Neurohormones — The Thyroid-Brain Connection

My mechanic once said, “don’t neglect a single part of the car, because when there is a problem with one part, it will start to cause issues with all the other parts and before you know it, you will have a broken down car that doesn’t work properly”. I didn’t know it at the time, but that single piece of advice would change the way I look at the brain and body. The human body is synergistic and collective in nature, and we can’t expect healthy functioning when we just focus on one part without taking into consideration its impact on all other parts.

This brings me to the topic of neurohormones — the interaction between your hormonal glands and the brain.

Hormones are the chemical messengers produced in the body and they control the activity of our cells and organs. When our hormones are out of balance, they can have an impact on our levels of energy and our moods. In the case of mental illness, hormones are known to impact all of the mood disorders, including; bipolar disorder and major depressive disorder.

There is a direct communication system between the brain and the organs that produce such hormones as; thyroid, cortisol, estragon, testosterone and insulin. Communication between the brain and your hormone producing glands goes both ways. The brain will send out signals to the glands, instructing them to produce certain hormones, and these hormones from the body will send messages back to the brain, influencing its activity.

One of the glands that has tight relations with the brain is the thyroid gland. The thyroid is located in your lower neck and it plays an important role in keeping the brain and body in good shape. When thyroid activity is low, brain activity is low. Low thyroid activity is commonly known as hypothyroidism, and can be associated with depression and brain fog.

The thyroid is responsible for creating various hormones such as; thyroid stimulating hormone (TSH), T3 and T4. These are some of the most influential hormones in your body and they regulate how your body uses its energy.

The interesting thing about these hormones is, not only do they regulate the distribution of energy in your body, but they are also responsible for the production of many neurotransmitters such as; dopamine, serotonin and gamma-aminobutyric acid — that is huge considering neurochemicals like dopamine and serotonin are the ones responsible for our moods. This just gives you a clear picture as to how vital the health of this gland is for your mental health.

Problems occur when the thyroid produces either too much hormone, or too little. That’s when thyroid conditions like hypothyroidism can become confused with psychiatric disorders, and this increases your risk of mental and brain health issues, significantly. It’s thought that psychiatric disorders such as depression can actually be one of the first signs of thyroid dysfunction.

Okay, so we have now established the importance of the thyroid gland for our mental and brain health. Now, what can we do to protect this vital organ?

• Check for your iron and zinc levels. Deficiencies in iron and zinc have been associated with hypothyroidism — low production of hormones. (My GP told me that there is only one place in Sydney that does zinc checks and it can be quite costly, but still may be worth it for the sake of your thyroid and brain health. I plan to get my zinc levels checked soon).
• Watch your weight by working out and eating clean. From the 2013 European Journal of Endocrinology, there are studies that link obesity to thyroid cancer. Once thyroid cancer occurs, there becomes a significantly greater risk of mental and brain health issues — Thyroid cancer can quite easily lead to anxiety and depression. Working out can also help boost the production of the hormones necessary for health bodily and brain function.
• Other vitamins include; Vitamin D, Selenium and Vitamin B12. Low levels of Vitamin D has been linked to hypothyroidism — which is associated with low hormone activity.

If the brain were like a computer, consisting of both the hardware and the software, our brains are like the desktop computer system and our minds are like the Microsoft windows program. If you are having issues with your computer, you might decide to address these issues at the level of the software. This would be the equivalent to seeking therapy for your psychological issues. This is an effective way to deal with problems that are occurring on the mental and emotional level. However, we must not fail to forget that the mind is created from the brain. Just how we need the desktop computer in order to use Microsoft windows, we need things like neurotransmitters, electrical activity and healthy hormone levels in order to be able to use our minds. Try then to consider your biology when you address things like your mental health. Hormonal health is a prime example of why it’s important to factor in your biology when addressing your psychology.