Actress Zoe Saldana opens up about health battle

LOS ANGELES (WPVI) -- Actress Zoe Saldana is opening up about her recent health battle.

On screen, Saldana is known for kicking butt, but the actress has revealed she's in a real-life battle with an autoimmune disorder.

In an article for New-A-Porter's weekly digital magazine, "The Edit," she siares for the first time that she suffers from Hashimoto's Thyroiditis.

"Your body doesn't have the energy it needs. You create antibodies that attack your glands," she explained.

In the midst of a very full life, Saldana is tackling this disorder that turns the immune system against the thyroid and it's much more common in women than in men.

"When Zoe was diagnosed, she said her body was feeling different so she had to make changes in her life to balance all of that up," said Melody Chu, staff writer for People Magazine.

The 38-year-old has twin 18-month-old boys wtih her husband, Italian artist Marco Perego.

"I wish I can say that it's easy. I know that a lot of moms and fathers will identify. The best example I can give them is for them to see their parents fighting for their dreams," said Saldana during a recent visit to Good Morning America.

In the article, Saldana adds that her mother and sisters are also facing the same disorder and that it's a major life adjustment.

"I would hear those conversations with my mom and grandma, thinking I'd never get there," she said. "But all of a sudden it hits you - it's from night to day."