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Thyroid health supplements: do they work? With the growth in health supplements in recent times, we ask whether thyroid health supplements, such as Thyromine, actually work. Underactive thyroid affects about 15 in every 1,000 women and 1 in 1,000 men in the UK(1) and millions of people in the US (2). The British Thyroid Foundation claims that the figures are even higher than that, with 1 in 20 people in the UK being affected at some time in their life(3). What is the thyroid?The thyroid is a small gland found in the neck, that plays an important role in controlling your body's metabolism(4). It produces the important hormones thyroxine (T4) and is controlled by another hormone - TSH (thyroid stimulating hormone), produced by the pituitary gland. What is an underactive thyroid?An underactive thyroid is one that is not producing enough thyroixine (T4). It is diagnosed by finding low T4 levels in the blood. It is usually found with elevated levels of TSH, as the pituitary tries to "drive" the thyroid to produce more T4. These are the two laboratory tests that are essential for diagnosing thyroid problems. What are the symptoms of an underactive thyroid?The symptoms of an underactive thyroid are due to a slowing of the metabolism, and can include:
Everything is basically "slowing down" because the T4 hormone that normally drives your metabolism is low. You can test yourself for an underactive thyroid in the following way(5): measure your temperature using a thermometer placed under your armpit for 15 minutes first thing when you wake up in the morning, whilst you lie completely still. A temperature of 97.6 degrees Farenheit or lower, especially if this is consistent over 5 days or more, may indicate a low thyroid state. (Please note that this does not give you a definitive answer, but can give you an indication. It can only be diagnosed accurately with a blood test.) How is it treated conventionally?The conventional treatment is by medication - thyroixine - the dosage of which is controlled carefully by monitoring the T4 and TSH levels. However, many people still struggle with their symptoms despite achieving normal levels of T4 and TSH on testing. What's the alternative?A number of dietary, nutritional, herbal and natural glandular products can be helpful in low thyroid states(6). 1. Diet. Certain foods have been shown to help boost the thyroid, and these include: apricots, dates, parsley, potato, raw seeds and whole grains. Other foods have been shown to hinder thyroid function: broccoli, Brussels sprouts, cabbage, kale, mustard, peaches, pears, radishes, spinach and turnips(5). 2. Nutritional supplements. Supplements known to support thyroid function include: B-vitamins, vitamin E, Iodine, Selenium, Zinc, Omega-6 essential fatty acids (found in Starflower), and the amino acid L-tyrosine(5,6). 3. Herbal medicines. Herbs have been known to support thryoid function, and have traditionally been used for 4,000 years or more! The best herbs include: Fucus vesiculosus (Bladderwrack)(7), a common seaweed known to be rich in iodine, Commiphora wightii (Guggul), an Ayurvedic herb traditionally used in India for 2,500 years or more, and Nori(7), a sea vegetable eaten throughout the world. 4. Glandulars. This is a form of nutritional therapy that is little understood and poorly researched. However, glandular extracts have been used for many decades in the treatment of hormonal insufficiency. Thyroid hormone extracts are even prescribed by GPs in New Zealand(8), and there is widespread anecdotal evidence of their effectiveness. Which alternatives to choose?Probably the best alternatives are proprietary formulations, such as Thyromine, which combine a number of nutritional, herbal and sometimes glandulars together, and have been shown to be effective in practice over many years. The body is a complex entity, and you need more than one food to keep you healthy. In the same way, if one part of the body needs support, then it needs more than one nutrient to start healing. Will it work for me?The only way to find out is to try! Personally, in over 20 years of my natural health practice, I have found these approaches to be extremely effective in many. For me, it makes sense to try alternative approaches - diet, supplements, herbs, glandulars - before having to resort to drugs or medicines. These alternative approaches are often gentler, with little or no adverse effect, than drugs, but are still effective. Although drugs or medicines are often more powerful, they can also cause troublesome side-effects. So try them out. Take a product, such as Thyromine, for at least 12 weeks, or three months. Then, and only then, can you ansewr for yourself the question - Thyroid health supplements: do they work? References:(1) http://www.nhs.uk/conditions/thyroid-under-active/pages/introduction.aspx (2) http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/thyroiddiseases.html (3) http://www.btf-thyroid.org/ (4) http://www.labtestsonline.org.uk/understanding/conditions/thyroid/ (5) Balch, P & Balch J. Prescription for Nutritional Healing. Avery, 2000. (6) Goldberg, B. Alternative Medicine. Celestial Arts, 2002. (7) Balch J & Stengler M. Prescription for Natural Cures. J Wiley & Sons, 2004) (8) http://thyroid.org.nz/Treatment_Options.php#extract (All website references accessed 21st June, 2012.) 
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