Just Ask Terry

Terry is happy to provide his opinion on diet and nutrition, supplements and lifestyle choices. This information is for educational purposes only. It is not meant to replace the advice of your physician and is not to be considered medical advice, diagnosis or treatment. Should you have any concerns please contact your physician directly.

Q. Hello Terry, “I recently read your article on Thyroid function. I find this very interesting as I was diagnosed with hypothyroidism this year. Even though my tests were in the “normal range” my symptoms were off the charts. I started synthetic hormone replacement and WOW– what a difference. It made me realize that I had lived with a sluggish thyroid for years–and I’m only in my late 20′s!!! This has made me very aware of thyroid health. In your article, you mention supplements that help thyroid function. My question is, are these safe to take while also taking synthetic thyroid hormone (levothyroxine)? Also, I have heard there is natural thyroid replacement too—do you know anything about that? Thank you!!! And I look forward to your response and future articles on thyroid health.” —Beth T., DePere, WI A. Dear Beth, The two things that I recommend for excellent thyroid support are iodine and the amino acid L-tyrosine, which are required to produce thyroxin, the important hormone produced by the thyroid gland. These nutrients also support the structure and function of the thyroid as well. Before I would take these supplements along with your thyroid medication, I would consult your physician. Iodine can improve the function of the thyroid and may alter your need for the synthetic thyroid hormone. Integrative physicians have found that iodine can lower the need for synthetic thyroid medication by up to 50%. I don’t think it’s wise to try this on your own so I therefore recommend working with your physician. Your doctor can also discuss natural thyroid hormone prescriptions and how they compare to the synthetic. The synthetic includes only the thyroid hormone T4, while the natural product contains both T3 and T4. This is important because some individuals are not very good at converting T4 to T3, which means they don’t receive as much benefit from the synthetic. The dosage levels are different, too. Natural thyroid hormone is a prescription drug so you will need to work with your healthcare practitioner if you decide you would like to pursue this option. Healthy regards, Terry . . . Naturally