Aid for Hypothyroidism

It may be small, but the thyroid plays a giant role in maintaining the health and balance of every cell in the body. A butterfly-shaped endocrine gland located at the base of the throat, the thyroid works with the pituitary gland to manufacture hormones that are carried through the blood, affecting metabolism, maintaining body temperature, and keeping muscles and organs like the heart and brain working properly. But when the thyroid is out of balance, so is the rest of the body.

Hypothyroidism (slow or underactive thyroid) occurs when the thyroid gland produces insufficient thyroid hormones for optimum health. An estimated 2 to 3 percent of Americans have pronounced hypothyroidism, and an additional 10 to 15 percent have subclinical or mild hypothyroidism, according to the American Thyroid Association. That's as many as 54 million Americans with underactive thyroids—and more than half don’t know they have the condition.
Signals and Causes
The symptoms of hypothyroidism can include cold hands and feet, low body temperature, fatigue, apathy, irritability, mild weight gain resulting from a slow metabolism, difficulty losing weight, increasing aches and pains, sensitivity to heat and/or cold, constipation, irregular or heavy menstrual periods, recurring infections, carbohydrate cravings, hair loss, dry skin and hair, brittle fingernails, higher cholesterol levels, infertility, insomnia, panic attacks, anxiety, memory problems, low libido, headaches, fluid retention, puffiness around the eyes or ankles, Raynaud’s syndrome, anemia, easy bruising, a hoarse voice, tingling hands and feet, a slow pulse, slow reflexes, and sadness or depression. Some health experts even link hypothyroidism to carpal tunnel syndrome.

Autoimmune diseases, surgical removal of the thyroid, and radiation treatments of the thyroid or pituitary glands are common causes of serious or severe hypothyroidism. But mild hypothyroidism can result from insufficient iodine in the diet, high estrogen levels (which explains why hypothyroidism is more common in women than men), stress, nutritional deficiencies, physical inactivity, some medications, and hormonal changes relating to pregnancy or menopause.

In addition to gender, risk factors include family history (having a relative with autoimmune thyroid disease), growing older (the risk increases with age), race (hypothyroidism is more common in white and Asian populations than in African Americans), an autoimmune disorder, a pigment condition like vitiligo (white skin patches) or prematurely gray hair, Down syndrome or Turner syndrome, or bipolar disease (manic-depression). Atrophic thyroiditis and Hashimoto’s thyroiditis are the most common forms of autoimmune thyroiditis.

Conventional v. Natural Solutions
Mainstream medicine relies on thyroid level blood tests to diagnose hypothyroidism, while holistic physicians including James F. Balch, MD, consider blood tests inaccurate and diagnose the condition by symptoms. According to Dr. Balch, if your average body temperature is below normal for three days in a row and you have several of the symptoms listed above, you probably have an underactive thyroid.

Unlike conventional doctors who usually prescribe synthetic thyroid hormones, many holistic physicians prescribe a natural thyroid hormone, along with dietary changes and supplements that support thyroid balance. For example, kelp and other sea vegetables, fish, and unrefined sea salt—all sources of iodine, the mineral most associated with the thyroid—can help. But too much iodine can be as harmful as too little, so iodine supplements are not recommended unless you’re iodine deficient. If your diet is already rich in saltwater fish and sea vegetables, or if you use iodized salt, you may not need supplemental iodine.

Supportive Supplements
Other minerals important to healthy thyroid function include zinc, selenium, and copper. Hypothyroidism has also been linked to a deficiency of the amino acid tyrosine, which is used by the body in the synthesis of thyroid hormones.

Consider thyroid-supporting supplements, including L-tyrosine, sea vegetables, and glandular products containing thyroid and pituitary extracts. Glandular extracts do not contain active hormones but rather supply glands such as the thyroid and pituitary with ingredients they need for optimum performance. To improve and support thyroid function, Dr. Balch recommends 100 mg or 1 ml of the seaweed bladderwrack twice daily. For a more aggressive approach, consider one thyroid glandular and one pituitary glandular capsule or tablet three times daily on an empty stomach, or 500 mg L-tyrosine twice daily on an empty stomach, either alone or in combination.

Kelp and bladderwrack aren’t the only remedies that can help an underactive thyroid. Since its medicinal properties were discovered in a study that searched for new compounds that might have potential as prescription drugs, Coleus forskohlii has become a popular supplement. Extracts of the herb’s root have been shown to calm muscle spasms and lower blood pressure, and it is often recommended for treating hypothyroidism.

Another herb that may be helpful is myrrh (Commiphora myrrha), a tree resin used in ancient Egypt to embalm and preserve dead bodies and used for millennia as a burning incense and holy oil. Myrrh is a thyroid stimulant.

The Right Diet

Now that coconut oil is being rediscovered as a health food, a growing number of nutritionists and health experts recommend it to those with an under-active thyroid. In his book Coconut Cures, Bruce Fife, ND, explains that coconut oil’s medium-chain fatty acids increase the body’s metabolism, so that it consumes calories at a higher rate while increasing energy levels.

"Coconut oil also helps raise a low body temperature to normal levels" he says. "When used regularly in combination with a nutritious diet, coconut oil has enabled some patients to reduce or completely get off thyroid medications. I have worked with people who have been hypothyroid for more than 20 years, required thyroid medication, had chronically low temperatures, and suffered most of the symptoms associated with this disorder. Coconut oil brought a dramatic improvement to their symptoms, so they no longer need medication and now have normal body temperatures"

Dr. Fife recommends between 2 and 3 tablespoons per day in food for adults. But start slowly (such as with 1 teaspoon of coconut oil per day) and build up gradually to give your body time to adjust.

To further improve thyroid function, consider cutting back on foods that can interfere with the action of thyroid hormones. Thyroid-suppressing foods include uncooked soy, cabbage, kale, broccoli, and Brussels sprouts. In addition, drink filtered or bottled water in order to avoid tap water’s fluoride and chlorine, which also suppress thyroid function.