Most people with low thyroid take thyroid medications. Usually Synthroid, more rarely Armour thyroid.
I am often asked this question - should I take thyroid supplements if I am already taking thyroid medications? The answer is YES and here is why.
The minority of people with hypothyroidism don’t have a thyroid gland. It was removed either surgically or with radiation. These patients need medications because supplements like Iodine and tyrosine will not help them.
But most people with low thyroid do have a thyroid gland. It is working as hard as it can and making as many hormones as it can. But it is not as much as the body needs.
We use the medications to make up the difference. Ideally the combination of medications plus the naturally produced hormones should provide just the right amount.
The main point here is that medications we prescribe are in addition to what the thyroid gland makes. In other words, we count on the thyroid gland to continue to produce hormones. And to do so, the thyroid gland needs quite a few things.
First, the thyroid gland needs all the same things that other cells need – proteins, carbohydrates, fats, vitamins, minerals, phytonutrients, etc. Second, it needs more of certain things than other cells of the body, for example more iodine and amino acid tyrosine.
It needs more nutrients that participate in the production of the thyroid hormones T4 and T3. To make hormones, it needs certain enzymes and co-enzymes, which require more of certain nutrients.
For example, an enzyme called Thyroid Peroxidase or TPO for short, is a crucial enzyme for thyroid hormones creation. It needs iodine, zinc, copper, iron, vitamin D, vitamin A, chromium and quite a few other things to do its work.
De-iodinase, the enzyme that removes one iodine from T4, needs selenium. And so on.
In other words, thyroid, just like all the other cells and tissues in the body, needs all kinds of vitamins, minerals, and other substances plus more of certain specific nutrients. Ideally, all these should come from food.
Unfortunately, many people do not have a good, wholesome diet. They eat processed, refined, man-made foods. The result is that many people have nutritional deficiencies and should take nutritional supplements.
I use many supplements in my practice, depending on the person’s need. But there is one that I recommend to pretty much every patient with hypothyroidism. It is called Thyroid Support Complex It is manufactured by a company called Pure Encapsulation.
It contains vitamins (A,C,D), minerals (iodine, zinc, selenium), amino acid L-tyrosine, plus herbs extracts like Ashwaganda, Gugul, Tumeric and others. This particular product provides the basic elements for thyroid health and it is the first one I recommend.
Of course, there are many other things that support thyroid health, too many to list here. I have a whole chapter in my thyroid seminar (free download) devoted to this subject.
So the answer to the question whether to take nutritional supplements is YES.