Personalized vitamins can play a role in helping to augment thyroid function. The personalized vitamin companies start with an online assessment and then trigger a formula for your individual needs. One vitamin that is essential to proper thyroid function is iodine. Iodine is the building block the thyroid uses to produce hormones. It is common sense that we need it to keep our thyroid running properly. For the last hundred years or so this was generally not a problem in the typical American diet because with the industrialization of our food industry, table salt has been fortified with iodine. However, as many of us have strived for better health in recent years, we have largely cut table salt and processed foods out of our diets. This is generally a good thing. As we have opted for small amounts of kosher or sea salt instead of the more potent table salt, we have virtually eliminated our main source of iodine. While some other foods contain it, such as seaweed, some fish, and cranberries, many of us who do eat healthfully need an iodine supplement.
Worldwide iodine deficiency is a huge problem; and from this we know that it causes goiters (an enlargement of the thyroid), hypothyroidism, and major issues in babies and children born to mothers in an iodine-deficient state (including developmental delay and slowed growth). Therefore, it is essential that we all get enough of this vitamin. However, as with many things, too much can cause its own host of problems. Some commercially available iodine supplements sold in the name of “thyroid support” contain many hundreds of times the recommended dose. This can backfire in a big way. Too much iodine can cause inflammation of the gland and a rapid release of hormone that is both unpleasant and harmful. Needless to say, taking a safe amount of iodine is essential. We are comfortable with the recommendation of between 150 and 220 mcg of supplemental iodine daily (the higher end of this range is needed by pregnant and nursing women). We have been careful at Vous Vitamin® to include it in safe doses in our personalized multivitamin formulations.
Another supplement that is often found in discussions of thyroid health is L-carnitine. It turns out this amino acid has some effect in blocking the effects of T3 and T4. It is therefore recommended for those with Graves’ disease (the most typical cause of an overactive thyroid). However, its effect is limited at best, and if anything L-carnitine could be useful as an adjunct to legitimate medical treatment for this condition (the specifics of this are beyond the scope of this article, but suffice it to say, hyperthyroidism should be treated by a medical doctor with FDA-approved therapies).
There is some buzz about the mineral selenium, and it playing a role in autoimmune thyroid conditions. Though it has been suggested to help with both hypo- and hyperthyroidism, as of this writing, there is no conclusive evidence to suggest it can be routinely and safely used for thyroid disease. Its biggest role may be in treating some of the effects of Graves’ disease on the eyes. Taking selenium should be done under the guidance of a physician.
Ultimately, moving away from mass market vitamin solutions into personalized vitamin solutions is a good first step to identify your appropriate blend.
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