Understanding Hypothyroidism Reversal
Are You Suffering From Hypothyroidism?
Can Hypothyroidism Be Reversed?
Thyroid Reversal with Medication
Natural Approaches to Hypothyroidism Reversal
Thyroid Reversal
Understanding Hypothyroidism Reversal
The thyroid, a tiny butterfly-shaped gland in the neck, orchestrates the harmony and balance of the human body. Any breakdown of the gland, peculiarly, starts a silent storm—underlying health issues that create havoc without you even realizing it. With a root cause based approach, thyroid disorders can be treated, and hypothyroidism reversal has become a reality.
With a whopping 11% prevalence, hypothyroidism, or the poor production and functioning of thyroid hormones, is more significant in India than in the West (1). The ugliest part is that most cases of hypothyroidism go undetected, and people continue to live with the not-so-severe symptoms for decades!
Can hypothyroidism be reversed? Yes, it can be. If you have been annoyed with thyroid issues and are awaiting the light at the end of the tunnel, read on to find out more about a permanent thyroid cure.
Are You Suffering From Hypothyroidism?
Do you feel like you're living in a fog? It could be more than just fatigue. Hypothyroidism may be lurking in the shadows, interfering with your energy levels and overall well-being (2). Let's shed light on the causes, symptoms, and signs of hypothyroidism, assisting you in uncovering this disease and reclaiming your vitality.
What Causes Hypothyroidism?
Hashimoto's Thyroiditis: Picture it as a hijacked thyroid gland—an autoimmune disease where your own immune system turns against your thyroid gland.
Nutritional Deficiency: Making thyroid hormones requires raw materials such as amino acids, B vitamins, Vitamin D, magnesium, omega fatty acids, iodine, and so on. Any of these missing raw materials can affect thyroid production and function.
Food sensitivity and allergens can disrupt hormone balance and contribute to hypothyroidism. Celiac disease, specifically, has been linked to an increased risk of autoimmune conditions like Hashimoto's.
Leaky gut: Chronic inflammation in the intestines can weaken the tight junctions, allowing toxins to escape from the gut and enter the bloodstream and interfere with thyroid hormone balance.
Tick-borne infections such as Lyme disease, viral infections such as Epstein-Barr, and CytoMegalovirus, yeast infections, parasites, and bacterial infections have all been identified as potential contributors to thyroid hypofunction.
Stress Overload: Chronic stress can eventually lead to an underactive thyroid because, when the body is under pressure, optimal thyroid function is not the body’s priority.
Environmental Influence: Toxins like heavy metal poisoning, pesticides, or mold toxins can disrupt thyroid function and throw your body out of balance.
Medications and associated conditions: Hormone replacement therapy or birth control pills, pregnancy, and hyperthyroidism overtreatment.
Do You Have Hypothyroidism?
Don't let hypothyroidism stay hidden in the shadows any longer. By recognizing the causes, symptoms, and signs, you can take charge of your health and embark on a journey toward hypothyroidism reversal (3).
Fatigue Fog: Fighting constant tiredness, even after a good night's sleep.
Weighty Woes: Struggling with unexplained weight gain or difficulty shedding pounds
Hair Loss Hassles: Thinning hair, brittle locks, and a dry, lackluster mane
Mood Swing Roller Coaster: Feeling down, anxious, or irritable without a clear cause
Cold Chills: An unusually heightened sensitivity to cold temperatures.
Brain Fog: Difficulty concentrating, forgetfulness, and mental sluggishness.
Sluggish Digestion: Constipation and a sluggish metabolism hinder weight management efforts.
Skin Struggles: Dry, itchy skin and brittle nails that leave you feeling less than radiant
Can Hypothyroidism Be Reversed?
Yes, hypothyroidism reversal is possible The approach to thyroid reversal involves addressing the underlying causes and restoring thyroid function. Lifestyle changes, such as adopting a healthy diet, managing stress levels, doing the right kind of exercise, optimizing sleep, reducing exposure to toxins and removing them, addressing infections, and improving mitochondrial function form the mainstay for optimal thyroid health and improved thyroid function.
Remember that any specific approach to how to reverse thyroid, may vary depending on your cause, symptoms and biological factors. Work closely with a Functional Medicine Practitioner to know what’s best for you.
Many of you are on medication for thyroid issues. A doubt that may arise when being on this pill for a long time is, can hypothyroidism be reversed without medication? Yes, with focused and consistent effort on correcting the underlying imbalances, it is possible to reduce your dosage of thyroid pills and eventually wean it off. What you have been doing all this while is treating your TSH levels. Well, that's not the same as treating hypothyroidism! Hop onto our next segment to understand this.
Functional Medicine Approach to Hypothyroidism Reversal
Most of you only rely on the medications and wonder why the thyroid journey seems never-ending. The reason is that you forget to decode why in the first place your thyroid gland has become hypofunctional.
Functional Medicine addresses the underlying cause of thyroid issues. Reversing these issues demands an integrative approach that goes beyond relying solely on medication. It encompasses nutritional support, physical activity, stress reduction, inflammation reduction, detoxification from heavy metals, addressing infections and improving mitochondrial function
Whether it be Hashimoto's disease treatment or other causes of hypothyroidism, we suggest the palm rule to help you deal with it. Each finger of your palm signifies an approach towards a healthier thyroid.
1. Find and Eliminate The Root Cause
Consider and remove everything that may interfere with your thyroid function. A good place to start is to clean up your diet. A hidden reaction to gluten found in wheat, barley, rye, and oats is a very common reason why thyroid woes don't seem to end. Remove gluten, dairy, refined sugar, and other common allergens from your diet.
2. Test for The Root Cause
Get yourself tested for heavy metal toxins, infections, and nutrient deficiencies. Don’t forget to evaluate your gut health.
3. Start with Thyroid Diet
A thyroid diet is nothing but foods that help in the production and functioning of the thyroid hormone.
Iodine and omega-3 fatty acids are required for thyroid hormone production; selenium is needed for converting inactive T4 to active T3; and vitamins A and D, as well as zinc, are needed to bind T3 to the receptor on the nucleus and switch it on for functioning. Hence, with an adequate focus on these micronutrients, can hypothyroidism be reversed—yes!
Iodine-rich foods:
Rock salt-It has iodine along with other minerals
Seafood: Seaweed, fish, and shellfish are rich in iodine. However, watch out for clean sources as seafood can often be high in mercury.
Fruits and Vegetables: Some examples include strawberries, cranberries, potatoes, and spinach.
Nuts and Seeds: Brazil nuts and sesame seeds are iodine-rich options. Eggs: Whole eggs, including the yolk, contain iodine (4).
Omega-3 fatty acid sources
Fish that are high in omega-3 fatty acids include trout, salmon, mackerel, and sardines.
Chia Seeds: These tiny seeds are a plant-based source of omega-3s.
Flaxseeds: Ground flaxseeds or flaxseed oil provide omega-3 fatty acids.
Walnuts: These nuts are a convenient and tasty source of omega-3s.
Hemp Seeds: Hemp seeds offer omega-3 fatty acids and other beneficial nutrients.
Algal Oil: Derived from algae, this oil is an alternative source of omega-3s for vegetarians and vegans (5).
Avocado: A yummy fruit that is rich in omega 3!
Selenium rich foods
Brazil nuts: A single Brazil nut can provide more than the daily recommended amount of selenium.
Fish: Tuna, halibut, and sardines are good sources of selenium.
Shellfish: Shrimp, oysters, and mussels contain selenium.
Meat: Beef, pork, and chicken can contribute to selenium intake.
Eggs: Selenium is present in eggs, particularly in the yolk.
Seeds: Sunflower seeds and chia seeds contain selenium.
Mushrooms: Certain types of mushrooms, such as shiitake and white button mushrooms, are good sources of selenium (6).
Hashimoto's thyroiditis, an autoimmune attack on the thyroid, can lead to decreased selenium levels in the body. Hashimoto disease treatment should include a selenium-rich diet (7).
Vitamin A and D-rich foods
Foods rich in vitamin A include carrots, sweet potatoes, spinach, kale, broccoli, liver (beef, chicken, or fish), and eggs. Good sources of vitamin D include fatty fish like salmon, mackerel, and sardines; cod liver oil, and egg yolks;sunlight-exposed mushrooms (5), (8).
Good sources of Zinc
Oysters, crabs, and shrimp are all excellent sources of zinc in shellfish.
Meat: Beef, lamb, and pork are good sources of zinc.
Poultry: Chicken and turkey contain zinc.
Legumes: Chickpeas, lentils, and beans provide zinc.
Pumpkin seeds, cashews, and almonds are among the nuts and seeds that are high in zinc.
Dark Chocolate: Enjoying moderate amounts of dark chocolate can contribute to zinc intake (9).
Overconsumption of any of the above can be bad; hence, work with a Functional Medicine Practitioner to know about the right kind of thyroid diet for you for hypothyroidism reversal.
4. Do Physical Activity
Sweat out the sluggishness and invigorate your thyroid with regular exercise. Exercise increases tissue sensitivity to thyroid hormones throughout the body and stimulates thyroid gland secretion. Embrace activities like yoga, brisk walks, or strength training to boost metabolism, reduce stress, and enhance overall well-being.
Saunas and steam baths are other excellent ways to purge your system of chemicals that may be causing your thyroid condition (10).
5. Lifestyle Modifications
Manage stress effectively to protect your thyroid. Try stress-reducing practices like meditation and deep breathing. Prioritize self-care to create a calm environment for restoring balance (11).
Adaptogenic herbs like ashwagandha and rhodiola can support hormone balance and stress responses. Consider nettle, bugleweed, and motherwort for additional benefits (12).
Prioritize quality sleep to support your thyroid. Create a sleep-friendly environment and establish a bedtime routine. Consider relaxation techniques or herbal teas to promote deep, restorative sleep (13).
6. Take Supplements That Support Your Thyroid
Do not supplement yourself randomly. A Functional Medicine practitioner can help you with tailored advice after running necessary tests, and recommend natural supplements and other recommendations to help you reverse hypothyroidism.
Start your Thyroid Reversal Journey
With a focused and stepwise approach, hypothyroidism reversal is possible. Be it Hashimoto disease treatments or a simpler cause for hypothyroidism, the effects of a dysfunctioning thyroid can be curable. If you have been suffering from deranged thyroid levels, resulting in weight gain, low energy levels, and poor fertility status, feel free to approach us. We, at The Functional Medicine Clinic, would be delighted to hold your hand in this journey and walk you through each phase of hypothyroidism natural treatment. It is never too late to start the journey to a healthy thyroid. If you or your loved ones need help with Thyroid Reversal, book a free discovery call with us.
References
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Capriello S, Stramazzo I, Bagaglini MF, Brusca N, Virili C, Centanni M. The relationship between thyroid disorders and vitamin A.: A narrative minireview. Front Endocrinol (Lausanne). 2022 Oct 11;13:968215. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC9592814/
Betsy A, Binitha M, Sarita S. Zinc deficiency associated with hypothyroidism: an overlooked cause of severe alopecia. Int J Trichology. 2013 Jan;5(1):40-2. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3746228/
Ciloglu F, Peker I, Pehlivan A, Karacabey K, Ilhan N, Saygin O, Ozmerdivenli R. Exercise intensity and its effects on thyroid hormones. Neuro Endocrinol Lett. 2005 Dec;26(6):830-4. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/16380698/
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