As well as increasing iodine in your diet, or through supplements, there are other nutritional changes that can be made to support the optimum functioning of the thyroid gland, and therefore increasing your energy levels.
- Selenium is important for thyroid function as it helps T4 convert to T3. Sufficient amounts of selenium can be obtained from the diet by having one or two Brazil nuts a day or by eating garlic.
- Magnesium is also important for the proper absorption of iodine and can be found in leafy green vegetables and whole grains.
- B vitamins specifically vitamins B2 and B3, are needed to help the body use iodine at a cellular level.
- Vitamin D is important for the immune system so is very important in Hashimoto’s and Graves’ disease.
It would also be beneficial to optimise your levels of omega-3 fatty acids, tyrosine, vitamin A and zinc. I advise reducing gluten or wheat if you have intolerances.
Doing a detox or cleanse programme such as the energy cleanse is going to optimise your body to peak nutritional condition, as well as exercising, managing stress and taking saunas to aid detoxification and supplements, if needed, to support your nutritional needs.
Kelly is a 28-year-old woman who I saw with symptoms of tiredness, low mood and weight gain. Her thyroid function tests revealed a T4 level of 14. I put her on a three-week cleanse programme and advised taking supplements. She also started exercising and managing her stress more effectively. After four months she felt a lot better in herself and had much improved energy levels. Her T4 level was retested and had gone up to 17. The lifestyle and nutritional changes she made improved her symptoms and showed up biochemically on her blood tests too.
If you are concerned that your thyroid gland is not functioning well it could be worth getting your TSH, T4 and T3 levels checked. Remember, not all NHS GPs are able to do these tests so you may have to have them done privately, if you want to try too do it naturally. To boost the functioning of your thyroid gland you can look at your diet, making sure you get enough iodine, selenium, vitamin D, magnesium and B vitamins in your food or with supplements.
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