Feeling overwhelmed, even confused about choosing the supplements that are right for you? It’s no wonder, the nutritional supplement market is daunting…there’s just so much to choose from!
Here are my top five tips to help you find the best thyroid supplement.
My Top Five Tips To Help You Find The Best Thyroid Supplement
Tip #1: Look For A Comprehensive Formula
When taken as recommended top quality nutritional supplements are an important extension of healthy eating, and are incredibly useful to fill any vitamin and mineral gaps in your diet.
Thyroid supplements are specially tailored to naturally support healthy thyroid function. The best ones supply a comprehensive range of thyroid-supporting nutrients that are beneficial for hypothyroidism.
+ Avoid synthetic folic acid if you have a faulty methylenetetrahydrofolate reductase (MTHFR) gene.
Folate is an essential vitamin the body needs for day-to-day functioning as this water soluble B-vitamin plays a vital role in many biological processes.
Although folate, and folic acid are used interchangeably they are NOT the same.
Folic acid is the name given to the synthetic version of folate. It’s important to know folic acid is not biologically active until it’s been converted to the active methyl form which is the main form the body uses.
For those diagnosed with a faulty MTHFR gene they need to avoid folic acid in both supplements and processed foods. Folic acid is poorly utilised when you have a MTHFR gene defect.
Newer generation folates are recommended as they are less problematic. Given the prevalence of MTHFR gene defects most health companies opt to put methyl folate in their dietary supplements.
> > You can discover more here: How To Choose The Best Form of Folate {A Naturopath Explains}
+ Does it contain Guarana and Yerba mate?
Some popular thyroid supplements contain herbal ingredients such as Guarana and Yerba mate. These herbal stimulants promise to boost energy, and increase your basal metabolic rate.
However it’s wise to be cautious as there’s a potential downside. Guarana and Yerba mate can overstimulate the nervous system. Interestingly, you may find the stimulating effects more noticeable if you are sensitive to caffeine.
Could ThyroSynergy® Thyroid Health Supplement Help You?
Not all thyroid supplement are created equal. My advanced Naturopathic formula provides 10 synergistic ingredients to support optimal thyroid function.*
ThyroSynergy® is a twice daily formula that supplies iodine, zinc, selenium, and seven B-vitamins including thiamine (B1), riboflavin (B2), niacinamide (B3), pantothenic acid (B5), pyridoxal 5-phosphate (active B6), methylcobalamin (methyl B12), and Quatrefolic® (methyl folate).
You will discover my remarkable thyroid health supplement is specially formulated to assist optimal thyroid health, healthy nervous system function, renewed energy, and healthy hair, skin and nails.*
Tip #2: Check It’s Copper-Free
The nutritional supplement market is so daunting at times so if there is one thing I think you really need to check is this. Is your thyroid supplement copper-free?
These days more advanced thyroid health supplements are copper-free.
The reason?
It’s rare to be low in copper. So taking a copper supplement is often unnecessary, even downright risky. The reason is, the body finds it difficult to process and excrete excess copper which can lead to a copper overload.
And a copper overload has side effects – it’s a threat to your overall health PLUS excess copper disrupts the finely tuned zinc-copper ratio.
You see zinc and copper are natural antagonists. So when copper goes up, zinc goes down. That’s problematic when you are struggling with hypothyroidism as zinc is one mineral you want working properly. Zinc teams up with selenium to assist activation of thyroxine (T4) to T3 (triiodothyronine) which is an important step for maintaining a healthy metabolic rate.
Low T3 = slow metabolism.
Like to learn more?
> > Click here to read: What You Need To Know About Copper-FREE Thyroid Supplements
Tip #2: Check It’s Manufactured According To Good Manufacturing Practice (GMP)
Most health companies are transparent about where their products are manufactured, and most importantly to what standards. The best quality nutritional supplements are manufactured according to strict standards set by the code of current Good Manufacturing Practice (cGMP).
The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) established good manufacturing practices (GMPs) for dietary supplements to help ensure their identity, purity, strength, and composition.
cGMP is now used internationally to ensure health products are consistently produced to the highest standard. cGMP covers all aspects of production to prevent the inclusion of the wrong ingredient, the addition of too much or too little of an ingredient, the possibility of contamination, and the improper packaging and labeling of a product.
Tip #4: Gelatin, vs Vegetarian Capsules?
There’s a growing awareness that our compassionate choices are not only good for us, they are good for the planet. For this reason, more and more consumers are seeking clean-label products that use ingredients derived from non-animal sources.
When it comes to animal derived ingredients one of the biggest factors to consider is the type of capsule that is used. Gelatin, a common material used to produce capsules, is made by boiling down the connective tissue of cows (bovine), or pigs (porcine) until the tissue reaches a gel-like consistency.
In contrast, vegetarian capsules offer an ethical, and healthy alternative to gelatin capsules. These capsules are usually made from plant cellulose which makes them suitable for vegans, and vegetarians.
Tip #5: Are Minimal Excipients Used?
Excipients are necessary to ensure the quality, and efficacy of a nutritional product. Without these inactive substances the final product is easily compromised. For example; excipients are necessary to protect the stability of a product so it’s effective when taken, and they also ensure the active ingredients are released in the body within a specific time frame.
The best thyroid supplements use a minimal amount of excipients. Most of all, when compared to tablets, it’s generally accepted capsules contain less fillers as tablets require less binding agents to keep the ingredients together.
In Summary
The best thyroid supplements are purposely designed to supply a comprehensive range of thyroid-supporting nutrients, contain minimal amounts of excipients, and guarantee a high-level approach to manufacturing excellence.
And finally, please bear in mind achieving peak thyroid health is no easy task so it’s wise to consult your healthcare practitioner before trying any new supplements. Your healthcare practitioner can guide you on making informed decisions to ensure you are taking the RIGHT supplements for YOU.
Note: This information should not be used as a substitute for treatment, or advice from your qualified healthcare practitioner. Consult your qualified healthcare practitioner before beginning any new nutritional product, diet, exercise, or health program as they are best suited to make recommendations to support your overall health. This is especially important if you have a diagnosed medical condition, are taking prescription medication, or have a specific genetic issue. Some natural health supplements are not recommended during pregnancy, or breast feeding due to a lack of scientific investigations.
References
Bamashmoos SA, Al-Nuzaily MA, Al-Meeri AM, Ali FH. Relationship between total homocysteine, total cholesterol and creatinine levels in overt hypothyroid patients. SpringerPlus. 2013;2:423.
Brewer GJ. Alzheimer’s disease causation by copper toxicity and treatment with zinc. Frontiers in Aging Neuroscience. 2014;6:92.
National Institutes of Health (NIH), USA. Medline Plus. Herbs and Supplements. Folate monograph. Updated April 20, 2016.
Rautiainen S, Manson JE, Lichtenstein AH, Sesso HD. Dietary supplements and disease prevention – a global overview. Nat Rev Endocrinol. 2016 Jul;12(7):407-20.
Tsafrir, J. Copper Toxicity: A Common Cause of Psychiatric Symptoms. Psychology Today. Sep 11, 2017. Link
Walsh, William J. Nutrient Power: Heal Your Biochemistry and Heal Your Brain. Skyhorse Publishing. 2014.
Wang B, Shao X, Song R, Xu D, Zhang J. The Emerging Role of Epigenetics in Autoimmune Thyroid Diseases. Frontiers in Immunology. 2017;8:396.
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