Functions of the thyroid gland in the body. What functions does the thyroid gland perform in the human body? Thyroid hormones and features of their biosynthesis.

However, despite the possible benefits, concerns have been raised that soy may be contraindicated in some populations. One of these concerns is that soy may adversely affect thyroid function and interfere with the absorption of synthetic thyroid hormones.

The purpose of this review is to evaluate the relevant literature and provide the basis for clinical guidelines that can help counsel patients about the effects of soy on thyroid function. Was identified in total 14 studies that determined the effects of soy products or isoflavones on at least one marker for thyroid function in healthy volunteers. Eight of them included women, four men, and two men and women. With one exception, no significant effects were observed in these studies.

For this reason, it is important for consumers of soy products to ensure adequate iodine intake. Soy protein is one of those topics that is constantly the subject of debate and controversy, and which causes advocates and opponents of soy products to reliably produce all sorts of seemingly good arguments for the benefits or risks of soy.

From the very beginning, people are vulnerable to extremes, and nowhere does this seem more common than in the health sector. Whenever a nutrient is discovered to be healthy, people without exception believe that they must do better, and they start by using megadoses of that nutrient. This inevitably leads to a backlash when people learn that bigger really isn't better. Then, without exception, they go on a crusade against that nutrient, not realizing that their own extreme behavior is the actual cause of the problem.

One of my favorite examples is oat bran in the eighties. Having learned that oat bran improves blood fat levels, people began to eat mountains - 50 grams per day or more. People used there dose for horses - you know - better. Until it was discovered that such a massive supply of fiber - especially from isolated sources - can cause vitamin and mineral deficiencies by binding up these nutrients before they can be absorbed.

This brings me to the scope of today's research report on soy protein and thyroid function. As always, there are camps on both sides of the debate that claim soy protein has either positive or negative effects on thyroid hormones. And as always, the truth about how soy protein affects thyroid hormones lies somewhere in the middle and depends on other factors. Today's review will be reviewed.

Of course, the thyroid gland still controls about a million other things in the body, and an example of this is that low levels T3 can cause depression. There are many other trace elements involved in this transformation process. These include, among others, selenium and iron. Soy protein is known to contain hormone mimetics called phytoestrogens. These include genotypes, daidzein and others. One of them is that there is a lot of controversy regarding the effects of these types of compounds in the human diet. Although phytoestrogens may have some positive effects, other studies show negative effects.

A significant part of the influence of positive or negative influences depends on what you are looking at and of course what dosage you are using. The effects of phytoestrogens are much less studied and known in men. There are likely gender and population responses to these compounds and whether soy has any effect depends largely on the amount consumed. Small amounts of soybeans usually have minimal or no effect on most items tested, while large amounts are often observed.

Exists old saying in the field of medicine that says the dosage makes the poison, and this is certainly one of those situations. After we've taken the background, the research review, a review paper that examined the effects of soy protein on thyroid hormone status and metabolism, continues.

However, as the paper notes, studies show very different effects in people in whom soy protein has little or no effect on thyroid secretion. This is another example where the results of an animal study do not translate to humans. Of course, there have been studies done with animals that indicate negative influence Soy protein, in particular, has a phytoestrogens effect on thyroid health - something that people seem to ignore about soy when they claim that soy increases thyroid hormone secretion.

Additionally, soy protein appears to have little effect on thyroid health in people with normal thyroid function. The review looked at 14 different studies and, with one exception, were able to observe only a small or even negligible effect of the soy diet on any marker for thyroid hormone status. To reiterate this, no significant effect of soy protein on thyroid hormone status is observed in people with normal thyroid function.

However, soy protein may cause problems in people with pre-existing symptoms of low thyroid function. Research has shown that consuming soy protein may increase the dosage of thyroid hormone medications, and people who must take thyroid hormones should avoid soy protein immediately before or after taking these medications.

Article by Lyle MacDonald. Here you can find the text on English. You can find more interesting articles and information about it. Thyroid disease can have many faces. Symptoms are often initially nonspecific, which often complicates diagnosis. If we finally get to the problem, an even more problematic search for causes begins. Why did the body lose control of the thyroid gland? What was annoying small organ so much so that it either works too little or too much or is perhaps chronically inflamed?

The thyroid gland has extremely important functions

And what exactly can be done in this situation to awaken the self-healing ability of the body and especially the thyroid gland? With the balanced production of its thyroid hormones, it controls the metabolism of every single cell in the body as well as the body's energy needs.

It regulates heart rhythm as well as heat balance, activates oxygen uptake into cells and tissues, stimulates respiratory and intestinal function, and increases the reactivity of nerve and muscle tissue. Moreover, the thyroid gland plays a crucial role in human development as growth and intelligence are also controlled by it, so thyroid contraction in children leads to severe mental and physical impairment.

Thyroid hormone production

Given these multiple tasks, it is not surprising that the entire body can become out of balance if this important gland is no longer functioning properly. In this disease, the body forms various antibodies, which are faulty in performing their tasks, and on the other hand, completely uncontrollable. Some of them stimulate the hormone-producing cells of the thyroid gland, so that the resulting significantly increased production of hormones inevitably leads to hyperthyroidism.

However, other antibodies falsely treat thyroid tissue as a foreign body that needs to be controlled. As a result, they attack tissue, which can cause severe inflammatory reactions. This explains the fact that Graves' disease is also called an autoimmune disease.

Typical signs of this disease are goiter, as well as more or less pronounced hysteresis eyeballs. In this disease, parts of the thyroid gland suddenly produce uncontrolled hormones without being able to influence the pituitary gland. As a result, an overactive thyroid gland develops. If this is the only network of autonomous cells, then they speak of a so-called “hot node”.

Areas outside of this node can also be controlled through the pituitary gland. Unlike a so-called “cold nodule,” in areas where only a few or no hormones are produced, a hot nodule is almost never “cancerous.” On the other hand, cold nodules can change greatly, which can lead to thyroid cancer.

Hashimoto's thyroiditis - chronic thyroiditis

This form of thyroid inflammation, as well as Graves' disease, is an autoimmune disease. At the initial stage of this disease, the body exhibits the typical symptoms of an overactive thyroid gland. In this case, as in the case of Graves' disease, antibodies are formed that attack the thyroid tissue, leading to inflammation of this organ and, ultimately, to the dissolution of the thyroid gland. Hormones stored in inflammatory areas are suddenly released in the initial phase, leading to an overactive thyroid function.