Page 26 - Winter2017

One of the most controversial and largely THE ENDOCRINE TRIANGLE
unaccepted observations Harrower made con- There are four primary endocrine glands: the adrenals, gonads
cerncd the dynamic interplay between the glands. (ovaries/testes), thyroid and pituitary. Although each of their respective
He believed that if one gland was dysfunctional, hormones has unique roles in the body, the adrenals, gonads and thy-
the rest of the endocrine system would be in a roid are highly dependent on one another. Receiving its orders from the
state of disequilibrium, thereby causing physical hypothalamus, the pituitary gland is the conductor or orchestrator of the
dysfunction. Harrower stated, “All [the endo- glands, instructing them when action needs to be taken (see The Endocrine
crine glands] are so closely bound to each other Triangle below). Its chief function is to link the hypothalamus and the
that a disturbance in one will throw out of gear nervous system to the rest of the body. The pituitary is on constant alert,
or out of action all of the others.” monitoring the body and trying to maintain balance and homeostasis.
Of all of the endocrine glands, the thyroid One of the hormones produced by the pituitary is known as thyroid-
gets blamed for most of the dysfunctions we stimulating hormone (TSH). As the name implies, TSH signals the
see today. In most cases, the thyroid is merely thyroid to produce more thyroid hormone, namely, T4 (thyroxine) and
an innocent bystander, part of a larger system T3 (triiodothyronine). When thyroid hormone levels begin to fall, the
that has become dysfunctional. The presenting pituitary is alerted and promptly sends a signal to the thyroid, asking
symptoms may point to the thyroid, but they can for more thyroid hormone. This is known as a negative feedback loop.
just as easily point to an adrenal insufficiency, Although TSH is most commonly known as the “thyroid hormone,”
blood sugar dysregulation or ovarian dysfunc- it really isn’t a thyroid hormone at all. It is, in fact, a pituitary hormone,
tion. If you visit your doctor complaining of and as such, should never be used as a sole indicator of thyroid health.
fatigue, anxiety, excess weight, infertility and There are a number of other, more effective markers that practitioners
constipation you’ll most likely walk out with a can and should use when evaluating the thyroid. But before examining
prescription for thyroid hormone replacement those, it is important to understand how the thyroid works and why these
without any consideration of the real underlying markers will be useful in conducting effective evaluations.
issues. Sadly, in most cases, the thyroid is not
the actual problem.

26 Wise Traditions WINTER 2017