Why Adrenal Function Is Essential for Optimal Thyroid Health

When most people think about energy, metabolism, and mood, they immediately think about their thyroid gland. And while the thyroid is a critical player, it does not work in isolation. The adrenal glands—two small glands that sit above your kidneys—are equally important when it comes to maintaining balanced hormones, energy, and overall well-being.

In fact, your adrenal glands and thyroid gland are deeply connected. If your adrenal function is compromised, it can directly affect your thyroid’s ability to work properly. Let’s break down why adrenal health matters so much for thyroid function and what you can do to support both.

The Adrenal–Thyroid Connection

Your adrenal glands produce stress hormones, including cortisol and adrenaline. These hormones help your body respond to everyday stressors, regulate blood sugar, and maintain stable energy throughout the day.

Here’s how adrenal health ties into thyroid health:

• Cortisol and Thyroid Hormones When cortisol is chronically high due to stress, it can suppress the conversion of T4 (inactive thyroid hormone)into T3 (active thyroid hormone). Without enough T3, your cells can’t use thyroid hormone effectively, leaving you with symptoms of low thyroid—even if your labs look “normal.”

• Inflammation and Autoimmunity Dysregulated adrenal function contributes to higher inflammation. For people with autoimmune thyroid conditions (like Hashimoto’s), poor adrenal balance can worsen flare-ups.

• HPA–Thyroid AxisThe hypothalamus–pituitary–adrenal (HPA) axis communicates closely with the hypothalamus–pituitary–thyroid (HPT) axis. If your adrenals are constantly signaling “stress,” your thyroid receives the message to slow metabolism down as a protective mechanism.

Signs Your Adrenal Glands May Be Affecting Your Thyroid

If your thyroid treatment isn’t giving you the results you expect, adrenal health may be playing a role. Common signs of adrenal involvement include:

• Waking up at 3 a.m. or difficulty staying asleep

• Afternoon energy crashes

• Needing caffeine or sugar to get through the day

• Feeling “tired but wired” at night

• Low blood pressure, dizziness on standing, or salt cravings

• Trouble handling stress without crashing afterward

Supporting Both Adrenal and Thyroid Health

The good news: when you support your adrenal glands, you also help your thyroid function more optimally. Some key strategies include:

• Balanced blood sugar – eating protein and fiber with meals to prevent cortisol spikes

• Stress management – daily practices like deep breathing, yoga, or journaling

• Sleep hygiene – aiming for 7–9 hours of restorative sleep

• Nutrients – B vitamins, vitamin C, magnesium, and adaptogenic herbs (ashwagandha, rhodiola, holy basil) can help regulate cortisol

• Drinking electrolytes- Your adrenal glands make aldosterone, a hormone that helps regulate sodium and potassium balance. When adrenals are stressed or fatigued, aldosterone can drop — leading to low blood pressure, dizziness, salt cravings, and fatigue. Drinking elecytrolytes helps replace what the adrenals my not be regulating properly.

• Daily morning sunlight - especially within the first hour of waking—signals your brain’s suprachiasmatic nucleus (SCN) (the body’s “master clock”) to set the circadian rhythm for the day. This helps ensure cortisol rises in the morning when it should (instead of spiking at night, which disrupts sleep

• No screens at bedtime- avoiding screen-time 1-2 hours before bedtime helps your adrenals by reducing blue light exposure, which lowers evening cortisol and allows melatonin to rise naturally for restorative sleep.

• Time in nature- calms the nervous system, lowers cortisol, and gives your adrenals a chance to rest and reset.

• Testing and personalization – a functional medicine approach looks at both adrenal patterns and thyroid labs to create a tailored plan

The Takeaway

Your thyroid cannot function at its best if your adrenal glands are constantly on overdrive—or completely depleted. By supporting adrenal health, you lay the foundation for balanced thyroid function, steady energy, and vibrant health.

At Abundant Integrative Medicine, I specialize in helping women uncover the root causes of fatigue, brain fog, and thyroid symptoms by looking at the full picture—including adrenal function.