What Is A Natural Treatment For Hypothyroidism?

A natural treatment for hypothyroidism is a combination of the right thyroid-friendly diet, supplements and managing your stress levels. The holistic approach to hypothyroidism considers the whole person, rather than just focusing on the thyroid or symptoms only, like fatigue, weight gain, hair loss or anxiety.

Hypothyroidism alternative treatment delves deep into the root causes and how body systems are connected and where the imbalances are, often examining factors such as adrenal health, gut health, and nutrient deficiencies. Healing your hypothyroidism naturally is possible but what is absolutely crucial is to find THE ROOT CAUSE and address all the underlying imbalances. By working with holistic health practitioner and choosing the approproiate healing protocol you can improve thyroid function , alleviate low thyroid symptoms and reverse hypothyroidism naturally!

How to heal hypothyroidism holistically?

A natural treatment for hypothyroidsm includes personalised approach that addresses:

• nutrient deficiencies,
• chronic stress,
• lifestyle and environmental factors.   

The best part is that holistic treatment for hypothyroidism is 100% safe, efficient and unlike lewotyroksyna or other medication – side effect free and the only upside is you feeling better. If you have been diagnosed with hypothyroidism based on TSH and FT4 it’s worth running full thyroid panel to rule out Hashimoto’s and understand where the issue is.

Here you can download your quick thyroid cheat sheet that will help you interpret your thyroid blood test results and asses if your thyroid levels are at the optimal level according to the functional medicine reference ranges.

Personalised Nutrition Plans For Managing Hypothyroidism Naturally

When starting your health journey, making dietary changes can be the first step towards reversing your hypothyroidism permanently. As simple as it may sound but thyroid friendly diet with appropriate supplements are one of the best natural treatments for hypothyroidism.

5 Natural Remedies For Hypothyroidism

1. Well balanced diet rich in thyroid essential vitamins & minerals like iodine, zinc, selenium, vitamin B12, vitamin A and appropriate ratio of quality macronutrients (carbohydrates, protein and fats).
2. Probiotics to rebalance your gut microbiome & prebiotics to feed the good gut bacteria. Additionally soluble fibre that will help bind waste product and reduce gut inflammation
3. Reducing stress and adrenal supporting supplements like B complex, Ashwagandha or/and other adaptogenic herbs
4. Alternative therapies like acupuncture, red light therapy or sauna.
5. Liver detox to help your body clear from toxins and heavy metals. Excess toxins interfere with thyroid hormone production and metabolism. Optimising your liver health can improve thyroid hormone conversion and increase your T3 levels – the active form of thyroid hormone that you ultimately need!

Rule number one: don’t starve yourself

Before we dive deep into what to eat to treat your hypothyroidism naturally I want you to keep in mind one thing: eat enough and carbohydrates are not you enemy as long as you choose the right carbohydrates. Women with hypothyroidism experiencing sudden weight gain, try various diets in attempts to lose weight. However, 1200kcal diet won’t help you lose weight with hypothyroidism and as an end result you may even worsen your thyroid condition.

A prolonged decrease in calorie intake slows down your thyroid, making your hypothyroidism worse

Hypothyroidism natural treatment involves getting enough nutrients necessary for healing and repair process. That means you need to make sure you eat enough. The more nutrients you can get from diet the better.

Hypothyroidism diet:

1. Getting enough trace minerals like Iodine, zinc and selenium.

These are absolutely fundamental if it comes to hypothyroidism natural treatment:

• Iodine – it’s one of the key building block of your thyroid hormones, however quite often lacking in our diet. Did you know that Iodine deficiency was found in over 50% of hypothyroid patients?
• Seafood as wakame, arame, dulce, kelp and bladder wrack are rich sources of iodine. Certain fish and shelfish are good source too, that includes cod, haddock and prawns.

• Cynk – best natural sources of zinc include grass fed beef, shrimps and seeds, especially pumpkin seeds and hemp seeds. Legumes are known zinc source for vegans and vegetarians, however legumes also contain phytates, which at the same time block zinc absorption.

• Selenium – high selenium food sources include Brazil nuts, organ meats, seafood, mushrooms and tofu however for effective hypothyroidism treatment soy products including tofu should be avoided

2. Key vitamins for hypothyroidism: vitamin B12 and vitamin A.

B12 is important for the thyroid hormone production. It can help boost your energy too. B12 can be found mostly in animal foods like meat, fish, eggs and cheese. Witamina A is another one that is needed for effective natural treatment of hypothyroidism. It’s needed for activation of your thyroid receptors and can be found in liver, eggs, butter, leafy green and yellow vegetables like carrots, sweet potatoes, pumpkin or winter squash.

3. Probiotics

With healthy gut your body will be more efficient at synthesising thyroid hormones. Improving your gut microbiome is a key part of hypothyroidism natural treatment. Make sure you include fermented foods in your diet like sauerkraut, kimchi or other cultured vegetables, kefir or coconut yogurt, raw cheese, apple cider vinegar, kvass and kombucha (however be mindful about sugar content in kombucha). 

4. Quality protein

Best grass-fed and organic meats. If you can tolerate dairy well, eggs are very nutritious too and would be a good addition as a part of your natural treatment plan for hypothyroidism.

Grass fed meats comparing to standard corn or soy fed would be a healthier choice. They contain less omega 6s (pro-inflammatory) and more omega 3 (anti-inflammatory). Organic meats have lower exposure to antibiotics, growth hormones and pesticides too. Animal protein is also higher in tyrosine and carnitine. Tyrosine is one of the main building blocks of thyroid hormones and precursor of dopamine – you motivation chemical.

Carnitine is another important amino acid especially when it comes to energy production and fatigue. Carnitine, also transports toxic by-products out of our body’s cells and helps to counteract damaging effect of free radicals. Both amino acids are important for improving hypothyroidism naturally and best to get them from food. Supplements are also available however there are certain nutrients that are better and safer when provided with food. I.e excess tyrosine can lead to serotonin depletion (your happy hormone).

5. Healthy fats

Nutrient dense diet including healthy fats like coconut oil, extra virgin olive oil, avocado is non-negotiable if it comes to hypothyroidism natural treatment. Coconut oils have also great anti-microbial and gut healing properties. Additionally, omega 3 rich foods: sardines, anchovies, herring, mackerel and other wild caught fish like sockeye salmon (not Scottish or Atlantic one as they are highly contaminated with heavy metals!). You can read tutaj a bit more what fish are the most and least contaminated with heavy metals. Plant sources of omega 3s include flax seeds, chia seeds and hemp seeds.

Last thought on fats – make sure you chose stable fats for cooking like coconut oil, butter or ghee and other fats consume only raw. Vegetable oils like rapeseed oil or commonly used sunflower oil oxides easily when exposed to light and temperature becoming really harmful for your body and your thyroid too. You can read more on what are the best oils for cooking and how to chose oils tutaj

6. Clean water

You may be surprised but tap water contains lots of thyroid disruptors like chlorine and fluoride among others. Both inhibit iodine absorption and aggravate your hypothyroidism symptoms. Plastic bottled water on the other hand can increase oestrogen and disrupt hormonal balance too. Best to get good quality water filter. 

7. Fruits and vegetables

The more variety the better. Antioxidants and phytonutrients are necessary to support your hypothyroidism natural treatment, decrease free radical damage and lower inflammation. The amount of toxins our body needs to cope with on daily basis is overwhelming. Toxins generate huge amount of free radicals that can damage your thyroid cells and ability to produce and utilise hormones. Eating a rainbow of fruits & vegetables each day is essential for healthy thyroid. Best to choose low glycemic fruits and vegetables.

The more toxins and harmful compounds you can remove from you food and your environment the better and more efficient your natural treatment for hypothyroidism will be.

What foods to avoid with hypothyroidism?

From very obvious like sugar, vegetable oils and processed foods to less obvious and considered “healthy” like soy, tofu and peanuts. Additionally reducing cruciferous vegetables and excluding gluten can be beneficial too. Cruciferous vegetables like broccoli or kale (especially when undercooked) contain high levels of goitrogens – a compound that interfere with iodine absorption and healthy thyroid function. Here you can read more about common “healthy” foods to avoid when trying to heal under active thyroid naturally .

If you are still not sure – send your question here and I will get back to you with the answer

Best natural supplement for hypothyroidism:

Eating whole unprocessed foods is fundamental however sometimes may not be enough. Dietary supplements can be a useful tool in how to cure your hypothyroidism permanently. Here I picked three pretty important for thyroid health:)

• Witamina D – is essential for thyroid receptors. Make sure you get it daily with other co-factors like vitamin K2 among others, especially during the winter months when it’s nearly impossible to get enough vitamin D from the sun.
• B complex – vitamin B supplement will help you repair the damages that hypothyroidism caused, support your healing and also increase energy.

• Ashwagandha – it’s an adaptogenic herb that supports you adrenals, help you deal with stress better and lower cortisol naturally. It has been used for centuries in eastern medicine. Adrenal fatigue and excess cortisol can increase reverse t3 levels making your hypothyroidism symptoms worse. 

What else you can do to support your natural treatment of hypothyroidism?

Apart from diet, good quality sleep, exercise and spending some time outdoors, reducing your stress is also very important if it comes to hypothyroidism natural treatment! Chronic stress is one of the main triggers for hypothyroidism and other thyroid dysfunctions. If you can’t reduce your work overload or family commitments, think about how you can prioritise tasks, organise your day better,  set clear boundaries, communicate your needs clearly and make some time for self-care: meditation, epsom salt bath, aromatherapy or grounding. What’s important is to build your stress resilience and how you manage your day to day stressors present in your life . Stress management without doubt is an essential part of hypothyroidism holistic treatment.

Quite often we have little control over what’s happening to us but we have full control how we react to stress. Will that induce healing or disease? When your body is at peace it will heal. 

Believe me or not but being at peace and embracing life just as it is, it’s actually one of the best natural treatments and what is even better it’s completely free 🙂

Acupuncture

When looking for best solutions how to treat hypothyroidism holistically, acupuncture is something to certainly consider as a part of your natural treatment for hypothyroidism. Acupuncture helps to restore hormonal balance, reduce inflammation and release energy blockages. To see the effects usually few sessions are recommended.

Key take aways

Hypothyroidism natural treatment aims to resolve the core issue of altered thyroid function by correcting underlying imbalances and nutrient deficiencies that has build up over years. Running appropriate diagnostic tests (apart from basic thyroid panel) can be extremely helpful and can speed up the treatment.

However, “cleaning up” you diet is undoubtedly the first step towards treating your hypothyroidism naturally. You already tried things and still not feeling better? Probably, your body needs a proper reset. Take a closer look at your gut health, adrenals, liver, oestrogen levels and toxin exposure too. Lifestyle changes and other alternative therapies aiming to lower stress are certainly invaluable addition to your natural treatment for hypothyroidism as well. Your body works as a whole, so to regain full health and fully treat your under-active thyroid, each part needs to be functioning well.

I know it’s a lot and it can be overwhelming. If you need my guidance to help you solve the thyroid mystery, book a FREE 30min clarity session with me and I will be happy to assist you:)

Frequently Asked Questions: