Weight gain is a common problem in hypothyroidism, also known as under-active thyroid. Hypothyroidism causes your thyroid to lose its ability to absorb thyroid hormones called thyroxine, called T4, and triiodothyronine, or T3. This causes your metabolism to slow down. According to Medline Plus, without a functioning metabolism, the food you eat is not converted into energy properly. Thus, your body stores extra calories, fat, and water. In turn, your appetite may increase, causing you to eat more and gain even more weight. Prescription thyroid medications are not the same as weight-loss supplements. Hence, some hypothyroid patients use a weight-loss supplement in addition to their prescription.
Effects
Medical treatment for hypothyroidism involves prescription thyroid hormone replacements. Over time, your metabolism will return to normal and you may drop some weight you had gained. However, thyroid hormone medications, such as Synthroid, do not actually make you lose weight. Lifestyle changes, and perhaps a weight-loss supplement, can help you lose weight in addition to thyroid hormone replacements.
Herbs
There are herbal supplements on the market that contain bladderwrack, also called kelp, which purportedly helps thyroid function. Bladderwrack is derived from seaweed and is rich in iodine, which helps stimulate your thyroid to produce hormones.
Bladderwrack is also available in capsule form, which can be taken in a 600 mg daily dose. However, according to Medline Plus, taking excessive iodine may interfere with thyroid hormone replacements.
Vitamins and Minerals
Certain vitamins and minerals can help increase thyroid function. According to the website Anne Collins, vitamin E can help your thyroid absorb iodine and can increase blood flow within the thyroid gland. Zinc also helps increase the amounts of T3 and T4 hormones in the gland. These can be taken as individual supplements or you can ensure that these ingredients are available in your daily multi-vitamin.
Other Ingredients
Thyroid-Info reports that there are other effective supplements on the market that can help an under-active thyroid.
Hoodia is a type of appetite suppressant that can help you lose weight over time by helping you decrease the amount of food you eat.
Weight-loss supplements such as Genaslim contain green tea to help your body burn fat. Keep in mind that these ingredients may help you lose weight, but have not been proven as an effective hypothyroid treatment.
Considerations
Do your research before using any type of weight loss supplement. Some products on the market contain stimulants like caffeine and some online outlets still sell supplements that contain ephedra. Ephedra can lead to heart problems and stroke, while too much caffeine can worsen hypothyroidism by disabling hormone absorption.
Ask your doctor before using supplements in order to help prevent potential side effects. Thyroid-Info recommends regular exercise and a low-starch, low-sugar diet to help you lose hypothyroid weight. Taking a supplement alone without changing your lifestyle will not get you the desired results.
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