Thyroid imbalances are extremely common in the United States – it has been estimated that up to 34% of the adult population experiences some form of thyroid imbalance. Unfortunately, many of these people – estimated at more than 20 million Americans – go undiagnosed and/or don’t receive the proper guidance as to how to help their thyroid function more optimally.
Thyroid – Your Metabolic Powerhouse
The thyroid is so important for overall health because it is your metabolic powerhouse. The thyroid, or more specifically, the hormones that the thyroid produces, is responsible for helping the body take the energy from the foods you eat and converting it into cellular energy that helps you live, thrive and survive. If the thyroid is under-functioning (often referred to as hypothyroidism) the body will not be able to convert calories into energy efficiently and a person will often gain weight or find it very difficult to lose weight.
But weight gain or the inability to lose weight aren’t the only issues with an under-functioning thyroid. Because all of the cells in your body rely on energy to do their jobs correctly, EVERYTHING slows down when the thyroid isn’t working properly. For example, when a sluggish metabolism affects the cells of the gut, constipation often results. When it affects the hair follicles, hair growth is impeded and hair will often fall out. When it affects the skin, wounds heal more slowly.
Every single bodily process relies on a properly functioning thyroid to do its job correctly; without a properly functioning thyroid, nothing works right.
Nutrients to Support the Thyroid
One of the reasons the thyroid doesn’t work properly for many people is that they lack one or more of the specific nutrients that the thyroid needs to function properly. Two of the most important (and most deficient) nutrients for proper thyroid function are iodine and selenium.
Iodine is the main component of the active thyroid hormones (T3 and T4), so getting enough iodine is imperative to proper thyroid functioning. Supplementing with iodine drops made from dulse or kelp (both seaweeds) can give the body the iodine it needs to properly manufacture thyroid hormones; typical dosing is 150-300 mcg/day, although testing may be necessary to determine your actual need.
Selenium is a trace mineral that is necessary to convert T4 into T3 (T3 is the more active thyroid hormone); a good food source of selenium are Brazil nuts – eat 2-4 of Brazil nuts daily or take 100-400 mcg of selenium as a supplement.
In addition to iodine and selenium, the thyroid needs a number of other nutrients, including Vitamin A, Vitamin D, Vitamin E, Riboflavin (Vitamin B2), Niacin (Vitamin B3) and zinc. We routinely recommend the use of a product called Thyrosol to supply the body the foundational nutrients it needs to support thyroid function. Typical dosing of Thyrosol is 1-2 capsules 1-3x/day (we usually start with 1 capsule 2x/day and adjust as necessary to restore proper thyroid function).
Proper nutritional support of the thyroid is absolutely essential from optimal thyroid function. We have found Thyrosol to be a great foundational product to supply the thyroid the nutrients it needs to function optimally, which can help improve not only weight loss, but also almost every process in the body.
