Hey guys, i’m abby sharp welcome to Abby’s kitchen in today’s. Video. I’m gonna be talking about something that I’ve, gotten a lot of requests for, and that is hypothyroidism. Interestingly, I myself was recently diagnosed with a low t4, which also happened to me in my first pregnancy.
As my hormones changed, so I to have a bit of a vested interest in this topic and based on the number of requests I received, I know it’s, a very common concern, so in order to best address hypothyroidism, we’re Gon na be talking about what the thyroid is, what happens when it’s under active and the plethora of health consequences that could potentially be linked to this condition? We’ll, also be covering what is considered to be a hypothyroid friendly diet, the potential impact of supplements and how it can help you better manage the symptoms of your hypothyroidism.
I’m, also going to be bringing in a colleague of mine, another fellow dietitian who specializes in hypothyroidism to talk more about hypothyroidism and things like setpoint weight. Now, if you don & # 39, t want any of the introductory information on some of the causes of hypothyroidism and want to skip right ahead to gettin into you know your appetite weight.
Things like that check out the time stamp right here now before we get started. I want to express that the information in this video is for entertainment and educational purposes only, and you should always speak to your doctor and dietitian about your unique healthcare needs.
Hypothyroidism is a serious condition that there should be diagnosed by your doctor and any dietary changes should be overseen by your healthcare team. Okay, let’s. Do this now. What is the thyroid, and what does it do so? Our thyroid is a small butterfly shaped gland located near the base of our necks that helps to maintain a healthy metabolism, hormone functions, energy levels and much much more.
The thyroid does this by producing two t3 and t4, and this process involves taking iodine from the diet and combining it with the amino acid tyrosine. Our thyroid gland is closely regulated by another small gland in our brain called the pituitary gland.
The pituitary gland produces another really important hormone, called the thyroid stimulating hormone or TSH, which, as the name alludes to stimulates the production of thyroid hormones. So then, what is hypothyroidism hypothyroidism is the under production of the thyroid hormones t3 and t4 aka an underactive thyroid.
It is a well known condition in Western society with about one to two percent of the population struggling with it. Now there are two main categories that a hypothyroid diagnosis can be grouped into there’s primary and they’re secondary.
So primary hypothyroidism is caused by a failure in the function of our thyroid gland, whereas secondary hypothyroidism is most commonly due to an inadequate amount of TSH being released from our pituitary gland.
So now that we know what hypothyroidism is, what are the symptoms of hypothyroidism? So some of the most common symptoms of hypothyroidism include tiredness mental slowness, impaired memory, lethargy and sluggishness, feeling and tolerant to the cold unexplained weight, gain dry, skin or hair hair loss and irregularities with bowel movements and menstrual cycles.
I know that that sounds really scary, but it’s, important to note that the appearance of symptoms will definitely depend on the severity of the condition. Most often problematic symptoms may not actually impact one’s daily life until the condition is at a more severe level.
In fact, one City show that only 30 % of subclinical cases had any symptoms at all. So on that note, what are the leading causes of hypothyroidism? So primary hypothyroidism is most commonly caused by an autoimmune disease which impacts the thyroid like Hashimoto’s, for example, but it can also be influenced by other diseases that predispose individuals to an underactive thyroid like celiac disease.
An inflamed thyroid aka thyroiditis, which can happen post partum, for example, or due to a viral infection, iodine deficiencies or toxicities external radiation therapy of the neck or head various drugs, disordered eating habits or an underdeveloped thyroid, whereas secondary hypothyroidism can be caused by abnormalities or issues With the pituitary gland or closely linked areas of the brain like the hypothalamus, now let’s, look a little closer at some specific diseases or conditions that have evidence linking them to hypothyroidism the first one that a lot of you asked me about is Hashimoto’s, disease hashimoto & # 39.
S is actually the leading cause of hypothyroidism affecting 5 percent of the American population. It is an autoimmune disorder, so your immune system is basically attacking your thyroid. The symptoms of Hashimoto & # 39.
S. Are the same as those with an underactive thyroid? Plus, you may get some swelling at the front of your throat known as a goiter. This disease is hereditary and women are about eight times more likely to develop it than men, and the most common diagnostic age range is between 48 to 60 years old.
Next, let’s. Talk about celiac disease and gluten sensitivities. So celiac is another autoimmune disease, where basically, an individual has an immune response to gluten, and this affects about 1 percent of Western populations.
Research suggests that there’s about a four-fold greater chance of hypothyroidism in people with celiac disease than in the general population. Now, despite the whole wellness community supporting everyone and their mother going gluten-free to manage their thyroid conditions, there’s.
Actually, no evidence to suggest that avoiding gluten will help those without celiac or gluten intolerance. The research that supports a gluten-free diet for the management of thyroid disease is done with individuals who are either diagnosed with actual celiac disease, bloon sensitivity or have Hashimoto’s, meaning the results can definitely not be relayed to the general public who are free And clear of all of these conditions, so next let’s.
Talk about the link between disordered eating and hypothyroidism, because this one I got asked a lot about so disordered eating. As you likely know, if you watch my videos can show up in our lives in a multitude of ways, ranging from chronic dieting to restrictive eating to actual eating disorders, oftentimes sort of eating may result in serious nutritional and caloric deficient these putting the body at risk For becoming actually malnourished, it should be no surprise that this malnourished can lead to a plethora of health consequences, including hormonal imbalances, metabolic alterations and weight fluctuations, all of which impact our thyroid.
It is well documented that states of chronic starvation are associated with changes in our thyroid hormones and not always in the way that we want. We often see a decrease in both t3 and t4, as well as Porteous age performance.
So next I want to answer a viewer question. Do plant-based diets negatively affect the thyroid, so I wanted to get clear that veganism does not cause hypothyroidism, that’s, got ta, be made crystal clear.
In fact, one study found that, following a vegan, diet may actually be associated with a protective effect against hypothyroidism. It should be noted, though, that this study concluded an insignificant relationship and that more detailed research was definitely needed, but it’s at least some potential evidence that it might not necessarily be a huge concern.
However, I do see why some individuals may make this association, and the reason for this is that people who are following a plant-based diet may be at heightened risk for iodine deficiency, which is a common cause of primary hypothyroidism.
Yes, I would say that an iodine deficiency is pretty rare in developed countries. However, in an unplanned diet, it may be a concern. Later we’re gonna talk about some of the main food sources for nutrients like iodine, but spoiler alert.
Most concentrated sources come from seafood and dairy, not plants. Again, I’m going to be covering all of this super soon. I will say, however, that while most of these do show that many plant-based followers can maintain a healthy iodine status, no problem.
If there is an attention paid to balance in the diet, there can be a slightly increased risk. There are also other essential nutrients for thyroid function. That may be a concern for those following a plant-based diet, mainly because some of the most concentrated sources of these nutrients from animal foods.
So predominantly I’m talking about iron b12 and zinc. For this reason, it’s really important to supplement if you’re, not carefully planning out your plant-based diet. So, of course, always speak to your healthcare provider or registered dietitian about the best supplements for you.
Another potential concern is that vegan diet patterns often include increased intake of certain foods that are known to interact with a thyroid, including soy products and cruciferous vegetables. Now moderation is definitely key and there are definitely steps that can be taken to increase the safety of consuming these foods for thyroid health.
But I will go into a lot more detail into this soon, so just hold tight, we’ll get there. I would say a bigger concern with a vegan diet or really any diet is the possibility that one might not eat enough and, as we & # 39, ve already discussed under eating is associated with thyroid concerns.
So if you’re transitioning to a vegan diet, just make sure that you’re not under eating and consider working with a registered dietician to just map out which nutrients maybe should be supplemented. Ok, so now we know all about some of the conditions and diets that may potentially be linked to an increased risk of hypothyroidism.
Let’s. Take a brief. Look at the next question that you might be having. How do I get diagnosed so a proper diagnosis for hypothyroidism can only be made with a medical professional, and it will involve bloodwork to test your t4, t3 and TSH.
If there’s, a suspicion of Hashimoto’s, you might also get your antibodies tested and it’s possible. Your doctor will also want to test for an iodine deficiency, which I want to be clear, is pretty rare in industrialized societies.
Okay, now that we got those questions out of the way, let’s, move on to the juicy stuff. How does hypothyroidism affect your weight and your appetite now, as mentioned previously, the thyroid is key in maintaining a healthy metabolism and energy balance, both of which closely regulate our natural weight when thyroid function is diminished.
We someone see a corresponding decrease in the body’s metabolic rate, and sometimes this means that weight gain can occur. However, statistically the waking associated with hypothyroidism is often pretty modest, averaging about five to ten pounds.
Now I’m, not suggesting that people can’t and don’t gain more than that if they have an underactive thyroid. As I know that your lived experience may tell us something completely different, but I’m just telling you what the research says, as we know by now, weight gain is very multifaceted and often develops over a long period of time.
So, with this in mind, it’s, important to be aware of the fact that it’s, not uncommon for people to struggle to lose a significant amount of weight, even after being treated for their hypothyroidism.
One study found that within two years after hypothyroid treatment started just over 50 % of the study population was able to lose weight and that this weight loss was pretty moderate, with an average loss about 8.
4 pounds. Another common concern with hypothyroidism is the impact on our appetite now something that may surprise you is that a common feature of an underactive thyroid is actually a loss of appetite which may kind of seem contradictory by the whole weight gain situation.
However, both these changes are impacted by hormone irregularities and it’s common to see your appetite increase again as a result of treatment for hypothyroidism. This has 100 % been my experience early on in my pregnancy.
I literally had no appetite at all some days. I look back at what I ate and if I was busy it would only be like a fraction of what I would normally eat and yet some weeks the scale would still be jumping up five pounds as somebody with a generally healthy appetite like you’ve seen my what I in the days, the lack of desire to eat totally freaked me out, and in fact this in combination with like total exhaustion, was the main clue that I had in figuring out that something wasn’t really right.
Thankfully, since starting on medication, which I’ll talk about momentarily, I have definitely started to slowly feel hungry or every single day I’m, still gaining weight, obviously hello, pregnancy, but it’s, not so drastic and fast.
Now, if you’re all nodding your head at the weight gain struggles as I’ve gotten, so many comments from you guys about it. Let’s, talk about treatment and before I get into it again another disclaimer that, while diet is important in most cases, it cannot cure hypothyroidism on its own, so always work with your health care provider and team to ensure that you’Re getting the right medications and supplements to get your symptoms under control.
So on that note, let’s. Talk the serious stuff first medication for those people living with hypothyroidism thyroid hormone replacement therapy is the gold standard for treatment. The most common and well researched.
Medications are really aimed at supplementing the body with the thyroid hormone t4. So that way, the body still kind of needs to activate it. The common name for these medications is levothyroxine, and research has supported that it can reverse symptoms in the majority of hypothyroidism patients.
Now, of course, as is with most medication, there are some potential side effects, including increased appetite, weight, loss, irritability and anxiety. There are also several nutrients, as well as natural remedies, which I’ll, discuss later, that have been found to interfere with the absorption or bioavailability of thyroid medications, so you actually want to space these out with your drugs.
First on the list is calcium. Now, supplements or antacids containing calcium can interfere with a lot of thyroid medications. Therefore, it & # 39. S often recommended that you take any calcium containing supplements at least four hours before or after taking your thyroid medications.
Second is iron now similar to calcium, supplemental iron. Can also interfere with the absorption and activity of thyroid medications. Therefore, again it & # 39. S also recommended that you take any iron supplements outside of that four-hour window of taking your thyroid meds another nutrient that can interfere with the medications.
Absorption is fiber now fiber is found in obviously a lot of foods, including whole grains, vegetables, fruit, etc, meaning it can be hard to avoid. Therefore, for most people it’s, often recommended that thyroid medications be taken bursting in the morning on an empty stomach and then about 30 to 16 minutes later you can have your first meal.
Soy products are also known to interact with I roid hormone-replacement medications therefore, should also be consumed about four hours outside of the window that you’re, taking your meds and lastly, there’s.
Coffee now coffee can interfere with the absorption of a lot of these medications, so it is suggested that your first cup not be consumed until at least a half an hour after taking your meds. All of this sounds really complicated, but most people deal with a lot of these interactions without going crazy just by taking their medication as soon as they wake up and then waiting 30 to 60 minutes before eating and then taking any of their other supplements at night Or later on, in the day, okay, now let’s, get into my bread and butter diet, starting with what to enjoy more often let’s start with the one that is the most important iodine now iodine is an essential element that Is needed to produce our thyroid hormones? Therefore, if we’re deficient, our body is unable to make an adequate amount of the thyroid hormones.
T3 and t4. Therefore, increasing iodine intake through a variety of foods may help us manage our symptoms of hypothyroidism. If the root cause is an iodine deficiency, however, as I mentioned before, iodine supplements are actually not usually recommended or needed for people living in developed countries.
This is because we can really easily get the iodine that we need in our diet, through iodized table salt and therefore becoming deficient in the first place is actually quite rare. Avoiding iodine supplements is especially important if iodine deficiency is not the cause of your hypothyroidism as excess iodine can either cause or worsen an underactive thyroid.
So please do not self diagnose and start taking iodine supplements without supervision. Also, it’s, important to note that a lot of thyroid support multivitamins out there actually contain iodine. So I always recommend taking just the individual nutrients and supplements that you need instead of blends.
If you’re, really unsure of your unique needs now, the recommended daily intake of iodine is about 150 micrograms for adult males and females, and this can usually be met through foods like cheese cows and soy, milk, eggs, yogurt, iodized, table salt, saltwater, fish And shellfish seaweed products like kelp, doles and nori, as well as things like soy sauce.
To give this a little bit more context, a half of a teaspoon of iodized salt contains a hundred percent of the iodine that we need in a day. Well, a small cod fillet contains just under 70 %. A cup of milk offers just about 60 %, and one egg has over 15 %, but, like I said, my plant-based friends may just have to make sure that they’re using iodized salt and adding seaweed products into the rotation.
Next, I want to talk about selenium now. Selenium is a powerful antioxidant which protects our bodies from cellular damage and is associated with maintaining the health of our thyroid. Selenium helps to maintain our thyroid function in two different ways: one by activating our thyroid hormones for use.
In the body and two by protecting the gland from the oxidative damage of free radicals through its antioxidant properties, if you recall from before t4 needs to be activated into its active form t3 in order to be used in the body and selenium, is actually key in Making that happen, therefore, not only the selenium deficiency hinder our thyroids ability to synthesize thyroid hormones, but it also decreases its ability to activate those hormones, not good.
So the recommended daily intake of selenium is fifty five micrograms for most adults. Selenium can be found in high concentrations in foods like oysters and other seafood, Brazil, nuts, eggs and sunflower seeds.
One single Brazil nut for example, offers us a hundred and seventy-five percent of what we need in the day. So it’s too bad. I hate them so much, but one small halibut fillet does contain over seventy percent.
Quarter of a can of oysters has both fifty percent and a quarter cup of sunflower seeds offers just over 50 percent. Now the third nutrient that we’re going to talk about is zinc. Zinc is also required for the synthesis and activation of our thyroid hormones, making it essential for proper thyroid function.
The recommended intake Zink is about 8 to 11 milligrams per day for adults. Now, animal products are the most concentrated sources of zinc, but some plant-based options like beans, fortified, cereals and pumpkin seeds, are some plant-based alternatives.
To give you some context, 1/4 of a can of oysters contains a staggering 610 percent of our daily needs, while 4 ounces of beef chuck contains over 70 % 3 ounces of pork loin about 30 % and a serving of baked beans, zinc, fortified, cereals or pumpkin Seeds contain just under 30 % now the next nutrient plays a very similar role in our body as selenium and zinc, which is copper, copper helps to maintain thyroid function and research has fee on that.
Diminished. Copper levels are closely linked to lower thyroid hormone levels. The recommended daily intake for copper is about 900 micrograms for healthy adults, similar to other trace elements. Some of the richest sources of copper are seafood and red meats.
However, copper is also found in several plant-based sources like dark chocolate, potatoes mushrooms as well as nuts and seeds. So 3 ounces of beef liver contains an astonishing 1013 percent of our daily needs of copper.
While one square of dark baking chocolate offers 85 %. One square of regular 85 % dark chocolate has about 60 %, and one way potato can have up to 75 % now. The next nutrient that is closely linked to thyroid function is one that is hugely important for maintaining our overall health, and that is b12.
Now b12 has been linked to healthy thyroid function and is also needed for healthy red blood cell development and the avoidance of anemia, which I & # 39. Ll talk more about soon. One said he found that approximately 40 percent of patients with an underactive thyroid were found to have a deficiency in b12.
The recommended daily intake of vitamin b12 is 2.4 micrograms for healthy adults and the most concentrated sources are animal products and fortified plant-based foods. Now three ounces of clamps, for example, contains thirty-five hundred percent of our daily needs.
Three ounces of beef liver has about 2946 sent and on a more modest but adequate level. One serving of fortified nutritional yeast offers a hundred percent and a cup of fortified dairy-free milk contain 50 % now moving on to another essential nutrient for thyroid health iron, so iron is an essential nutrient that performs a multitude of vital functions in the body.
The main one being that it’s responsible for carrying oxygen through the body to our tissues once that he found that 43 % of people diagnosed with clinical hypothyroidism were also actually anemic. So the recommended daily intake of iron for healthy adults is about 8 milligrams for men and 18 milligrams for women, but this number increases when of course, anemia is present.
So while it is often individualized, the average recommended dose for supplemental iron for dealing with mild anemia is a hundred and twenty milligrams per day. Now, iron is found in many different high-protein foods, such as red meat seafood and a variety of plant-based sources.
One serving of iron fortified cereals contains about a hundred percent of the daily value for healthy adults. While three ounces of beef liver offers, twenty percent of women’s needs and fifty percent of men’s.
Five muscles have sixty percent of women’s needs and twenty-eight percent of men’s and have a cup of cooked black beans. Chickpeas or kidney beans offer just over 10 percent of women’s needs and 24 percent of men’s.
Finally, I want to talk about tyrosine. Now we naturally produce tyrosine in our bodies. If we have enough of its precursor phenylalanine now, tyrosine does play an essential role in our thyroid health, as is the building blocks for our thyroid hormones.
However, supplementing with tyrosine could quickly elevate these hormones above healthy ranges and therefore supplementation would not be readily recommended for everyone, especially in combination with thyroid medications.
Instead, including a variety of protein. Rich foods in your diet will help with your overall balance and intake of tyrosine. As well as its precursor phenylalanine, so you can find this amino acid. In foods like beef, pork salmon, chicken toe phoo, milk beans and lentils, nuts and seeds, a six ounce portion of beefsteak offers 264 percent of what the average person would need for tyrosine.
In a day, while a medium salmon filet offers 248 percent, a half a cup of firm tofu has 93 percent, and two ounces of pumpkin seeds contains 74 percent. Now let’s. Take a look at some foods that are commonly recommended to avoid or reduce for those with hypothyroidism and what the research actually says, starting with boi Trojans now fun little factoid, the term boy Trojan actually comes from the word Gator, which is another name for the enlarged Thyroid gland: yes, you can bust that little factoid out at your next dinner party.
If we ever get to have a dinner party. Anyways Gorgons are compounds that are found in a variety of foods, with some research suggesting that they may interfere with thyroid function by interfering with the uptake of iodine.
But this is really only concern if there’s already a thyroid dysfunction, an iodine deficiency and or the foods containing these compounds are consumed in excess. So common boy Trojans can be separated into five different main categories: cruciferous vegetables, like broccoli, Brussels sprouts, cabbage cauliflower, collard, greens, kale, radishes and turnips soy based foods like tofu, tempeh, edamame and soy milk, certain fruits like apricots cherries, peaches, plums and strawberries.
Certain starchy foods like millet, sweet, potato and tapioca, and some beverages like coffee, green, tea and red wine. Now, while a lot of sketchy, wellness diets will tell you to never have a Brussels sprout again, I don’t believe it needs to be so extreme.
There are ways to continue incorporating most of these Gorgons in your diet, in a safe and healthy way. First of all, some research suggests that cooking or steaming your cruciferous vegetables, for example, has been found to kind of denature much of their goitrogenic effect, rendering them much more safe for consumption.
One said he found that eating three to four serving of cooked cruciferous vegetables per week had little to no effect on thyroid function, assuming, of course, that iodine levels were adequate. This means you can continue to consume your favorite cruciferous vegetable may be a better option to avoid any adverse effects when consuming moderate levels of soy based foods in conjunction with normal iodine levels.
It has also been reported that there really is no reason for concern. However, if there is an issue with supplementing with soy phytoestrogens where it was found that there was a three-fold, increased risk of developing hypothyroidism when doing so, therefore, eating soy products in moderation like a few times a week, does not seem to be a cause of concern.
If you’re, not iodine deficient, but supplementation should likely be avoided. Now the goitrogens that are commonly found in foods like fruits, grains, nuts, wine, coffee and tea are commonly referred to as flavonoid antioxidants.
While there has been research done that has shown that flavonoids may result in anti-thyroid effects, these results have only seemingly be found in labs, not actual humans. So while food is likely safe similar to what we said about soy, supplementation with flavonoids has been strongly tied to anti-thyroid and going through genic activities.
So avoiding adding supplements to your diet may be a good idea being that there’s. No strong research to encourage people to completely avoid these kinds of foods. I would say that enjoying them in moderation should not be linked to any adverse effects again if a person has not been diagnosed with an iodine deficiency.
However, there are two exceptions to this, and that is with millet and alcohol studies have found that millet and alcohol can suppress thyroid function even when an iodine deficiency is not present. Therefore, choosing an alternative green to millet is recommended so like quinoa or oats or rice and, of course, enjoying alcohol in moderation.
I know the alcohol thing kind of sucks, but overall I don & # 39. T think that, following a hypothyroid, friendly diet really needs to be that restrictive. In fact, following restrictive it’s with an underactive thyroid is definitely not recommended, despite many of them being promoted as beneficial for thyroid health.
One of these diets is the ketogenic diet. So let’s. Talk about that for a hot minute. The keto diet, as you likely know, is a high fat, low, carb diet. Keto changes how our body uses its energy stores to run off of ketones.
Instead of glucose and therefore it ultimately alters our metabolic state, the metabolic state, our body’s, function in when we’re in ketosis, closely resembles a state of starvation, which some research suggests may be really hard on our thyroid.
Therefore, it’s often been assumed that following a strict keto diet for a prolonged period of time is just not recommended. 1 2017 study Ashley the first-ever study to look at the keto diet and thyroid function.
Looked at epileptic children who are following a strict keto diet in order to control their seizures and they want to know how their thyroid hormones were being affected. They found that after just six months, 17 percent of the patients developed hypothyroidism signaling a significant correlation between the keto diet and thyroid function decline.
Obviously, more research is still needed in this area to be able to generate clear guidelines and recommendations surrounding adults, specifically without epilepsy. And/Or with thyroid dysfunction, but for now I know it’s, tempting because of the association between hypothyroidism and weight gain, but I would not recommend trying the keto diet to manage your hypothyroidism until better and more conclusive research is being done.
I would rather, you focus on adding foods and nutrients to your diet, to support your thyroid, rather than focus on taking them away and cutting extreme amounts of calories and, lastly, moving on let’s briefly touch on some natural supplements, while I am all For supporting and as natural as possible lifestyle, I think a warning should be issued here that these natural remedies have much less research, backing them up and have even been found to interact with a variety of medications.
Therefore, if you’re, opting for the natural to deal with your hypothyroidism, I would strongly urge you to seek out a medical professional who’s. Gon na make sure that you’re, not taking any supplements that are going to interfere with your medication or diet.
So there are several popularized natural remedies that claim to have thyroid stimulating effects. These include ashwagandha, which has the most evidence to back up the claims: coleus, go-to, Kula and Google.
I mean I don’t know if I’m saying any of those things right, because I feel like I’m talking baby gibberish but anyways. The first ashwagandha is also commonly known as Indian jinx, Inc or winter berry.
This is a natural herb that has long Dean believed to help the body manage stress, but has also gained recent popularity as a potential alternative treatment for managing hypothyroidism. This claim was supported by one study which found that supplementing with 600 milligrams of this herb daily significantly improved thyroid hormone levels and TSH within eight weeks.
That’s pretty promising. However, since this herb is also linked to decrease stress levels, it’s unknown. If the findings are result of the Asha ganda directly improving thyroid function or decreasing stress levels through its proposed anti stress properties, chronic stress is known to increase cortisol levels, which does in turn negatively impact our thyroid.
So it is possible that the impact really is on the stress, relieving properties of the herb. Of course, we definitely need a lot more research to confirm all of this, so I’ll, be keeping my eye out for that now.
The second natural remedy, coleus, is also referred to as forskolin, which I know sounds like foreskin and isn’t very nice anyways. This is a natural herb that is claimed to increase thyroid function.
However, the research is definitely very limited and what does exist is pretty outdated. I mean we’re talking 1984, so honestly, no strong recommendations that can be made. Then we have go to Akula. So this is a leaf that has proposed thyroid health benefits.
Due to properties that apparently stimulate the thyroid gland to produce more t4, but again there’s minimal evidence existing to really support this claim so hard to make really good recommendations. Lastly, you may have heard of Google as a potential hypothyroid alternative medication.
This herbal remedy comes from a tree and is supposed to increase the conversion of t4 to t3, similar to the previous two, though there’s, limited scientific evidence to really support any of these claims.
I do want to close with a statement that I found in one study where they specifically disclaimed. We recommend against the use of dietary supplements, nutriceuticals or other over-the-counter products as a means of treating hypothyroidism.
We particularly caution against the use of pharmacological doses of iodine because of the risk of thyrotoxicosis and hypothyroidism in those with intact thyroid glands susceptible to becoming further dysregulated because of underlying thyroid pathology.
So, basically stick to what you’re most comfortable with. But please do so no matter what, under the guidance of your health care team, now to bring some practice-based evidence to the picture. I have brought in my colleague, fellow dietician Lacey Dunn, who specializes in hypothyroidism, but thank you so much Lacey for joining me.
Thank you. So much for having me on it’s, an honor to get to chat with you and, of course, your listeners as well. So I had some big questions come in from my viewers and the first one was: how does hypothyroidism alter a person’s? Setpoint wait yeah! That’s, a great question.
So when we’re looking at hypothyroidism, essentially what happens is your thyroid? Is the master of your own body? Think of like the mitochondria is the powerhouse of the cell. Your thyroid is the powerhouse of your body and your metabolism.
So if you do, if you have hypothyroidism, essentially what happens is you have drops in what’s called your t4 and your t3 and what happens with this? Is you have down regulation of your hormones, your metabolism, you are not able to maintain your weight at the same amount of calories that you were before so essentially it down regulates your metabolism and totally screws off and throws off your setpoint yeah, and in your experience, What needs to happen for people who you know to be able to see their weight come back down to or come up whenever way, this is going to their pre diagnosis set point so the most important things when it comes down to getting back to that set Point or maintaining it is first looking at well.
What is your overall diet? Look like so you’re, looking at making sure you get those adequate micronutrients in your diet that are involved in your thyroid, both the creation of your thyroid, as well as the conversion of your thyroid.
So you have t4, which is inactive, thyroid hormone, that converts to t3, that’s active hormone, and you need that conversion in order to be able to utilize that thyroid hormone. So you’re. Looking at things like iron, iodide, zinc, vitamin C B, vitamins making sure you get all your central me, you know acids you’re, also looking at making sure you’re managing sleep, because if you are not getting proper sleep, then your Thyroid is not gonna be happy.
Your hormones are not gonna, be happy making sure you’re balancing your blood sugar, very, very important, because if you’re, not balancing that blood sugar, that thyroid is not going to be happy and your adrenals are not, and your Adrenals or your best friend when it comes to your thyroid health, also stress reduction.
I kid you not. This is what a lot of people they do not focus on stress, reduction, self-care, the best things that you can do to help your setpoint, your health and your happiness, and then you’re, also looking at making sure you get all healthy, good, healthy Fats and mega three fatty acids, as well as a good amount of your vegetable and fruit and take and a good colorful variety there.
So overall just try and focus on what nourishes you mind: body and soul. I think that’s, great advice and and so any additional non diet tips for people out there who are struggling with the weight gain associated with hypothyroidism.
I would say the most important thing is to give yourself some grace and some love and know that that hypothyroidism diagnosis, the weight gain that you might be having or inability to lose weight. It’s, not your body hating! You! It’s, not anything you did to yourself.
That is your body, that’s, a fire alarm in your body asking for help so be willing to give it some love. Give it some grace and understand and know that your body go back to its that point, and you’ll, be able to reach those goals that whatever goals you have and feel better once your body is in a place of healing, and it is No longer in a place of complete destruction and chaos yeah, I think that’s, great advice and and for those who are experiencing changes in hunger, which we know is a common side effect of hypothyroidism.
How do you suggest honoring that appetite and that those hunger changes while still meeting nutritional needs? So I mean this can go either way, whether, for example, somebody loses their appetite when they’ve been diagnosed with hypothyroidism.
Do you suggest kind of manual eating on a schedule, regardless of maybe not feeling hunger and then, if somebody gets goes on medication and their appetite increases suddenly, should people be responding by eating more even if they, your goal is to lose weight? Yeah, I’m, so glad you mentioned this because I know a lot of people.
They have a struggle with it and is then essentially it’s, two different scenarios. So if you’re struggling with not being able to eat, then it’s very important as tough as it is. It’s very important to give yourself a consistent schedule, because what you really need to do is you need to balance your blood sugar and you don’t want to be going 5 to 6 hours without eating, because that is going To spike up cortisol, which is not good for your thyroid and of course nobody wants you hangry either and moody, so it does mean sometimes having a consistent meal schedule, making sure you’re getting in a protein source with each meal and snack, sometimes That is the case, but when it comes down to overeating and having to being too hungry, then that is.
That is another tough scenario, because then you’re like oh, I’m really hungry, but I’m gaining weight or I can’t maintain my current weight and in reality it comes down to okay. Well, what can you do then, to help satisfy that hunger, because you don’t want to push away hunger, that hunger is again like a far-off fire alarm, and so looking at your diet, getting in complex carbohydrates, proteins with each meal filling up on Good fiber vegetables fruits, that’s really important.
So I like to look at food volume first and don’t, try and dissipate that hunger. It just kind of monitor what can nourish you? What is you up? What makes you feel good? Yeah, I think that’s, some really great information for everyone that is watching that is being struggling with their own hypothyroidism diagnosis.
So, thank you again. So much Laci for all of your information for those who are interested, I’ll, be leaving some links below to Lacey’s social and web site. In case you’re. Looking for some one-on-one support and Lacey tell us you & # 39.
Ve got a great resource that people can access. I do so. If anybody wants a free, no BS guide to hypothyroidism in Hashimoto’s, you can just check it out on my website. It includes things like what is hypothyroidism and Hashimoto’s.
The differences labs to test symptoms, essential nutrients supplements that can help you name it so free guide, just checking on my website. Lebu thanks again have a great one. You’re, so welcome. Thank you, a big thank you again to Laci.
I’m, going to be leaving some links below to her social and website for some one-on-one support now bottom line. I know it’s, scary, to get any kind of diagnosis, never mind one that may require lifelong treatment and that impacts your metabolism, energy levels and body weight.
The good news is that the roid or mone replacement therapy has proven to improve thyroid function and reverse symptoms in the majority of patients, with only 12 percent reporting ongoing symptoms of hypothyroidism.
Now, if you feel like you may be dealing with some of the side effects of hypothyroidism, I would urge you to reach out to a health care professional like a doctor or a dietitian for some extra guidance, and on that note, folks.
That is all we have for today. I hope this video was in laning and that it was helpful. If you have any comments, I would love to know if there’s, any other kind of medical conditions that you want me to cover from a dietary perspective.
Don’t forget to give this video the thumbs up subscribe to the channel, and I will see you next time on Abby’s, kitchen bye, [, Music, ],
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