Many people today suffer from anxiety and depression. It can feel like an epidemic, it can of course be a result of diet and lifestyle and/or genetics but many may not realize it can also be linked to our thyroid function.

What is anxiety? It is not that feeling of being nervous every once in a while, for example we may feel nervous before we may have to do something unfamiliar. That is quite normal. Anxiety, according to Better Health Channel, is a disorder with "fears or thoughts that are chronic (constant) and distressing and that interfere with daily living". Other symptoms of an anxiety disorder may include:

• Panic or anxiety attacks or a fear of these attacks
• Physical anxiety reactions – for example trembling, sweating, faintness, rapid Heartbeat, difficulties breathing or nausea
• Avoidance behaviour – a person may go to extreme lengths to avoid a situation that they think could bring on anxiety or panic

So how does our thyroid impact our anxiety and depression? Our thyroid is key to the regulation of many of our hormones including GABA, serotonin, (some of our feel-good hormones) and norepinephrine which affects our mental, emotional and physical health. If our thyroid is not functioning properly this significantly disrupts our hormones, leading to feelings of depression and or anxiety.

This article from nbi health introduces us to this idea and the minerals we may be missing that add to the problem.