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Ellie-Louise
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well it gives references to some science about amino acids being needed for conversion/ transportation, which may or may not be correct , i haven't looked into it in enough detail to be certain , but that part may well be true .
However the article ignores one of the most basic facts about hypothyroidism , which is that the majority of hypothyroidism is caused by autoimmune thyroid disease permanently destroying the thyroid tissue, rendering the thyroid incapable of producing enough T4 for the body's needs.
Taking amino acids to improve conversion / transportation even if it's correct , does not do anything to address the inability of a damaged thyroid to produce enough thyroid hormone ..... meaning that that all of the following statements do not apply to those with autoimmune hypothyroidism .... which is most people with hypothyroidism :
"I read in the book that unfortunately it (levothyroxine) is not enough to get the thyroid gland to produce more hormones again: " .. Well of course it's not going to get the thyroid to produce more hormones , that is not why levo is taken , it is taken to replace them .
I need essential amino acids.I have to get my body back in such a way that it can convert my T4 back into T3 and ideally at some point even be able to produce enough T4 itself (without medication). ... Well , no, not if thyroid tissue has been damaged by autoimune disease .the article gives no evidence or reasoning to explain how amino acids could possibly achieve this 'ideal' outcome .
Tyrosine is a precursor for the production of thyroid hormones, namely thyroxine (T4) and triiodothyronine (T3). Without sufficient amounts of L-tyrosine, thyroid hormones cannot be produced in sufficient amounts, which can lead to decreased metabolic performance and other health problems. In order not to be dependent on the intake of L-thyroxine (T4) for life , it must be ensured that the body always has sufficient tyrosine. ... But you need enough healthy /functioning thyroid tissue to make thyroid hormones out of tyrosine. you can chuck all the tyrosine you like at damaged thyroid tissue , but its not going to be able to turn it into thyroid hormone .
so the article is just sales garbage , aimed at a huge market (millions of desperate thyroid patients who don't feel well on levo) , using twisted/ incomplete facts to 'blind them with science' and hopefully entice them into buying 'x' with the hope that if they take the right amino acids they can get off thyroid hormones altogether.
amino acids are essential ,there's no question about that....
but can they fix a damaged thyroid ? , or help it to produce more T4/T3 ? .... if there was any evidence of that , presumably the writers would have included it on the first line .
no ... i think it's better to leave it up so people in future can see the discussion it generates . We only learn by sharing such stuff and thinking about it . Once upon a time i might have fallen for this and bought some , it's only by seeing other such articles discussed carefully on here that i can now be more discerning.
it's perfectly ok to look into eating / taking amino acids/ supplements for various perfectly good reasons , but i wouldn't expect them to fix my hypothyroidism . and as a matter of principle i wouldn't buy them from someone who was promoting them in this way. I'd try to do do my own research about the best form / value ( food or supplements)
There is very good science behind amino acids. Some amino acids we make in our bodies, some we don’t and you need to eat them. Then others are “precursors” and help our bodies then make what we need. They all really do play important roles for our health. All of this is true.
But for people it is not as simple as taking them exogenously and expecting them to drop into our complex body chemistry and have the promised benefits.
You should read the whole post. It was about someone considering buying an amino acid mix.
Second - whereas I always knew the difference between T4 and T3 re to iodine. I did not know the T stood for the amino acid Tyrosine!
From an Google: Iodothyronines are derivatives of the amino acid tyrosine that contain iodine atoms. They include T4 with four iodine atoms, T3 with three iodine atoms, as well as other forms like rT3, T2, and T1 found in human plasma.
Now, not sure what I’m going to do with that information but I am fascinated, and am enjoying learning about amino acids in general.
Articles like this are so interesting. Tattys response is spot on. I always enjoy reading these things as it make me a better thinker and hones my skill of seeing the truth (of which there is a lot in this article) among the subtle nuances of a crafty con!
Tyrosine is a precursor for the production of thyroid hormones
I remember several years ago that I tried supplementing Tyrosine. I've tried a lot of experiments with supplements over the years and Tyrosine was one of the failures. It gave me really, really bad headaches.
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no ... i think it's better to leave it up so people in future can see the discussion it generates . We only learn by sharing such stuff and thinking about it . Once upon a time i might have fallen for this and bought some , it's only by seeing other such articles discussed carefully on here that i can now be more discerning.
Interesting page I Found On Hypothyroidism
