"Just as excessive FSH (follicle stimulating hormone) has been shown to have a role in ovarian cancer, excessive stimulation by TSH produces disorganization in the thyroid gland." - Ray Peat
Just thinking out loud here. Its well known that TSH and thyroid hormone levels decrease during the summer months and in general thyroid gland activity is inversely correlated with ambient temperature. Thyroid cancer incidence is higher in colder climates, suggesting a link between higher TSH/gland activity and cancer. Studies also show that mildly elevated TSH even with normal circulating T4/T3 levels is predictive of progression to overt hypothyroidism. Could it be that gradual deterioration of the thyroid gland is due to chronic overstimulation by TSH? Its known that organs such as the pancreas, liver, kidneys, etc deteriorate and ultimately fail when they are forced to work excessively hard for prolonged periods. Is the same true of the thyroid gland?
If true, could this then mean that temporary thyroid hormone supplementation can allow the thyroid to regenerate by suppressing TSH and giving the thyroid a rest? Anecdotally, some people have used thyroid temporarily to recover from hypothyroid states and then found that they didn't need the supplementation anymore. In such cases, it either means their thyroid was never damaged to begin with, or - that the temporary respite from constantly churning out thyroid hormones permitted by the exogenous supplementation, allowed their glands to heal.
Just thinking out loud here. Its well known that TSH and thyroid hormone levels decrease during the summer months and in general thyroid gland activity is inversely correlated with ambient temperature. Thyroid cancer incidence is higher in colder climates, suggesting a link between higher TSH/gland activity and cancer. Studies also show that mildly elevated TSH even with normal circulating T4/T3 levels is predictive of progression to overt hypothyroidism. Could it be that gradual deterioration of the thyroid gland is due to chronic overstimulation by TSH? Its known that organs such as the pancreas, liver, kidneys, etc deteriorate and ultimately fail when they are forced to work excessively hard for prolonged periods. Is the same true of the thyroid gland?
If true, could this then mean that temporary thyroid hormone supplementation can allow the thyroid to regenerate by suppressing TSH and giving the thyroid a rest? Anecdotally, some people have used thyroid temporarily to recover from hypothyroid states and then found that they didn't need the supplementation anymore. In such cases, it either means their thyroid was never damaged to begin with, or - that the temporary respite from constantly churning out thyroid hormones permitted by the exogenous supplementation, allowed their glands to heal.
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