These are the differences between hyperthyroidism and hypothyroidism

The thyroid gland is a gland encodrina responsible for regulating the metabolism of our body and sensitivity to other hormones in addition to the thyroid. This gland is found in both men and women under the Adam’s apple, over the trachea, and has the shape of a butterfly or bilobate.

The thyroid gland produces a series of hormones that regulate our metabolism and that affect the functioning of other systems of our body. Two of its most well-known affections are hyperthyroidism and hypothyroidism, but do you know how each of them affects us? We explain it to you in a simple box so that you have it clear.

HYPOTHYROIDISM	HYPERTHROIDISM
It affects 3% of the population. Especially women over 50 years or in the postpartum.	It affects 1% of the population. Especially women between 30 and 40 years old.
The thyroid gland does not secrete the necessary amount of thyroid hormones for the proper functioning of the organism.	The thyroid gland secretes an excess of thyroid hormones.
Loss of function of the thyroid gland + inflammation of the same.	The body produces antibodies that stimulate the production of thyroid hormone.
CAUSES: Autoimmune disorder Iodine deficiency Infection of the thyroid gland Removal by surgery of the thyroid gland Radiotherapy Thyroid cancer Some medications Other diseases	CAUSES: Graves disease Benign tumors in the thyroid gland Excess iodine through diet Viral infection
SYMPTOM: Body slowdown Weight gain Fatigue Drowsiness Loss of concentration Dry skin Brittle hair and nails Irregularity in the menstrual cycle	SYMPTOM: “Acceleration” of the organism Weightloss Palpitations Nervousness Anxiety Irritability Fine skin Brittle hair and nails Irregularity in the menstrual cycle Sweating and tremors
TREATMENT: Taking hormones.	TREATMENT: Pharmacological treatment, radioactive iodine or surgery.

The role of nutrition in the treatment of the thyroid

When you suffer from thyroid problems, whether hyper or hypothyroid, food plays a key role in the treatment of the pathology.

In the case of hyperthyroidism , when the thyroid gland produces more thyroid hormones than it should and the body works in an “accelerated” manner, weight loss is frequent, both in fat mass and in muscle mass. In this case our diet should be rich in foods that make a good contribution of proteins , such as meats , dairy , eggs or fish , and also in foods that improve the absorption of iodine (cruciferous as broccoli) and food rich in lithium (potatoes, onions or endives among others). It is necessary to control foods that may have a high amount of iodine, such as algae .

In the case of hypothyroidism the problem is the opposite: the metabolism slows down and tends to gain weight. In this case our diet should be healthy but without being necessary to follow a specific pattern for it: it is recommended to consume iodized salt and foods rich in iodine such as fish and seafood, some nuts such as almonds, fruits such as strawberries, bananas and apples.

We remember that the first step whenever we think that we can have a dysfunction in the thyroid gland is to go to the specialist doctor (in this case the endocrine), who will be in charge of performing the necessary tests to determine if we suffer from any of these pathologies and to rule treatment and diet.