Hi, and welcome back to our channel.
Today we're going to discuss thyroid support supplements and answer the question of do you need them? So first we'll go through understanding what the thyroid actually does in our body.
We'll talk about common thyroid problems and roll that into how thyroid hormones play a role in our body, and then talk about different supplements that might be really useful if you're struggling with thyroid issues or just how to support to have a better thyroid health.
[Video Transcript Below + Supplement Links Discussed In Video]
But before we really dig into our topic today, my name is Marcie Vaske and I'm a licensed nutritionist with Flusso Nutrients. And at Flusso Nutrients, we work really hard to educate you on different types of supplements for different conditions in the body, teaching you how to pick out supplements that are going to be helpful and how it can support you the best.
The world of supplements gets kind of dark and dirty sometimes because there's so many to pick from and who knows which ones are the right ones or even if you need 'em. So this is always a good portal or platform for you to come back to if you're questioning a certain supplement.
Now, of course, that doesn't take the place of working with a supplement literate practitioner. If you do have more in depth questions of will this contraindicate with any medications or even other supplements that you might be taking. But this is a good place for you to learn more and think, well, do I need that supplement or not?
Now at the end, you will also see that the supplements I talk about today, I will link down below. So if it does sound like something you're interested in or maybe could be really useful and helpful for you, there's going to be an easy way for you to get that because I will link it down below.
So first, let's talk about
What is the thyroid?
The thyroid is a small butterfly shaped organ that's really located right in the back at the base of our neck, and it helps in many functions within our body. The thyroid hormone is especially critical for our metabolism as well as our heart rate, our body temperature, and our energy levels.
We have two main types of our thyroid hormone and one is free T4 and free T3. They work very well in harmony together to regulate these bodily functions. Now, if our thyroid hormones are imbalanced and they're not working in concert together, we can end up with a myriad of different symptoms. And sometimes symptoms look really different for everybody, but there are some main ones, things such as feeling cold all the time, some unexplained weight gain or even weight loss. You may even have gut issues like diarrhea or even constipation.
Common Thyroid Problems and Their Symptoms
Now, within the thyroid, when these thyroid hormones become imbalance, there are two main categories.
One is hypothyroid, which means that you have low thyroid function and then there's one that's hyperthyroid, which means that you have high thyroid function, meaning basically that these hormones are out of balance and we need to do something about it. And each of these disorders or conditions have some similar symptoms and then some that are very unique to themselves.
With hypothyroidism, oftentimes we see weight gain, we can see dry skin, we can see hair loss, constipation, and with hyperthyroidism, a lot of times we'll see irritability, anxiety, weight loss, even diarrhea.
So it's important to understand what the symptoms are and understand how they can be impactful to your thyroid health and obviously your overall body. If you are having any kind of thyroid symptoms, it is going to be very important for you to see a healthcare practitioner and get your thyroid levels tested.
Ideally, getting a thyroid panel which would consist of the TSH, free T4, free T3, your reverse T3, and of course the antibodies that can will be tested. This way you can get a really good picture of do you need thyroid support or not.
Now, if you are noticing some of these symptoms and you go in and you get some labs done and it's not really giving you any direct connection to thyroid, but maybe one is a little off, it's not totally off, and this is where supplements can be really helpful.
Sometimes we just need extra support in the conversion of T4 and T3 or we just need extra support to keep our thyroid happy and healthy. This is where supplements can be really helpful.
Personally, I do have thyroid issues, and for many years I used thyroid supplements to help support my thyroid, and it worked really well for about three to five years, and then I did have to get medication, but I was happy with the fact that I was able to stay in a good, my thyroid was healthy enough to stay good without medication for as long as possible.
Now, a lot of times I also see clients who struggle with thyroid issues and sometimes they aren't really obvious symptoms, but by using thyroid support supplements, you can feel a difference, and therefore these thyroid supplement support I think is really beneficial.
The Best Thyroid Support Supplements
So there's a few main thyroid supplements that can be most helpful.
Iodine
Number one is iodine supplements. Now, I am always a true believer in getting blood labs for iodine and of course your thyroid before you even start doing any kind of supplements. I think that that can be very much more helpful and lead you in a better direction.
Now, when we take iodine supplements, for sure, you need to get an iodine test. You don't want to just throw on iodine and think, okay, well let's just hope for the best. I think understanding if you're high or low in that or just right on, then we don't even need to supplement. But iodine helps to support our thyroid in many ways. We need iodine to have a good healthy thyroid.
Selenium
Another supplement that's really helpful is selenium. Now, selenium is going to be part of that co-factor that I was talking about from converting your T4 to your free T3 and selenium is very important for making sure that you have proper thyroid function and conversion. There is also herbal supplements that you can help to take for thyroid support.
Ashwagandha
One such herbal supplement that's been found to be helpful is ashwagandha. And ashwagandha actually helps to just balance out the thyroid hormones, which can be helpful if you just need a little bit of a pick me up and maybe not so much having trouble with the conversion factor of your thyroid.
Vitamins and Minerals
In addition to that, different vitamins and minerals, definitely you'll do this more in a blend so they work synergistically to together. But in many of these mineral vitamin blends, you'll find a vitamin C, D, your Bs, as well as zinc and copper. Those are all going to be helpful in that conversion factor and just keeping your thyroid healthy.
Thyroid Glandulars
And lastly, there are thyroid glandulars. Now, these supplements are derived directly from animal thyroid glands and they can directly help your thyroid function.
How to Use Thyroid Supplements Safely
So all in all, first of all, it's important for you to remember to get testing so you know what you need if you're even low in anything or high in anything at all. And I do think it's really important to work with a health practitioner when you're supplementing for your thyroid.
The thyroid, as I mentioned early on in the video, is a real delicate balance and we want to keep it healthy, but knowing how to keep it healthy is sometimes the trick. Also, in addition to understanding how to support your thyroid, it is good to work with the health practitioner to help understand what all the different numbers and Ts and threes and fours are on a thyroid panel.
And sometimes it's hard to put it all together if you're not well versed in it. And that also will give us information on how to supplement you appropriately. Now, if you're working with somebody or if you feel really well versed on your thyroid and you're like, I just want to do a little bit of support, and you've chosen a supplement that you feel comfortable with, there are important things to remember. Just like if you were to take thyroid medication, consistency is key. So if you're going to supplement for your thyroid, you want to be very consistent with it and take it every day around the same time. And of course, reading the packaging on taking it with food or not with food, it kind of depends on the supplement that you're taking. Now, the dose is also going to be sometimes on the back of the package that you're reading.
I would start with that, of course, if you're doing it on your own or listen to the support of your healthcare practitioner on what dose you may need, sometimes you need a more therapeutic dose, which would increase the amount that's really listed on the back, but I wouldn't do that if you're not working with a practitioner.
Focus on Your Diet First
Also, it's very important, just like anything, and I always talk about this, you cannot outs supplement a bad diet. So if your thyroid is under-functioning or over-functioning and it needs support and you've chosen a supplement, don't forget about the diet piece.
If you are not changing your diet and working on getting in whole real foods on a daily basis, a lot of times that thyroid is still going to struggle. So remembering that it's diet first, then supplements, and then of course monitoring. Monitor your thyroid function. That means getting your labs done every three to six months in the beginning of when you're starting to use any kind of supplementation, just to be sure that you're on the right path and everything is looking well.
So to answer the question of
Do you need thyroid supplements?
And really it is an individual decision just like all supplements are, but if you are just having a little bit of thyroid issue, it's nothing that needs to be medicated. I think that's where supplements can fit really nicely into a daily regimen.
And also, like I just talked about a minute ago, change your diet, and if you've already done that and your thyroid is still struggling, then definitely be putting in the supplements.
And I hope that helped give you a little bit more information about thyroid supplements, how important the thyroid is to our body, and of course, leave comments down below.
I will also link a supplement that's very helpful for thyroid help. And of course, again, if you do need anything, reach out to us. We're happy to help.
So have a great day and thanks for watching.
Check out the high-quality supplements we discussed in this video - links below for your convenience!
1) Thyroid Complex: create an account here, then search the name "Thyroid Compex" - https://us.fullscript.com/welcome/flussonutrients
2) Thyroid Pro: create an account here, then search the name "Thyroid Pro" - https://us.fullscript.com/welcome/flussonutrients
3) ALL PROFESSIONAL QUALITY SUPPLEMENTS: https://flussonutrients.nutridyn.com & https://us.fullscript.com/welcome/flussonutrients