when it was shown to improve the symptoms of those suffering from hypothyroidism.
