Thyroid Gland

Effect of Yoga works on dysfunctional Thyroid-Scientific Evidences

Jun 29, 2021

Hope you had time to read the previous post which details the effect of Yoga on Pineal Gland (3.2/n). Our Pineal Gland plays an important role in controlling Sleep. Do u know, we basically spend one-third of our life sleeping. If you want to know how Yoga can benefit with sleep quality and what science has to say then give it a read if you haven’t.

In this article we will examine the effects of Yoga on the Thyroid Gland.

The TL;DR

Thyroid gland is the first endocrine organ to form during fetal development. It plays a crucial role in the development of fetal brain and nervous system.
Iodine is essential for the production of thyroid hormones-T3 and T4. Thyroid hormones production is tightly controlled by hypothalamus and pituitary gland (located in Brain).
It is not far fetched to say that every cell in the body depends upon thyroid hormones for regulation of their metabolism.
Yoga and Meditation help to alleviate the symptoms of thyroid dysfunction. Some studies also suggest the effect of daily Yoga practice on the levels of TSH, T3 and T4 hormones, though further studies are needed to substantiate these findings.
Bonus: Yoga asanas and pranayama suggested at the end of the article….

Let’s dive deeper….

2. Thyroid Gland

(Throat chakra or Vishuddhi chakra)

It is a butterfly shaped gland that lies below your Adam’s apple. As seen in the Figure above, anatomically thyroid gland has two side lobes which are connected with a bridge (isthmus) in the middle.

It is interesting to note that the thyroid gland is the first endocrine organ to form during fetal development. The fetal thyroid gland develops by 10–12 weeks of gestation and is capable of organification of iodine and thyroid hormone production by ~16–20 weeks.

During infancy and childhood, it is essential for central nervous system maturation. It plays a crucial role in fetal brain development.
In the young, it promotes growth and leads to bone maturation and fusion of growth plates.
While in adults, thyroid gland is extremely important for a significant variety of functions throughout the body, including development, growth, and basal metabolic rate (BMR) control.

Interesting Fact: Leonardo da Vinci is the first person to recognise and draw the thyroid gland. See the neck of the lady in the painting below (swollen neck indicates an enlarged thyroid gland):

File:Leonardo da Vinci - The Madonna of the Carnation (detail) - WGA12687.jpg - Wikimedia Commons — "Madonna of the carnation": Leonardo da Vinci (1452-1519)

2.1 Let’s first understand the normal physiology of the thyroid gland —

The primary function of thyroid gland is the synthesis of thyroid hormones, of which there are predominantly two:

Tetraiodothyronine (T4), or thyroxine
Triiodothyronine (T3)

T4 is more abundant (90% of the total thyroid hormone), though has little biological activity by itself and is considered a prohormone. Deiodination (a chemical process) converts T4 to T3, the active form of thyroid hormone. Iodine is essential for the production of thyroid hormones. We get our iodine from diet via consumption of foods that have been fortified with iodine, including salt, dairy products and bread, or that are naturally abundant, such as seafood.

Our body constantly switches on the positive and negative feedback signals to maintain a stable internal environment despite changes in external conditions, this is known as Homeostasis. Watch this short video to know more about homeostasis:

2.2 Keeping the thyroid gland hormones in balance

Hypothalamus and pituitary glands control the proper functioning of thyroid gland, they sense any change in external (temperature, humidity) or internal environment (stress, levels of iodine in blood) and signals thyroid gland (via thyrotropin releasing hormone (TRH) and thyroid stimulating hormone (TSH), respectively) to secrete hormones-T4 and T3 (positive feedback loop) and when sufficient amount of the hormone is released and there is stability again, they give instructions to switch off the production (negative feedback loop).

This is generally referred to as Hypothalamus-Pituitary-Thyroid axis, it is efficient, delicate and fast.

However, when derangements occur within this delicate system, serious and potentially fatal conditions may result (For details, check the 2.4 section of this article)

The hypothalamic–pituitary–thyroid axis is under circadian regulation. Studies have shown that improper functioning of our internal clock either caused by shift work, travel across time zones or irregular sleep–wake cycles might be a novel lifestyle risk factor for disturbances in thyroid homeostasis in modern societies.

** The Father of Autoimmunity—Noel Rose, who opened a whole chapter in the book of Medicine, discovered autoimmunity while working on thyroglobulin, a large protein found exclusively in cells of the thyroid gland **

2.3 Functions of Thyroid Hormones

The thyroid gland is a small but mighty organ whose function has system-wide effects. Below is the list of vital functions controlled by Thyroid hormones:

Breathing
Heart Rate
Nervous systems
Body weight
Muscle strength
Menstrual cycles
Body temperature
Cholesterol levels

Functions regulated by thyroid hormones

2.4 Thyroid Gland Dysfunction

Hyperthyroidism: When thyroid gland is overactive and makes more thyroid hormones than your body needs.

Causes of hyperactive thyroid gland:

Genetic Autoimmune disorder—Grave’s Disease
Lumps in thyroid gland
Inflammation (caused by either virus or bacterial infection, postpartum or autoimmune disorder)
Increased Iodine consumption (recommended iodine intake is 150micrograms for men and non-pregnant women. This requirement increases for pregnant and lactating women). For further reading on iodine in pregnancy: Iodine intake in pregnancy—even a little excess is too much.
Increased thyroid hormone medicine intake

Common Symptoms of overactive thyroid glands include:

Appetite changes
Insomnia
Anxiety
Irritability or moodiness
Nervousness, hyperactivity
Sweating or sensitivity to high temperatures
Hand trembling (shaking)
Hair loss
Missed or light menstrual periods

Hypothyroidism: occurs when Thyroid gland is unable to produce enough thyroid hormones. Hypothyroidism symptoms usually develop incredibly slowly; it can take years for them to show up. Also, some symptoms mimic symptoms of other diseases, such as fibromyalgia and rheumatoid arthritis.

The Hypothyroid Life — fapms: When our body lacks iodine, the thyroids...

Thyroid craving for Fooood…Iodine! (in hypothyroidism condition)

Causes of hypoactive thyroid gland:

Chronic Inflammation which kills some of the thyroid follicles
Autoimmune disorder—Hashimoto's thyroiditis
Surgical removal as a treatment for thyroid cancer or radioactive iodine therapy
Certain medications such as Lithium (commonly prescribed for the treatment of mood disorders including bipolar disorder), Iodine-containing drugs (eg, amiodarone), Tyrosine kinase inhibitors are used as targeted therapy for several cancers.
Hypothyroidism can develop during or after pregnancy
Secondary causes (due to TSH deficiency), or Tertiary causes (due to thyrotropin-releasing hormone deficiency)
Adrenal Fatigue, chronic stress

Common Symptoms of under active thyroid glands include:

Unexplained weight gain
Tiredness and fatigue
Difficulty concentrating
Pale and dry skin and hair
Depression
Sensitivity to cold temperature
Frequent, heavy periods
Joint and muscle pain
Elevated cholesterol levels

Hypothyroidism has also been associated with nonalcoholic fatty liver disease, cancer mortality, arthritis, kidney dysfunction, and diabetes; however, in most cases causality is suggested but not proven.

Interested to read more, check this review article.

THINK THYROID!!

Attention to symptom relief and medication treatments are vital to the long term functioning of the body to maximise longevity with conditions of thyroid disorder.

A healthy lifestyle—incorporating nutritious foods, complementary medicine approaches like meditation and yoga—can also help you better manage your thyroid dysfunctions.

2.5 Can Yoga help to balance Thyroid Gland?

Scientific Evidences:

Several studies1 2 3 4 5 suggest the benefits of Yoga and Meditation on managing the causes (stress, anxiety, inflammation) and balancing the symptoms of dysfunctional thyroid glands (sleep disturbances, irritability, negative emotions and clouded mental capacity). Over time with regular yoga practice, the casual symptoms declined while positive emotions increased and emotional balance was restored.

Mindfulness meditation helps to switch from sympathetic to parasympathetic state of nervous system. Since, Hypothalamus and Pituitary plays crucial role in regulating the production of thyroid hormones, calming brain through Meditation is useful. The effect of Yoga on Brain has been discussed in detail in articles, 1/n and 2/n.

Furthermore, accumulating scientific studies6 7 8 have concluded that Yogic practices were effective in some cases to balance the secretions of the hormones for the treatment of both hyperthyroidism and hypothyroidism. However, it’s important to note that these studies need to be re-validated with greater sample size and with clear details of Yoga regimen.

Very few studies have been conducted so far to understand the effect of Yoga on Thyroid hormones but clearly there are preliminary evidences to support that physical yogic postures can influence Hypothalamus-Pituitary-Thyroid axis function.

Findings from other studies also indicate that Meditation may improve thyroid function in women with thyroid dysfunction more effectively than in women with normal thyroid function, or that interventions of longer duration are required in order to detect benefits following meditation interventions.

Overall, such studies suggest that yoga and some forms of meditation may influence thyroid function, which may reflect more efficient functioning of the Hypothalamus-Pituitary-Thyroid axis, and that these effects may be sex‐ or population‐ specific. However, further studies are needed to more clearly establish a direct cause effect relationship between Yoga and Thyroid gland.

Yoga asanas, Meditation and Breath Work to balance dysfunctional thyroid symptoms (list is not exhaustive):

Sarvangasana (Supported shoulderstand)
Halasana (Plow Pose)
Matsyasana (Fish pose)
Viparita Karani (Legs up the Wall)
Marjaryasana- Bitilasana (Cat-cow pose)
Navasana (Boat pose)
Ustrasana (Camel pose)
Bhujangasana (Cobra pose)
Kapalbhati and Ujjayi Pranayama
Throat Chakra Meditation

If you found the article of interest or have thoughts about what you’ve read here, please do share in the comments section below. It will help guide my future posts.

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