PART 5 OF THIS THYROID SERIES:

NUTRITION AND LIFESTYLE HACKS TO SUPPORT THE THYROID:

Alongside any medicinal recommendations that may have been made by your doctor, there are plenty of nutritional and lifestyle changes you can make to help optimise the health of your thyroid through a root cause approach. 

Please note, any changes you make should be with the guidance of a healthcare professional. 

Here’s some examples:

ADDRESSING DEFICIENCIES:

  • You can take a food first approach to nutrient deficiencies which may be contributing to impaired thyroid function, such as:

  • SELENIUM - particularly beneficial for low T3 as it supports the conversion of T4 to T3. Food sources include brazil nuts, fish, meat, eggs, brown rice, mushrooms, sunflower seeds etc

  • IODINE -  the main building block of both T3 and T4. We have to obtain this trace mineral from food (we can’t make it in the body) so good sources include sea moss (and other forms of seaweed/algae) fish and seafood. Please note that iodine is also detrimental if taken in excess (associated with triggering or exacerbating autoimmune thyroid disorders) so be mindful of your overall consumption, the RDA for iodine is 150mcg/day.

  • ZINC - needed for the production of T3, T4 and TSH. Food sources include: pumpkin seeds, oysters, meat, seafood, hemp seeds, sesame seeds, eggs, almonds, pine nuts

  • IRON - also needed for the conversion of T4 to T3. The most bioavailable source of iron is heme-iron which we can source from animal products (meat, fish, seafood, organ meat, eggs), you can also source non-heme iron from plants but this is not as readily absorbed in the body (this is where supplementation may be helpful for those on a plant based diet).

  • TYROSINE - Also combined with iodine to make thyroid hormone. Food sources include: fish, meat, dairy, almonds, pumpkin seeds, sesame seeds etc.

REDUCE STRESS, INCLUDING TRAINING LESS AND EATING MORE!!

  • We know that chronic stress is associated with excess levels of reverse T3 (inactive thyroid hormone), so adding in ways to reduce stress levels such as meditation, breath work, journalling, yoga etc can be a great way to support healthy hormonal balance including thyroid function. 

  • We also know that the body cannot differentiate between actual stressors (running for your life) and perceived stressors (overtraining and undereating). If your body thinks you’re starving, it’s going to slow down your metabolic rate to preserve calories. So reducing high intensity exercise and actually eating more can help to support healthy thyroid function.

BOOSTING YOUR CARBOHYDRATE INTAKE 

  • The response to long term keto/low carb diets and prolonged fasts can vary a lot from person to person, but again this can be perceived as a major stressor by the body and a cue to down regulate thyroid function. 

  • An increase in insulin also increases the conversion of T4 to T3  so long term low carbohydrates may hinder this conversion. It’s also important to note that this can swing too far the other way with diets high in refined carbs leading to insulin resistance which will also hinder this conversion.  

  • For those with thyroid dysfunction I recommend treading carefully with fasting and including a healthy amount of whole carbs in your diet, combined with fat and protein to prevent blood sugar fluctuations (which would lead to insulin resistance). 

  • If you’re planning to experiment with a keto diet, you could cycle in and out of ketosis to promote metabolic flexibility (the ability to use different energy sources for fuel whilst not giving your body prolonged signals that you are in a state of starvation). 

ADDRESS AUTOIMMUNE TRIGGERS:

  • This is particularly pressing if your blood tests have come back with raised thyroid antibodies which indicates that your immune system is attacking your thyroid causing it to be inflamed (autoimmune thyroiditis ie hashimotos or graves disease).

  • Gut microbiome testing can be very insightful here to rule out parasites or bacterial/fungal overgrowths which may be producing toxins and triggering an immune response. These sort of microbial imbalances can be treated with pre/probiotic and antimicrobial foods/supplements.

  • This can be further exacerbated in the case of ‘leaky gut’ as this means toxins can cross the gut membrane and cross talk with the immune system. Bone broth, collagen and essential fatty acids can all be helpful for healing the lining of the gut as well as addressing any overgrowths of bacteria that may be feeding off the gut lining.

  • There may also be particular foods that are triggering an immune response such as gluten, dairy and/or soy. Experimenting with eliminating these can be very helpful for reducing an immune response. I recommend starting with gluten as research points to that being the most common food trigger for autoimmune thyroiditis. 

  • Further functional testing may also be helpful in establishing immune triggers such as moulds, toxic metals, chemicals found in plastics, pesticides etc. 

SUPPORT YOUR LIVER HEALTH:

  • As we’ve covered, the liver plays an important role in the conversion of T4 to T3 so avoiding liver congestion is key to thyroid health. 

  • Supporting nutrients for the liver include milk thistle and molybdenum (consult your healthcare professional before starting any supplementation).

  • Food sources of molybdenum include legumes, nuts, liver and leafy greens 

  • To further support your liver avoid excess toxins such as alcohol, artificial sweeteners (step away from the diet fizzy drinks) and exposure to plastics, mould, heavy metals etc

So as you can see, there is plenty you can do to address the root cause of thyroid dysfunction under the guidance of a healthcare practitioner. 

This brings us to the end of this mini series, I  hope you have enjoyed delving into the intricacies of thyroid health with me. 

Like anything in health and nutrition, our knowledge of the thyroid is ever evolving, so if you are suffering with thyroid dysfunction, keep yourself informed!

Any questions, please shoot me an email on harri@boldhealth.co.uk

Harri

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The content in this article is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always seek the advice of a qualified health provider with any questions you may have regarding your health.