6 Nutrients for Your Thyroid Health

Optimal thyroid function is essential to feel and look your best. In fact, it’s also extremely important for hormonal balance. When your thyroid is imbalanced, you can be left feeling fatigued with foggy thinking, hair loss, and more. This is why it’s important to make sure you’re consuming enough of these six nutrients for thyroid health!

What is Your Thyroid?

Your thyroid is a small, butterfly-shaped gland in your neck. It is responsible for producing all of your thyroid hormones. These hormones are utilized by every single cell in your body and help control daily, parasympathetic functions such as your metabolism, heart rate, body temperature, fertility, digestion, energy production, and more. It’s clear just how important a healthy thyroid is for optimal health (and hormones)!

What is Thyroid Imbalance?

Unfortunately, thyroid imbalance is becoming increasingly relevant in America, today. This is likely due to consuming the Standard American Diet, living sedentary, high stress lifestyles, and being exposed to high amounts of everyday toxins.

When experiencing thyroid imbalance, your thyroid can be overactive (Hyperthyroidism) or underactive (Hypothyroidism). In some cases, autoimmunity can also affect the thyroid gland, leading to Hashimoto’s or Grave’s Disease. 

Symptoms of Thyroid Imbalance

As we now know, your thyroid can be overactive or underactive. In either case, you’ll likely notice tell-tale physical and mental symptoms. In fact the symptoms of a sluggish, slow thyroid are often the opposite of a high functioning thyroid. Common symptoms of thyroid imbalance include:

Hypothyroidism (Underactive) Symptoms: Feeling cold, weight gain, low heart rate, infertility or heavy or irregular periods, fatigue, hair loss, dry skin, constipation or slowed digestion, and brittle nails 

Hyperthyroidism (Overactive) Symptoms: Heart palpitations, feeling shaky, diarrhea, intolerance to heat, trouble sleeping, weight loss, increased appetite, and swelling of the thyroid gland  

Since your thyroid is critical for many functions in the body, any kind of imbalance will likely be noticeable. However, it’s important to work with a practitioner who can test your thyroid using a comprehensive full thyroid panel, including the following lab markers:

• TSH 
• Free and total T3
• Free and total T4
• Thyroid antibodies 

Together, these markers give you a comprehensive look at your thyroid and how well it’s functioning (or not).

6 Nutrients for Thyroid Health

Taking a food-first approach is an effective way to restore thyroid health. If you are deficient or lacking in any of the thyroid-supporting nutrients below, you might be experiencing thyroid imbalance. These 6 nutrients for thyroid health will support your body in producing the right amount of thyroid hormones:

1. Iodine– Iodine is the backbone of your thyroid hormones. However, you don’t need enormous amounts of this essential nutrient. In most cases, you consume enough iodine through food alone. Food sources: seaweed, shrimp, fish, kelp, and seaweed.
2. Selenium– Selenium works to convert inactive thyroid hormone, T4, into the active form, T3. Adequate selenium intake is needed for essential thyroid production and function. Studies show that increasing your selenium consumption can help reduce TPO antibodies in those with Hashimotos. Food sources: brazil nuts, tuna, halibut, and turkey.
3. Vitamin D–  Vitamin D, an essential hormone, helps move thyroid hormones into our cells so that our body can utilize it. In fact, vitamin D deficiency is common with thyroid disorders. Optimal levels of vitamin D are 50 ng/mL. However, most adults are deficient in vitamin D, especially during the winter months. Food sources: sunshine, cod liver oil, mackerel⁠, and supplements.
4. Vitamin A– Vitamin A supports your cells ability to use thyroid hormones. It’s also important to help with iron absorption, which tends to be a common deficiency in those with thyroid conditions. Food sources: liver, organ meats, salmon, and cod liver oil⁠.
5. Zinc– Zinc is important for nearly every step of thyroid function, including stimulating your pituitary gland to make TSH, and converting thyroid hormones into their active forms. Food sources: oysters, poultry, tofu⁠, leafy greens, and sunflower seeds.
6. Iron– Iron is needed to make thyroid hormone, as well as convert it to the active form, T3. Iron deficiency is common with thyroid conditions. Food sources: meat, liver, beans and lentils, and leafy greens⁠.

As a functional practitioner, I use micronutrient lab testing to address thyroid imbalances with my thyroid clients. This helps identify any nutrient deficiencies that might be contributing to thyroid disorders. To learn more about how we can work together to heal your thyroid, click here!