Tuesday, March 26, 2024

How To Heal My Thyroid Naturally

Natural Remedies For Thyroid Health

How To Heal Low Thyroid : Hypothyroid Naturally – VitaLife Show Ep. 282

By Dr. Josh Axe, DC, DNM, CN

What Im going to share with you today are natural remedies for thyroid health. There are more people than ever before that are struggling with hypothyroidism, Hashimotos disease, hyperthyroidism and Graves disease.

If you personally are one of those people who has a sluggish thyroid, a slow metabolism, maybe you exercise and the weight doesnt come off like it should, you struggle with adrenal fatigue or lack of energy all of those are warning signs that you might have a thyroid issue.

Im going to cover my top five natural remedies that are safe, healthy and effective for improving your thyroid function and helping your body heal any sort of thyroid issue.

Do Not Take Iodine Supplements

One change I made immediately once I found out about my thyroid problems was to stop taking iodine. In some cases, iodine can help people with hypothyroidism, but for the most part, people in the U.S. have sufficient levels of iodine to prevent thyroid disorders.

Taking iodine when you are hypothyroid can cause problems because getting more than you need is not better, and if your hypothyroidism is caused by Hashimotos, then youre pouring fuel on the fire of your autoimmune attack. In fact, a 2012 review found that restricting iodine could, in some cases, reverse hypothyroid symptoms.

Take A Good Probiotic

Your gut bacteria play a central role in regulating your thyroid hormones. Your gut is one of the biggest reservoirs for thyroid hormones, and good gut bacteria convert T34, a thyroid hormone, into T4, the main hormone that’s often low in hypothyroidism.

A high-quality probiotic can help balance your gut bacteria and support the conversion of thyroid hormones. Look for a probiotic with Lactobacillus bacteria, particularly L. acidophilus and L. rhamnosus. They’re some of the most beneficial bacteria for supporting thyroid function.

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Michelle Simon Phd Nd

President & CEO

As president and CEO of INM, Dr. Simon brings her passion for working with organizations dedicated to improving the quality and delivery of healthcare. This desire stems from her years of practice as a licensed naturopathic physician. In addition to holding a Naturopathic Doctorate from Bastyr University she also holds a PhD in Biomedical Engineering from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.

She has served on boards for the American Association of Naturopathic Physicians , the Naturopathic Physicians Research Institute , and several advisory boards. Dr. Simon served nine years on the Washington State Health Technology Clinical Committee, as Ambassador to the Academy of Integrative Health and Medicine and was recognized as 2018 AANP Physician of the Year. Dr. Simon shares with her husband a passion for adventure travel, preferably by boat or motorcycle. She also enjoys teaching a womens off-road motorcycling class.

Best Natural Supplements For Hypothyroidism

Home Remedies for Hypothyroidism

Dietary supplements can be a useful tool in how to cure hypothyroidism permanently and treat the underlying causes of Hashimotos thyroiditis.

For example, if your Hashimotos disease is caused by leaky gut, a supplement that promotes gut health should alleviate thyroid disease.

Always seek medical advice before starting a new dietary supplement for hypothyroidism treatment. Each supplement on this list is appropriate in specific types of cases, based on root cause.

Here are the 7 best natural supplements for hypothyroidism:

Iodine

Found primarily in seafood, iodine is a mineral nutrient that our bodies need to produce thyroid hormones. Our bodies dont make iodine naturally.

Iodine deficiency is the most common cause of goiters, a thyroid disorder. If your iodine levels are low, replenish them quickly either with dietary changes or iodine supplements.

According to scientific research, iodine seems to be paramount in treating and even preventing autoimmune diseases, like Hashimotos thyroiditis.

It is important to note that excessive iodine supplementation can also be detrimental and actually increase antibodies to the thyroid gland. Its best not to exceed the recommended daily intake of 150 mcg per day.

Probiotics

Probiotics are good bacteria. Antibiotic medications can wipe out the good and bad bacteria that live in your gut leading to leaky gut. Its important to replenish these good bacteria with probiotics and restore your gut health.

Selenium

Vitamin D

Curcumin

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My Personal Experience With Food Intolerances

This is a topic that is definitely meaningful for me. After all, I went through a very similar experience that I would love to share with you.

In the first phase, I went through the process of cutting out a lot of junk food and sugar, and did quite well. I added in protein and exercise, and it revealed itself to be quite helpful.

Later on in my life, though, I had another chapter in my life in which I became highly restrictive. I stumbled on some books that were becoming popular at the time, and I thought it might be a good idea to try cutting more and more things out of my diet.

This meant cutting out a whole host of natural foods that were potentially harmful . The argument seemed compelling to me, and I did feel much better in the first few weeks or so. But, things changed and I started noticing that:

  • My physical performance

It took a long time to unravel all of these things. The first reaction was to continue along with this model, and to blame these things on what I was still eating .

As I cut out more and more and more, it got to the point where I was eating little more than raw fruits and vegetables . That simply does not sustain a young person, much less anyone else.

While I did eventually figure it out, it took some time. Thats why I want to help you out today with what I have learned, and what science tells us.

What Are Some Common Pitfalls

When we think about getting all of these foods into our system, the problem is that its way too easy to not take enough of them. Or, to not take them regularly or for long enough.

And, if your digestive system is off, you may encounter symptoms by radically changing your diet. The trick here is to ensure any changes are gentle, while fast enough to make real change.

Think about some of the highest priority foods we listed, and then think about which ones you have the best tolerance of right now. Start there, and then work your way through the rest.

Of course, you should also identify the ones that do cause symptoms, too. Im not talking about your triggers, but think about some of the food categories that can help your flora.

Then, make a plan to phase some of those back into your diet. Some foods are gentler than others, like lentils, for instance.

Key Insight: When it comes to phasing foods in, that can be as much as a tablespoon a day. Thats really all it takes to shift your flora!

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How Can You Fix Your Thyroid Naturally

Improving your overall health through eating properly and ruling out adrenal fatigue is the first step to helping your thyroid heal on its own, naturally. In addition, ensuring adequate sleep, recovery from any kind of exercise and proper stress reduction techniques are all critical in improving thyroid function.

Here are SIX STEPS to help your thyroid start functioning at its optimal best:

1. Foods You Should Be Consuming:

SeaweedsSeaweed products like nori, kelp, dulse, wakame, etc. are very high in iodine which is what a lot of individuals with thyroid problems are lacking. Iodine is essential for proper thyroid functioning because it helps the thyroid gland produce the hormone thyroxin which regulates our metabolism.

Selenium-rich FoodsA major contributor to thyroid problems is a lack of selenium. This mineral keeps the various hormones produced by the thyroid gland in balance. Foods rich in selenium include garlic, kelp, onion, sunflower and sesame seeds as well as brazil nuts!

Copper & Iron-rich FoodsCopper and iron are also crucial to help the thyroid function properly. Foods rich in copper include things such as sunflower & hemp seeds, nuts , shittake mushrooms, spirulina, and tomatoes. Copper is also found in pears, persimmons, peaches, apricots, prunes, dates, grapes, avocado, and potatoes.

For an extensive list of iron-rich plant foods to consume, click HERE.

2. Foods You Should Eliminate:

3. Reduce Stress:

4. Exercise:

Hypothyroidism In Dogs: 7 Natural Solutions

5 ways to treat your thyroid naturally | hypothyroidism

Hypothyroidism in dogs isnt always obvious. You might consider getting your dog tested if you saw some better-known symptoms like sluggishness, weight gain or hair loss. Those are the signs your conventional vet looks for too. But its not always that obvious

This means your vet may never include thyroid testing in your dogs blood work. And when your vet does test, she might not do the right tests. Thats a really important mistake many vets make.

So in this post youll read about some signs to watch for, what tests you need to ask for, and some effective natural ways to help your hypothyroid dog. But first whats the thyroid and what does it do?

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How Doctors Treat An Underactive Thyroid

The conventional way to treat hypothyroidism is the daily supplementation of synthetic natural desiccated thyroid: liothyronine , or levothyroxine . These medications help correct the thyroid levels when the thyroid gland does not function properly.

But they can create a rollercoaster effect on symptoms for some affected individuals. Some cannot absorb these supplements well, so doctors combine supplementation, diet, and conventional pharmaceuticals to help their thyroids.

If an autoimmune disease is the cause of the dysfunction, doctors work on eliminating or managing the disease. But, if they find that the thyroid is able to produce normal levels of the natural thyroid hormone, doctors advise patients to change their lifestyle or address environmental factors that cause the low production of the hormone.

Walnuts Cottonseed Meal And Other Foods And Supplements

Other foods can also interact with your synthetic thyroid medications, so you shouldnt eat these in the mornings when you take your prescription. According to the Mayo Clinic, in addition to soy, these include:

  • Iron supplements or multivitamins with iron
  • Calcium supplements

Also, be mindful of taking antacids with magnesium or aluminum, cholesterol-lowering drugs, and some ulcer medications, as these may affect absorption of your synthetic thyroid replacement.

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Consume More Vitamin B12

Vitamin B12 or cobalamin is a type of water-soluble nutrient responsible for each human cells metabolism. It also helps ease the thyroids tiredness caused by thyroid disease, such as hypothyroidism.

The disease can lower the levels of vitamin B12 in the body. To keep this from happening, you can add the following foods rich in vitamin B12 in your diet:

Do You Have Food Intolerances Or Allergies

Healing Your Thyroid Naturally by Emily Lipinski

First, we have full-on food allergies. These are things like peanut reactions, but we also have IGA reactions , that can come about. These are ones that we do not yet know if they can be changed, so the picture is a bit unclear there.

Then, there are food intolerances. These are the ways in which certain foods simply do not make you feel well. Maybe it showed up on a test, or maybe it did not, but either way it is having a real effect on your ability to enjoy certain foods or ingredients.

Key Insight: If there are foods that are affecting you, it is critical to know that and to be able to identify them. Then, you can work around those foods.

So, how do we go about resolving this issue rather than simply living with it?

Heres something that might not be all that intuitive. When there are digestive problems that cause food intolerances, if you do not address the problem you may find yourself intolerant to more and more things.

There can even be a point where, because your diet is so limited, that by itself is hurting your gut flora and digestive function. This makes you reactive to more and more foods, which is the opposite intent of avoiding certain foods in the first place!

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What Can You Do

So far, the key players in the NDT issue are the FDA, drug companies and raw material manufacturers, compounding pharmacies, and various trade and professional associations. As a thyroid patient, you also deserve a voice in a decision that can so profoundly affect your health and quality of life. If you want to speak up about the issue, here are three action steps you can take:

  • Contact your Senators, members of Congress, and the FDA. The Alliance for Natural Health has set up an easy online form you can fill out to send a message automatically. Go to and scroll down to the heading âProtect Natural Thyroid!â
  • Ask your compounding pharmacy to fill out the Alliance for Pharmacy Compounding survey at:
  • Share your story about taking compounded NDT story as part of the Save Compounded Hormones Coalition campaign at
  • What Can You Do If Compounded Natural Thyroid Is Banned In Your State

    If your state decides to ban compounded natural thyroid, you have three options:

  • Switch to a manufactured NDT drug like Armour or NP Thyroid
  • Switch to a combination of manufactured synthetic drugs, like T4/levothyroxine â Synthroid, Unithroid, Tirosint) plus T3
  • Switch to a synthetic combination thyroid from a compounding pharmacy. and liothyronine is currently not under direct attack by the FDA, the FDA could expand its efforts to curtail compounding to include these drugs in the future.)
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    Understanding The Underlying Causes

    I believe that any health problem has its root cause and exists simultaneously on different levels as we are multidimensional beings. Taking a critical look at all the areas of my life helped me to understand what needs to be corrected in order to regain health. After doing some research on how I could restore balance and bring back homeostasis naturally, I took pen and paper and analyzed my case coming up with an action plan. Couple things needed to be changed in order for me to get my health back.

    Our Approach To Natural Thyroid Treatment

    Heal your Thyroid Naturally!

    Many doctors begin hypothyroidism treatment with a check for low thyroid stimulating hormone levels. However, during our work with patients, weve found that doesnt give us a full picture of your thyroid.

    When a patient comes to us with symptoms of hypothyroidism, the first thing we look for is Hashimotos disease. Hashimotos disease is an autoimmune condition that accounts for 90% of hypothyroidism cases.

    Causes of Hashimotos are varied, but we administer blood tests, urine tests, and/or elimination diets to understand your unique diagnosis. Our experience has taught us that treating the root causes of Hashimotos is how to cure hypothyroidism permanently it also means each patient gets a tailored treatment plan, and all treatments dont work for all people.

    When identifying the cause of Hashimotos disease, we look at the following six risk factors:

  • Hormone imbalance If your hormone levels are imbalanced , this can trigger an underactive thyroid.
  • Food sensitivity Food allergens can cause a hormone imbalance or even hypothyroidism. Celiac disease has been linked with increased risk of autoimmune disease, such as Hashimotos. Other food sensitivities may be less obvious but may be just as significant.
  • Infections Tick-borne infections and viral infections may lead to an underactive thyroid.
  • Other causes include thyroid cancer, hormone replacement therapy or birth control pills, and overtreatment of hyperthyroidism .

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    What To Do First For Your Low Thyroid

    If you suspect that you are hypothyroid, the first thing that you need is lab work. Theres no real way to assess whats going on with your thyroid without testing the actual hormones.

    Some doctors will only run TSH or total T3 to check on your thyroid. This is problematic because it only gives a partial snapshot of whats happening. If you want the full picture and some real answers, you need to get these labs done:

  • Thyroid Stimulating Hormone This is the pituitary hormone that measures the level of thyroid hormone in the blood. A higher level would show that your body is having to work harder to get your thyroid to do its job.
  • Free T3/Free T4 These are the available levels of thyroid hormones in your blood. Total T3 will tell you how much is in your body, but its no good to you unless you can use it. Free T3 shows how much hormone you have available to actually use.
  • Reverse T3 This will help determine whether you have hyperthyroidism or hypothyroidism. It tends to be low in hypothyroid cases and high in hyperthyroid cases, but sometimes it can be high in hypothyroidism if your body is having problems with conversion.
  • Thyroid Peroxidase Antibodies/Thyroglobulin Antibodies These are the thyroid antibodies and will help to rule out whether your hypothyroidism is driven by an immune system problem. If you have thyroid antibodies and youre hypothyroid, it means you have Hashimotos disease.
  • Heal Your Food Intolerances Today

    Food intolerances are really serious. They can have a major impact on your health and on your life.

    The last thing we want to do is worsen our overall health based on the things we eat, because it is so easy to control what we eat and to get the healthy foods we need to feel good.

    Thankfully, you do not have to be stuck with food intolerances long-term. If you follow these five steps, you are going to do so much for your body to naturally reverse your food intolerances.

    It takes time, but it can be so easy, and it relies on your bodys own amazing ability to heal itself. Change is always possible, we just need to make sure that it is a good change.

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