Natural thyroid health supplements are important. Your thyroid gland affects every function of your body from body temperature, to how well your immune and female systems work. Hypothyroidism and hyperthyroidism are two different ends of the same problem which is thyroid dysfunction. You should get lab tests to make sure which end of the problem your health falls into.
Hyperthyroidism is a problem with many women as well.
Hyperthyroidism is not treated in the same way as hypothyroidism. They need different treatments. People with hyperthyroidism tend to be thin people who are underweight. That is why it is important to know you ARE NOT hyperthyroid.
You can pay for your own thyroid tests!
You can pay for a thyroid panel yourself through UltaLabs if your insurance will not pay for the test or if your doctor will not order them. Doctors are especially bad about treating female patients often discounting their symptoms and sending them to counselors or accusing them of overeating. Doctors often do not give female patients the quality of care they deserve including not testing for heart problems, thyroid problems, and serious issues. Often they disregard your symptoms. Be aware of that. If you can find a female holistic doctor, do that.
In this article, I focus on hypothyroidism which is low thyroid function. Buy the two books below which have been around for years but are still as relevant today as when they were written. He goes through how to check your temperature to see if you are low thyroid and why the thyroid tests most often miss patients who are low thyroid. The two links below are not ads but are links to the books which I encourage you to buy and read cover to cover.
Natural thyroid health treatments for Hypothyroidism. Underactive thyroid symptoms vary individually affecting almost every system of the body. The thyroid and the endocrine system are one of the most important systems of your body.
Women especially older women are more likely to suffer from hypothyroidism. Get the book by Broda Barnes above.
Symptoms of Hypothyroidism
Most hypothyroid patients are overweight, tend to gain weight in the stomach and hips, have trouble losing weight even when they are strict with diet, are tired, are in slow mode generally, complain of being cold all the time, run a sub-normal temperature, complain of a lot of pain in joints and throughout the whole body, premature gray hair, quality of hair, hair loss, loss of hair all over the body, lack of eyebrows, depression, and these are just some of the complaints with an underactive thyroid gland. Most females will have problems with heavy and painful periods as well. The thyroid affects mood, depression, emotions, and the stability of your mental health. Hypothyroidism is generally carried down the female lineage: grandmother, mother, you, and your female siblings. Males do have problems but show fewer symptoms than females generally. So if several members of your family are diagnosed hypothyroid, more than likely you are as well.
The Problem with Thyroid Testing
The problem with thyroid tests is that they do not have tests sensitive enough to test how your individual thyroid gland uses the thyroid hormone present in the bloodstream. It is like having gas in the car, but the carburetor is bad. There is gas in the car. The thyroid tests tell the doctor if you have a certain level of thyroid in the gland itself or in your bloodstream. However, that is not enough. That does not show how you as an individual are using the thyroid hormone present in your body…how your various glands and tissues are using it. Please read the links below to learn more on why the tests are so often inadequate.
https://www.transformyou.com/problems-thyroid-testing
https://easyhealthoptions.com/why-standard-thyroid-tests-miss-the-mark/
https://draxe.com/health/hypothyroidism-symptoms-causes-diet/
Thousands of people go undiagnosed each year.
That is why many thousands of people go undiagnosed with an underactive thyroid. Many times the lab test says you are fine if you are just on the line from underactive to normal. Even if it is normal, you can still have problems utilizing that thyroid hormone. They will not address that issue. If you go to a holistic doctor, they will not only test you but go by your symptoms such as premature gray hair or a history of being unable to lose weight. They test on a different level. So please if you suspect you have an underactive thyroid, visit a holistic doctor who is experienced in dealing with thyroid issues.
Chart your progress when taking thyroid support herbs. Do this under the supervision of a holistic doctor.
What if you are on the low end of the thyroid scale according to your lab results and can get no help from your doctor? There are natural supplements that can support thyroid function and may help the symptoms over time. You need to take the supplements for 4-5 months to give them a test.
Write down your symptoms when you start the program and the severity of your symptoms from 1 to 10 to chart your progress. If your hair is falling out, chart that and the severity of the problem. If your energy level is at one meaning you can hardly get out of bed every day, chart that. You must keep track of your progress or lack of progress.
Supplements that support healthy thyroid function are below:
Get lab tested first to make sure you are not hyperthyroid before taking the supplements below. If you are hyperthyroid the supplements below would make that condition worse. Even if your thyroid is normal, the supplements below will help keep your thyroid to be healthy.
Sea Salt:
Use Himalayan pink sea salt instead of regular salt. It is full of healthy minerals for your body.
Seaweed:
The thyroid and its functions need iodine to work properly. You want to know through lab testing that you are not hyperthyroid first. If you are low normal in your thyroid function by testing, you may want to try adding seaweed to your diet as the Asians do. You must do this with caution. Some people are extremely sensitive to iodine. It does not take much to affect the system. There are some who react adversely to even a little, so go slowly on this.
Eaten by many in Japan and Asia in their daily diet. Seaweed especially Fucus contains small amounts of iodine. Brown seaweeds contain more iodine than other types. Brown seaweeds include all kelp, Hijiki, and Sargassum. Seaweed supplements are available in health food stores and Oriental markets if you have access to them.
https://thyroidreport.org/thyroid-information/benefits-seaweed-thyroid/
Ashwagandha
“Ashwagandha is an adaptogen herb that helps the body respond to stress, keeping hormone levels better in balance. Adaptogens help lower cortisol and balance T4 levels. In fact, in clinical trials, supplementing with ashwagandha for eight weeks essentially worked as thyroxine treatment, helping hypothyroidism patients significantly increase thyroxine hormone levels and thus reduce the severity of the disorder. Also, try other adaptogen herbs like rhodiola, licorice root, ginseng, and holy basil, which have similar benefits.” https://draxe.com/health/hypothyroidism-symptoms-causes-diet/
Dr. Axe suggests in the article above that 500 milligrams daily are a good dosage.
L-tyrosine
“An amino acid used in the synthesis of thyroid hormones, thyroxin (T4) is naturally produced from the iodination of tyrosine, a nonessential amino acid obtained both from protein-containing dietary sources and through the body making some itself.” He suggests 500 mg twice a day.
Hypothyroidism Symptoms, Causes and Diet – Dr. Axe (draxe.com)
Vitamin D
Studies have shown that many people who are hypothyroid, are also low in Vitamin D. Get a lab test first to see your levels of Vitamin D. If a doctor won’t run the test, you can get your test done yourself through UltaLabs for pretty cheap. Vitamin D helps your TSH levels.
“Research has shown a strong association between vitamin D deficiency and people with hypothyroidism,” Metzak says. In a study published in the November 2013 issue of the International Journal of Health Sciences, researchers looked at the vitamin D levels of 30 people with hypothyroidism and 30 who didn’t have the condition and found that the vitamin D levels were significantly lower in those with hypothyroidism. A study published in 2018 in the Indian Journal of Endocrinology and Metabolism found that vitamin D supplements improved TSH levels in subjects with hypothyroidism as well as thyroid antibodies in people with autoimmune thyroiditis.”
Treating Hypothyroidism: Can Vitamins and Supplements Help? | Everyday Health
Vitamin B Complex
“Vitamin B is important for people with hypothyroidism because the B vitamins have many interactions with thyroid function and hormone regulation,” Metzak says.
Selenium
Here is the conclusion for a 2018 study, https://www.mdpi.com/2075-4418/8/4/70
“Selenium supplementation is not yet recommended in international guidelines for treatment of AITD. Using a questionnaire study among Italian Endocrinologists, Negro, reported that selenium supplementation is currently used despite not being recommended in the guidelines. However, regarding Graves’ orbitopathy, the European Thyroid Association recommends a six-month trial period. Selenium supplementation in patients with Hashimoto’s thyroiditis with known selenium deficiency may be useful, even for those who are already being treated with levothyroxine, although further studies are needed to confirm this benefit. In patients with mild to moderate Graves’ orbitopathy, selenium supplementation seems to be beneficial and the organic formula (selenomethionine) seems to be more efficient than the inorganic formula. Additional studies will allow for the stratification of patients that are most likely to benefit from selenium supplementation.”
Foods that contain selenium include tuna, shrimp, salmon, sardines, scallops, lamb, chicken, beef, turkey, eggs, and shitake mushrooms.
Zinc
“Zinc is involved in many aspects of cellular metabolism. It is required for the catalytic activity of hundreds of enzymes, and it plays a role in enhancing immune function, protein and DNA synthesis, wound healing, and cell signaling and division [1-4]. Zinc also supports healthy growth and development during pregnancy, infancy, childhood, and adolescence and is involved in the sense of taste [2,3,5].” https://ods.od.nih.gov/factsheets/Zinc-HealthProfessional/#h2
Zinc is important for the proper functioning of your thyroid gland by supporting the conversion of T4 to T3, an important function of Thyroid function and health. Zinc improves the thyroid production of T3. Research this further in this Pub Med research paper here, https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/20688624/
“The richest food sources of zinc include meat, fish, and seafood [3]. Oysters contain more zinc per serving than any other food, but beef contributes 20% of zinc intake from food in the United States because it is commonly consumed [7]. Eggs and dairy products also contain zinc [3]. Beans, nuts, and whole grains contain zinc, but the bioavailability of zinc from these foods is lower than that from animal foods because these foods contain phytates. “
https://ods.od.nih.gov/factsheets/Zinc-HealthProfessional/#h2
For proper dosage, visit the article above as well.
Visit my article here also on hypothyroidism
Cathryn Freer, the Herbladyisin
