Support Your Thyroid: Self-Care Plan
The production of thyroid hormones requires iodine and omega-3 fatty acids; converting the inactive T4 to the active T3 requires selenium, the binding of T3 to the receptor on the nucleus, and switching it on requires vitamins A, D, and zinc. All of these elements are found in a good whole foods diet and your basic supplements.
However, there are a few food items you should concentrate on integrating into the program to support your thyroid.
Foods for Thyroid Support
These foods are particularly good for thyroid problems:
Seaweed or sea vegetables have iodine.
Fish has iodine, omega-3 fats, and vitamin D (especially sardines and wild salmon).
Dandelion greens have vitamin A.
Smelt, herring, scallops, and Brazil nuts have selenium.
Also make sure you eliminate the cause of thyroid problems. The following may be contributing to your problems:
Soy foods and the broccoli family (broccoli, cabbage, kale, Brussels sprouts, collard greens) have all been said to cause thyroid dysfunction, but they also have many other health
benefits.
Human studies have shown no significant effect when whole traditional soy (tofu, tempeh, miso, edamame) is consumed in normal quantities.
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I don’t recommend avoiding any of these foods, because the benefits are so great and the potential risk is questionable or negligible. However I would avoid all processed soy foods such as burgers, cheese, and bars—these have harmful health effects.
Gluten sensitivity or hidden allergy to wheat, barley, rye, oats, spelt, kamut, and triticale are the most common dietary cause of thyroid problems. (Eliminating these is already part of the UltraMind Solution, but I wanted to emphasize that gluten can be a significant factor in thyroid problems.)
Avoid fluoride (avoid toothpaste with fluoride and filter your water).
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It has been linked to thyroid problems.
SUPPORT YOUR THYROID: MEDICAL-CARE PLAN
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TESTING FOR THYROID PROBLEMS
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1.
Testing should include all the thyroid hormones (TSH, free T3, and free T4) and thyroid antibodies (TPO and antithyroglobulin antibodies). Most doctors just check TSH, which is inadequate to identify mild problems.
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2.
Further testing may be necessary and is described in
The UltraMind Solution Companion Guide
.
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CHOOSING THE RIGHT THYROID HORMONE REPLACEMENT
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To properly balance a thyroid that is severely out of balance, you may need to go on some type of thyroid hormone–replacement therapy. There are certain things you can do by altering your diet and your lifestyle, but if your thyroid isn’t functioning properly you may need to have some additional thyroid hormones to supplement its output. Knowing what’s available and what to ask about can empower you to make better decisions about your health.
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A combination of experience, testing, and trial and error are necessary to get it just right. However, I have found that the majority of my patients benefit from a combination hormone treatment including T4 and T3.
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Synthroid, the most commonly prescribed thyroid hormone, is just T4, the inactive hormone. Most doctors assume that the body will convert it to T3 and all will be well. Unfortunately, pesticides, stress, mercury, infections, allergies, and selenium deficiencies can block that process. Since 100 percent of us have stored pesticides in our bodies, we will all likely have some problem with Synthroid.
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The most common treatment I use is Armour thyroid,
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a whole combination of thyroid hormones including T4, T3, and T2
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(a little-known product of thyroid metabolism that actually may be very important).
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Armour is a prescription drug made from desiccated or dried porcine thyroid. It contains the full spectrum of thyroid hormones, including T4, T3, and T2. It seems paradoxical that taking a pig hormone can make your brain better, but it does. The right dose ranges from 15 to 180 mg, depending on the person.
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Many doctors still hold the outdated belief that the preparation is unstable and the dosages difficult to monitor. That was true with the old preparation of Armour, not the new one. (See
www.armourthyroid.com
for more information.)
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Sometimes the only way to find out if you have a thyroid problem is a short trial of something like Armour thyroid for three months. If you feel better, your symptoms disappear, your mood, memory, and behavior improve, you have more energy, and you lose weight (assuming this a problem for you, which it is for many people with a thyroid deficiency), it’s the right choice. Occasionally, further customization of thyroid hormones is necessary using various combinations of T4 and T3 in prescription or compounded forms.
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Once started, it doesn’t have to be taken for life (a common misperception). Once all the factors that disturb your thyroid have been corrected, you may be able to reduce or discontinue the dose.
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As with any treatment, always work with an experienced physician in using medications for your thyroid. Careful monitoring is essential. Taking too much thyroid hormone, or taking it when you don’t need it, can lead to undesirable side effects including anxiety, insomnia, palpitations, and over the long-term, bone loss.
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WARNING
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If your adrenal glands are burned out from long-term stress, treating the thyroid without supporting the adrenal glands through relaxation and the adaptogenic herbs (like ginseng, rhodiola, or Siberian ginseng) can actually make people feel worse. Your Functional Medicine practitioner will know how to balance your adrenals before treating your thyroid with medication.
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