11/04/2025
Let's take a look at functional thyroid ranges and the patterns we can see in the labs. There is nothing worse than being told you labs are fine when you know something is wrong. That is why we use these tighter ranges, not the standard lab ranges.
One thing that drives me crazy is when practitioners run TSH alone, without T4 and T3. We need all three markers to understand what is really going on, preferably we would run reverse T3 also. We also need to look at your ability to make the other hormones and enzymes involved with thyroid function.
TRH (thyrotropin-releasing hormone) is a peptide hormone. It is a tripeptide made of three amino acids: glutamic acid, histidine, and proline. It is secreted by the hypothalamus to stimulate the release of thyroid-stimulating hormone (TSH) from the anterior pituitary gland.
TPO is crucial for thyroid hormone synthesis, and the enzyme requires a heme group and specific amino acids, like histidine, for its function in catalyzing thyroid hormone production. You need strong stomach acid for heme absorption and to break down proteins into amino acids.
Notice that these markers are amine and peptide based. One of the worst things you can do to your thyroid is to take anything that reduces your stomach acid.
