The thyroid gland sits in the front of the neck and it is about the size of a golf ball. It helps the body's metabolism and it also helps regulate temperature. This is why it has been called the body's "thermostat." When it becomes underactive, some key hormones are not being released and the condition is called "hypothyroidism." This can cause several symptoms, including sluggishness, constipation, muscle weakness and weight gain. After it has been diagnosed, a hypothyroid condition can be treated several ways.
Synthetic Hormone
One of the key hormones that is not being released with a hypothyroid is thyroxine. A way that this can be reversed is by taking a prescription formula called levothyroxine. This is an oral medication that is found in common names, such as Synthroid, Unithroid, Levoxyl and Levithroid. After being on these drugs for a few weeks, weight will start to return to normal and elevated cholesterol levels that were brought on by the underactive thyroid will come back down. If your hypothyroid condition is severe, the dosage will start out small and gradually be increased.
There are some circumstances where the absorption of these medications might be compromised. This can occur if you eat a lot of fiber, soy or take other drugs, such as Questran, antacids, calcium supplements or iron supplements.
Extracts
Another form of treatment that can be used is natural extracts containing thyroid hormones that were harvested from pigs. These extracts have the hormones thyroxine and triiodothyronine present in them. Although these are an alternative to the synthetic formulas, you still need a prescription to obtain them.
Avoidance
There are certain foods that can have a negative impact on an underactive thyroid and they should be avoided. This includes foods that have saturated fats, trans fats, and are refined and highly processed. Examples include red meat, deep fried foods, doughnuts, white bread, white sugar, cakes, crackers and cookies.
There are also some otherwise healthy foods that can also interfere with the function of the thyroid and they should be eliminated. Examples include broccoli, Brussels sprouts, cabbage, spinach, kale and pine nuts.
Natural Remedies
Although they are not regulated by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, there are several different natural supplements that can be taken to improve the output of the thyroid. Some of these include selenium, iodine, tyrosine, bladderwrack, Vitamin C, alpha lipoic acid and thyroid glandular. These can all be found in supplement form and some of them can be found in different foods. Foods that contain selenium include Brazil nuts, walnuts, legumes and tuna. Iodine can be found in sea vegetables like hijike, arame, kombu, sea lettuce, dulse, kelp and nori. The amino acid tyrosine can be found in whole grains, oats, yogurt, milk, bananas and avocados. Vitamin C can be found in oranges, kiwi, grapefruits, red peppers and tomatoes.
Exercise
Exercise can help keep weight under control and it also helps improve circulation. The University of Maryland Medical Center recommends 30 minutes of exercise on five or more days a week.
