Greenville SC Thyroid Doctor Shares How Diet Can Affect Thyroid Function
If you have low thyroid, one of the most important factors that should be addressed is diet. Dietary changes, along with other natural types of therapeutic support, can make a profound difference in thyroid function, and in how you look and feel.
In conventional medicine, the most common way to try to manage low thyroid is through thyroid hormone replacement medications that must be taken daily for life. Although some individuals with thyroid conditions may need thyroid hormone pills, there’s typically a lot more that can be done through natural care to manage the causes of hypothyroidism and to alleviate symptoms.
The right diet can achieve remarkable things for thyroid patients. It can reduce inflammation, help correct nutritional deficiencies, and assist in promoting healthy hormone levels. It can also reduce immune reactions that may be contributing to symptoms.
The most common cause of low thyroid in the U.S. is the autoimmune disease known as Hashimoto’s. This disorder involves an attack by the body’s own immune system on the thyroid. The result of this attack is widespread inflammation throughout the body, including an inflamed thyroid. Diet can directly contribute to or cause inflammation, or it can help calm it down. The only way to know which foods are causing inflammation and fanning the flames of autoimmune attacks is through in-depth testing.
Proper thyroid function depends on adequate intake of specific nutrients. A diet that is low in nutrient-rich foods can put you at risk for thyroid dysfunction in multiple ways. But the only way to know what nutrients you’re missing is through testing. If you want to make the most of the opportunities dietary changes present for maximizing thyroid function, work with a functional wellness practitioner who will evaluate your nutritional status.
Hormone imbalance may also be involved in thyroid dysfunction in multiple ways, and diet can directly impact hormone health. The key to achieving hormone balance through dietary support is to gain a comprehensive understanding of what is going on in the body’s endocrine system. Which hormones are out of balance, and why? Once this is revealed through testing, dietary changes and nutritional support can help restore proper balance, which in turn promotes healthy thyroid function.
These are just a few examples of how diet can affect thyroid function. There is no simple, one size fits all approach to diet that will work for all thyroid patients. In-depth testing and customized support are needed for every individual, because no two people are exactly the same.
If you’re ready to take advantage of the enormous opportunity diet presents for improving thyroid function and your health, consider working with a functional wellness practitioner. Diet and nutritional support that are designed specifically for you can go a long way in helping you look and feel your best. This will be just one aspect of an overall plan of natural care that will support your best health and help ensure optimal wellness long term.
