An underactive thyroid, also called hypothyroid, is when your body does not produce enough thyroid hormone. They are a few possible causes; it's often due to inflammation and auto-immune-related issues.

Hypothyroidism is treated by giving the patient a synthetic thyroid hormone. The amount of medication required is determined by monitoring the body's hormone levels through blood tests.

Hypothyroidism can be caused by a number of things but in the more industrialized countries, the cause is "thyroid autoimminity", also called "autoimmune thyroiditis" and "Hashimoto's disease". It is a process in which the thyroid gland becomes underactive after being relentlessly attacked by auto-antibodies sent from the immune system that mistakenly identify it as an intruder, as it would allergens, bacteria and viruses. Once enough thyroid cells are damaged by these antibodies over time, hypothyroidism sets in.

In less industrialized countries, where iodine rich foods are lacking or they do not have access to iodized sale, "iodine deficiency hypothyroidism" can be the cause. Other causes are things like a failure in the brain glands that regulate thyroid function (master-gland endocrine failure) which is called "central hypothyroidism". Women can develop a temporary form of thyroiditis when pregnant, that leaves them hypothyroid afterward, called "postpartum hypothyroidism" which can in some cases be temporary and other times permanent, needing lifelong treatment.

Some people are born with insufficient thyroid glands (small or partially missing) and as they enter their teens or adult years, their thyroid hormone levels become inadequate. This is referred to as "congenital hypothyroidism" and in some cases is diagnosed at birth and treated, with no negative consequences as the child develops.

People who experience severe throat injuries, such as in car accidents, can damage their thyroid glands to the extent that they become underactive and lastly, a person can experience hypothyroidism following exposure to chemicals or drugs that adversly affect the thyroid gland, called "chemical hypothyroidism". Lots of Russian people experienced hypothyroidism following the Chernobyl nuclear power plant accident in 1986, in which nuclear fallout affected their thyroid glands in years following, causing them to become underactive.

At the basic level, an underactive thyroid simply means one that is not producing enough hormone to properly regulate bodily metabolism.

If you are not eating any saturated fat or are vegan, your hormones will be low throughout your body and your thyroid will suffer. Adding in 3 tablespoons of coconut oil a day, sea salt, a cod liver oil capsule and some grass fed butter will completely support your thyroid. Best of luck!