In the last few years, we have as a society experienced challenges such as the lasting effects of Covid and the resulting lock down as well as recently increased mortgage rates that have significantly impacted our stress levels. As naturopaths specialising in thyroid health, I think it is prudent to ask how this is all affecting the health and function of our thyroid, and what can we do?

Stress impacts on the thyroid's ability to produce its hormones and the body's ability to convert them to their active form. It affects our adrenal glands and the ability of our bodies to utilise insulin to balance our blood sugar levels. This in turn also affects our thyroid function.

An example of what stress can do is found in an article published on PubMed. "Stress and Thyroid Autoimmunity”. “Stress affects the immune system either directly or indirectly through the nervous and endocrine systems. These immune modulations may contribute to the development of autoimmunity as well as the susceptibility to autoimmune disease in genetically predisposed individuals. Stress can be one of the environmental factors for thyroid autoimmunity."

At Vurv clinic not only do we prescribe supplements that help the body deal with stress, we help people understand the need for a good diet, moderate exercise, effective breathing techniques, and the health benefits of the right type of sleep. All these things contribute to relieving stress and lowering the stress hormone cortisol. We understand that chronic stress and anxiety are one of the major factors leading to illness or dis-ease. Please feel free to contact us if you feel we can support you.

This article explains the impact of stress on our health and hormonal system.