Have you ever felt burnt out? As if you do not have enough energy to get through the day? Or have a mid-afternoon slump where you have difficulty concentrating and getting through your work? Your Bioenergetics Circuit, regulated by three organ systems that see to your metabolic function, may be to blame for this feeling. Stress is often the cause of a Bioenergetics Circuit malfunction.
What Is The Bioenergetics Circuit?
Your Bioenergetics Circuit is made up of the pancreas, thyroid, and liver. Together, these organs maintain your metabolic processes. During times of stress, the Bioenergetics Circuit is responsible for converting fat, carbohydrates, and proteins into usable energy. This puts your body in a better position to deal with the ravages of stress.
The Bioenergetics Circuit and The Thyroid Gland
Your thyroid gland functions 24/7. It may work harder at certain times and go through periods where it needs to work less. When working harder, it may use up more calories than usual.
Your thyroid gland is part of your endocrine system. It produces and secretes thyroid hormones. Its main job is to control your metabolic rate, or the speed at which your metabolism works. It also plays a role in growth and development, brain development, digestive function, bone maintenance, and promoting a healthy heart.
Someone with an active lifestyle may see their thyroid functioning at an optimal level, creating energy needed for the body to perform at a higher level than someone with a sedentary lifestyle. In other words, they are likely to use up more calories and probably either lose weight or not experience weight gain.
But even someone with a more sedentary lifestyle may require more energy at certain times of the day. Here, too, their thyroid activity would increase.
Thyroid issues could cause Bioenergetics Circuit dysfunction. This applies to both hypothyroidism and hyperthyroidism.
Hypothyroidism
Hypothyroidism results when you have low thyroid function. Symptoms include the following:
- A slower metabolism that could result in weight gain
- Fatigue
- Muscle weakness
- Dry, itchy skin
- Hair loss
- Memory issues
- Depression
- Constipation
- Menstrual cycle issues
- Feeling cold for no apparent reason
The inability to produce enough thyroid hormones usually causes this condition. A lack of iodine in the diet may be a contributing factor. Issues with your pituitary gland and hypothalamus, however, may also contribute to the condition.1
Please note that your pituitary gland and hypothalamus form part of the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis and play a major role in determining how your body deals with stress. This is because it sends chemical messages to various parts of your body that determine your NeuroEndoMetabolic (NEM) stress response. Furthermore, as part of your endocrine system, thyroid and adrenal function share a close connection. Adrenal issues often influence thyroid function and vice versa.
Hyperthyroidism
Hyperthyroidism results from an over-active thyroid gland that produces higher than normal amounts of thyroid hormone. An overactive thyroid hormone production means speeding up many of the body processes dependent on thyroid function.
Symptoms associated with hyperthyroidism include:
Goiter, an enlarged thyroid seen as swelling in the neck- Heart palpitations
- Weight loss for no apparent reason
- Mood swings
- Nervousness, anxiety, and/or irritability
- Heat sensitivity
- Constant tiredness and feelings of weakness
- Trembling
- Sleep issues
Graves’ disease, an immune disorder, is the most common cause of hyperthyroidism.2 Other possible causes include:
- Ingesting too much thyroid hormones
- High levels of iodine
- The use of certain drugs
- Thyroiditis
- Toxic nodular goiter
The Pancreas and Your Bioenergetics Circuit
The pancreas secretes the hormone insulin. This peptide plays an important role in the Bioenergetics Circuit’s function. This is because it helps blood sugar enter cells for use as energy. But insulin also signals your liver to store blood sugar so that it can be used later. Your blood sugar levels decrease once the sugar enters your cells, and your insulin production will decrease as well.
This sugar is the fuel your body needs to operate properly, and it is derived from the food we eat. However, the more we eat, the more of this blood sugar is generated. Because excess becomes stored, it could result in weight gain because it is stored as fat.
This is especially the case with a diet high in carbohydrates, starches, and sugar. These quick-releasing forms of energy cause insulin levels to spike. At the same time, they quickly move to the liver for storage purposes, resulting in a quick drop in insulin levels.
So, in a nutshell, the more energy that becomes available, the more insulin your pancreas produces to help move it into the cells or send it to the liver for storage for later use.
Pancreatic Issues
Pancreatic issues, such as insulin resistance, may arise due to an increased demand for insulin production. This increased demand may arise from fatty liver disease, where the liver can no longer hold the excess triglycerides your body has. In effect, the liver tells the pancreas that it cannot accept any more sugar. In other words, although your pancreas may produce insulin, the insulin will no longer work, and your blood sugar levels will increase.
While using insulin-sensitive medications, sensitizing medications, or even injecting yourself with insulin may help keep blood sugar levels down for a while, it will not work indefinitely. You may have to increase your dosage.
Ultimately, this can lead to insulin resistance, where no matter how hard the insulin in your blood tries to push the blood sugar into your liver, it will not work. It will stay in your bloodstream. Despite this, the pancreas will try to produce more insulin to take care of the blood sugar issue. Ultimately, it will become exhausted. This could result in adult-onset diabetes or type-2 diabetes.
This type of diabetes is vastly different from type-1 diabetes. Type-1 diabetes is a deficiency of insulin. Type-2 diabetes is associated with insulin not having the ability to do its job.
Although conventional medicine treats both types of diabetes in a similar fashion, for type-2 diabetes it is essentially only a short-term solution.
Symptoms of Type-2 Diabetes
- Unexplained weight loss
- Fatigue
- Constant hunger
- Thirst
- The need to frequently urinate
- Tingling or numbness in the hands and/or feet
- Skin of the armpits and neck may become darker
- Frequent infections
- Sores take longer to heal
- Blurry vision
Your Liver As A Bioenergetics Circuit Component
There is much more to your liver than its important role in detoxification. It serves an essential role in your Bioenergetics Circuit as well.
While the energy derived from food is transferred to your cells when you eat, the excess energy must go somewhere. It is pushed to your liver through the actions of insulin. Once in the liver, the sugar is converted into glycogen.
Glycogen is a form of glucose and is your body’s main energy source.
The problem with glycogen is that it has a limited storage time and is not designed for long-term storage. In this case, the storage method is in the form of triglycerides, i.e., fat. Under normal circumstances, this fat will enter the bloodstream and be converted back into usable sugars for the cells.
The problem arises when food consumption is higher than the body’s ability to use the energy derived from the foods you eat. This is especially true when your diet contains lots of carbohydrates. The liver must work much harder to store this excess fuel in the form of glycogen and triglycerides. Over time, the liver becomes saturated due to having to act as a “storage container” for these substances. Furthermore, your liver cannot expand in size to make up for the continuous glycogen and triglyceride influx. As a result of the high number of triglycerides in your liver over time, you may develop fatty liver disease.
In times past, fatty liver resulted from alcohol abuse. These days, however, the condition is increasingly common in people who do not consume excessive amounts of alcohol. In such cases, we refer to the condition as non-alcoholic fatty liver. In both cases, liver enzyme function will go up.
Symptoms of Fatty Liver Disease
The most common symptoms of fatty liver disease include:
- Fatigue
- Weight loss for no apparent reason
- Pains in the upper, right-hand side of the abdomen
More serious symptoms include:
- Jaundice, i.e., your eyes and skin develop a yellow cast to them
- Darker urine
- A swollen tummy
- Vomiting blood
- Itchy skin
- Bruising easily
- Black stool
How Your Liver Reacts to Excess Fat
Your liver reacts to large amounts of fat by packaging it as LDL (low-density lipoprotein) cholesterol. We usually refer to this as “bad” cholesterol. In this case, it would be VLDL, i.e., very low-density lipoprotein. VLDL is LDL cholesterol in a form that makes it easier to move around in a water-based solution like your blood.
HDL cholesterol, on the other hand, is referred to as “good” cholesterol. This is because it absorbs the bad cholesterol in the bloodstream and brings it back to the liver. Thus, higher HDL cholesterol levels are good.
Because your liver needs to get rid of excess triglycerides, they get pushed out in the form of cholesterol and end up in the blood. This means your blood cholesterol levels will rise. Some of the triglycerides end up in your cells, while some get stored as visceral fat.
The more cholesterol circulating, however, the higher the amount of LDL cholesterol you will find as well. The cholesterol can also get deposited on your vein walls and cause heart disease. It can also promote insulin resistance and thus compromise pancreatic health.
Essentially, to reduce your triglyceride levels you would need to reduce your carbohydrate and sugar intake. Doing so over a period of time may result in not only a reduction in triglycerides but also a reduction in cholesterol levels.
How Your Thyroid, Liver, and Pancreas Interact to Promote Proper Bioenergetics Circuit Function
One could liken these three organs to different components in a car.
Your insulin, made in the pancreas, is the gas pedal. It sets things in motion through its ability to move around energy.- Your thyroid is the speedometer, as it helps determine the rate of your metabolic processes.
- Your liver is the engine that needs to work properly so that all components can work effectively.
The one component not really discussed is the brain. As mentioned, the HPA axis, of which the hypothalamus and pituitary gland are situated in the brain, sends chemical messengers that activate your NEM stress response. During this time, your fight or flight response jumps into action. Cortisol production increases. Cortisol is often referred to as “the stress hormone.”
Results of Increased Cortisol Due to Stress on The Bioenergetics Circuit
Increased cortisol production is associated with an increase in blood sugar levels. This increase gives your body the energy it needs to run away from a situation, for example. However, the increase in cortisol production will result in a decrease in thyroid hormone production. You may also feel the need to eat more during stressful situations because your brain tells your body it needs fuel to run or fight. Yet increased eating may stimulate even more cortisol release.
Ultimately, you may find that your thyroid gland goes into compensatory mode to conserve energy because it cannot make the hormones your body needs to effectively deal with your body’s energy requirements.
Supplements for Bioenergetics Support
A holistic way of supporting thyroid health at a time like this is by using Thyro-Blast. This supplement contains various vitamins and minerals that support thyroid health and help maintain thyroid hormone balance in your body.
Low thyroid function will ultimately result in reduced insulin sensitivity which could result in insulin resistance. A supplement like BerbeBlast may prove useful as it supports healthy blood sugar levels. An imbalance in blood sugar levels is one of the signs of insulin resistance. The supplement also supports healthy cholesterol levels and healthy metabolic function.
For people struggling with fatty liver or liver-related issues, a supplement like LiverCharge may help. The various natural ingredients in the supplement promote healthy liver function and detoxification.
Always talk to your healthcare provider before taking any supplement. They are best able to recommend the suitability and dosage of a supplement, as well as the potential side effects depending on any underlying health issues or medications used.
How Adrenaline Effects Cholesterol
Another factor to consider during stressful periods is the increase in adrenaline levels. Cortisol stimulates adrenaline production.
Adrenaline:
- Stimulates the release of glucose from the liver
- This causes blood sugar levels to rise
- This triggers the release of triglycerides that contribute to higher cholesterol levels
Also, cortisol and adrenaline increase blood sugar levels and insulin output, which can eventually lead to the pancreas producing excessive amounts of insulin. This may result in your blood sugar levels going down too far or too fast. Reactive hypoglycemia may result.
Reactive Hypoglycemia
Reactive hypoglycemia, or postprandial hypoglycemia, usually happens two to five hours after consuming a meal. 3 Typically, your blood sugar levels drop quite dramatically.
These blood sugar levels would be higher after consuming a meal under stress. Cortisol levels may increase, causing an insulin spike. When blood sugar levels then go down too fast due to a sudden increase in insulin, they can cause typical symptoms of hypoglycemia. This often happens in people who are prediabetic or with type-2 diabetes.
The symptoms include the following:
Increased heart rate- Trembling
- Nervousness and/or anxiety
- Irritability
- Confusion
- Hunger pangs
- Sweating
- Dizziness
In Closing
When things go wrong with your Bioenergetics Circuit you may experience a multitude of symptoms. These usually result from issues relating to your thyroid, liver, and pancreas. The root cause, however, is often stress.
By focusing on addressing your stress, you may see an improvement in your Bioenergetics Circuit function. Please take note, though, that stress is not only of a mental nature. It could result from pre-existing health issues, injuries, the food you eat, or even the air you breathe. By identifying our stressors and addressing them, you may significantly improve your thyroid, liver, and pancreatic health.
If you would like to know more about the Bioenergetics Circuit and the various health issues associated with this system in a state of dysfunction, the team at Dr Lam Coaching can help. We offer a free, no-obligation phone consultation at +1 (626) 571-1234. We will discuss your concerns privately and offer possible solutions. You can also send us a question through our Ask The Doctor System by clicking here.