Numerous supplements may help treat thyroid disease. According to the Kids Health website, thyroid disease occurs when your thyroid gland--a butterfly-shaped gland located at the front of your neck--does not supply the proper amount of hormones your body requires. If your thyroid is overactive, too much thyroid hormone is released into your bloodstream, resulting in hyperthyroidism. If your thyroid is under-active, too little thyroid hormone is produced, resulting in hypothyroidism. Certain dietary supplements may be effective for thyroid disease. Discuss possible side effects and proper dosage with your physician before taking dietary supplements for your thyroid condition.
Vitamin A
Vitamin A supplementation may help treat thyroid disease, especially hyperthyroidism. According to the University of Maryland Medical Center, or UMMC, vitamin A, also known as retinol, is a fat-soluble vitamin that helps your cells reproduce normally, helps you maintain healthy vision, supports your immune system, assists with growth and bone formation and helps your wounds to heal. Dr. Joseph E. Pizzorno Jr., a naturopathic physician and author of the textbook "The Clinician's Handbook of Natural Medicine", states that large amounts of vitamin A inhibit your thyroid function and ameliorate Graves' disease symptoms. Graves' disease is the most common cause of hyperthyroidism. Although the exact mechanism is unknown, vitamin A, notes Pizzorno, may alter iodine metabolism. Consult with your physician to discuss possible side effects and proper dosage before taking vitamin A as a dietary supplement for your thyroid disease.
Selenium
Selenium supplementation may be an effective way to treat thyroid disease, especially hypothyroidism. The National Institutes of Health's Office of Dietary Supplements states that selenium is a trace mineral that is important for your overall health and well-being. You require only small amounts of selenium for optimal health. Selenium is incorporated into proteins, called selenoproteins, that are important antioxidant enzymes. According to Pizzorno, areas of the world where selenium is deficient experience a significantly greater incidence of thyroid disease. Selenium deficiency reduces the conversion of T4 to T3 in peripheral cells of your body. T4 and T3 are tyrosine-based hormones generated by your thyroid gland that help regulate your metabolism. Pizzorno states that selenium supplementation decreases T4 and thyroid-stimulating hormone, or TSH, and helps normalize your thyroid activity.
Vitamin C
Vitamin C supplementation may be an effective way to treat thyroid disease, especially hyperthyroidism. According to the Linus Pauling Institute--a nutrition-related research institute at Oregon State University--vitamin C, also called ascorbic acid, is a water-soluble vitamin. Your body is unable to manufacture vitamin C, which means that you must obtain vitamin C through your diet. Pizzorno states that vitamin C supplementation is warranted to ameliorate the symptoms and metabolic effects of hyperthyroidism. Vitamin C may also reduce the oxidative stress--a form of stress on your body caused by the long-term damage of free radicals unopposed by antioxidants--caused by thyroid disease. If you have thyroid disease, you may benefit from taking 2 to 3 g of vitamin C every day. Before taking vitamin C as a dietary supplement to help treat your thyroid disease, talk with your physician about possible side effects and proper dosage for you and your condition.
