Vitamin C is essential for the growth and repair of your body tissues. Clinical data indicates it also helps absorb levothyroxine, also known as T4, which is a synthetic thyroid hormone used to treat hypothyroidism, or underactive thyroid. Your thyroid gland is a small butterfly-shaped gland at the base of your throat. It produces two primary hormones that control your metabolism.
Thyroid Function
Your thyroid gland produces triiodothyronine and thyroxine -- two primary thyroid hormones. Triiodothyronine is also known as T3 and thyroxine is known as T4. Both hormones control your metabolism. Triiodothyronine is more active than thyroxine; however, your body can convert thyroxine to triiodothyronine as needed. Your thyroid uses the mineral iodine and the amino acid tyrosine to manufacture triiodothyronine and thyroxine. When your thyroid is functioning normally, it produces enough hormones to meet your body's needs.
Hypothyroidism
Hypothyroidism is when your thyroid is unable to produce enough thyroid hormones. An autoimmune disease called Hashimoto's thyroiditis is the most common hypothyroid cause, according to PubMed Health. Hashimoto's causes your immune system to misidentify your thyroid tissue as a pathogen and launch an attack. Over time this attack prevents your thyroid from functioning optimally. Doctor's prescribe levothyroxine to replace the hormone that your thyroid is no longer able to produce.
Vitamin C Significance
Some individuals have trouble absorbing levothyroxine. Clinical data suggests that vitamin C enhances levothyroxine absorption, according to The Endocrine Society. Inadequate drug absorption causes your TSH hormone levels to remain elevated. TSH is hormone that stimulates your thyroid to produce hormones. High TSH levels can cause fatigue, weight gain and depression. Improved levothyroxine absorption helps relieve these symptoms.
Supplementing Vitamin C
Talk to your doctor about supplementing vitamin C if you are currently having trouble absorbing levothyroxine. In a clinical study performed by the University of Buenos Aires in Argentina, 1 g of vitamin C diluted in water and taken with levothyroxine proved successful at increasing levothyroxine absorption in absorption-resistant patients. The results were presented at the The Endocrine Society's 90th Annual Meeting in San Francisco, on June 2008. Take Vitamin C to improve levothyroxine absorption only under your doctor's supervision. All supplements have the capacity to cause side effects.
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