Holy Hormones! How a Thyroid Imbalance Can Cause Sexual Inadequacy Disorders

Stress affects all of us, and in many different ways.

It has many impacts on our bodies, not the least of which is on our hormones. When stress causes imbalance in our hormone levels, it can lead to low energy, sleep disturbances, anxiety, depression, weight gain, low body temperature, low sex drive, infertility, erectile dysfunction, and other sexual inadequacy disorders.

If you are experiencing any of the above symptoms, it helps to understand where the problem is coming from

Your Thyroid Sets the Tone

Your thyroid gland has many different functions in your body, but one of its most important is controlling your rate of metabolism, which is basically how fast everything runs in your body.

It does this by producing thyroid hormones, which tell the cells of your body to burn fuel, which allows the cells in your body to carry out their functions. If your thyroid slows down, so will the rest of your body.

People with a thyroid imbalance tend to suffer from poor mood and low sex drive. Because your cells run more slowly, it can affect the cells involved in reproduction. In some cases, this can lead to infertility, erectile dysfunction, and other sexual inadequacy disorders.

Pay Attention to Your Adrenal Glands

Stress has a negative effect on your entire body, but your thyroid is particularly affected.

When you are under unmanaged stress, your adrenal glands tend to produce excessive amounts of a hormone called cortisol. This hormone interferes with the conversion of T4 thyroid hormone into T3 thyroid hormone.

T3 hormone is four to five times more active than T4 hormone in stimulating your body’s metabolism. So when you can’t make enough T3, everything slows down. This can lead to the sexual inadequacy disorders and infertility that I mentioned earlier.

This is especially true in men. When your thyroid is out of balance, it can cause a wide range of sexual inadequacy disorders, including premature ejaculation, delayed ejaculation, low sex drive, and erectile dysfunction.

These can be embarrassing issues, but you aren’t alone in suffering from these concerns!

In fact, a study conducted by the Journal of the American Medical Association reported 43% of women and 31% of men in the United States suffer from sexual inadequacy of one type or another, and there’s reason to believe these numbers are actually lower than reality.

There are many different causes for sexual inadequacy disorders. But one of the biggest ones is the presence of a thyroid disorder, as mentioned above. Often, it’s just a case of balancing one’s hormones. Once these are brought back into alignment, you may find your sexual health issues disappear entirely!

How Do I Balance My Hormones?

The good news is that there are some great natural options to support hormonal health!

Vitamin C, vitamin B5, zinc, and manganese provide nutrition to the adrenal glands, while herbs like Siberian ginseng, Fo Ti, and Rhodiola provide additional support.

Vitamin C can be found in just about every type of fruit, and has many other health benefits as well.

Vitamin B5 can be found in organ meats, eggs, salmon, almonds, and liverwurst, among others, and has proven anti-stress properties.

Zinc can be found in most meats, beans, nuts, and dairy products, and also helps support your adrenal glands, as well as supporting your immune system.

Manganese can be found in seafood, nuts (especially hazelnuts), seeds (especially pumpkin seeds), fish, spinach, kale, and black tea, and also helps your body heal injuries.

Each of these can be supplemented with as well.

The thyroid gland requires adequate levels of iodine and selenium for optimal function, and both of these can be supplemented with easily or found in one’s diet naturally as well.

Blue flag (Iris versicolor) is an herb that has been used traditionally to balance both hypo- and hyper-thyroid conditions.

Ashwagandha (Withania somnifera) is a south Asian herb that supports both adrenal and thyroid health.

What Does It All Mean?

So many health issues we face every day come down simply to stress and stress management. And our poor thyroid often receives the brunt of the stress in our life. But when you can manage your stress properly, your thyroid function will be optimized. And when your thyroid function is optimized, you’ll enjoy optimal performance in other areas of your life too!

Until next time, this is Dr. Pat Nardini, ND, putting “Your Wellness First!”