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

Many patients produce sufficient thyroid hormone yet still suffer from classic hypothyroid symptoms. Why? Because standard TSH testing misses the full picture. In this clinical guide, Jim Paoletti explains the functional approach to thyroid assessment — examining T4 production, TBG binding, T4-to-T3 conversion, cortisol interference, ferritin and vitamin D — and outlines exactly which tests are needed for a complete analysis.

Iodine deficiency is more common than many realise. This guide walks through how to assess iodine status using dietary recall, symptom profiling, and a three-part laboratory panel — including thyroid function, thyroglobulin, and urinary iodine and bromine testing.

Iodine is an essential component of thyroid hormones T3 and T4, and plays a broader role in antioxidant defence and breast health. Yet many people are unknowingly deficient. This guide covers the recommended daily allowances for different life stages, the best dietary sources of iodine — from kelp to cod — and when testing your iodine and thyroid levels may be warranted.

Thyroid cancer is now among the top 10 most common cancers worldwide, with incidence rising by an average of 5.5% per year. But experts are divided: is this a genuine epidemic, or an epidemic of diagnosis driven by more sensitive imaging? This article reviews the evidence on both sides, explores the role of iodine deficiency, radiation exposure and environmental factors, and explains why thyroid awareness — and monitoring — matters year-round.

The thyroid gland is under constant threat from modern life — oestrogen dominance, chronic stress, iodine and selenium deficiency, heavy metal toxicity and xenoestrogen exposure all suppress its function. This article outlines 7 key action steps you can take to protect your thyroid, from hormone rebalancing and stress reduction to targeted nutritional support and testing.