Nutrients to Help Your Thyroid

According to the American Thyroid Association, 12% of the US population will develop a thyroid condition in their lifetime. Sixty percent of those will not know they have an issue. Undiagnosed thyroid disorders can have a large impact on cardiovascular disease, osteoporosis and fertility issues. If you are struggling with infertility, please make sure your doctor is testing your thyroid hormones (not just TSH and T4) but all of them plus the antibodies. Also, ask your doctor to test your vitamin D levels and iron levels.

The cause of thyroid disorders is still largely unknown, but eating the right nutrients can help the thyroid work properly. The main thyroid nutrients are iodine, selenium, and vitamin D. The key is consuming just enough of these nutrients, not too little and not too much.

Iodine is important because the thyroid uses this mineral to create thyroid hormones. It is essential to get into the diet because the human body cannot make it on its own. Getting enough iodine into the diet can be done in a couple ways. First, eating enough iodine through consuming high iodine foods such as cod, dairy products, some bread products and iodized salt can help. Second, consuming a multivitamin with iodine, especially if pregnant or nursing can help get enough iodine. The RDA (Recommended Dietary Allowance) for women is 150mcg. Check out this article for more specifics about iodine.

Selenium is another important mineral for thyroid function. The thyroid gland has the highest concentration of selenium in the body. Brazil nuts have the highest about of selenium of any other food. Many protein based foods such as tuna, halibut, sardines, turkey, and beef have good amounts of selenium. Eating a high protein diet is good for mineral intake as well and weight loss. Shooting or 100 grams in weight of protein per day can help boost metabolism and help increase the amount of selenium in the diet.

Vitamin D is both a fat soluble vitamin and a hormone. Getting tested is an important first step in knowing whether or not you a deficient. Vitamin D is important for the immune system and helping to keep bones strong. Foods that are good sources of Vitamin D are cod liver oil, trout, salmon, and fortified dairy. It is difficult for some to get adequate sunlight and dietary intake of vitamin D, so it is important to work with your doctor on the right supplementation for you.

If you would like more individualized instruction on how to help your thyroid function better through nutrition, reach out for a FREE 20 minute discovery call.

References:

American Thyroid Association. Accessed on May 18, 2021 https://www.thyroid.org/iodine-deficiency/

National Institute of Health Bureau of Dietary Supplements. Accessed on May 18, 2021. https://ods.od.nih.gov/factsheets/Selenium-HealthProfessional/

National Institute of Health Bureau of Dietary Supplements. Accessed on May 18, 2021 https://ods.od.nih.gov/factsheets/VitaminD-HealthProfessional/

Liontiris, MD, Michael I., Mazokopakis MD, PhD, Elias E. A concise review of Hashimoto thyroiditis (HT) and the importance of iodine, selenium, vitamin D and gluten on the autoimmunity and dietary management of HT patients. Points that need more investigation. http://www.nuclmed.gr/wp/wp-content/uploads/2017/04/10.pdf