The thyroid gland, like any gland in your body, requires a number of basic nutrients to function properly. Every day your thyroid gland produces a certain amount of thyroid hormone that requires specific building blocks. If any of those building blocks are missing, your thyroid may not make enough thyroid hormone and you may suffer from common symptoms of hypothyroidism such as:

=> Fatigue

=> Weight Gain

=> Depression

=> Constipation

=> Hair Loss

=> Cold hands and feet

=> Brain fog

=> Dry brittle nails and hair

Let's talk about each nutrient that your thyroid needs and how to find out if you are deficient. It may be that you would benefit from some simple supplements for hypothyroidism.

Zinc

Zinc is required for the production of T4 and the conversion to the active form of thyroid hormone known as T3 (triiodothyronine). T4 (thyroxine) is the inactive form of thyroid hormone and does not become active until it converted into T3. T3 enters your cells and fires up the energy-producing parts of your cell known as mitochondria.  Zinc is required for healthy T3 receptors in your cells so even if you have enough T3, it won't work optimally if you are deficient in Zinc.

A Zinc taste test is the easiest way to determine if you are Zinc deficient. Simply purchase a liquid Zinc solution such as Zinc Challenge from Designs for Health and follow these instructions:

Put about 2 tablespoons of the Zinc Challenge in your mouth and swish it around for 30 seconds noting any specific tastes. Spit out the solution and do not swallow because Zinc can cause nausea on an empty stomach.

=> If you don't taste anything then you are probably Zinc deficient.

=> If you notice a “dry”, “furry”, “sweet” or “mineral” taste then you are probably Zinc deficient.

=> If you notice a strong unpleasant taste that gets worse over time then you probably have just a mild Zinc deficiency.

=> If you immediately notice a strong unpleasant or “metallic” taste then you probably have sufficient Zinc levels.

If you are Zinc deficient I recommend taking 30-60mg of Zinc a day with food for 30 days and then retesting. It may take up to 60 days to replenish your Zinc levels. Make sure your Zinc supplement has a small amount of copper in it because taking Zinc will deplete your body of this important mineral.

Vitamin A

Vitamin A is the most common vitamin deficiency in the world. Vitamin A is important for thyroid hormone receptors and it activates the gene that regulates Thyroid Stimulating Hormone (TSH). You should be getting plenty of vitamin A if you are eating lots of fruits and vegetables. Be careful when supplementing with vitamin A because it can cause deficiencies in other fat-soluble vitamins such as D, K and E. Vitamin A can also cause liver toxicity and bone loss. Your vitamin A supplement should say “natural carotenoids” or “mixed carotenoids” so you know they are close to what Mother Nature intended. Taking a single synthetic carotenoid such as beta carotene can potentially cause health problems.

B-Vitamins

A deficiency in B-vitamins, more specifically B2, B3, B6, B12 and B9 (folate) can lead to hypothyroidism. Folate is also important as it ties in closely with TSH levels. B-vitamins are usually depleted due to high levels of stress. B6 deficiencies can lead to low serotonin levels and sleep problems. B12 deficiency is common in those with gluten-intolerance and Celiac disease. This is true for folate as well but make sure you are taking the “methylated” form of folate if you have the MTHFR defect. MTHFR is a blood test to see if you have a genetic problem with folate metabolism.

Asparagine

Asparagine is an amino acid that makes up thyroid stimulating hor...