25 November 2023

Thyroid Hormone

Thyroid hormone is a hormone produced by the thyroid gland, a gland that has a butterfly-like shape. The location of the thyroid gland is in the middle of the front of the neck.

Thyroid hormone is very important because it plays a role in metabolic processes and affects every cell and tissue in the body. If production is excessive or insufficient, it can trigger various health problems, from mild to severe.

Thyroid hormones produced by the body are divided into two; thyroxine hormone (T4) and triiodothyronine hormone (T3).

• Thyroxine hormone (T4)  is a type of hormone produced by the body after the thyroid gland receives iodine intake.
• The hormone triiodothyronine (T3) is the second hormone after thyroxine produced by the thyroid gland. This hormone, commonly known as the T3 hormone, is an active form of thyroid hormone which functions to regulate many important things in the body.

Thyroid Hormone Function:
Some important functions of thyroid hormone that you must know are:

• Controls muscle movement and contraction
• Regulates brain function
• Plays a role in body development
• Regulates heart function and digestive system
• Maintains the speed of metabolic or digestive processes in the body
• Maintain bone health
• Regulates the number of calories that  the body must burn so that it influences the rise and fall of body weight
• Regulates body temperature
• Regulates cell turnover in the body

Thyroid Hormone Problems
Health problems related to thyroid hormone are generally divided into two, namely conditions when thyroid hormone is excessive and deficient.

Excess thyroid hormone
The condition of hyperthyroidism occurs when the thyroid gland is too active in producing hormones which causes thyroid hormone levels to become too high.
This condition causes the body's metabolism to run faster and causes several symptoms, such as:

• Weight loss
• Shaking or tremors
• Hair loss
• Nervousness or restlessness
• Difficulty concentrating
• The body produces excessive sweat
• Sensitive or unable to tolerate hot temperatures
• Hard to sleep
• Tired easily
• Heart rate becomes faster

Thyroid Hormone Deficiency
Hypothyroidism occurs when the thyroid gland cannot produce sufficient amounts of thyroid hormone. Some symptoms of hypothyroidism include :

• The body's metabolism becomes slow
• Easy to gain weight
• Tired easily
• Memory impairment
• Bowel obstruction
• Not resistant to cold air
• Heart rate slows
• Dry skin
• Hoarseness
• Hair is dry and breaks easily
• Tips for Maintaining Thyroid Hormones

The following are some tips that you can do to maintain the health of your thyroid gland:

• Consume nutritious foods containing vegetables, fruit and protein that do not contain fat
• Reduce consumption of foods that contain bad fats and simple carbohydrates, fast food and processed foods
• Avoid consuming offal, such as intestines, tripe, or animal spleen
• Consume iodized salt in moderation, namely no more than 2 grams per day
• Keep sugar, caffeine and alcohol consumption to certain limits. The recommended sugar consumption is no more than
• Five teaspoons per day. For coffee, a maximum of two cups per day
• Do regular exercise such as walking, cycling, going up and down stairs, or yoga

Reviewed by : dr. Innosensius Ibnu Ishwara, M.K.K.

Source: Alodokter Health Bumame