A Natural Approach to Thyroid Health

The little butterfly shaped gland with a big job. It’s like the CEO of your metabolism. Let's break down everything you need to know about thyroid health (and how to support it).

Let’s talk about your thyroid - the little butterfly shaped gland with a big job. It’s like the CEO of your metabolism, calling the shots on how energized (or exhausted) you feel, how well your digestion works, and even how balanced your mood is. If you’ve been feeling sluggish, noticing unexplained weight changes, or dealing with hair thinning and brain fog, your thyroid might be trying to tell you something. So let’s dive into why it’s so important and how you can give it the love and support it needs.

What Is the Thyroid and Why Is It Important?

Your thyroid produces hormones responsible for keeping your metabolism humming along. Think of it as your body's thermostat - it helps regulate everything from your energy levels to your menstrual cycle and even your mood. When it's not working properly, things can start to feel... off. It’s closely to to fertility, menstrual cycles, adrenal health, digestive health, mental health, and so much more.

For women thyroid health is especially critical because statistics tell us that about 1 in 8 women will develop a thyroid disorder in their lifetime! Women are 5-8x more likely than men to experience thyroid issues, mainly due to the hormonal fluctuations we already experience between estrogen & progesterone (because remember: our hormones are all interacting with one another). On top of that, women are more prone to autoimmune disorders than men, making it more likely for Hashimoto’s (more on this later) to occur.

How Does the Thyroid Work?

Most doctors only check TSH when they’re looking at thyroid health, but that’s like trying to read a book with half the pages missing. A full thyroid panel gives you the whole story. It should include:

• TSH (Thyroid-Stimulating Hormone): Produced by your pituitary gland in the brain. TSH acts like a messenger telling your thyroid when to ramp up or slow down hormone production.

• T4 (Thyroxine): A precursor hormone that gets converted into T3. Most of the T4 to T3 conversion happens outside the thyroid, primarily in the liver and gut (making liver & gut function important organs to support).

• T3 (Triiodothyronine): The active thyroid hormone that influences metabolism, body temperature, and energy production.

• Thyroid antibodies (TPO and TG antibodies): Antibodies that attack the thyroid itself, altering thyroid hormone production

When these hormones are balanced, you feel energized, your digestion works well, your skin glows, and your mood is stable. When they’re not? Fatigue, weight gain or loss, brain fog, and even hair loss can occur.

Why a Full Thyroid Panel Matters

If you’ve had your thyroid checked, chances are your doctor only tested TSH. While TSH is important, it’s just one piece of the puzzle. Without a complete picture, thyroid imbalances can go undiagnosed or mistreated. For example, you could have normal TSH levels but still have symptoms due to low Free T3 or the presence of antibodies. I see this way too often in my practice!

The “standard” thyroid lab ranges often miss suboptimal thyroid function as well. You could be hanging on for dear life at the upper limit of the TSH value and you still get told you’re fine! When looking at thyroid labs, I look for a more optimal range:

• TSH: 0.8-2.5 mIU/L

• Total T3: 100-180 ng/dL

• Free T3: 3.0-4.0 pg/mL

• Total T4: 6.0-12 ug/dL

• Free T4: 1.0-1.5 ng/dL

• anti-TPO: <9 IU/mL

• anti-TG: <4 IU/mL

Thyroid Imbalances

Thyroid disorders primarily fall into two categories: hypothyroidism and hyperthyroidism. Let’s break it down:

Hypothyroidism occurs when the thyroid gland is underactive and doesn't produce enough thyroid hormones (T3 and T4). You can kind of think of it as everything slowing down in the body - you experience fatigue, weight gain, cold intolerance, dry skin, hair thinning, depression, and constipation.

Hyperthyroidism on the other hand happens when the thyroid gland is overactive, producing excess hormones. Everything is on overdrive with hyperthyroidism because it speeds up metabolism causing symptoms like weight loss, rapid heartbeat, anxiety, heat intolerance, tremors, diarrhea, and difficulty sleeping. Most often, hyperthyroidism is caused by Grave’s disease (an autoimmune condition) or postpartum thyroiditis.

Understanding Hashimoto’s

Here’s a wild stat for you: 90-95% of hypothyroid cases are Hashimoto’s. And more times than not, I see antibody testing completely left out of thyroid testing. This is HUGE because lowering antibodies is instrumental to supporting the thyroid.

But before I get ahead of myself, let’s talk about what Hashimoto’s is. Hashimoto is an autoimmune condition where your immune system mistakenly attacks your thyroid. Over time, this can lead to hypothyroidism. Symptoms of Hashimoto’s include:

• Persistent fatigue, no matter how much you rest

• Difficulty losing weight despite a healthy diet and exercise

• Sensitivity to cold temperatures

• Hair thinning or hair loss

• Brain fog and memory issues

• Mood changes like depression or anxiety

Managing Hashimoto’s involves reducing inflammation, healing the gut, and addressing nutrient deficiencies—not just taking thyroid medication! This approach can significantly improve symptoms and slow disease progression.

What Impacts Thyroid Health?

Your thyroid doesn’t work in isolation. And there are several factors that can be negatively impacting the thyroid, driving up antibody production, and causing issues with thyroid hormone production. Some key factors that influence its function:

• Liver health: Your liver is responsible for converting T4 into active T3. If your liver is overloaded with toxins, medications, or processed foods, it can slow down this conversion.

• Gut health: A healthy gut is crucial for absorbing nutrients like iodine and selenium, which are essential for thyroid hormone production. Over 70% of the immune system is housed in the gut as well, so for anyone with an autoimmune condition it’s important to make sure the gut is functioning well in order to support a well functioning immune system.

• Environmental toxins: Exposure to pesticides, plastics (like BPA), and heavy metals can all impair thyroid production.

• Chronic stress: Elevated cortisol levels suppress TSH production, reduce, thyroid hormone conversion, and drive up inflammation

• Nutritional deficiencies: Low levels of key nutrients like iodine, selenium, iron, B vitamins, and zinc can impair thyroid function.

Essential Nutrients for Thyroid Health

If you aren’t eating a diverse diet or you struggle with gut issues which impair your nutrient absorption, you might run into nutrient deficiencies that can negatively impact your thyroid function. Some key nutrients to keep an eye on include:

• Iodine: Needed to produce T3 and T4.

• Selenium: Protects the thyroid from oxidative stress.

• Zinc: Helps convert T4 into T3.

• Iron: Supports thyroid hormone synthesis.

• Vitamin D: Regulates the immune system, especially important for autoimmune thyroid issues.

• Tyrosine: An amino acid that forms the building blocks of thyroid hormones.

How to Naturally Support Thyroid Health

A thyroid supportive diet should focus on nutrient dense, whole foods that provide essential vitamins and minerals. Incorporating selenium rich foods like Brazil nuts and sardines can help reduce inflammation and support thyroid hormone production. Similarly, iodine found in seaweed and fish plays a crucial role in thyroid hormone synthesis - with cases of Hashimoto’s, I always advise testing iodine levels to make sure you are not overdoing it. Including antioxidant-rich foods such as berries and leafy greens can further aid in reducing oxidative stress that might impair thyroid function.

You can harness the power of your diet to optimize liver and gut function as well. Reducing alcohol intake, added sugars, and ultra processed foods are key ways to have a healthy liver & gut function. From there, add in more cruciferous vegetables and red & purple pigmented fruits & veggies to support the liver and more fiber & fermented foods to support the gut.

When it comes to lifestyle, stress management is SO important. I often feel like a broken clock just touting the same thing over and over again - but I really do mean it when I say that managing stress is paramount to overall supporting your health and hormones. Chronic stress can suppress thyroid function and lead to hormonal imbalances. Incorporating mindfulness practices such as meditation, yoga, and deep breathing exercises can support your thyroid by reducing cortisol levels. Prioritizing quality sleep is another essential factor - aiming for 7-9 hours of restful sleep each night helps regulate hormone production and energy metabolism.

Environmental detoxification also plays a role in thyroid health. Reducing exposure to endocrine disrupting chemicals found in plastics and personal care products can prevent further thyroid dysfunction. Switching to glass containers, using natural cleaning products, skipping unknown fragrances, and opting for organic foods whenever possible can help lower your toxic load.

Supplements and Herbs

As always, TALK TO YOUR DOCTOR FIRST! Especially when it comes to supplements & thyroid health because you can actually cause a lot of harm than good if you blindly take something. Like iodine for example - you can absolutely cause thyroid damage and worsen symptoms if you take it when you don’t need it. This is a list of supplements and herbs that can be helpful for thyroid health and those that I encourage you to ask about when working with you provider alongside lifestyle support.

1. Iodine

• Function: essential for the production of thyroid hormones (T3 and T4). A deficiency can lead to hypothyroidism or goiter.

• Evidence:

  • A study published in The Lancet (2017) found that iodine deficiency is a significant cause of thyroid dysfunction worldwide.

  • The American Thyroid Association (ATA) highlights the importance of iodine in thyroid hormone production, particularly in pregnant women.

2. Selenium

• Function: Selenium plays a crucial role in converting T4 into its active form, T3. It also has antioxidant properties that protect the thyroid gland from oxidative stress.

• Evidence:

  • A study in the Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism (2004) demonstrated that selenium supplementation improves thyroid function in patients with Hashimoto’s thyroiditis.

  • Research published in Thyroid (2006) suggests that selenium supplementation may reduce thyroid antibody levels in autoimmune thyroid disease.

3. Zinc

• Function: Zinc is important for thyroid hormone synthesis and the conversion of T4 to T3. Zinc deficiency is commonly linked to hypothyroidism.

• Evidence:

  • A study published in The Journal of Trace Elements in Medicine and Biology (2003) suggested that zinc supplementation might improve thyroid function in patients with hypothyroidism.

4. Ashwagandha

• Function: Ashwagandha, an adaptogen, helps to regulate cortisol levels, which can impact thyroid function. It may also support thyroid hormone production.

• Evidence:

  • A study published in The Journal of Alternative and Complementary Medicine (2018) showed that ashwagandha supplementation improved thyroid hormone levels in patients with subclinical hypothyroidism.

5. L-Tyrosine

• Function: L-Tyrosine is an amino acid that is a precursor to thyroid hormones. It can help improve thyroid function by providing the building blocks for hormone synthesis.

• Evidence:

  • A study published in Endocrine Research (2000) found that L-Tyrosine supplementation could help improve thyroid function, especially under stress.

Thyroid Medication

When it’s necessary, it’s absolutely vital to incorporate medication to support the thyroid. Sometimes you can’t lifestyle your way our of a disease and that’s okay. That’s the beauty of integrative medicine because you CAN utilize lifestyle and supplements to help stabilize the thyroid while still incorporating medicine to keep the levels at a healthy place.

Typically, I advocate for not just Levothyroxine (which is only a T4 medicine!) but adding in a T3 as well to make sure the active levels are appropriate in case conversion from T4 to T3 is a problem. Particularly I like Armour Thyroid because it’s a blend of T4 + T3.

Final Thoughts

Your thyroid is a powerhouse that influences your metabolism, mood, and so much more. By understanding how it works and taking steps to support it holistically, you can restore balance and feel your best. Small changes in your diet, lifestyle, and environment can make a significant difference. As always, consult with a healthcare professional to tailor your approach. 💛

As always, all information shared here is intended as educational material and is not meant to substitute for the professional advice provided by your physician or any other healthcare professional. If you suspect that you have a medical problem, contact your health care provider promptly. Do not disregard professional medical advice or delay in seeking professional advice because of something you have read here.