Your Thyroid Hormones Need Specific Nutrients to Function at Their Best!

The Thyroid
1. The thyroid gland is one of the primary players in regulation of your metabolism.  When the thyroid hormones are off, the metabolism is off (HypOthyroid = slowed metabolism.  HypERthyroid = elevated metabolism).
2. Two thyroid hormones do most of the work: T4 (inactive) and T3 (active).  There are others though, T1 (brain function), T2 (metabolism), Calcitonin (works to put calcium where it belongs).
3. T3 affects virtually every organ of the body by acting as modulator of cell functions.

Actions of T4 and T3:
Thyroid hormones regulate
 – Oxygen use and Basal Metabolic Rate (BMR)
 – Cellular metabolism
 – Growth and development
 – The activity of the nervous system

Thyroid hormones also:
 – Stimulate the synthesis of protein
 – Increase the use of glucose for ATP production.
 – Increase Lipolysis (Chemical breakdown of fats)
 – Enhance cholesterol excretion, reducing blood cholesterol levels

So, you can see that if your thyroid hormones are off in anyway, that your whole body will be affected!  You may also recall, I have talked about Cholesterol in the past, and how it is needed to MAKE hormones.  Often, in those who are hypothyroid, they will see elevated cholesterol levels as the body desperately tries to give the tools to make the hormones needed.  In this article, I will be mostly covering hypOthyroid, as that is much more common.

Thyroid health
1. The thyroid is extremely sensitive to stress and toxins like those listed below:
 – Heavy metals
 – Foreign substances
 – Drugs, such as aspirin
 – Food allergies
 – Endocrine imbalances

2. Large amounts of goitrogenic foods can also block the conversion of T4 to T3
-Cabbage
– Broccoli
– Brussel Sprouts
– Rutabaga
– Turnips
– Cauliflower
– Millet

I believe in everything in moderation, you would need A LOT of the foods above to cause a problem and when raw, they are more potent.  I generally will eat these, occasionally, cooked, although a real weak spot for me is raw cauliflower and dip!  So, I ONLY have that if somebody else is serving it vs making it for myself!
 
The following I would suggest never using/eating if hypothyroid or not:
– Soy (fermented soy will not affect the thyroid hormones)
– Fluoride
Both have been shown to lower thyroid hormone levels.
 
Eating a well-rounded diet of nutrient dense foods can be incredibly supportive to your thyroid hormones.

​Some nutrients (iodine and tyrosine) provide the building blocks of thyroid hormones. 

Iodine is found in:
– Organ meats (Grass fed, pasture raised)
– Dairy (I only recommend raw dairy IF you are not reactive to it, many who are hypOthyroid find it inflammatory).
– Dried Kelp (Organic to avoid heavy metals)
– Cod (wild-caught)
– Yogurt (Unsweetened, organic, grass fed, preferably raw).
– Dried Wakame (Organic to avoid heavy metals)
– Dried Nori (Organic to avoid heavy metals)
– Farm fresh eggs
– Tuna (Wild-caught, limit this, the larger the fish the higher the mercury content)
– Lima beans (Organic)
– Prunes (Organic)
– Peas (Organic)
– Bananas (Organic)

Tyrosine is found in:
– Parmesan cheese (Raw)
– Roast Beef (Pasture raised, Free range)
– Pork Chops (Pasture raised, Free range)
– Salmon (Wild-Caught)
– Turkey (Pasture raised, Free range)
– Chicken (Pasture raised, Free range)
– Farm fresh eggs (Free range)
– Cooked white beans (Soaked)
– Pumpkin Seeds (Soaked and sprouted)
– Swiss Cheese (Raw)
– Provolone (Raw)

Minerals (selenium, iron, and zinc) help convert T4 (inactive thyroid hormone) to T3 (active thyroid hormone). This is done mostly in your liver. Selenium can also help reduce thyroid peroxidase (TPO) antibodies, which when elevated, cause damage to the thyroid.
 
Selenium is found in:
– Brazil nuts (Soaked and sprouted)
– Salmon (Wild-caught, limit this, the larger the fish the higher the mercury content)
– Tuna (Wild-caught, limit this, the larger the fish the higher the mercury content)
– Turkey (Pasture raised, Free range)
– Cottage Cheese (Raw)
– Chicken(Pasture raised, Free range)
– Mushrooms (Organic)
– Halibut (Wild-caught, limit this, the larger the fish the higher the mercury content)
– Farm fresh eggs(Pasture raised, Free range)
– Navy Beans (soaked and sprouted)
– Sardines (Wild-caught)
– Sunflower seeds (Soaked and sprouted)
– Beef (Grass fed, pasture raised)
– Beef liver (Grass fed, pasture raised)
– Oats (Organic)

Iron is found in:
– Organ meats are the richest in iron (Grass fed, pasture raised)
– Blackstrap Molasses (Organic)
– Beef (Grass fed, pasture raised)
– Lamb (Grass fed, pasture raised)
– Ham (Grass fed, pasture raised)
– Turkey (Free range, pasture raised)
– Chicken (Free range, pasture raised)
– Veal (Grass fed, pasture raised)
– Pork (Free range, pasture raised)
– Eggs (Free range, pasture raised)
– Shrimp (Wild-caught)
– Clams (Wild-caught)
– Scallops (Wild-caught))
– Oysters (Wild-caught)
– Tuna (Wild-caught, limit this, the larger the fish the higher the mercury content)
– Sardines (Wild-caught)
– Haddock (Wild-caught, limit this, the larger the fish the higher the mercury content)
– Mackerel (Wild-caught, limit this, the larger the fish the higher the mercury content)

Zinc found in meat and seafood (more bioavailable than Zinc found in plant-based foods), is needed to help your body gauge thyroid hormone levels and tells it to increase production when levels are low. Zinc is also needed in digestion.
​
Zinc is found in:
– Lamb (Free range, pasture raised)
– Pumpkin seeds (Soaked and sprouted)
– Hemp seeds (Soaked and sprouted)
– Beef (Grass fed, pasture raised)
– Chickpeas (Soaked and sprouted)
– Lentils (Soaked and sprouted)
– Cocoa Powder (Organic)
– Cashews (Soaked and sprouted)
– Kefir/Yogurt (Raw)
– Ricotta cheese (Raw)
– Mushrooms (Organic)
– Spinach (Organic)
– Avocado (Organic)
– Chicken (Free range, pasture raised)
– Almonds (Soaked and sprouted)

​Nutrient-dense, plant-based foods provide nutrients that support the body’s ability to detoxify harmful substances (e.g. endocrine disruptors like BPA, pesticides, and heavy metals).
​
Aim to make a rainbow on your plate for the maximum benefits! Organic is best!
– Red
– Orange
– Yellow
– Green
– Blue
– Indigo
– Violet

Omega 3 fats provide cellular membrane integrity which protects them from becoming damaged and enables your cells to communicate well with each other.

Omega 3 fats are found in:
– Atlantic mackerel (Wild-caught)
– Salmon Fish Oil (Wild-caught, limit this, the larger the fish the higher the mercury content)
– Cod Liver oil (Wild-caught)
– Walnuts (Soaked and sprouted)
– Chia Seeds (Soaked and sprouted)
– Herring (Wild-caught)
– Alaskan Salmon (Wild-caught, limit this, the larger the fish the higher the mercury content)
– Flax seeds (Soaked and sprouted)
– Albacore Tuna (Wild-caught, limit this, the larger the fish the higher the mercury content)
– White Fish (Wild-caught)
– Sardines (Wild-caught)
– Hemp seeds (Soaked and sprouted)
– Anchovies (Wild-caught)
– Egg Yolks (Free range, pasture raised)

Start trying to have these foods on a daily basis to be supportive to your thyroid and your health in general!