First off, let’s create a foundation: your pituitary sends a signal via TSH to your thyroid so it can create T3 and T4. T3 is more potent than T4, hence your liver and gut transform the majority of T4 into T3 for you. Think of T3 as food for your cells, without it, our cells won’t respond to hormones, nutrients, etc. This is why we say our thyroid controls our metabolism. (Click here for my summary on thyroid hormone production)
Of the many things that can affect our thyroid, such as heavy metals, stress, infections, nutrient deficiencies, or medication, the birth control pill (bcp) is one of them.
How?⬇️
Well, firstly, we have to understand that the bcp in itself is inflammatory. It depletes essential nutrients that our thyroid requires to work properly, such as b vitamins, zinc, selenium, copper, and magnesium. B vitamins help with synthesizing thyroid hormone and provide energy to our cells. Zinc helps with the formation of TSH from the pituitary, as well as aids in the conversion of T4 to T3. Selenium does the same thing, but also acts as an antioxidant to protect us against oxidative stress. Copper is a co-factor for both zinc and selenium. Lastly, magnesium helps with the conversion of most of T4 to T3, particularly in the liver.
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Aside from nutrient deficiencies, it elevates CRP (c-reactive protein), which is a protein made in the liver when the inflammation is present. Increased inflammation restricts our body from converting T4 to T3 because it doesn’t feel safe enough to use up that energy to do so. Instead, it creates RT3 (reverse T3) and tries to focus on the actual “danger” it is experiencing. This is not good, for our cells REQUIRE T3 to not only respond to hormones, but also make them.
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Lastly, the bcp elevates TBG (thyroid binding globulin). This, just as it states, causes thyroid hormone to bind, not allowing it to be available to our cells. Hence, even if we manage our nutrient depletion, we are still left with the issue that thyroid hormone is not even available for our cells because it is bound up!
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If you are struggling with irregular or missing periods related to thyroid issues and have been on the pill, click here to book a call!☎️