Thyroid Supplements

What does the thyroid do?

The thyroid isn’t an organ; it is a gland that produces the hormones your body needs to control metabolism in all parts of the body.  When the thyroid is working well, it produces enough hormones to take the food you are eating and convert it into energy for the body.  When it stops functioning correctly and isn’t making enough T3 and T4 hormones from the iodine in food you eat, you end up with a vast array of symptoms, ranging from weight gain to hair loss to constipation.  

People often attribute the symptoms of an underactive thyroid with the natural aging process or their busy lives wreaking havoc on their health.  After all, it’s natural to be tired when you have a job, a few kids, a sports schedule and more.  A few stops at a fast food place a week and you’ve gained weight and lost energy.  While there may be contributing factors to your symptoms, you might also be in the grips of an underactive thyroid gland that is throwing off your metabolism.  

Natural, herbal remedies for thyroid support

 A good thyroid supplement will have the basic vitamins and minerals found in a multi-vitamin supplement with additional herbs and ingredients that work to target the thyroid gland and help get it back to working order.  

Licorice

Licorice root is one of the most important ingredients in a good thyroid supplement and is used medicinally the world over for all kinds of ailments.  It has a protecting affect on the cells and helps the thyroid to do its job better and more effectively throughout the body.  It’s not just for candy, as most of us have been used to hearing about or having licorice.  This powerful herb has an important role to play in natural thyroid supplements.  

Iodine

Another key player in the boosting of natural thyroid function is, appropriately enough, iodine.  When the body isn’t getting enough iodine from the foods we eat, we are running at a deficit.  The thyroid can’t process iodine if you aren’t giving it any to work with.  Iodized salt used to work as a supplement for many people’s iodine levels, but so many people have given up or greatly reduced their intake of table salt that this is no longer the case.  A supplement with iodine can help you fuel the thyroid the right way, without introducing more salt into your diet.  

Selenium and zinc

These minerals aren’t superstars by any means, and you have probably only heard of zinc.  It is usually associated with fighting colds in the form of horrible tasting zinc tablets, but it is actually pretty powerful for your body’s thyroid.  

Vitamin D, Vitamin E and Vitamin C

Remember when your mother told you to eat your vegetables?  Well, she was right on track.  The vitamins in dark green, leafy vegetables like kale, spinach and collard greens, along with the orange carrots and peppers have great abilities to support not just your thyroid, but your entire immune system as well.  Of course, it’s a fact that none of use these days get enough vitamins from our food (as terrible as the average American diet is) and even fewer of us spend enough time in the sun to soak up the Vitamin D we need.  

A deficiency in these vitamins sets us up for failures across the board, but especially in the thyroid gland where metabolism for everything in your body is regulated.  A failing thyroid means an avalanche of problems that become compounded and can lead to severe health problems in the future.  One problem leads to the next and pretty soon, your weight troubles and fatigue are creating type II diabetes and depression.  It’s a slippery slope and one you want to avoid at all costs.  

Ingredients to avoid in a supplement

While there are great, natural supplements on the market, there are also those that you should avoid.  The FDA (Federal Food and Drug Administration) does not have the same stringent rules and regulations for herbal supplements that it does for medicines, so you have to be very careful when you are selecting a supplement.  Just because it’s natural, doesn’t mean it’s safe and you should stay far away from any supplements that rely on stimulants, especially if you have high blood pressure or other heart problems.