Herbs And Nutrients For Your Thyroid

Herbs and nutrients can offer invaluable help for your thyroid. Many have been studied and found to enhance thyroid function.

First of all, you must have enough iodine in your diet or as a supplement in order for your thyroid gland to manufacture active thyroid. As of 2009, it was estimated that 2 billion individuals globally still had insufficient iodine intake, predominately in South Asia and Africa. At the same time, 50 percent of Europeans remained mildly iodine deficient. ^[1]

North American Issues

While it is true that lack of iodine can be one cause of hypothyroidism, this cause is not common in North America. Moreover, too much iodine intake has shown to also be a problem for the thyroid gland, causing hypothyroidism and autoimmune thyroiditis.

Iodine is most plentiful in seaweed, seafood, dairy products, grain products, eggs and less so in fruits and vegetables. ^[2] To find out if you are getting iodine in a healthy range for your individualized needs, have a healthcare provider paint a small (half-dollar size) area on your inner forearm skin with 2 percent iodine tincture. If it disappears in less than 12 hours, you’re considered iodine deficient; 12-24 hours means you’re mildly deficient. Alternatively, you could get a 24-hour urinary iodine level measured after a 50 mg iodine/iodine tablet oral load. If it is low, supplementation could be recommended at 150-200 mcg daily. ^[3]

Nutrient supplements important for healthy thyroid function are:

• Selenium: 200 mcg daily; selenium deficiency can exacerbate the effects of iodine deficiency and less so for vitamin A or iron deficiency; ^[4] iron, zinc and copper deficiency can adversely affect thyroid hormone metabolism, too. ^[5]

• Zinc: An essential element for the basic biochemical reactions of the thyroid gland and hormones. In 2009, it was shown that low serum thyroid hormone levels improved after six months of zinc supplementation. ^[6]

• Vitamin D-3: Required by the thyroid gland. In a 2011 issue of Thyroid, low levels of vitamin D were associated with worsened thyroid function in patients with Hashimoto’s thyroiditis. ^[7] Make sure you are getting sufficient vitamin D3 or 20 minutes of sunlight daily (enough sunlight for your skin to make adequate amounts).

Herbs That Enhance Thyroid Function

• Sea Kelp (Ascophyllum nodosum): Provides natural iodine. Also protects thyroid cells from inflammation. ^[8] Decreases the risk of autoimmune thyroid disease. ^[9]
• Bladderwrack (Fucus vesiculosus): Provides a natural iodine source. Also, it has anti-estrogen properties, thereby reducing the risk of thyroid gland inflammation by estrogen in both men and women. ^{[10] [11]}
• Hops (Humulus lupulus): Contains xanthohumol, which enhances iodine uptake by the thyroid ^[12] and represses the activation of the pro-inflammatory molecule NF-kappaB, ^{[13] [14]} thereby decreasing pro-inflammatory cytokines TNF-alpha, IL-6.
• Coleus (Coleus forskohlii): Stimulates iodine uptake; boosts thyroglobulin, T4 & T3 production: enhances T3 and T4 secretion. ^[15]
• Brahmi (Bacopa monniera): Provides direct thyroid stimulation by increasing serum T4 by 41 percent but not T3 in lab experiments. ^[16]
• Ashwagandha (Withania somnifera): Raises serum levels of thyroid hormones by acting directly on the thyroid gland. ^{[17] [18]} (Even raised thyroid hormone excessively in a woman who took too high a dose of ashwagandha ^[19].)
• Guggul (Commiphora mukul): Directly stimulates T3 production by influencing liver enzymes. ^[20]
• Rosemary (Rosmarinus officinalis) and Sage (Salvia officinalis): Contain carnosic acid (thought to increase thyroid hormone-specific receptors on the nuclei of target tissue cells ^{[21] [22]}).

In my next thyroid article I’ll discuss natural (prescription) desiccated thyroid hormone replacement for low thyroid hormone function. And I’ll offer some important tips on how you can find a physician who will treat your low thyroid hormone condition and correctly understand how the shortcomings of lab tests.

To feeling good for life,
Michael Cutler, M.D.
Easy Health Options

Read: Thyroid Disease, Part I
Read: Thyroid Disease, Part II
Read: Thyroid Disease, Part III
Read: Thyroid Disease, Part IV
Next article: The right way to tackle thyroid issues