Thyroid Problems

Are Natural Thyroid Supplements Best?

Best Thyroid Supplements

Identifying the best thyroid supplements is often a matter of opinion rather than medical fact. If you ask a natural health enthusiast their opinion of the best thyroid supplements, they'll proclaim natural thyroid supplements to be best. But in researching this article, we visited a number of medical sites, including the Mayo Clinic, and we found doctors who were skeptical that natural products were the best thyroid supplements for those with thyroid problems.

We'll summarize information about both in this article and let you decide for yourself what the best thyroid supplements are.

The goal of the best thyroid supplements is to help those with hypothyroidism. When you have hypothyroidism (also known as low thyroid or underactive thyroid), your thyroid gland doesn't produce enough of the hormones it should. The most common type of hypothyroidism in the United States is known as Hashimoto thyroid disease.

Levothyroxine for hypothyroidism Technically speaking, levothyroxine is a synthetic thyroid hormone, not a thyroid supplement. But many people think of it as a supplement. Most doctors believe levothyroxine is your best bet for coping with hypothyroidism. It's function is to replace hormones which are not being produced in sufficient quantities by your thyroid. Synthroid is probably the best known brand name, but others include Levoxyl, Levothroid, and Unithroid. There are also some generic versions.

Among the medical sites we researched, we found there to be general agreement that levothyroxine therapy, as directed by your doctor, is sufficient to treat most hypothyroidism patients.

Natural thyroid supplements If you're one of those people who looks to natural thyroid supplements to do the same job as hormone replacement therapy, you won't find many doctors who think you're making a wise choice.

It's understandable that no one looks forward to taking hormone replacements indefinitely - maybe for the rest of their lives. But doctors say this is a better idea than trying to normalize thyroid function with over-the-counter natural thyroid supplements. In fact, they say you may be putting yourself in danger.

Endocrinologists strongly suggest you read labels carefully because many thyroid supplements contain no thyroid hormones and may actually contain ingredients that work against thyroid medications.

Those who promote natural thyroid supplements dispute that hormone replacement therapy is enough. They claim that natural thyroid supplements may compensate for symptoms of low thyroid or, in some cases, improve the functioning of the thyroid itself.

They recommend adding such things as iodine, kelp or seaweed, or desiccated thyroid.

Iodine supplements for thyroid Iodine is an element that enables the thyroid gland to produce thyroid hormones. If you don't get enough, you get hypothyroidism or goiter (enlarged thyroid). Most people get enough from the salt in their diets, including the iodized salt that comes out of the salt shaker on their dinner table.

Natural health practitioners dislike chemically iodized salt, claiming it reacts poorly in the body. Natural sea salt is a better alternative, along with an iodine supplement to support thyroid function. Iodine supplements for thyroid are widely available over the counter and online. Click on iodine supplements for thyroid.

Kelp and seaweed supplements Many plants that grow in the sea are high in iodine content. Kelp and seaweed supplements lead the list.

Doctors agree with natural health enthusiasts on the high value of kelp and seaweed for thyroid support. However, seaweeds are best when they're hand-picked and dried. This type is hard to find in most health food stores. The same goes for kelp. To learn more, click on natural kelp and seaweed supplements.

Desiccated thyroid hormone Desiccated thyroid hormone is a thyroid extract taken from pork thyroid glands (sometimes beef and pork together). It is dried and powdered for therapeutic use. There are lots of other names for it including thyroid USP, thyroid BP, or Armour Thyroid (a commercial brand name).

Some people believe dessicated thyroid can relieve low thyroid symptoms that synthetic thyroid doesn’t, and may even improve thyroid function over time. Some companies produce pure desiccated thyroid. Others produce supplement formulations that support thyroid health.

Conclusion There are dozens of thyroid supplements on the commercial market, and many claim to be the best thyroid supplement. There's no question they vary in quality and in their ability to help you cope with thyroid problems. As noted above, some thyroid supplements are not effective at all, and you waste your money when you buy them. Some may even make your thyroid condition worse. Others can definitely have some beneficial effects.

When you're shopping for the best thyroid supplements, do some research to find out which ones have the best track record. Stick with those that have all natural ingredients and no side effects. And be sure to get your doctor's advice on thyroid supplements, especially if you are taking other medications.

If you are interested in shopping for thyroid supplements, click here