Natural Remedies for Under-active Thyroid

snack on brazil nuts

They’re the richest natural source of selenium -- a nutrient that reduces damaging thyroid inflammation, plus helps your body build and use the most powerful thyroid hormone in its arsenal, called triiodothyronine (T3), says a Dr. Adding 200 micrograms of selenium to your daily diet -- the amount in just two Brazil nuts -- could cut the symptoms a sluggish thyroid by 60 percent, say UCLA researchers.

Ditch Scratched Cookware

According to researchers, regularly using scratched or damaged nonstick pans can as much

as double your risk of thyroid problems. Their best guess as to why: Two powerful chemicals

in  nonstick coatings -- called perfluoroctane sulphonate (PFOS) and perfluorooctanoic acid

(PFOA) -- sabotage the ability of thyroid hormones to bind to the tissues that desperately need them.

Tip: You don’t have to give up your favorite nonstick pans and pots entirely. But always use

plastic utensils and lots of TLC to avoid scratching and damaging their delicate surfaces.

Replace cookware as soon as the nonstick surface develops scratches, blisters, rust flecks

or any other signs of damage.

Try Ashwagandha Supplements

Herbs have been notorious flops when it comes to boosting thyroid function -- all except

ashwagandha, that is. This popular East Indian herb gently prods your thyroid to produce

more of its unique hormones, says nutrition researcher. “Plus it helps your body convert

thyroxine (T4) -- a weak thyroid hormone -- into the far more powerful version called

triiodothyronine (T3).” And the results can be dramatic: According to a European research

team, taking 200 to 600 milligrams of ashwagandha daily banishes thyroid-triggered fatigue,

irritability, anxiety, brain fog, insomnia and all-over aches and pains for up to 90 percent of

women within three months. 

Cook Your Broccoli

Certain vegetables produce natural plant compounds (goitrogens) that block your thyroid’s

absorption of iodine. Without iodine, your body can’t make energizing thyroid hormones, say 

researchers . Broccoli, cauliflower and  other cruciferous vegetables are loaded with this 

iodine-blocking compound. The good news: Goitrogens are quite sensitive to heat -- so 

cooking cruciferous veggies destroys these troublemakers in as little as two minutes,

studies show.

Tip: Top your veggies with real butter instead of dousing them with other fats. “Margarine and 

polyunsaturated fats, like canola and corn oil, block iodine absorption in the digestive tract -- 

butter doesn’t,”

Serve Protein with Every Meal

Adding a few ounces of protein to a meal slows the absorption of carbs, which prevents

massive insulin spikes -- a proven thyroid suppressor -- according to studies at Tufts

University. Plus, protein is rich in the amino acid tyrosine, an essential building block of

thyroid hormones. But beware: “With protein, more isn’t better,” says Dr. “High-protein diets

confuse the thyroid, making it produce too much of the weaker thyroid hormone, thyroxine

(T4), and that can trigger nasty symptoms, even though blood tests can come back

frustratingly normal!”

Tip: 

Add one of these to your meal to boost its protein power:

• Two tablespoons of peanut butter

• One ounce of nuts or cheese

• Two eggs • One cup of milk or yogurt

 Four ounces of meat, poultry or fish

Stay Away from Second-hand Smoke

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Exposure to cigarette smoke more than doubles your risk of thyroid problems, UCLA

researchers say. Blame tobacco’s cyanide -- this toxin clogs up receptor sites on your

thyroid, sabotaging its ability to absorb the nutrients it needs to function at its peak, explains

a Dr..

Ease Up on Estrogen

Up to 30 percent of women who start taking birth control pills could develop symptoms of a

sluggish thyroid -- such as fatigue, brain fog, anxiety and weight gain, say researchers .

Estrogen stimulates the liver to produce thyroid binding globulin (TBG) -- a protein that

latches onto thyroid hormones in the bloodstream, making it harder for them to be absorbed

into tissues, says endocrinologist .

The solution: If your symptoms flared within three months of starting the pill, ask your

doctor about switching to contraceptive patches -- those hormones soak straight into the

bloodstream without passing through the liver, making them much less likely to cause thyroid

troubles, says a Dr.

Learn to Relax

Nonstop stress means nonstop production of the stress hormone cortisol. According to

researchers, cortisol tinkers with your thyroid gland, making it produce a defective form of

thyroid hormone that binds to body and brain cells, yet doesn’t energize them the way

healthy thyroid hormones do.

Quick fix: Add a 30 minute pocket of calm to each day -- by napping, exercising, meditating,

stretching, listening to soothing music or taking a warm bath. You’ll significantly reduce your

blood levels of cortisol, improving your thyroid function in as little as two weeks, says a  Dr..

A surprise bonus of a little downtime: If your cholesterol levels are sky-high, you could cut

them as much as 23 percent, say British researchers (when your thyroid is healthy, it signals

your liver to clear excess fats out of your bloodstream).