Low Thyroid Function and Iodine

A client came to me last week, telling me that her thyroid was not performing up to par. She was gaining weight; sluggish; sensitive to cold; tired easily; had dry, puffy skin, thinning hair, and headaches; and was constipated most of the time.

This is very common in older women. My thyroid has been low-functioning most of my life—it’s genetic. My mom’s thyroid quit working as a young mom and went undiagnosed for years until she visited a specialist.  

I am controlling my hypothyroid (low thyroid function) symptoms through good nutrition and careful iodine supplementation. Unlike other supplements, too little iodine in the diet OR too much can lead to a low-functioning thyroid.

So what is the thyroid? It is a small gland located at the front of the neck. Its function is to take iodine, which is found in many foods, and combine it with an amino acid called tyrosine to make two hormones: thyroxine (T4) and triiodothronine (T3). These hormones travel through the bloodstream to control our metabolism.

Generally physicians treat hypothyroid issues with supplementation with synthetic hormones that are very similar to thyroxine. My mom was put on prescription Armour, made of natural extracts that contain thyroid hormone derived from the thyroid glands of pigs. These natural products contain both T4 and T3, unlike other prescription drugs now on the market.

I’ll talk next time about the importance of iodine in a natural diet.

Wendy