Think Thyroid, Think Iodine??
Most people do. They think that if their thyroid isn’t working well, they must need iodine, because our thyroid needs iodine and there are a LOT of Australians who don’t get enough iodine. Right?
Well, sort of…
Yes, the thyroid needs iodine, which is converted from iodide and needs IRON to do that. That iodine molecule attaches to TYROSINE, an amino acid that is part of a protein chain that makes thyroglobulin. That thyroglobulin chain goes on to be made into a small amount of T3 and a big amount of T4. T3 is our active thyroid hormone. It attaches to cells and makes things happen. T4 is inactive, and must be converted into T3, which largely takes place in the liver.
For this conversion, we need SELENIUM and ZINC. We need VITAMIN A for this T3 to be transported around the body. VITAMIN A and VITAMIN D are needed for the thyroid hormone receptors on our cells.
So, for basic thyroid function we need:
- Iodine
- Iron
- Tyrosine
- Selenium
- Zinc
- Vitamin D
- Vitamin A
Iodine in large amounts can be problematic because if your lowered thyroid function is due to an autoimmune issue (and there are quite a few people walking around that have this condition and don’t know it), iodine can trigger antibodies to attack the thyroid gland. This just makes things
worse.
If you have heavy menstrual bleeding, you may be low in iron. That could be your thyroid’s problem.
If you spend a lot of time indoors, lack of vitamin D may be your issue.
If you are a bit slack on eating nutrient-dense foods, you may have sub-optimal levels of many of those vitamins and minerals.
So what do you do?
Get some proper testing done. You really need TSH, T4, T3, reverse T3, and thyroid antibodies tested to get a good idea of what’s going on. See someone who has additional training in thyroid conditions. I have Hashimoto’s myself and thyroid conditions have always been a large part of my practice.
For help with your thyroid, make an appointment here: