Thyroid: The Body’s Energy Maestro – How It Powers Your Health

The thyroid is an important gland in the endocrine system, responsible for producing hormones that regulate our body's energy, growth, and reproduction. Every cell in our bodies is affected by these hormones. They help the brain, heart, lungs, and liver stay healthy and energetic. There are power plants called mitochondria inside each of our cells. They turn glucose into ATP, which is a type of energy. Like putting your foot on the gas pedal controls the speed of your car, the thyroid hormones control how much energy the mitochondria make.

When our brains feel that we need more energy, they send a message to the pituitary gland. The pituitary gland then releases a hormone called TSH. When it's needed, TSH tells the thyroid to make more hormones. Doctors can also use the amount of TSH in the blood to tell if the thyroid is making too few or too many hormones.

The hypothalamus is like the president of a business, deciding what energy is needed. The pituitary gland is like the vice president, carrying out those decisions. And the thyroid is like the manager, making sure that energy production is controlled properly.