The weight loss industry is booming and will continue to rack in large profits, since obesity is at an all time high. There is always a new weight loss supplement or elixir on the market that promises incredible results that are too good to be true. Thyroid supplements are renown for their weight loss qualities but do they help promote weight loss?
What is the thyroid?
According to many, the secret to weight loss and a high metabolism is the thyroid gland.The thyroid gland does more than regulate your metabolism( the biochemical process of transforming the food you eat into energy), it also sustains your body temperature, blood pressure and heart rate.
Your body temperature must be regulated, so that it functions properly. The thyroid gland is ductless, any hormones produced by the thyroid gland flow directly into the bloodstream.
The thyroid gland is approximately 2 inches long and is underneath the surface of your skin between the base of your neck below the Adam’s apple.
This little gland, the thyroid, when it is functioning improperly holds the key to boosting the metabolism.If the thyroid gland is overactive,or secreting more hormones than necessary to function your metabolism is hyperactive.Increased or unexplained weight loss may be linked to a hyperactive thyroid gland.
Do Thyroid Supplements Help With Weight Loss?
Yes and no. A hyperactive thyroid gland can increase weight loss, but if you do not suffer from hyperactive glands what do you do? In the past medical professionals would write prescriptions for thyroid medication if a patient wanted to lose weight. The medication would cause the thyroid to secrete more hormones, creating a hyperactive state and creating weight loss.
Thyroid hormone supplements will help you lose weight but the results will not last. If you lose weight taking thyroid pills, but continue the poor eating habits that caused the weight gain to begin with, the pounds will return; and probably with a vengeance.
The thyroid gland can be hyperactive and it can be underactive also. Evidence of an underactive thyroid gland or hyperthyroidism ,includes but is not limited to: a slow metabolism, dry skin, fatigue, depression, decreased appetite and weight gain.
Thyroid Medicine
Thyroxine (T4) and triiodothyronine (T3) are the 2 hormones secreted by the thyroid gland. If you suffer from an improperly functioning thyroid gland, the medication would be prescribed to duplicate the amount of thyroxine that a healthy thyroid would produce.
A popular prescription to treat hyperactive thyroid glands is levothyroxine sodium, which is a synthetic form of thyroxine.
The Side Effects Of Thyroid Supplements
You can not take thyroid pills for extended periods of time. Taking excessive amounts of thyroid hormone can cause cardiovascular issues, bone and muscle loss.
The side effects of taking thyroid medication excessively also include increased heat sensitivity, exhaustion, insomnia,diarrhea,tremors and anxiety.
Increased or unexplained weight loss may be linked to a hyperactive thyroid gland. In the past medical professionals would write prescriptions for thyroid medication if a patient wanted to lose weight.
The medication was a synthetic form of thyroxine that mimics the natural T4 and T3 hormones found in the body. The thyroid medication stimulated the thyroid to secrete more hormones, creating a hyperactive state and ultimately weight loss.
Taking thyroxine or other synthetic forms of T4 or T3 may increase your metabolism, for a while. You may even be able to get back in your favorite pair of jeans. However, there is a downside to taking thyroid medication, the side effects.
Thyroid medication increases feelings of anxiety,which can lead to eating additional food for comfort.Heart problems,increased heat sensitivity, exhaustion, insomnia,diarrhea and tremors are all side effects of thyroid medication.
Thyroid issues often occur because of unhealthy eating habits, stress, or lack of the proper vitamins and minerals. You can always alter your eating patterns and consider herbal supplements and exercise to drop those extra pounds in your midsection.
A healthy diet and exercise have little to no side effects. You may cringe at the sight of green leafy vegetables, or change the subject whenever someone mentions physical fitness but weight loss does not magically occur.
Even if you opted to skip exercise and go the plastic surgery route for weight loss, the results do not last forever, you will have to maintain them.Taking thyroid medication for weight loss, is a short term solution.
Thyroid medication is detrimental to your health if it is taken for long periods of time. If you want to look great and feel great you will have to put forth the effort to do so. Maintaining a healthy weight is not a sprint, it is a marathon. A healthy diet will promote weight loss that is long lasting, thyroid medication will not.
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