Does January feel significantly harder for you than July? I don’t just mean the grey skies or the post-holiday schedule. I mean physically harder.
Do you find yourself wearing three layers when everyone else is wearing one? Is your skin dry and cracking? Is your energy hitting rock bottom?
You might be experiencing what I call the “Winter Thyroid Slump.”
While many people blame the “Winter Blues” or SAD (Seasonal Affective Disorder), for many of my patients, the root cause is metabolic. Winter places a specific, increased demand on your thyroid gland. If your thyroid function is already borderline or “sub-clinical,” the stress of winter can be the tipping point that flares your symptoms.
The Science: Why Winter is Hard on Your Thyroid
Your thyroid is your body’s thermostat. Its primary job is to regulate your metabolism, which includes thermogenesis (the production of body heat).
In the summer, maintaining your body temperature (98.6°F / 37°C) is relatively easy. But in the damp, chilling cold of a Vancouver winter, your body has to work much harder to stay warm. This creates a higher demand for T3 (the active thyroid hormone) to stoke the metabolic fire [1].
Think of your thyroid like a furnace. In July, the pilot light is enough. In January, the furnace needs to blast at full power. If your “furnace” is sluggish (due to Hashimoto’s, nutrient deficiencies, or stress), it cannot keep up with this increased demand, leading to a crash in energy and body temperature.
Signs Your Thyroid is Struggling This Season
How do you know if it’s the Winter Thyroid Slump? Look for these specific symptoms intensifying in the cold months:
Raynaud’s Phenomenon
Fingers or toes turning white, numb, or painful in the cold.
Bone-Deep Fatigue
Tiredness that sleep doesn’t fix, specifically worsening in winter.
Dry, "Winter Itch" Skin
Skin that is scaly, cracked, or refuses to stay moisturized.
Low Mood
Depression that feels heavy and sluggish (often linked to low T3 levels in the brain).
Naturopathic Strategies to Stoke the Fire
We can’t change the weather, but we can support your body’s ability to handle it. Here are my top strategies for supporting your thyroid through the winter slump.
1. Fuel the Furnace: Selenium & Zinc
To convert T4 (inactive hormone) into T3 (the hormone that creates heat), your body requires specific enzymes that run on selenium and zinc.
2. "Light Nutrition": Red Light Therapy
3. Warming Herbs (The "Yang" Boost)
In Traditional Chinese Medicine, hypothyroidism is often seen as a “Yang Deficiency” (lack of heat). We can use warming culinary herbs to improve circulation and metabolism.
4. Don't Guess—Test
If you feel significantly worse every winter, it’s time to stop assuming it’s just the weather. We need to check your Free T3 levels to see if your body is actually converting hormones effectively, or if it’s going into “hibernation mode.”
Warmth from the Inside Out
You don’t have to just “get through” the winter feeling frozen and exhausted. By understanding the extra load the cold places on your thyroid, we can give it the specific fuel and support it needs to keep your internal fire burning bright all season long.
Is Your Thyroid hibernating?
If your energy drops when the temperature does, Dr. Jennifer Luis can help you assess your thyroid function and create a winter wellness plan.
References:
- Hassi, J., et al. (2001). The pituitary-thyroid axis in healthy men living under subarctic environmental conditions. Journal of Endocrinology.
- Höfling, D. B., Chavantes, M. C., et al. (2013). Low-level laser therapy in chronic autoimmune thyroiditis: A pilot study. Lasers in Surgery and Medicine, 45(3), 171-176.
