Have you noticed your hair thinning out? Are you gaining or losing weight with no explainable reason? Are you always tired despite getting a full night’s sleep? Are you sensitive to cold temperatures? Are you anxious or feeling depressed regularly? Or most importantly have you had your thyroid function checked recently?

What is the Thyroid Gland?

The thyroid is a small butterfly gland that sits in the front of your neck below the voice box. The thyroid gland, when functioning properly is responsible for producing thyroid hormones, triiodothyronine (T3) and thyroxine (T4). These hormones are vital as they are responsible for regulating the bodies metabolic rate, energy production, growth, and reproductive function.

The number of thyroid hormones produced by the body is tightly regulated by the hypothalamus and pituitary gland. The pituitary gland produces and sends out a hormone called thyroid stimulating hormone (TSH). TSH then tells the thyroid gland how many hormones to produce and secrete. When the level of thyroid hormones drops too low, more TSH is produced, and when there are too many thyroid hormones in the blood, the pituitary produces less TSH. TSH levels in your blood are rising and falling depending on your body’s needs to produce thyroid hormones.

Like many of the delicate elements of the human body, there are a number of issues that can arise with the thyroid gland.

Hypothyroidism

When your thyroid gland is underactive, its known as hypothyroidism. This slow and sluggish function is caused when your thyroid gland doesn’t produce enough of T4 and T3 hormones needed to carry out their many functions. Food allergies/intolerances, Candidiasis, and autoimmune conditions such as Hashimoto’s have been found to play a role in hypothyroidism. Diagnosing hypothyroidism can be difficult to diagnose in the early stages as many of the symptoms mirror other conditions.

Typical hypothyroidism symptoms include fatigue, weight gain, increased sensitivity to cold, constipation, dry skin, elevated cholesterol levels, depression, impaired memory, and thinning hair.

Hyperthyroidism

When the thyroid becomes overactive, it produces too much thyroid hormone. With too much T3 and T4 in the body, metabolism in the body is accelerated and brings an array of harmful signs and symptoms. The over functioning of thyroid is most commonly caused by Graves Disease.

Typical hyperthyroid symptoms include increased appetite, nervousness, anxiety, increased sensitivity to heat, fatigue, unexplained weight loss and sleeping difficulties.

Hashimoto’s Disease

Hashimoto’s is an autoimmune condition where the immune system attacks the thyroid gland. This can lead to inflammation and deterioration of thyroid tissues. Research suggests environmental toxins, infections or the Epstein Barr virus may trigger this autoimmune condition. Other triggers can include Vitamin D deficiencies and stress. Hashimoto’s is a common cause of hypothyroidism and can manifest with similar signs and symptoms.

Graves Disease

Like Hashimoto’s, Graves disease is an autoimmune condition in which the immune system produces antibodies that bind to the thyroid gland and stimulate it to produce thyroid hormones. This leads to an excessive number of thyroid hormones in the blood and in turn an overactive thyroid (hyperthyroidism). This can also cause the thyroid gland to grow, creating a goitre (enlargement of the thyroid gland). Research suggests genetic and environmental factors may cause this autoimmune condition. Symptoms are similar to hyperthyroidism.

Testing for Thyroid Problems

In conventional medicine, the typical test run when looking for thyroid issues is Thyroid Stimulating Hormone (TSH). They don’t test for T4 and T3 unless your TSH is out of the recommended range. The problem with this is that TSH is only one piece out of the thyroid puzzle and does not provide an accurate reflection of how your thyroid is working. It’s not telling us how much TSH the thyroid is producing then making T4 and converting into T3, which is the hormone that goes into your cells and makes the magic happen.

Another problem is the “normal” TSH range is quite broad (0.5-4.5) and does not account for the early stages of thyroid dysfunction. This results in many people finding themselves in the middle of the range and feeling miserable and left with no answers and in turn leads to many thyroid conditions to silently progress.

From a naturopathic viewpoint we want to see your TSH levels between 1-2.5. Anything greater suggests your thyroid may be under functioning and anything lower than this means your thyroid may be in overdrive. If you suspect you have a thyroid condition, your Naturopath or health practitioner can refer you for further testing. This will include testing your TSH, T4, T3, reverse T3 and thyroid antibodies levels. This will provide a complete picture of how well your thyroid is functioning and why you are experiencing symptoms.

How can Naturopathy help?

Once your Naturopath has interpreted your results, they can create tailored a treatment plan suited specifically for you. Treating the whole person is at the core of the treatment. They can help manage symptoms, regulate the immune system, optimise digestion, address nutrient deficiencies, avoid trigger foods, dampen any underlying autoimmunity, remove environmental toxin exposure, and support any additional health conditions.

There is now growing evidence for many natural approaches that can be helpful for thyroid health. It is always best to seek the advice of a qualified practitioner before starting any intervention. The following tips are some of the top Naturopathic treatments for thyroid dysfunction.

Hypothyroidism

• Iodine: Iodine is an essential trace mineral integral for the formation of thyroid hormones. If you don’t have enough iodine in circulation, your thyroid can struggle to produce thyroid hormones and you may start to show symptoms of hypothyroidism.
• Thyroid-Loving Vitamins and Minerals – Vitamins A and B, Zinc, selenium, chromium, copper, and manganese. These co-factors can support your treatment and improve how well you feel.
• Herbs: Plants have powerful pharmacological properties that can provide different kinds of support for hypothyroidism.  Ashwagandha. Bacopa and Guggal Myrrh have all found to be beneficial for hypothyroidism.
• Removal of gluten: Removal of gluten can be helpful for those with Hashimoto’s as it can help reduce the flares of elevated thyroid antibodies.

Hyperthyroidism

• Some of the most used herbs in hyperthyroidism include Bugleweed, Lemon Balm and Motherwort – these have thyroid suppressive activity and are helpful for some of the most common symptoms such as palpitations and nervousness.
• Vitamin C, Vitamin E, selenium, Coenzyme Q10 and zinc are all used to support thyroid function and reduce oxidative stress.
• Avoid iodine rich foods: Too much iodine can make hyperthyroidism worse by leading the thyroid gland to produce too much thyroid hormone.
• Stimulants: All stimulants need to be always avoided.  This includes caffeine, sugar, and alcohol.