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If
you have hypothyroidism and are worried about your bone health, or have been
told you have osteoporosis you will definitely want to read this article to
find out why healthy parathyroid glands keep your bones strong.
The
parathyroid glands are endocrine organs. They play an important role in the
body’s complex hormone system to keep you fit and well.
‘Para’
means near, or next to which explains the name given to these four glands
that are attached to the rear of the thyroid. In fact, the tiny
parathyroid glands are so closely situated to the thyroid that they share the
same blood supply.
Although
the parathyroid and thyroid glands have similar sounding names each gland produces
different hormones, each with their own specific functions.
Strong bones need healthy parathyroid glands
When
it comes to bone health, the most fundamental nutrient is calcium. This mineral
plays a critical role to safeguard against osteoporosis, which leads to weak
and fragile bones. The bones are a vast reservoir for calcium as it is an
essential building block to maintain healthy bone structure.
The
parathyroid glands keep your bones strong by ensuring your body gets the
calcium it needs to maintain bone strength. Optimal calcium balance is also
crucial for muscle function and healthy nervous system activity.
As
you may already know, bone is a dynamic, living tissue. Healthy parathyroid
gland activity supports the normal process of bone breakdown and bone building.
Steady and balanced bone turnover is a normal process that benefits lifelong
bone health.
To
help regulate levels of calcium the parathyroid glands make ‘parathyroid
hormone’. This hormone is often termed a calcium-regulating hormone.
When
blood calcium levels drop extra parathyroid hormone is released into the
bloodstream. This draws calcium from the bones and stimulates greater uptake of
calcium by the kidneys. The net effect is an increase of calcium in the blood.
When
blood calcium levels get too high the parathyroid glands respond swiftly by
reducing parathyroid hormone production. This keeps calcium stored in the bone
and puts a halt to bone breakdown.
Strong bones need a well-functioning thyroid
The
thyroid plays an important role in building bone health by producing a
plentiful supply of calcitonin. This thyroid hormone is also termed a
calcium-regulating hormone as it helps block excessive bone breakdown.
When
blood calcium levels rise, the thyroid releases greater amounts of calcitonin
to bring blood calcium levels back down to normal. Parathyroid hormone and
calcitonin work in sync to regulate calcium balance. By having two hormones
with opposing actions, the body can closely regulate calcium concentrations.
The vitamin D – parathyroid connection
The
link between vitamin D
and healthy bones was made many years ago when it was realised that sunlight,
or taking cod liver oil boosted vitamin D which in turn helped prevent a soft
bone disorder in children called rickets.
Today,
vitamin D is seen as vital for overall health and strong bones.
Calcitriol
is a calcium-regulating hormone produced from vitamin D. When blood calcium
levels drop, parathyroid hormone triggers the kidneys to make greater amounts
of this active form of vitamin D. Calcitriol increases blood calcium levels by
increasing absorption of calcium from the digestive system.
A
drop in vitamin D is associated with higher production of parathyroid hormone.
This has the potential to increase bone loss. Maintaining optimal vitamin D can
therefore have a protective effect to guard against excessive bone turnover.
How do you check parathyroid health?
If
you are worried about your bone health or have been told you have osteoporosis
it is a great idea to check your parathyroid health.
A
blood test that specifically measures parathyroid hormone levels is the main
way to diagnose a problem. Medical practitioners and pathology labs routinely
abbreviate the words parathyroid hormone to ‘PTH’. The PTH test is usually done
along with a check of blood calcium levels.
Problems
can occur if the parathyroid glands are either producing too much or too little
parathyroid hormone.
Hypoparathyroidism
is characterised by low levels of parathyroid hormone. On the other hand, when
the parathyroid glands are overactive these glands produce an inappropriately
high amount of parathyroid hormone.
When
parathyroid hormone levels are high the rate at which bone is lost exceeds the
rate at which new bone is being formed. This leads to bones becoming weak and
susceptible to fractures. This is the reason hyperparathyroidism is linked
to the development of osteoporosis.
The
parathyroid glands are tiny and are normally only the size of a grain of
rice. This makes visual identification of a problem tricky. Your medical
practitioner may request a scan to help diagnose a problem with one or more of
the parathyroid glands. A bone density test may also be performed to assess
bone health.
The
25-hydroxycholecalciferol, or 25OHD blood test is the most accurate way to
measure how much active vitamin D is in the body.
Are environmental toxins also taking a toll on parathyroid
health?
Like
or not we are exposed to a wide range of environmental toxins in the air we
breathe, the food we eat and the water we drink. As mentioned above the thyroid
and parathyroid glands share the same blood supply.
Further,
there is a high volume of blood washing through these glands. This can make these glands susceptible to the damaging effects of environmentaltoxins or
other harmful compounds that may be circulating in the blood supply.
Watch
these videos below
Author Bio:
Louise O’ Connor,
the author of The Natural Thyroid Diet –The 4-Week Plan to Living Well, Living Vibrantly, who
is a specialist in Thyroid Health. She is a highly regarded Australian
Naturopath and founder of Wellnesswork.
The Natural Thyroid
Diet goes beyond diet advice and offers practical and effective ways to achieve
healthy thyroid levels within just a short period of time. For more details,
Click on
The-Natural-Thyroid-Diet.com
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