Chapter 5:
General Metabolic Support
When it comes to the myriad other aspects of energy metabolism that are associated with weight loss (everything from appetite signals, to neurotransmitters, to genetic and metabolic profiling), we could list dozens and dozens of "possible" mediating factors - things that we might be able to influence and that might be able to provide a modest benefit for weight loss. However, when it comes to "placing your bets" on the most promising metabolic control points, the smart bets are on controlling cortisol, blood sugar, and thermogenesis. This is where you will receive the biggest bang for your buck and comprehensive programs that address each of these metabolic factors simultaneously will be the most successful in helping you achieve and maintain lasting weight loss.
That said, there are some promising peripheral areas in which you may experience individual benefits in addition to those outlined above. Those areas include metabolic support of Thyroid, Serotonin, and Norepinephrine. On their own, manipulation of any of these areas, (without simultaneous control of cortisol, blood sugar, and thermogenesis), is unlikely to provide substantial weight loss benefits - but when added to a comprehensive program, as in the Cortisol Connection Diet, they can provide the added "metabolic oomph" needed to nudge you off a weight loss plateau and into that new pair of jeans.
The exercise and nutrition regimen for balancing thyroid/serotonin/norepinephrine metabolism is the very same as outlined earlier for balancing cortisol/blood sugar/thermogenesis, so the recommendations that follow are geared more towards specific vitamins, minerals, and herbs known to support these areas.
Thyroid Support
Thyroid function is important (understatement!) - not just for weight maintenance and energy levels (the primary reasons for trying to stimulate or restore thyroid function), but also for libido, mental function, reproductive health, skin condition, cardiovascular health - the list goes on and on. Because of the complex nature of thyroid-hormone metabolism, it would be overly simplistic to recommend a single nutrient or herb for "boosting" thyroid function. As such, the most effective approach to thyroid support is a multi-faceted one that optimizes thyroid activity by supporting (1) thyroid hormone synthesis, (2) conversion of T4 (inactive thyroid hormone) to T3 (active), (3) a normal stress response (because cortisol blocks many thyroid functions), and (4) stabilization of cell membrane structure (where T4 is converted to T3).
The general idea is that by addressing these 4 different but related areas of thyroid function, the overall activity of thyroid hormones is optimized. The thyroid gland is a very complex tissue - just ask anyone who has ever struggled with having too much or too little thyroid hormone (hyper- and hypothyroidism, respectively) - it's a nightmare. When thyroid hormones are "off" you feel terrible - with no energy, trouble concentrating, weight gain, increased appetite, dry skin and hair - the list goes on. As such, keeping the thyroid gland "happy" and producing the right levels of active/inactive thyroid hormones in the right amounts and at the right times, is a vitally important aspect of overall metabolism.
In response to a hormone called TSH (thyroid stimulating hormone from the pituitary gland in the brain), the thyroid gland produces another hormone called T4, which is then converted (by a process known as deiodination) in peripheral tissues into another more active form of thyroid hormone called T3. If you have too little TSH, then your thyroid can't make enough T4 and then has nothing to convert into active T3. If you have plenty of T4, but some problem with the conversion process , then you're also lacking enough T3. For example, stress hormones such as cortisol can inhibit he conversion of T4 to T3 - so you could have all the TSH and T4 in the world, but still not have enough "active" T3 to maintain metabolism because of this cortisol "block" on thyroid hormone conversion.
On the ‘T4 synthesis" side of things, iodine and bladderwrack (an iodine-rich algae) are often used as supporting nutrients. Iodine is an essential mineral for synthesis of thyroid hormone - so essential that iodine is sequestered in the thyroid gland so there is enough to combine with tyrosine (an amino acid) in the synthesis of T4. For the "step 2" of improving T4 to T3 conversion, selenium and zinc act as essential trace mineral cofactors for the function of the 5'-deiodinase enzyme needed in the conversion of T4 to active T3. Low vitamin E levels have also been linked to reduced T3 levels - an effect that may have to do with the role of vitamin E in stabilizing cellular membranes where 5'-deiodinase is located.
Guggul (Commiphora mukul) is a traditional Ayurvedic medicine used for treating lethargy and suppressed libido - with its metabolic benefits stemming from the herb's content of guggulsterones as stimulators of thyroid hormone synthesis. Other traditional approaches to supporting thyroid gland function and thyroid hormone metabolism include the use of anti-stress adaptogenic herbs such as Rhodiola (Rhodiola rosea). Adaptogenic herbs are used in traditional Chinese and Ayurvedic medicine to alleviate the symptoms of many stress -related diseases. Rhodiola, in particular, is known for its unique (non-stimulant) benefits as an energetic (tonic) herb - an effect that is thought to be mediated via a control of cortisol (thus removing the blocking effects of cortisol on thyroid function).
by Shawn M Talbott, PhD