Hormone Health Hub: Expert Insights on Testing, Balance & Better Living — thyroid

At 24, Dr. Kate Placzek was sleeping 16 hours a day and barely functioning — yet her standard blood tests came back normal. It took a TSH result in the mid-thirties to finally explain her debilitating fatigue. In this candid personal account, she shares her thyroid diagnosis, what she learned about optimal TSH levels, and why testing beyond TSH alone can make all the difference.

In this blog, I want to focus mainly on how cannabis can affect your hormones, primarily through the pituitary, thyroid, and adrenal glands, and the reproductive system.   While cannabis is being legalized in more and more states, both the adverse and beneficial effects of its use are starting to be better understood. The active compound in cannabis, THC (tetrahydrocannabinol) is widely known to have effects on the brain, producing the “high” that many users are seeking. However, the other more adverse effects cannabis can have on the body are less widely known. The Endocannabinoid System (ECS) and How It...

Reverse T3 (rT3) is one of the most misunderstood markers in thyroid testing. Often called the “hibernation hormone,” it is frequently claimed — without scientific basis — to block thyroid receptors and slow metabolism. In Part 2 of this series, Margaret Groves of ZRT Laboratory examines what the peer-reviewed literature actually says about rT3, when elevated levels are clinically meaningful, and how to interpret the T3/rT3 ratio in the context of a comprehensive thyroid assessment.

While working or exercising, do you sweat for an extended period of time? Are you constantly exposed to a hot or humid environment? Do you take pre or post workout supplements and/or a multivitamin to replenish key nutrients lost during exercise? Are you aware that excessive perspiration has been linked to iodine deficiency? How Iodine Powers Thyroid Function Thyroid hormones, thyroxine (T4) and triiodothyronine (T3), are manufactured in the thyroid gland using iodine. Iodine consumed in the diet circulates in the bloodstream and is selectively taken up by the thyroid gland where, through a series of complex biochemical reactions, it...

Hormonal contraception suppresses ovarian function, which means saliva and blood spot hormone test results will appear artificially low — but this doesn’t mean hormone levels at the tissue level are low. This guide explains how to interpret hormone test results correctly when using the pill, patch, ring or IUD, and when to collect your sample for the most meaningful data.