Many men and women suffer from the effects of a dysfunctional thyroid. Whether your thyroid is underactive or overactive, you may want to find natural and homemade remedies to help relieve your symptoms. Although there are many types of foods, vitamins, and minerals that are considered useful in improving a dysfunctional thyroid, consult your doctor and nutritionist before adding any of these to your diet.
Increase Consumption of Iodine
Iodine nourishes the thyroid, and it is possible that your thyroid disease can be helped with an increase in the amount of iodine in your diet (see Reference 1). Food sources of iodine include arame, kelp, dulse, nori, wakame and seaweed. However, just as too little iodine can impair proper thyroid function, so can too much iodine. Consult your doctor or nutritionist before adding more iodine to your diet.
Minerals
There are some minerals that can enhance the function of the thyroid. Some of these minerals are calcium, iron, zinc, copper, manganese and thullium (see Reference 1). By consuming more of these minerals in your diet, you may be able to improve important metabolic functions of the thyroid. Before adding these minerals to your diet, be sure to go over any changes with your doctor or nutritionist.
Selenium
Selenium is an important natural remedy if you suffer from hypothyroidism because you are probably deficient. Your body needs selenium in order to convert the T4 thyroid hormone into the active T3 form (see Reference 2). If you are selenium deficient, talk to your doctor about how you can include more selenium in your diet in order to improve thyroid function.
Coconut Oil
Coconut oil is suggested as a natural remedy for thyroid disease for two reasons. The first is that coconut oil is recommended for cooking. This may help keep your weight down as you manage your thyroid disease. The second reason is that may indirectly support thyroid function (see Reference 3). This happens because the fat in coconut oil improves sensitivity of tissues to thyroid hormones. See your doctor or nutritionist before adding coconut oil to your diet.
L-Tryosine
L-tyrosine is actually an amino acid can be useful in treating a dysfunctional thyroid. It is recommended as a home remedy, because it helps increase plasma levels, which can help you lose weight (see Reference 4). It is also beneficial because, as an amino acid, it is considered an important building block of thyroid hormone. Before adding this amino acid to your diet, see your doctor, particularly if you are on any prescription medications.
