The Tiny Gland That Causes Big Problems
Time for a pop quiz...
What do the following elderly patients all have in common?
- A woman with a "fluttering of the heart" feeling and some chest discomfort after taking the stairs
- A woman with a hand tremor keeping her from her favorite hobbies
- A man with severe constipation who also tends to take lots of naps
- A woman who has trouble swallowing, a dry cough, hoarseness, weight gain, and dry, itchy skin
- A man who has frequent "senior moments" or memory lapses
And no, the problem isn't just "getting old."
Rather, each of these symptoms can be traced back to a butterfly-shaped structure in the front of the neck called the thyroid gland.
During medical school, I was captivated by this unusual organ that has a hand in everything from your muscles, heart, and bones to even your memory, mood, and fertility by dispatching chemical messengers throughout your body.
The Butterfly in Your Throat
Your thyroid is a butterfly-shaped organ that weighs about 1 ounce, wraps around your windpipe, and sits in your neck just below your voice box.
You probably don't give much thought to your thyroid because it plays a behind-the-scenes – yet vital – role in your general wellness...
- Your thyroid makes and sends out a steady stream of hormones that help your body break down food and use it for energy.
- These hormones deliver chemical messages that regulate the amount of energy you use to keep your heart working, your muscular and digestive systems functioning, your brain working and developing, and your bones healthy.
- Your thyroid also impacts your mood... If it's not working properly, it can be an underlying cause of anxiety or depression.
If your thyroid doesn't make enough hormones, you experience hypothyroidism (hypo means low). And if your thyroid makes too many hormones, you experience hyperthyroidism (hyper means high).
And when it comes to endocrine-system dysfunction – the body's system of hormone-releasing glands – thyroid disorders are very common... second only to diabetes.
A 2019 Johns Hopkins University study suggests that about 1 in 4 adults aged 65 and older has some form of thyroid dysfunction, when factoring in both treated and untreated instances.
In this study, around 24% of the participants had hypothyroidism and 1% had hyperthyroidism. And among those with these thyroid conditions, only around 71% and 10%, respectively, had been treated for their disorder.
But many don't even realize they have a thyroid problem...
According to the American Thyroid Association, about 20 million Americans have some form of thyroid disease, but as many as 60% of these folks are unaware of their condition.
That's because thyroid problems have symptoms that overlap with dozens of other diseases. And it takes connecting a variety of seemingly unrelated symptoms together to indicate a potential thyroid problem.
For instance, a quick check on "fatigue" as a symptom pulls up more than 25 different causes. Fatigue could be caused by any number of things, from cancer, to stress, to overeating.
Here's a look at some of the most common symptoms of thyroid dysfunction...
Unfortunately, it's the commonness of these symptoms that often leads doctors to miss the diagnosis of thyroid problems. And thyroid dysfunction can look like many different little problems that are actually all symptoms of a single, pervasive disorder.
Now, we know that as we age the chances of having thyroid issues increases. And with that comes a host of problems – for instance, your metabolism might break down medications too fast (hyperthyroidism) or too slowly (hypothyroidism).
So what can you do to take care of your thyroid before you start having problems?
Nutrition, Plain and Simple
It turns out, most of the foods that we already recommend for your overall health and wellness are great for thyroid health.
Your thyroid needs three trace elements... elements that you'd ingest in super small quantities. But they play a supersized role in keeping your thyroid function healthy and humming. Here are the most important trace elements and where you can find them:
Iodine: Just like you need to eat protein to make muscle, you need iodine to make thyroid hormones T3 (triiodothyronine) and T4 (thyroxine).
Seaweed is incredibly high in iodine. One serving has about a full day's worth of iodine... which means you definitely don't need to pop any supplements. Cod, scallops, and oysters are also rich in iodine, as are Greek yogurt and eggs.
Note that too much iodine can easily tip the balance toward hyperthyroidism because your thyroid uses iodine to make the hormones. High iodine levels can also lead to thyroid inflammation and is even linked to thyroid cancer. So you'll want to be very careful to not overdo this element. That's one more reason to steer clear of supplements, which sometimes have more than the label promises.
Iron: Iron helps your thyroid because an enzyme called thyroid peroxidase ("TPO") uses this mineral. In turn, TPO helps attach iodine to molecules used for building thyroid hormones.
Get your iron from organ meats, red meat (like beef and lamb), oysters, and clams. Don't forget to add in plant-based sources like spinach, lentils, and beans, too.
Selenium: You need this stuff to turn all of that T4 into T3. Specifically, it's needed in enzymes called deiodinases that play a big role in the conversion. It also protects your thyroid from the damaging effects of oxidative stress.
You can find selenium in Brazil nuts, yellowfin tuna, oysters, lobster, and sunflower seeds.
Taking care of your thyroid now will help guard against problems in the future.
And if you have any of the symptoms mentioned above and can't pinpoint why, make sure to get your thyroid checked. This can be done through a simple blood test called a thyroid-stimulating hormone test to measure your thyroid's function. Take the time to find a specialist, too – an endocrinologist. They can better evaluate your symptoms and get you on medication if necessary.
P.S. I uncovered the danger in treating an incredibly common kind of thyroid dysfunction and share my other favorite tip for keeping your thyroid happy and healthy in last month's issue of Retirement Millionaire. (Grab a monthlong trial here, if you're not a subscriber.)
What We're Reading...
- Something different: Late celebrity chef Anthony Bourdain declared this as "the best food movie ever made."
Here's to our health, wealth, and a great retirement,
Dr. David Eifrig and the Health & Wealth Bulletin Research Team
August 14, 2025