10 Essential Nutrients For Thyroid health
There are many different nutrients that support both thyroid function and thyroid hormone production that we can get through food. Whether you struggle with Hyperthyroidism, Hypothyroidism, Hashimoto’s, Graves, Goiters, or other thyroid imbalances, we can help improve thyroid function and balance hormones when we optimize our nutrients through the food we eat.
Let’s take a deeper look at the 10 essential nutrients for thyroid health.
Zinc
Zinc is needed for TSH production and for the conversion of FT4 into the active FT3 hormone. It’s also needed to create proper amounts of stomach acid, which enables the body to utilize the nutrients in your food and increase absorption.
Both zinc and stomach acid work synergistically together, meaning that you need stomach acid, in order to make zinc, and you need zinc to make stomach acid. If you’re zinc deficient, it’s very possible that you’re eating in a stressed state and not producing enough stomach acid.
The RDA for zinc is 8-11mg for adults, depending on age and gender.
BEST FOOD SOURCES FOR ZINC
Pastured Meats
Organic Eggs
Cultured Dairy
Foods like soaked chickpeas, lentils, and pumpkin seeds also contain zinc, but it’s very difficult to get enough daily zinc from these plant foods. I always recommend that my clients eat some pastured animal foods daily to get the recommended amount.
Zinc and stomach acid works synergistically together, so if you find you’re continually deficient in zinc, ensure your body is making enough stomach acid.
Iodine
Iodine is present in every organ and tissue in the body.
It’s not only necessary for proper thyroid hormone production but it’s also needed for fetal development, the health of our salivary glands, proper immune system function, hormone balance, healthy breast tissue, the prostate, ovaries, and skin.
If you don’t have enough iodine in the body, you cannot make enough thyroid hormones, in particular FT4, which can lead to hypothyroidism.
Additionally, iodine plays a significant role in the liver’s ability to convert FT4 to the active thyroid hormone FT3. When the body doesn’t convert enough FT4 to FT3, this can also lead to hypothyroidism.
BEST FOOD SOURCES FOR IODINE
Sea Vegetables ~ Such as Kelp, Dulse, Nori, and Wakame
Wild Seafood
Unprocessed, Organic Dairy ~ Such as Raw Milk, Raw Cream, Cultured Yogurt, etc.
Pastured/Organic Eggs
Tyrosine
The thyroid combines both tyrosine and iodine to make thyroid hormones, so it’s essential for proper T4, FT4, T3, and FT3 production. In fact, the “T” in the thyroid hormones stands for “tyrosine”.
Tyrosine is an amino acid that is naturally produced in the body from another amino acid called phenylalanine. The RDA for phenylalanine and tyrosine is 15mg per pound of body weight.
BEST FOOD SOURCES FOR TYROSINE
Pastured Meats (Beef, Chicken, Pork, Lamb, etc.)
Pastured Eggs
Raw Dairy
Wild Fish
Cultured Yogurt
Soaked Almonds & Lima Beans
Iron
The body needs iron to make TPO (thyroid peroxidase), which is then used to make the thyroid hormone FT4. When the body is deficient in iron, FT4 levels can drop, putting the body in a hypothyroid state.
You also need iron to convert FT4 to the active FT3, so low levels of iron can cause a decrease in FT3, which can lead to weight gain, low energy, etc.
It’s important to get iron-rich foods from animal sources daily. Yes, vegetables like spinach contain iron, however, they aren’t the most bioavailable form, so it’s best to stick with heme sources of iron, which is found in animal sources.
The RDA for iron is 8-18mg, depending on age and gender.
BEST FOOD SOURCES FOR HEME IRON
Liver
Pastured Beef
Chicken
Game Meats
Oysters
Pastured Eggs
If you find that you are deficient in iron or have been diagnosed with anemia, often the issue isn’t too little iron in the diet, but too little stomach acid. Taking a bunch of iron through food or supplements won’t solve the problem because the root issue is often that the body isn’t able to utilize the iron in food.
Selenium
Selenium is important for the conversion of FT4 to FT3 in the liver. It also helps to support the thyroid in making thyroid hormones. Studies have also shown that selenium can help reduce TPO antibodies and support the immune system.
The RDA for selenium is 55mcg for adults.
BEST FOOD SOURCES FOR SELENIUM
Brazil Nuts
Tuna
Halibut
Sardines
Shrimp
Pastured Beef
Liver
Chicken
Cottage Cheese
Pastured Eggs
Sulfur
Sulfur is very important for thyroid hormone production because it supports the liver, which is where most of the FT4 in the body is converted to FT3.
There isn’t a specific RDA for sulfur, but your need for it can easily be met through diet.
BEST FOOD SOURCES FOR SULFUR
Pastured Eggs
Cruciferous Vegetables (these need to be cooked so they don’t inhibit the uptake of iodine)
Garlic
Onions
Raw Dairy
Brussels Sprouts
Vitamin A
Vitamin A is a very important fat-soluble vitamin for the thyroid because it helps balance the correct levels of thyroid hormones in the body and is also needed for proper liver function (which plays a part in thyroid hormone balance).
It’s important to understand that Vitamin A (aka retinol) is only found in animal foods, NOT in vegetables. Vegetables contain Betacarotene, which can be converted in the body to Vitamin A in small amounts, however, your thyroid needs to be working optimally in order to do so.
If you have thyroid disease, your body is going to have a really hard time taking betacarotene and transferring it over into Vitamin A or retinol, so it is very important that you are eating animal foods that contain Vitamin A every single day.
Other conditions that interfere with the conversion of betacarotene in plant foods to Vitamin A include being an infant or child, diabetes, low fat intake, pancreatic disease, and Celiac.
The RDA of Vitamin A is 700-900 mcg for adults, depending on age and gender.
BEST FOOD SOURCES FOR VITAMIN A
Liver
Fatty Fish
Raw Dairy
Pastured Meats
Cod Liver Oil
B Vitamins
B vitamins such as Thiamin, Riboflavin and B12 help support the entire endocrine system.
B6 and B12 are especially calming for the nervous system, which helps balance the adrenals and, in turn, the thyroid. B vitamins also work with iodine to produce T4 and T3.
Oftentimes, those are who are hypothyroid are deficient in B12.
BEST FOOD SOURCES FOR B VITAMINS
Pastured Poultry & Beef
Wild Fish
Pastured Eggs
Cultured Dairy
Soaked Legumes
Dark Leafy Greens
Magnesium
Magnesium is an essential mineral for thyroid function and for the conversion of T4 to T3. Studies have shown that low magnesium is associated with a higher risk of increased TgAB, and will increase the prevalence of Hashimoto’s.
It’s important to understand that the first mineral you burn through when you’re stressed is magnesium. Oftentimes, you may be getting enough magnesium in your diet, however, the amount of stress in your life can be causing a deficiency.
The RDA for magnesium is 310-420mg for adults, depending on age and gender.
BEST FOOD SOURCES FOR MAGNESIUM
Fatty Fish
Leafy Greens (make sure they are cooked!)
Avocado
Vitamin D
Vitamin D is necessary for iodine to be used in order to create thyroid hormones. Without adequate Vitamin D, you will often see a decrease in FT4 and/or FT3, leading to hypothyroidism.
Several clinical studies have reported low Vitamin D in those with Hashimoto’s or Graves’ disease, indicating an association between Vitamin D deficiency and thyroid autoimmunity.
Impaired Vitamin D signaling has been reported to encourage thyroid tumorigenesis.
Vitamin D deficiency has been strongly associated with higher TSH levels (aka hypothyroidism).
Vitamin D regulates insulin and balances blood sugar. When blood sugar is imbalanced, this can cause thyroid hormones to go off balance.
The RDA for Vitamin D is 15mcg.
BEST FOOD SOURCES FOR VITAMIN D
Pastured Egg Yolks
Pastured Butter
Grass-Fed Beef
Liver & Organ Meats From Pastured Animals
Raw Cream
Oily Fish (Mackerel, Tuna Group, Herring, Anchovies, Wild Salmon, Sardines, Herring)
Animal Fat From Pastured Animals (Such as Butter, Ghee, Lard, Tallow, or Duck Fat)
When Supplementing
It’s important to always take Vitamin D3 and K2 together because they work synergistically in the body.
KEEP IN MIND – YOU AREN’T WHAT YOU EAT, BUT WHAT YOU ABSORB.
If you find that you continue to have nutrient deficiencies, it’s important to know that low stomach acid can often be the root cause.
Prior to supplementation, I would investigate low stomach acid and address the root cause as to why you're not absorbing the nutrients you are consuming. Read more about low stomach acid here.
IN NEED OF EXTRA SUPPORT
Have you been dealing with symptoms for so long that you’ve adapted to this being your new normal?
We’re here to tell you that it is possible to address the root cause of your thyroid imbalances.
You deserve to feel your best.
You can heal.
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