Liz Earle Wellbeing

Get to know your THYROID

The thyroid is a teeny butterflyshaped gland that can be found at the front of the neck, just behind the windpipe. It’s small but mighty, producing and distributing two essential hormones known as triiodothyronine (T3) and thyroxine (T4), which are carried round the body in the bloodstream. These thyroid hormones influence nearly all metabolic processes in the body, from how we turn food into energy, to how we regulate our temperature.

Most of us have perfectly functioning thyroids, producing just the right quantity of these helpful hormones. In some, however, the thyroid can speed up or slow down, resulting in hormonal havoc throughout the body.

Hyperthyroidism (overactive thyroid)

When the thyroid becomes ‘hyper’ it produces too much T and T. As levels shoot through

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