January is National Thyroid Awareness Month! This is the perfect time to increase our knowledge on this very important butterfly-shaped gland found in our bodies. This small gland is found just below the Adam’s apple in the base of the neck. Even though this is a relatively small gland, it has an enormous amount of responsibilities within our bodies. It directly impacts the function of many of our vital organs including the heart, brain, liver, kidneys, and skin. Making sure your thyroid gland is working properly is extremely important to your body’s overall health and well-being.

The main function of the thyroid gland is to secrete hormones. The main hormones released by the thyroid are triiodothyronine (T3), and thyroxine (T4). These hormones deliver energy to cells in the body. The thyroid gland gets its main direction from the pituitary gland, which sends messages to the thyroid gland, telling it how