Despite its small size, the thyroid hormone plays a crucial role in regulating a range of physiological functions.
It regulates key functions like metabolism, temperature and heart rate, by producing hormones like T4 and T3. Without this, patients face health risks and physical changes in the face.
In the UK alone, two in every 100 people have an underactive thyroid, with more women affected than men.
Thyroid UK notes: “Some doctors feel that the rate is much higher than this. Subclinical hypothyroidism is found in eight to 10 per cent of the population, is more common in women and increases with age.”
Many thyroid symptoms appear on the face
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Dr Emily Lipinksy recently shared a cautionary tale about facial symptoms of the condition, noting that hers appeared years before she was diagnosed with hypothyroidism.
“I had signs and symptoms of hypothyroidism for years before I was diagnosed. First and foremost, I was having so much thinning of the eyebrows," she shared.
“The outer two-thirds, they were falling out and becoming very thin."
Emily’s hair loss wasn’t limited to her eyebrows, however. It affected her scalp too.
She went on: “I was having a lot of hormonal acne, especially around the mouth, [an area] which is indicative of hormonal acne. I was always cold and so was my nose.”
Fortunately, the naturopath managed to appease her symptoms with the help of a few dietary interventions.
“My doctor told me there was nothing I could do for the right thyroid antibodies and that diet didn’t make that much of a difference,” she shared in a different clip.
Emily noted that she's been thyroid antibody-negative for seven years now and believes her diet made a massive difference.
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The naturopath claims dietary changes helped her symptoms
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“Number one is avoiding all gluten. I was gluten-free for five years and this helped to lower my thyroid antibodies," she shared. “Once my thyroid antibodies were negative, a lot of my thyroid symptoms improved, especially puffy face and puffy neck."
She also warned about packaged foods, noting: "A lot of this isn’t even food, it’s just a lot of preservatives and additives. It’s inflammatory."
Emily went on: “Number three is avoiding all soy products which can interfere with thyroid hormone production.
“Number four is taking out all corn. A lot of people are sensitive to corn because of the genetic modification. Brassica vegetables are okay but only when cooked."
While it's widely accepted that no food can cure the disease, many patients report symptom relief through dietary changes. Check with a doctor before making any dietary changes.
