Hi Folks Dr Hagmeyer here if you have been suffering with Thyroid problems Part of what I’m going to unpack in today video is the Major causes of having a High Rt3 levels and its impact on your Thyroid.
As with all glands and hormones, the thyroid gland is a finely tuned organ that responds to various feedback mechanisms throughout the body. This is why if you are currently taking Thyroid replacement and you still feel lousy, why you will want to watch Dr Hagmeyer’s video
Here’s how it works: the pituitary gland in the brain produces thyroid stimulating hormone, or TSH. This travels through the blood to stimulate the thyroid to produce thyroxine, or T4.
T4 is a protein with four iodine molecules attached to it, and is not the active form of thyroid hormone. T4 needs to be taken up by the cells in the body and have an iodine molecule cleaved off, converting it to T3. The conversion of T4 to T3 requires zinc, selenium, and iodine, so if you are low in these minerals, this conversion will not be adequate. T3 is the active form of thyroid hormone that travels through the body, stimulating the metabolic rate of all of our cells. Here’s the kicker: T4 can also be converted to a molecule called REVERSE T3.
Reverse T3 is the MIRROR IMAGE of T3, and as such can bind to the T3 receptor sites. Instead of producing stimulation, reverse T3 just parks there and has the ability to cause low thyroid symptoms.
It actually prevents T3 from binding, which makes your entire metabolism slower. If you have a lot of reverse T3, even if your TSH looks good, you may still feel hypothyroid and have all the low thyroid symptoms. When a patient sends me their blood work and I see a High Reverse T3, or changes to T3/RT3 ratio on a patient’s blood work, there are a couple of things that immediately come to mind in terms of why this RT3 is elevated.
#1. High Reverse T3 Levels and Cortisol Levels-
Many people see cortisol as an “evil” hormone that stores fat and shrinks muscle. The Fact is, Cortisol is required for optimal health in so many ways, Its involved in keeping inflammation in check, its involved in maintaining blood sugar levels, it influences the immune system natural killer cells, its involved in metabolism and when released at the right time in the right amount it helps burns fat, as it relates specifically to the Thyroid- Cortisol is very important because it sensitizes the Thyroid receptors.
It allows T3 to bind to the thyroid receptor and do its thing. The problem is… when you have too much or too little. Too much and Cortisol inhibits the conversion of T4 to T3. too little cortisol will reduce the number of T3 receptors.
I did an entire video on this known as thyroid under conversion. So bottom line is this, you don’t want too much… or too little cortisol. This is why caffeine, cortico-steroids, asthma inhalers, and high intensity-training can have a negative impact on thyroid.
#2 High Reverse T3 and Iron Levels – Low iron causes extreme stress on the adrenals and the Thyroid and affects the thyroid in a couple of ways Low iron or anemia will cause your body to make more reverse T3 than T3. Low Iron levels will also cause low TSH. Iron-deficiency anemia robs the cells of oxygen necessary for basic functions, anemia is a deal breaker when it comes to improving your health. This is a problem because all the body’s cells need a constant supply of oxygen to function.
All cells have mitochondria, which are like little power plants. The mitochondria produce (ATP), molecules that store and release energy, functioning like rechargeable batteries. This process is necessary to create new tissue, eliminate old tissue, convert food to energy, dispose of waste materials and toxins, and communicate with other cells.
Healthy mitochondrial function and ATP production are vital to managing hypothyroidism, and they require oxygen to work. When it comes to Iron Levels you want to shoot for iron level between 85-130 you want your Iron Saturation % of 35-45% and you want your Iron stores (Ferritin) 80-100.
Something to consider is that if you have low iron levels, you almost always have low stomach acid (bloating, constipation, reflux, bad breath, nutritional deficiencies). Sometime Low Iron can be a warning signs of Celiac disease, Gluten Sensitivity or Small Intestinal Bacterial overgrowth– This infection of the small intestines causes absorption of nutrients and that brings us to
#3 High Reverse T3 and Vitamin Deficiency- in addition to low Iron, Low levels of Vitamin D, B6, B12 selenium, Zinc, can all cause High Reverse T3 as well. If you want more information on this topic here are a couple of videos- B12 and Hashimotos, The Importance of Vitamin D and Low Thyroid, and Nutritional deficiencies associated with Thyroid and Weight gain.
#4 High Reverse T3 Oxidative Damage/Free Radical Damage/and Chronic Inflammation-
When inflammation is high the body will produce less T3 and more rT3. Remember that rT3 blocks T3 from working and getting into the cell. So if your T3 cant get into the cell you will have low T3 symptoms (fatigue, brain fog, weight gain, indigestion, bloating, depression and all those other low T3 symptoms.
For more information on Low Thyroid and Inflammation you watch a “Inflammation- Your Thyroid worst enemy”
#5 High RT3 And Environmental Pollutants, Heavy Metals and Toxins
Some of the heavy metals and other environmental pollutants seen with people who have problem include BPA, afflatoxins, cadmium, mercury and lead. If this is the case you will want to work with a doctor who understands how to support Liver Detoxification, Thyroid connections to MTHFR defects and the steps needed to support those pathways. Do not chelate heavy metals if you have problems with your liver, Gut or Brain.
In the meantime, while you’re trying to clear these toxic metal stores to bring the reverse T3 down, opinions are mixed on whether you should be treated with thyroid medication or not. Clearly, this is a process you’re not going to be able to do by yourself.
You really need to have a trusted and respected healthcare clinician, who has the capacity to perform these relevant tests and procedures, who can also prescribe the appropriate supplements and monitor your levels.
So these are 5 of the most common causes why you would have elevated Reverse T3.
I hope you enjoyed the information feel free to share it with your friends, family and loved ones.
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