Hypothyroidism is a condition in which your thyroid gland does not produce enough thyroid hormone, causing changes in your metabolism and making it more difficult to maintain a healthy body weight. According to Pub Med Health, the most common cause of hypothyroidism is an inflammation of your thyroid, which can damage the cells that make up the gland. Hypothyroidism is typically treated through hormone therapy by injecting compounds that stimulate thyroid hormone production. However, the effects of hypothyroidism may be associated with nutrient deficiencies, which can make your symptoms worse. Vitamin, mineral, protein, and chemical deficiency may all be caused by hypothyroidism. Normalizing your nutrient status may help reduce the severity of the symptoms associated with hypothyroidism.
Vitamin Deficiency
B vitamins may be helpful in the management of hypothyroidism because of the role they play in regulating your metabolism. A deficiency in vitamin B-12 is common in individuals with hypothyroidism, and is important in the regulation and production of thyroid hormones. Vitamins C and E -- two powerful antioxidants -- may increase blood concentrations of thyroid hormones by acting as a catalyst in the production of thyroid-stimulating hormone, or TSH. This hormone is produced in your brain and acts on your thyroid gland to produce the two thyroid hormones -- thyroxine and triiodothyronine.
Mineral Deficiency
Zinc and magnesium are two minerals that may provide considerable support in the management of hypothyroidism. Zinc may help re-establish healthy levels of thyroid hormones and thyroid gland activity by neutralizing the effects of copper, which may inhibit thyroid hormone production. Magnesium plays an important role in the regulation of energy production in your body, and can stimulate thyroid hormone release by increasing the efficiency of your metabolism. Another mineral that plays a role in hypothyroidism is selenium, which helps convert the inactive form of thyroid hormone to the active form, making your thyroid gland more effective in regulating metabolism.
Protein Deficiency
Protein is needed for many different metabolic processes in your body that help support proper function of your thyroid gland. When thyroid hormones are produced, they enter your bloodstream and must be carried to your body's tissues by transport proteins in order to exert their effects. A lack of nutritional protein may decrease the amount of thyroid hormones that can be delivered to your cells. Tyrosine, an amino acid considered a building block of protein, makes up the core of the thyroid hormone molecule. A lack of tyrosine intake, digestion, or metabolism may be a primary cause of hypothyroidism.
Chemical Deficiency
Other chemical compounds that are required by your body in small amounts are important for the proper function and production of your thyroid hormones, particularly iodine and co-enzyme Q-10. Iodine deficiency is one of the leading causes of hypothyroidism in developing countries, where the iodine content in the diet is low. Iodine deficiency is rare in the United States because it is added to salt, which is common in the American diet. Co-enzyme Q-10 is a chemical compound that affects thyroid hormones at the level of cellular utilization, helping your thyroid hormones exert their effects on cells.
References
- Pub Med Health; Hypothyroidism; 2010
- "The New Encyclopedia of Vitamins, Minerals, Supplements, and Herbs"; Nicola Reavley; 1999
- "Physiology of Sport and Exercise"; Jack H. Wilmore and David L. Costill; 2004
