Thyroid Dysfunction: Hypothyroidism & Holistic Recommendations
Thyroid Dysfunction: Hypothyroidism is more common than every - I have a nutrient / holistic focused recommendation for it.
Thyroid Dysfunction is quite common especially amongst new mums. It affects about 25% of mothers with 48% of those affected having hypothyroidism (insufficient thyroid hormone). People are having more thyroid problems than ever before so it’s no wonder why most of us have heard of or know someone with Grave’s Disease or Hashimoto’s.
I have friends and family who struggle with thyroid issues and what is important to know is that the thyroid is a vital hormone gland - some even argue that it is “the master hormone gland” because it runs the show and drives metabolic balance. “It plays a major role in the metabolism, growth and development of the human body.” (1) It’s important to take care of it and it’s absolutely OK to request a test for your thyroid!
Testing:
Normal thyroid testing is not sufficient for flagging potential issues so always request a “full thyroid panel” from your practitioner as testing the TSH level alone can show to be within “normal ranges” even though there is an underlying dysfunction. Since we do not want an underlying dysfunction to go undetected, request from a doctor who can read the following lab values: Thyroid Stimulating Hormone (TSH), Total T3, Total T4, Free T3, Free T4, Reverse T3, Thyroid Peroxidase Antibodies (TPOab), and Thyroglobulin Antibodies (TgAb).
Remember, your thyroid is not your TSH.
When it comes to long term planning for your thyroid health and for addressing the root cause, I like to come into the picture with encouragement to start with stress reduction, lifestyle changes, and a nutrition focus - these are key for normal thyroid function.
Here is a non-exhaustive food focus list because nutrient deficiencies (from both a micro and macro nutrient lens) do impact your thyroid health journey and filling in those gaps can address the root cause.
Selenium (possibly the most common deficiency found in patients with hypothyroidism)
Selenium is critical for the production of thyroid hormone and it turns on the enzyme that allows the conversion of storage T4 into active T3 which is a known TSH issue for those with hypothyroidism - it’s also an antioxidant that serves to neutralize/clean up the toxic/waste product that comes from the hormone conversion process.
The problem: many of us have a selenium deficiency due to our soils being depleted
Foods rich in Selenium that I recommend: brazil nuts, quality meat, wild caught fish.
Iodine rich foods
Seaweed, pasture-raised eggs (yolks included), grass fed beef liver, pasture-raised chicken
Zinc rich foods
Oysters, grass fed beef, pasture-raised poultry
Iron rich foods - iron is required for thyroid hormone production.
Grass fed beef liver, organ meats (easy to source from your local farmer’s market butcher), or supplement with Grass fed desiccated organ meats if organ meat is not something you are open to eating yet. Please note that iron from “heme iron” sources (non-plant based) is what your body can optimally absorb. Consuming iron via real whole foods like organ meats is optimal as iron needs copper to be absorbed; copper is readily available in whole foods like liver or spleen - it’s as if God knew what He was doing when providing us with food! (:
B-complex - Grass fed Liver or supplements like Grass Fed Beef Thyroid
we love this modified version of Mary Shenouda’s “Bangin’ Liver Recipe”
1/3 cup cooking oil/fat (we use bacon fat or avocado oil)
1 lb ForageHawaii (when in HI) / BuyRanchDirect (when in CA) chicken liver, chopped
6 garlic cloves, crushed and minced
1 tbsp cumin powder
1/2 tsp cinnamon powder
1/4 tsp ginger powder
1/4 tsp cloves powder
1/4 tsp cardamon powder
Juice of one lime, or Tabasco if we’re out of lime
1 tsp Crucial Four salt
Tyrosine-containing foods
These foods combine tyrosine and iodine to make the thyroid hormone: pasture-raised poultry, avocados, sprouted pumpkin seeds
TCM recommended foods
Cooked garlic, ginger, onions. Fermented foods.
Avoid eating the following foods raw as it impacts the assimilation of iodine, which we discussed is a key nutrient for thyroid health:
Cassava, soy, peanuts, pine nuts, millet, and goitrogenic foods like cruciferous vegetables - “foods that have been identified as goitrogenic include cruciferous vegetables such as bok choy, broccoli, brussels sprouts, cabbage, canola, cauliflower, Chinese cabbage, choy sum, collard greens, horseradish, kai-lan, kale, kohlrabi, mizuna, mustard greens, radishes, rapeseed, rapini, rutabagas, and turnips. The Rosaceae family of fruits, which includes almonds, apricots, cherries, peaches, pears, plums, raspberries, and strawberries, is also goitrogenic. Other examples are bamboo shoots, millet, soy, spinach, sweet potato, tapioca, and yuca (cassava or manioc).” (2)
Beyond a food focus, I recommend:
Managing stress – Stress impairs thyroid function (3, 4).
Balancing your blood sugar levels and avoiding foods high in sugar, refined grains, etc. as these foods cause stress at the cellular level. (5)
Getting sufficient sleep especially during the hours of 10pm-3am.
Get out into nature and ground. (i.e. walk barefoot on grass or at the beach)
Healing the gut – Gut bacteria assist in converting T4 to T3 (6). Swap industrial seed oils (I.e. vegetable, canola, grapeseed, sunflower seed, etc.) for healthier cooking oils like coconut oil, avocado oil, and olive oil (for no heat).
Optimizing vitamin D – Vitamin D deficiency is associated with autoimmune diseases. Get out into the sun! The liver runs on the sun and detoxifies the body assisting the endocrine system. Vitamin D is a hormone that regulates the immune system.
Decrease your exposure to toxins – thousands of chemicals, heavy metals, plastics that we deal with daily contribute to autoimmune disease.
Know your purpose – according to TCM, your purpose is connected to your pituitary, which is directly correlated to your thyroid. Also processing your struggles/grief/emotions is highly recommended. Learn how to feel and learn how to move through that data! (7)
I hope something in this post clicks with you and if you are looking for more guidance with implementing these holistic changes in your diet/lifestyle, feel free to reach out to me at jane@mumwithabun.com to schedule a consultation.
*NOTE: I do not diagnose or cure clients. I do recommend having thyroid levels tested and getting bloodwork done with a practitioner who diagnoses thyroid dysfunction.
Sources
Kresser, Chris. “Goitrogenic Foods and Thyroid Health.” Kresser Institute for Functional and Evolutionary Medicine. April 19, 2018 https://kresserinstitute.com/goitrogenic-foods-and-thyroid-health/
Inchauspé, Jessie. Glucose Revolution. New York, Simon & Schuster, 2022.
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/0024320589901793
Organic Olivia. Ryan, Marc “Hashimoto’s Healer”. “Why Autoimmunity is on the Rise” What’s the Juice. Spotify. September 2022.