Zinc And Thyroid

Zinc is a mineral that takes part in a multitude of health processes in the body.

Zinc and thyroid. The mineral is essential for cell functioning immune system reproductive health and affects thyroid function as well. Zinc is connected to thyroid function in more than one way. Low levels of zinc affect production of thyroid hormones which has a major impact on hypothyroidism patients. Zinc is so important for thyroid function that elderly people who are zinc deficient develop full blown hypothyroidism.

When zinc levels are low zinc tsh is not created which results in low levels of thyroid hormones t4 and t3 9. Zinc is important for production of thyroid hormone. This includes the adrenal glands immune system imbalances of the sex hormones digestive issues as well as certain vitamin and mineral deficiencies. Moreover zinc is crucially required for keeping a normal metabolism of thyroid hormones in addition to maintaining a normal resting metabolic rate rmr ii.

Zinc absorption by the body requires thyroid hormone too. The good news is that this condition is easily fixed with zinc supplementation. How have thyroid patients used zinc. While copper and zinc are both vital to good thyroid health at first glance zinc seems the most important.

This could lead to symptoms like hair loss fatigue and weight gain even while taking thyroid medications like synthroid. Zinc is one of the elements required for thyroid hormone synthesis which also include selenium and copper i. Zinc is responsible for converting t4 the inactive form of the thyroid hormone thyroxine into t3 the active form of thyroxine. If zinc is low or missing from the body t3 cannot be made 9.

Why are we deficient in zinc. You can read more about the effects of insufficient t3 levelshere. A zinc deficiency can adversely affect thyroid function. Zinc is also an essential element for thyroid function.

Zinc is also an essential part of the enzyme deiodinase which converts t4 into functional t3. The bad news is that a great many people are zinc deficient especially those with low thyroid function or hypothyroidism and probably don t even realize it. One way zinc has been helpful is in the lowering of high bedtime cortisol as reported in this study titled zinc acutely and temporarily inhibits adrenal cortisol secretion in humans. It is necessary to maintain the metabolic rate of thyroid hormones and for the resting metabolic rate normalization.

Diffuse loss of hair is a common symptom seen in hypothyroidism. Zinc deficiencies are more prevalent in well developed countries.