Can Hypothyroidism Cause Weight Gain?

Many females that are having trouble with weight gain wonder if they have low thyroid function or hypothyroidism. Low thyroid or hypothyroidism can lead to weight gain, but there are some important things to understand about the thyroid before you make a decision about what to do. The video below discusses the issue of weight gain and low thyroid.

Hypothyroidism can lead to weight gain because thyroid hormone works to activate cellular metabolism. In other words, your thyroid controls the activation of your metabolism. If you have low thyroid levels, your metabolism will slow down which means you will probably have less energy and you will burn fewer calories. If you burn fewer calories it's likely that you will gain more weight.

The simple answer to all of this seems to be to add more thyroid hormone. For some people this may be true, but what if your thyroid isn't really the source of the problem? There are many pathways in the function of thyroid hormone, and in addition to this there are other problems in the body that can disrupt the function of the thyroid gland.

One example of this is Hashimoto's thyroiditis. In Hashimoto's disease the immune system is actually attacking the thyroid. Typically intolerance to gluten causes the immune system to become confused and antibodies are accidentally attached to the thyroid gland molecules. The structure of the gluten molecule is similar to the structure of the thyroid molecule which aids in the immune systems confusion.

As the immune system attacks the thyroid gland, the levels of thyroid hormone decrease leading to hypothyroidism or low thyroid and possible weight gain. This would be a case where thyroid hormone medication may not be the correct answer. The correct answer would be to clean up the diet of the person and remove anything that could be causing the immune system to flare up.

Your body is a very complex system. For many years patients have been given this drug and that to try to eliminate symptoms or problems they are having. What's worse is that no one was really investigating to see if the drug that was being given was actually working to correct the source of the problem. Today all of that is changing!

The Orlando Thyroid Project

If you are struggling with weight gain and you feel that you may have hypothyroidism or low thyroid, the professionals at the Orlando Thyroid Project at Integrative Health of Orlando are here to help clear up your confusion. Our well trained staff will help you find the source of your problem so that you can take control of your health again.

If you are interested in learning more about the Orlando Thyroid Project call to attend one of our complimentary thyroid classes today. Don't let hypothyroidism and weight gain get you down. The answers are out there. You deserve the very best!