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Cholesterol and Thyroid: How Low Thyroid Activity Influences Your Cholesterol Levels

Cholesterol and Thyroid: How Low Thyroid Activity Influences Your Cholesterol Levels

Cholesterol and thyroid issues are often seen together, although they aren’t always looked for together. So how are they actually related? The answer lies in the liver. Let’s dive into the relationship between high cholesterol levels and low thyroid function, and discuss 3 key ways to help optimize these aspects of your health using nutrition!

 

What is Cholesterol?

Cholesterol is a fat, or fat-like, compound that is found throughout our bodies. It is a critical structural component of each of our cells. Cholesterol is also an essential component for digestion and hormone production. 

While we do get cholesterol from dietary sources, the majority of the cholesterol in our bodies is made in our liver. 

Cholesterol is carried through the bloodstream within something called a lipoprotein. Lipoproteins are made up of fats (lipids, hence “lipo-”) and proteins. You are probably familiar with the lipoproteins HDL (high-density lipoprotein) and LDL (low-density lipoprotein), also called “good” and “bad” cholesterol, respectively.

HDL cholesterol picks up cholesterol from our cells and transports it back to our liver for it to be recycled or eliminated. LDL cholesterol transports cholesterol to our body tissues. It can become especially problematic when it oxidizes, contributing to oxidative stress, inflammation, plaque buildup in the arteries, and increased risk of heart disease.

Cholesterol is especially important because it is a precursor to all of our steroid hormones. This includes our sex hormones (estrogens, progesterone, and testosterone), as well as our adrenal hormones (cortisol and other androgens).

 

How the Thyroid Sets the Scene

Our thyroid gland, located in the neck, is responsible for producing hormones that help control metabolism, or the breakdown of food nutrients to create chemical energy in the body. The thyroid also plays an important role in supporting growth and development, heart function, bone health, digestion, and muscle contractions.

Hypothyroidism refers to slowed thyroid function and insufficient thyroid hormone production, and can be either clinically diagnosed or subclinical. When looking at thyroid labs, hypothyroidism is characterized by elevated TSH (thyroid-stimulating hormone) (we consider this above 2.5), low free thyroid hormones (free T4 below 1.2 and free T3 below 3.0).

High cholesterol levels are often seen in individuals with hypothyroidism and suboptimal thyroid hormone levels, and vice versa. Studies have found that upwards of 13% of people with high cholesterol levels have hypothyroidism. In fact, thyroid medication used to be the primary treatment for high cholesterol before statins were available!

 

The Thyroid-Cholesterol Connection

Thyroid function directly affects digestion and liver function. When thyroid activity and hormone production slows, digestion slows. This can lead to bloating, constipation, indigestion, gut microbial imbalance or overgrowth, and inflammation. 

All of these factors increase the burden on the liver, which plays an essential role in digestion, especially the breakdown of fats and recycling of cholesterol. An overloaded liver can also contribute to sex hormone imbalances, acne, poor sleep, blood sugar dysregulation, and decreased bile production.

Bile is produced by the liver and is essential for breaking down fat and cholesterol and absorbing fat-soluble vitamins like vitamins A, D, E, and K. Bile is also the primary mode of cholesterol elimination and recycling. We produce cholesterol in the liver to be released into bile and to help break down dietary cholesterol. Then, the cholesterol consumed and produced in the body is either eliminated via stool or reabsorbed and recycled to be used again to produce more bile.

Hypothyroidism, even subclinical, can reduce the production of bile salts, which are a key counterpart to cholesterol within bile. Bile salts and cholesterol are both imperative for the conversion of inactive thyroid hormone T4 into active T3 that our body can use. Without enough bile salts, bile cannot be properly formed and we are more susceptible to developing gallstones. This also impairs the speed of cholesterol breakdown, resulting in a buildup of cholesterol. 

 

3 Nutrition Strategies to Support Cholesterol Levels and Thyroid Function

About 75% of the cholesterol in our bodies is produced by our liver, with the remaining 25% coming from our diet. That being said, the answer to decreasing elevated cholesterol levels is not to cut out all sources of cholesterol from your diet. 

Instead, it’s imperative that we focus on the following 3 areas of nutrition to normalize high cholesterol levels and boost low thyroid function.

 

1. Nutrition to support thyroid function

Thyroid hormone production operates on daily circadian rhythms. By supporting our body’s daily 24-hour clock through morning sunlight exposure and consistent meal timing, for example, we can help reinforce our circadian rhythms to promote thyroid function. 

Minerals are the building blocks for thyroid hormone production and are critical for thyroid hormone conversion. Iodine, selenium, and zinc are all especially important within the thyroid gland and liver in particular, where a majority of thyroid hormone activation takes place.

We can get these minerals and others in the diet by eating a variety of plant and animal foods, such as leafy greens, nuts and seeds, seafood, and grass-fed beef. We can also supplement with these minerals to help fill any nutritional gaps and make up for insufficiencies. It’s helpful to supplement with a combination of these minerals, like our Mineral Magic formula.

Remember that LDL cholesterol is more prone to oxidation. This creates free radicals, which increase the burden of oxidative stress on the body. Hypothyroidism is often associated with increased levels of oxidative stress and free radicals in the body. Thankfully we can combat this by boosting our antioxidant intake from fruits, vegetables, herbs, and spices. Some of our favorite antioxidant-rich foods include cold-pressed extra virgin olive oil and organic green tea!

 

2. Nutrition to support the liver’s natural detoxification processes

Our liver naturally does an amazing job filtering and detoxifying our bodies from everything we encounter, be that toxins or harmful chemicals in food, alcohol, air pollutants, chemicals in personal care products, prescription medication, etc. Unfortunately, most of us live in a world where even despite the most dedicated efforts to reduce toxin exposure, our livers are overburdened. 

Remember that the liver is where most of our thyroid hormones are activated, making the liver paramount for digestion and hormone health! Supporting liver detoxification through nutrition is a daily practice, not a matter of a yearly juice cleanse. 

The liver works by way of many enzymes that help to alter and break down compounds. These enzymes are made up of and work alongside a variety of proteins, vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants. 

Sulfur is a key mineral for liver function, which we can get from cruciferous vegetables (broccoli, cauliflower, cabbage, kale, Brussels sprouts, bok choy, etc.) and allium vegetables (onions, garlic, shallots, etc.). B vitamins support methylation, an essential action involved in the phase 2 liver detoxification. Vitamin C, vitamin E, and glutathione are all powerhouse antioxidants that keep the liver running smoothly.

Nettle is an herb that is especially supportive for the liver and cholesterol levels, given its ability to boost fat metabolism and reduce oxidative stress in the liver. Other herbs like parsley and cilantro help bind up heavy metals, making them easier for the liver to package up and eliminate. Bitter foods such as arugula, dandelion, green tea, and burdock promote bile flow and the release of digestive hormones, both supporting liver detoxification.

 

3. Consume adequate soluble fiber to help bind and eliminate excess free cholesterol 

Soluble fiber dissolves in water to create somewhat of a gel-like substance. This is different from insoluble fiber, which does not dissolve in water and draws water into the intestines to make stool easier to pass. 

While both types of fiber are important, we’re focusing on soluble fibers because they can help stabilize blood sugar levels and lower cholesterol levels. Soluble fibers can bind up free cholesterol coming from dietary sources and bile. We don’t digest most fibers, instead they serve as food for our gut microbes and the rest, which is carrying cholesterol, is eliminated in our stool.

We get soluble fibers in a variety of foods – nuts, seeds, beans, lentils, cooked root vegetables (carrots, parsnips, turnips), apples, citrus fruits, and psyllium husk. Grains like oats, bran, and barley are also good sources of soluble fiber. The one caveat to these grains is that gluten and certain grains may be an inflammatory trigger for those with hypothyroidism, especially autoimmune hypothyroidism or Hashimoto’s thyroiditis.  

Many fiber-rich food sources have a combination of both soluble and insoluble fibers. Regardless of the type, when increasing dietary fiber intake you want to do so slowly to avoid any potential digestive discomfort.

 

Could Slow Thyroid Function Be Causing Your High Cholesterol? Let’s Find Out!

Cholesterol and thyroid function are tightly intertwined, with the thyroid gland and liver being the superstar organs involved. We know that hypothyroidism, or slow thyroid function, and elevated cholesterol levels are often seen together.

So, if you’re dealing with high cholesterol levels and you haven’t taken a comprehensive look into your thyroid levels beyond just TSH, be sure to check out our functional Thyroid Lab Testing Package

There’s much more to assess beyond TSH levels alone. With a comprehensive panel we gain insight into your thyroid function, liver function, oxidative stress, and any potential autoimmunity! 

 

 

Written by Romana Brennan, MS, RD

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