Natural Thyroid Care

In my last article, I mentioned the conventional ways to manage hypothyroidism. 

In this email, we will dive into natural therapies. 

 Here is a preview: 

1.    Avoid inhibition of thyroid gland function (either hormone production or conversion) i.e. toxins – via food, environment, bodily processes (i.e. high stress), medications, attitude/mental outlook

2.    Support function of thyroid gland (either hormone production or conversion) via diet, nutrients, botanicals, mental/emotional processes

Before we dive in, I also wanted to mention some odd symptoms that may be related to hypothyroidism: 

  • Slowed digestion, possibly leading to reflux

  • Decrease migrating motor complex leading to constipation/a fullness sensation and belching

  • Red bumps on the back of the arms – lack of vitamin A (thyroid hormone is needed to convert beta carotene to vitamin A)

  • Sinus issues, congestion, postnasal drip – phglem stagnation causing obstruction of orifices

  • Foggy brain due to buildup of glycosaminoglycans

  • Congestive heart failure – low thyroid function inhibiting metabolism and slowing heart rate/reducing efficacy of heart as a pump

  • Shortness of breath

  • High cholesterol – cortisol drives up LDL to feed the adrenals, thyroid inhibit this

  • Muscle cramps

  • Decreased libido

  • Puffy eyes/ face/hands/feet/swollen tongue, weight gain – due to myxedema – an accumulation of glycosaminoglycans in between cells, trapping water in the tissues

  • Cool, rough, dry skin, sometimes yellowish (due to back of beta-carotene conversion to vitamin A)

  • Lateral eyebrow thinning

  • Panic attacks

  • Carpal tunnel syndrome

Now we can dive in . . .

Factors that inhibit proper production of thyroid hormones:

  • Stress

  • Trauma

  • Infections

  • Radiation

  • Some medications (i.e. amiodarone, or lithium)

  • Fluoride

  • Toxins: pesticides, mercury, cadmium, lead

  • Autoimmune disease: i.e. celiac, Hashimoto’s

Factors that inhibit proper conversion of T4 to T3 thyroid hormone (T3 is the most active thyroid hormone in the body):

  • Stress

  • Trauma

  • Low-calorie diet/poor nutrition

  • Inflammation

  • Toxins

  • Infections

  • Lack of bodily movement

  • Liver or kidney dysfunction

  • Some medications

Dietary Toxins to Avoid:

  • Goitrogens, which are naturally-occurring chemicals found in many plant-based foods. Goitrogens are only an issue with massive quantities of raw forms. These naturally break down in the cooking process so this is rarely an issue.

  • Soy isoflavones (studies are mixed – again, usually only an issue in massive quantities)

  • Alcohol – any amount inhibits the liver (a supporter of thyroid function) so the larger the amount of alcohol, the larger the problem for the thyroid gland

  • Gluten – for many, the body reacts to gluten and cross-reacts with the thyroid gland, which looks very similar to gluten-reactive immune cells.

Environmental Toxins to Avoid:

  • Tobacco - blocks iodine uptake by thyroid gland

  • Halogens (six chemically related elements including fluorine, chlorine, bromine, iodine, bromine, and a radioactive element). The thyroid gland is naturally very dense in iodine. However, iodine may be displaced from body issues by other halogens:

    • Bromine: in baked goods, preservatives/food additives, plastics, soft drinks, medications, pesticides. Bromine is highly electronegative and therefore harder to displace and can interfere with metabolism of iodine. It’s a carcinogen in high doses to lab animals. In 1991, the FDA was unable to ban in the U.S. so strongly encouraged mills to not use Potassium Bromate in flours. King Arthur Flour has a fact sheet for bakers on how to switch to using non-bromate flour. Bromide intake has been linked to iodine deficiency in rats due to bromide attaching to iodine receptors causing decrease in thyroid function. Some studies link it to the destruction of beta islet cells in the pancreas causing type 1 diabetes.

    • Fluorine: from fluoridated tap water (used to drink and bathe, possibly water garden foods, etc.) Prozac is a fluorinated medication.

    • Perchlorate (rocket fuel) contamination in soils and food

    • Chlorine: from tap water

    • Alloxan: Bleaching wheat is common practice in the U.S., banned in Europe and other countries. The process removes several vitamins and minerals from the wheat. A chemical by-product of the bleaching process is alloxan, a chemical which is used in research to induce diabetes in rats by destroying pancreatic beta cells.  

    • Aluminum

    • Organophosphates (herbicides, pesticides, and insecticides ) – decrease thyroid hormones and increase cortisol levels.

Endocrine Toxins:

  • Excess estrogen

  • Excess insulin

  • Excess stress hormones

Medications

  • PPI’s (proton pump inhibitors for acid reflux) all impair thyroid medication absorption, and impair digestion capability in general.

  • Calcium and iron, if taken with thyroid medication will impair absorption

  • SSRI’s, TCA’s, beta-blockers, oral hypoglycemics, phenytoin, amiodarone, and lithium interfere with thyroid hormone function

  • Statins may exacerbate muscle pain in hypothyroid patients

Other:

  • Low stomach acid will impair thyroid medication absorption

Now let’s move on to supportive factors . . .


Natural Thyroid Support Factors

Overall goal:

  • Regulate immune health

  • Reduce inflammation

  • Address infections

  • Improve T regulatory immune cells via fish oil, vitamin D, and probiotics

  • Improve microbial Health

Iodine:

Concentrated amounts of iodine are found it the thyroid, stomach, breast, saliva glands, skin, cerebral spinal fluid, mouth, pancreas and the thymus gland.

The World Health Organization has set the minimum daily requirement at:

-150 micrograms mcg/day for adults

-200 mcg/day for pregnant or breastfeeding women

-50-250 mcg/day for children

As of the year 2000, the US average intake for men was 240-300 mcg/day and women at 190-210 mcg/day

In Japan the medium intake is between 1000-3,000 mcg/day. At higher levels than this, iodine seems to shut down the thyroid gland.

There is a medical theory that iodine supplementation can exacerbate an autoimmune process of hypothyroidism.  Physicians have mixed opinions on this.  I wrote another article all about this here.

Food sources of iodine:

·      Seafood: fish, shellfish, kelp, seaweed

·      Dairy products: milk, cheese, eggs

·      Plants grown in iodine-rich oils

·      Iodized salt: fortified with iodine

·      Supersaturated potassium iodide (SSKI)

Iodine deficiency has been linked to:

·      Fibrocystic breast disease

·      Breast cancer

·      Stomach cancer

·      Autism

·      Goiters

·      Hypothyroidism (especially subclinical)

T4 has 4 iodine atoms, T3 has 3 iodine atoms. T4 is not active outside of the thyroid gland. T4 converts to T3 in tissues via enzymes called deiodinases.

·      This means you can have ‘normal thyroid levels’ but functional hypothyroidism and all associated symptoms if the body is not converting T4 to T3 properly.

·      Intracellular concentrations of T3 may vary independent of blood concentrations.

Factors that increase conversion of T4 to T3:

  • Selenium

  • Zinc

Factors that improve cellular sensitivity to thyroid hormones:

  • Vitamin A

  • Zinc

  • Exercise

Deiodinase Enzyme Support:

  • The deiodinases require selenium as a cofactor

  • They are inhibited by inflammation

  • Malnutrition, anorexia, untreated diabetes, severe systemic illness, elevated cortisol all inhibit the healthy function of these enzymes

  • Deiodinase activity follows circadian rhythms, which make them vary by season, time of day, body tissue site – this is why many patients do not do well on one dose of thyroid replacement through the seasons!

Medications:

Only Wellbutrin increases thyroid function – all other SSRIs decrease thyroid function over time

Other:

  • The liver is an activator of thyroid

  • CoQ10, ribose, B vitamins support mitochondria

  • Lipoic acid helps shuttle acetyl coA into the cell to the mitochondria

  • Iron

  • Tyrosine

  • Vitamin E, B2, B3, B6, C, D

Dietary Support:  

  • Low in processed foods/simple carbohydrates

  • Low sugar

  • High fiber

  • Ancient Ayurvedic medicine describes the thyroid in the 5th/throat chakra – and blue foods/herbs support this area, i.e. blueberries, seaweed, purple grapes, blue spirulina, butterfly pea flower, plums. Read more on this here

  • The best diet to help support the mitochondria is intermittent fasting

Botanicals:

Homeopathy – the remedy needs to be chosen to match the specific patient, but some more common ones are described here:

1.    Ammonium carbonicum: to balance endocrine system

2.    Alumina: dryness of mucus membranes; sluggish functions, heaviness, numbness and staggering, constipation; low spirited, loss of reason, confused as to personal identity; falling out of hair, itchy scalp; brittle nails

3.    Baryta carbonicum: loss of memory, mental weakness; confusion, hair falls out; constipation with hard knotty stools

4.    Calcarea carbonica: fair, fat, flabby, perspiring and cold; very sensitive to cold; cold hands and feet, stool hard and large; constipation; unhealthy skin

5.    Ferrum metallicum: weakly; cold extremities; weakness from mere speaking or walking; pallor of skin, mucus membranes; muscles flabby and relaxed; irritable; ineffectual urging; stool hard

6.    Graphites: fair complexion with skin problems and constipation; fat, chilly; skin rough, hard with persistent dryness of portions of skin unaffected by eczema

7.    Lycopodium: chronic constipation, stool dry, hard , drowsy during the day; skin dry, lacks vital heat, poor circulation, cold extremities

8.    Thyroidium: 1x-3x potency; hypothyroid after acute disease; easy fatigue, weak pulse; tendency to palpitation; cold hands and feet; low BP; chilliness, sensitive to cold

Other:

Contrast hydrotherapy, especially directly to the thyroid gland, can increase circulation. Read more here

Mind/Body Connection and 5th Chakra Nourishment:

  • Speak the truth

  • Sing

  • Use your voice

  • Hum

  • Gargle

Body Movement:

Notice I didn’t say exercise. While we want to avoid a sedentary lifestyle, those in severe adrenal fatigue or those in a hypothyroid flare are not great candidates for intense exercise and will want to pick something nourishing such as tai chi, walking yoga, or light weights.

The easiest way to figure out what the right exercise for you is to take account of how you feel afterwards. If you feel drained after (as if more harm was done than good)- it’s not for you at this time. If you feel energized, you are on the right track.

Testing/Tracking:

Your doctor will interpret your thyroid hormones based on the table below:

(euthyroid means normal thyroid)

The Wickham Survey (England 1972-1992) found that hypothyroid symptoms begin once TSH is above 2.5 (though conventional reference ranges can go up to 5).

Anti-TG  (thyroglobulin) and anti-TPO (thyroid peroxidase antibody) are elevated in Hashimotos.

TSI (thyroid stimulating immunoglobulin) and LATS are elevated in Grave’s disease.

I hope you have found this information helpful.

As you can see, hypothyroidism requires an individualized treatment program.  The good news is that Naturopathic Medicine has many tools, other than thyroid replacement.

💕

Dr. Laura Neville

 
Laura Nevillenaturopathic provider, natural medicine, alternative care, female naturopath doctor, thyroid disease, thyroid support, thyroid hormone, hypothyroidism, thyroid natural therapies, brain fog, puffy eyes, decreased libido, panic attacks, dry skin