Thyroid and conception

Iodine, tyrosine and selenium are needed to make thyroid hormones. A deficiency in any of these nutrients can leave you with an under-functioning thyroid Or an excess can cause an over-functioning thyroid.

Your thyroid is your body's CEO. It takes messages from the boss aka the brain. The brain receives the messages of body functions and needs and sends orders to make hormones to keep everything functioning correctly. This message comes in the form of TSH (thyroid-stimulating hormones). This is the marker most likely to be tested by your doctor.

The thyroid releases hormones in response to the message (levels of TSH). These hormones are what circulates in our bodies. Keeping mood, weight, and temperature are all regulated to name a few functions.

So you can see that a TSH is only half the picture. We need to see if the body can and if it is responding to these messages.

A thyroid panel should include TSH, T3, T4 and antibodies as a minimum.

A healthy thyroid is needed to conceive and grow a healthy baby. Thyroid levels need to drastically increase throughout pregnancy. You need the correct nutrients for that to happen. Sadly pregnancy can end in miscarriage if the thyroid isn't healthy. Post-birth the thyroid can also struggle. Adequate nutrient status is key.

Low levels of iodine in the soil and groundwater are common in many parts of the world, often leading to diets that are low in iodine. Widespread salt iodization has eradicated severe iodine deficiency, but mild-to-moderate deficiency is still prevalent even in many developed countries. Iodine deficiency in Tasmania is way too common. It's been known for a long time. It's why some foods including salt have been fortified with iodine. It's a nutrient that is abundant in seafood and sea plants. Deficient in our soils here in TAS.

Iodine is needed for babies’ brainpower. But it actually needs to be adequate for conception. A 2018 study found 500 women trying to conceive over about five years and found that, overall, those with moderate to severe iodine deficiency had 46% lower odds, per cycle, of becoming pregnant.

Just wow!! That's a massive reduction inability to conceive.

Now don't go out and start taking iodine without being tested. Or lather it on your body. I know it was a fad a while ago now. It's a dangerous mineral in excess and the body cannot easily excrete excess levels. Always safer to test. The safe option is to increase iodine in your diet with seaweed (such as Nori, kelp, kombu and wakame), Sea fish in small amounts salt and eggs.

It's a simple urine test that costs $75 to have done, if you would like you would like your iodine levels checked get in touch.