……..Thyroid Problems

Your brain controls every bodily function and since the thyroid runs your body’s metabolism, it is saturated with thyroid hormone receptor sites. Thyroid hormones enter brain cells to keep them active so they can promote good memory and mental alertness. Remember that a part of your brain called the hypothalamus initiates thyroid function by releasing TRH or thyroid releasing hormone. This is why “brain fog” can be one of the symptoms of thyroid disorders.

Brain cells “talk” to one another via brain chemicals called neurotransmitters. There are 4 major neurotransmitters in your brain, serotonin, dopamine, GABA (gamma-­‐amino butyric acid) and acetylcholine or ACH.
Serotonin is the neurotransmitter that is important for mood, digestion (there is more serotonin produced in your gut than in your brain), sleep and sexuality. If you are depressed, paranoid, feeling overwhelmed, lost pleasure in things that you enjoyed in the past and are unable to achieve restful or REM sleep, you could be suffering from a serotonin deficiency.

Dopamine is the “feel good” neurotransmitter as it plays a key role in the “pleasure centers” of the brain. This is why substance abuse in any form (drugs, nicotine, caffeine, & sugar) may increase dopamine levels initially but will lead to an overall deficiency of dopamine over time. Chronic dopamine deficiency over a long period of time could lead to Parkinson’s disease. Dopamine is important for pleasurable reward, movement, behavior and cognition, attention, and learning. Dopamine is very important in thyroid disorder patients because it stimulates the hypothalamus in the brain to release TRH or thyroid releasing hormone.

GABA is important because it inhibits or slows down nerve transmission in the brain which calms nervous activity. GABA also increases HGH or Human Growth Hormone levels in the body which helps in anti-­‐aging. If you are suffering from anxiety attacks, feel dread or doom, feel restless, have problems turning your mind “off,” and/or suffer from feelings of inner tension, you probably have a GABA deficiency.

Acetylcholine (ACH) is important to help the brain send nerve impulses or messages to contract large muscles and it sends nerve impulses to the heart to lessen contraction. ACH is very important for memory and low levels of ACH has been noted in Alzheimer’s disease and dementia. If you suffer from memory lapses or loss, lack of comprehension, trouble calculating numbers or a general slower mental response, you could be suffering from an ACH deficiency.

If you suffer from any or all neurotransmitter deficiencies the first thing to do is decrease inflammation in the brain and gut because there is a gut/brain connection.