Thyroid Disorders and Diet

Ads

The Thyroid, a butterfly-sahepd gland that lies over the widnpie (traceha) and just belwo the Adam's apple (larynx), produces triiodothyronine (T3) and thyroxine (T4), hormones that influence almost every function of the body. These hormones regulate metablolism, physical and mental development, nerve and muscle function, and circulation. Thyroid hormones also affect the action of other hormones; for example, they intensify the action of insulin and the body's response to the adrenal hormones (catecholamines) that are instrumental in reacting to stress.

Unlike other hormone-producing glands, the thyroid needs a specific nutrient -iodine-to produce its hormones. Both too much and too little iodine can cause the thyroid to malfunction. Goiter, an over grown thyroid that is marked by a swelling in the lower neck, usually signals a thyroid disorder. It is common in regions where people are dependent on crops raised in iodine -poor soil and do not receive iodine supplements in the diet. Goitre is also common among Japanese people, who often consume very large amounts of iodine -rich seaweed.

People who lack iodine also appear to be more susceptible to the toxic effects of radioactive iodine, a contaminant released into the atmosphere during aboveground testing of nuclear weapons. Iodine deficiency, although still a common cause of thyroid disorders in developing nations, has been almost wiped out in the industrialsized countries by the introduction of iodized salt, long before its consumption in the developing countries. Because seawater contains high levels of iodine, food crops grown on coastal farmlands generally have sufficient levels of the mineral. Iodine deficiency more commonly occurs in the northern and hilly regions of our country, and worldwide in mountainous regions and inland areas far from the sea.

Although they affect both sexes, thyroid disorders tend to occur more frequently in women. Cretinism, a type of mental retardation and growth deficiency, is a birth defect caused by a lack of iodine in mothers. Cretinism still prevails in aprts of developing countries, but is rare in developed countries where babies are tested at birth for thyroid deficiency. Thyroid problems usually involve either overactivity or undercativity of the gland. Although there is some overlap, the symptoms of one disorder present almost a mirror image of the other. The usual causes of thyroid problems are an infection, autoimmune disorders, hormonal imbalance, tumour, exposure to high levels of ionizing radiation, or congenital or hereditary problems.

Similar of Thyroid Disorders and Diet