Choosing the Best Thyroid Supplements

The thyroid is a small gland that sits at the base of the neck, hidden away just below the Adam's apple. Easily recognized by its unique butterfly shape, this tiny gland is an integral component of the human body’s endocrine system.

Being a little more specific, the thyroid gland is where we manufacture two key hormones (often described collectively as ‘the thyroid hormones’) that regulate our body’s metabolism.

With this in mind, there are a number of issues that can occur to the thyroid gland that can result in some rather serious health implications for us as individuals.

Interestingly, through the combined effect of poor diet and a general lack of exercise, these issues are said to be experienced by a large portion of the population – many of whom will go completely undiagnosed for the duration of their lifetime.

Common Thyroid Issues

To first get an understanding of how thyroid supplements can help us on an individual level, it is important to briefly touch on the two most common thyroid issues that plague us as a population.

It is actually estimated that a whopping 20 million people in the United States alone suffer from some sort of thyroid dysfunction [1]. Considering that the vast majority of these are completely unaware that they have a thyroid issue, understating the signs and symptoms of this dysfunction is integral.

Hyperthyroidism

Hyperthyroidism (as its name suggests) is an issue where the thyroid gland becomes overactive, and begins producing excessive amounts of thyroid hormones [2]. This leads to a large and constant increase in the body’s resting metabolic rate.

This can lead to rapid and unexplainable weight loss, a substantial increase in both resting heart rate and blood pressure, all of which are often combined with difficulty sleeping, general restlessness, and an inability to concentrate.

In conjunction with these symptoms, some people also experience itchy skin, hair loss, nausea and vomiting, and hand tremors.

While these symptoms themselves are undoubtedly unpleasant, if left untreated they can lead to malnutrition, cardiovascular issues, and an increased risk of metabolic disease.

Hypothyroidism

On the opposite end of the spectrum, we have hypothyroidism, which (again, as the name suggests) describes a state where the thyroid does not produce enough hormones to maintain regular metabolic function. This results in a fairly large drop in metabolic rate, among a host of other negative health implications [3].

These include weight gain, feelings of fatigue and lethargy, depression and anxiety, a large reduction in heart rate, and impaired short term memory. With this, some people also experience unexplained muscle and joint pain, muscle weakness, elevated blood cholesterol, and fertility problems.

This can lead to a host of additional issues, including a greatly increased risk of metabolic disease (such as obesity and diabetes), an increased risk of cardiovascular disease, in conjunction with a large reduction in cognitive function and mental acuity.

Of these two key issues, Hypothyroidism is the most common.

Where Do Thyroid Supplements Fit Into This?

Now, like any other part of the human body, the thyroid gland needs to be supplied with the appropriate nutrients to function effectively. If it doesn’t have access to these nutrients, it can begin to act inefficiently as a result.

With this in mind, one of the best ways to improve the health of the thyroid gland is to supply it with the essential nutrients that it needs to function optimally.

Considering this, it is also important to note that there are many thyroid supplements available on the market – some of which are much better than others.

What Should I Look for in a Thyroid Supplement?

Building on the above point, there are certain things that we look for in a thyroid supplement that improves both its safety and its effectiveness.

Arguably the most important thing is to ensure that the supplement is built using entirely natural ingredients.

While ‘natural’ is a bit of a buzzword in the health industry, it holds specific importance here. You see many subpar thyroid supplements use either ‘synthetic thyroid hormones’ or ‘desiccated thyroid extract’ as a primary ingredient.

While each of these ingredients do provide the body with additional thyroid hormones, they don’t actually improve the health of the thyroid gland. As a result, they act as a bit of a bandage, only masking the symptoms of the problem, and not actually treating the problem itself.

In comparison, by opting for a supplement that includes high quality natural ingredients (with specific mention to L-tyrosine, Iodine, Selenium, and Vitamin B12) we can improve the health of the thyroid gland, and increase its ability to function.

Best Thyroid Supplements

So, without further ado, we have provided a list of what we believe to be the best natural thyroid supplements available on the market today.

ZHOU Thyroid Support Complex

One of the most popular natural thyroid treatments to hit the market in recent years, ZHOU’s Thyroid Support Complex really ticks all the boxes for me.

It is built around a few key ingredients (L-tyrosine, Iodine, Ashwaghanda, Cayenne, and Vitamn B12), each of which is known to play an important role supporting the health of the thyroid gland, while also aiding the production of the thyroid hormones specifically.

With this, as it does only contain a few select ingredients, each is provided in a dosage large enough to actually make a difference.

This makes it an excellent and effective option.

Purely Holistic Thyroid Support Supplement

Purely Holistic has an excellent reputation for producing good quality products at much cheaper price points than their competition – something they have done with great success in regards to this particular thyroid supplement.

Built around Cayenne, L-tyrosine, Vitamin B12, and a couple of other key minerals, this particular supplement has the capacity to improve the health of the thyroid gland at a very low cost. This bottle contains a 2 month supply--twice as much as the other options--making it the easy value choice.

The only real negative I have observed is that it doesn’t contain iodine, which is often considered a key ingredient in regards to maintaining the health of the thyroid gland.

1 Body Thyroid Support

While 1 Body Thyroid Support is slightly more expensive than many of its competition, that shouldn’t act as a deterrent. This is a very high quality supplement that includes all the key ingredients necessary to maintain the health and function of the thyroid gland.

In conjunction with key ingredients L-tyrosine, Iodine, Vitamin B12, and Selenium, it also provides us with a host of other essential vitamins and minerals that have been shown to support the function of the thyroid gland and the endocrine system in its entirety.

This make it one of the most effective options available on the market – period.

Summary

While a huge number of Americans are thought to suffer from thyroid dysfunction on a daily basis, you don’t have to. By choosing a natural supplement that supports the health of the thyroid gland, we can ensure it maintains optimal function.

This can lead to a better ability to regulate our metabolism, greatly improving both our weight management and our overall health as a result.

The three supplements listed in this article are what I believe to be the best natural options available on the market at the moment. If you have had any experience with them (or any others for that matter), we would love to hear about it – so drop us a comment and we will get back to you ASAP.