Part 1: Holistic Solutions for Hypothyroidism & Hashimoto’s: Restoring Balance Naturally
Are you constantly feeling exhausted, even after a full night’s sleep? Do you find it difficult to maintain a healthy weight, no matter how much you exercise or watch your diet? If so, you may be one of the millions of people silently struggling with hypothyroidism. Thyroid disease is common with hypothyroidism affecting close to 15% of the US population – and it’s on the rise.[1,2]That statistic is likely higher because many people remain undiagnosed.
But why is it so prevalent? Part 1 explores the link between nutrition and other hormones’ impact on thyroid function. Part 2 addresses how toxicity and mind-body obstacles contribute to thyroid dysfunction. Read on to learn what you can do to overcome thyroid disease naturally.
What is Hypothyroidism?
Your thyroid gland controls your body’s metabolism – too much thyroid hormone speeds things up, and too little slows things down. Hypothyroidism, or underactive thyroid, occurs when the thyroid gland doesn’t produce enough thyroid hormones. This can lead to a variety of symptoms, including fatigue, weight gain, dry skin, muscle and joint aches, cold hands and feet, and depression.
Thyroid testing may reveal a condition called subclinical hypothyroidism, where the labs are normal or borderline, yet you have all the symptoms of hypothyroidism. Prevalence is estimated to be 12%-18% which is substantial, considering many people are left untreated and needlessly suffer long-term.[3]
Another condition called Hashimoto’s thyroiditis or Hashimoto’s disease can cause hypothyroidism. This is an autoimmune condition where your body’s immune system attacks the thyroid gland affecting normal function. Many conventional practitioners don’t check for thyroid antibodies and can miss this diagnosis. This is unfortunate because the thyroid gland is the organ most affected by autoimmune destruction![4]
It’s important to find a practitioner who orders comprehensive thyroid testing and interprets the testing with cutoff numbers meant to optimize your health and well-being.
What Causes Hypothyroidism?
In order to recover from thyroid disease, you first have to identify root causes. Our 5-Point Model System focuses on the main areas that must be balanced to achieve optimal health. These include (1) natural hormones, (2) nutrition, (3) toxins, (4) mind/heart, and (5) body. The “fuel for your fuel tank” includes hormones and nutrients, and depletions can leave you feeling drained. Imbalances in any of these 5 areas can contribute to hypothyroidism. In this article, we focus on hormones and nutrition, and part 2 focuses on toxins, mind/heart, and body.
Balancing Hormones for A Healthy Thyroid
Hormones interact, and imbalances in one can create imbalances in others. For example, too much of your stress hormone, cortisol, can impair thyroid function.[5] Measuring hormones is the best way to understand your unique hormonal makeup and what needs optimizing. Looking at adrenal hormones like cortisol and DHEA, sex hormones like progesterone, estrogen, and testosterone, and glucose control hormones like insulin can reveal much information about the complex interplay among your hormones.
Knowing you have a thyroid problem starts with looking at the right labs. A conventional provider orders TSH (thyroid stimulating hormone) and free T4 (thyroxine). Sometimes these labs can be normal, but other labs are important to understanding the big picture. A comprehensive thyroid panel includes TSH, free T4, free T3 (triidodothyronine), reverse T3, anti-thyroglobulin antibody (Anti-TG), and anti-thyroid peroxidase antibody (Anti-TPO). At Glowspring Health, we don’t settle for normal – we optimize labs to the 75 percentile because we find that most people function best in this range.
Treatment to optimize thyroid levels might include thyroid hormone replacement. But the other areas of the 5-point model system must also be addressed to decrease the need for high thyroid hormone doses. You might wonder, can hypothyroidism go away? Yes! You don’t have to take thyroid hormone replacement for the rest of your life if you treat root causes!
Nutrition and Gut Health for Hypothyroidism
All nutrients are important for total body health, but there are a few minerals in particular that your thyroid gland needs to function optimally. These mineral deficiencies are linked to hypothyroidism:
- Selenium: Selenium is a mineral that helps thyroid hormones convert from inactive T4 to active T3. Selenium also has antioxidant properties to protect the thyroid gland from oxidative damage. Selenium deficiency is common worldwide. Brazil nuts, seafood, meat, and poultry are rich in selenium. Too much selenium can be toxic, so careful dosing is important. Supplementation can reduce thyroid antibodies in Hashimoto’s thyroiditis, which indicates improvement against the autoimmune attack.[6]
- Iodine: Thyroid hormones are made up of iodine and other nutrients. Seaweed, seafood, eggs, and yogurt are naturally high in iodine. Like selenium, too much can be toxic – more is not necessarily better.[7] Fluoride in toothpaste and water competes with iodine – more on this and other toxins in part 2.
- Zinc: Like selenium, zinc helps convert inactive T4 to active T3. It also serves as an antioxidant and helps control the immune response. Zinc is found in oysters, fish, legumes, nuts, meat, whole grains, and dairy.[8]
Other nutrients important for thyroid health include iron, copper, magnesium, protein, inositol, omega-3 fats, and vitamins A, C, D, E, and B vitamins.[4,7,8,9] Eating a well-rounded diet is important for thyroid function. The standard American diet lacks appropriate levels of many nutrients – it’s best to choose nutrient-dense, whole, unprocessed foods.[4]
Measuring your nutrient levels helps understand your unique needs and what parts of your diet need to be changed to meet those needs. We use SpectraCell micronutrient testing. In some cases, supplementation is necessary to optimize nutrient levels.
The Gut-Thyroid Connection
We can’t talk about nutrition without also talking about the gut. As you know, GI tract health is important to break down your food and extract and absorb nutrients. Certain bacteria in your gut influence the uptake of minerals like iodine, selenium, zinc, and iron, and imbalances may impair proper absorption. A bacterial imbalance can even impact the absorption of your thyroid hormone medication![10] Bacteria also influence thyroid hormone activation in your intestines.[11]Who knew the bugs in our gut had so much control?!
We start patients on a gut health program to restore beneficial gut bacteria and heal the gut lining. Leaky gut, or intestinal permeability is a condition where your gut barrier is damaged, allowing larger food proteins and bacterial components to pass through. Your immune system reacts to these components creating inflammation and an overactive immune response seen in autoimmune diseases such as Hashimoto’s.[12]Our program recommendations include probiotic-rich foods and/or supplements, digestive enzymes with meals, and dietary adjustments tailored to each patient.
GI testing can help identify specific problems such as infections or imbalances that require treatment. For example, small intestinal bacterial overgrowth (SIBO) characterized by bloating, gas, diarrhea, or constipation may be present in over 50% of hypothyroid patients![13,14]Helicobacter pylori, a bacterial stomach infection, is associated with autoimmune thyroid disease. A study on patients with Hashimoto’s showed decreased anti-TPO and anti-TG antibodies after they were treated for an active H. pylori infection.[15]
Refueling to Thrive
Hypothyroidism is a particularly exhausting condition to live with. Thyroid and other hormones, along with nutrients are what fuels you. It’s important to fill up, not drain the fuel tank – that’s when symptoms arise. A rushed lifestyle causes us to take shortcuts and forget to nurture and nourish ourselves leading to burnout and chronic health conditions. Part 2 addresses the mind-body connection to thyroid health and how you can practice better self-care. It is possible to thrive, not just barely survive!
We’re here for you in your journey to Vibrant Health! To learn more, call us at 407-478-9797 or fill out our contact form and we’ll respond promptly by the next business day.
Located in Longwood, Florida, we serve Seminole County, Orange County and nearby counties and cities such as Longwood, Lake Mary, Winter Park, Orlando, Oviedo, Heathrow, Altamonte Springs, Maitland, Winter Springs, Casselberry, Sanford, Windermere and more. We also offer telemedicine for all Florida residents.
References
[1] Zhang X, Wang X, Hu H, Qu H, Xu Y, Li Q. Prevalence and Trends of Thyroid Disease Among Adults, 1999-2018. Endocrine practice : official journal of the American College of Endocrinology and the American Association of Clinical Endocrinologists. 2023;29(11):875-880.
[2] Wyne KL, Nair L, Schneiderman CP, et al. Hypothyroidism Prevalence in the United States: A Retrospective Study Combining National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey and Claims Data, 2009-2019. Journal of the Endocrine Society. 2022;7(1):bvac172.
[3] Calissendorff J, Falhammar H. To Treat or Not to Treat Subclinical Hypothyroidism, What Is the Evidence? Medicina (Kaunas, Lithuania). 2020;56(1).
[4] Danailova Y, Velikova T, Nikolaev G, et al. Nutritional Management of Thyroiditis of Hashimoto. International journal of molecular sciences. 2022;23(9).
[5] Tsigos C, Chrousos GP. Hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis, neuroendocrine factors and stress. Journal of psychosomatic research. 2002;53(4):865-871.
[6] Gorini F, Sabatino L, Pingitore A, Vassalle C. Selenium: An Element of Life Essential for Thyroid Function. Molecules (Basel, Switzerland). 2021;26(23).
[7] Rayman MP. Multiple nutritional factors and thyroid disease, with particular reference to autoimmune thyroid disease. The Proceedings of the Nutrition Society. 2019;78(1):34-44.
[8] Shulhai AM, Rotondo R, Petraroli M, et al. The Role of Nutrition on Thyroid Function. Nutrients. 2024;16(15).
[9] Benvenga S, Elia G, Ragusa F, et al. Endocrine disruptors and thyroid autoimmunity. Best practice & research Clinical endocrinology & metabolism. 2020;34(1):101377.
[10] Fröhlich E, Wahl R. Microbiota and Thyroid Interaction in Health and Disease. Trends in endocrinology and metabolism: TEM. 2019;30(8):479-490.
[11] Peeters RP, Visser TJ. Metabolism of Thyroid Hormone. In: Feingold KR, Anawalt B, Blackman MR, et al., eds. Endotext. South Dartmouth (MA): MDText.com, Inc. Copyright © 2000-2024, MDText.com, Inc.; 2000.
[12] Cayres LCF, de Salis LVV, Rodrigues GSP, et al. Detection of Alterations in the Gut Microbiota and Intestinal Permeability in Patients With Hashimoto Thyroiditis. Frontiers in immunology. 2021;12:579140.
[13] Patil AD. Link between hypothyroidism and small intestinal bacterial overgrowth. Indian journal of endocrinology and metabolism. 2014;18(3):307-309.
[14] Wielgosz-Grochowska JP, Domanski N, Drywień ME. Identification of SIBO Subtypes along with Nutritional Status and Diet as Key Elements of SIBO Therapy. International journal of molecular sciences. 2024;25(13).[15] Dore MP, Fanciulli G, Manca A, Pes GM. Association of Helicobacter pylori Infection with Autoimmune Thyroid Disease in the Female Sex. Journal of clinical medicine. 2023;12(15).
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