Five Natural Treatments For Thyroid Health

The thyroid is a small, butterfly-shaped gland in the lower neck that is responsible for producing hormones that help to keep the body in balance and functioning properly. 

When something occurs to affect the production of these hormones, it can have a devastating effect on your overall health, which is why it is important to stay on top of the situation.

Whether you are experiencing an excess of hormone production, hyperthyroidism, or a lack of hormones, hypothyroidism, the results can be significant. 

Here are five natural treatments you can use in order to ensure that your thyroid is functioning properly:

Best Natural Thyroid Treatments

Selenium – This is a micro-nutrient and antioxidant that can be found in foods such as shellfish, nuts and seeds.  Selenium deficiency is rare, but even mild to moderate levels of deficiency can eventually lead to thyroid problems. 

Unfortunately, an excess of selenium can also cause health problems so if you suspect that you are selenium deficient you should consult with your doctor to have your levels checked before taking any steps to correct them.

Adaptogens - These are a group of herbs, including Ashwagandha, Holy Basil and Rhodiola Rosea, which help to support the adrenal glands and work in conjunction with the thyroid. 

Improper function of the adrenal gland can lead to over production of the “stress hormone” called cortisol, which in turn can lead to improper thyroid function.  Taking an herbal supplement that contains any of the adaptogens can help to keep the adrenal glands functioning properly and avoid thyroid issues.

Watching Sugar Intake – While some sugars, such as those produced naturally by many fruits and vegetables, are not detrimental to your health, the simple sugars that manufacturers add to their products to improve their taste can have a devastating effect, particularly on thyroid function. 

Getting too much of these sugars on a regular basis can be a contributing factor to hyperthyroidism as well as having other negative effects on the body, so limiting your intake is an easy way to improve your overall health.

Iodine – A lack of iodine has not been an issue since it was regularly added to table salt but in recent years, as we’ve become more and more cautious about using salt, we’ve also begun to affect our iodine intake at the same time. 

This can be an issue because insufficient iodine can lead directly to thyroid problems since it can affect hormone production by the thyroid.  You can ask your doctor to test your iodine level to find out if you have a deficiency.  If a deficiency is confirmed you can correct it either by taking a supplement or by including iodine rich foods such as kelp and cold water fish like cod or tuna to your diet.

Flushing out Heavy Metals – This may not be the first culprit you think of when you are experiencing thyroid issues, but you would be surprised to find out how often an excess of heavy metals is responsible.  We are exposed to any number of heavy metals on a regular basis and when they accumulate in the body over time they can do real damage. 

Everything from headaches and insomnia to weakening of the immune system and hypothyroidism can be directly linked to excess levels of heavy metals.  You can use certain foods like eggs, cilantro, onions and garlic to help flush heavy metals out of your system.

Summary

So there you have 5 natural treatments for thyroid health that can really make a difference.  All are very easy to accomplish and can have an effect on your overall health as well.

If you have any thyroid related health issues, talk to your doctor and see if he or she recommends one or more of these options.  If not, mention them and see what they say.  They can only help the situation.

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