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Certain vitamins and minerals can help optimize your thyroid function. In an ideal world, most essential nutrients would come from your diet. However, many people turn to dietary supplements to meet their nutritional needs. In fact, spending on nutritional supplements is estimated to reach close to $280 billion in 2024!

Many people with a thyroid disorder turn to supplements to optimize their thyroid health. The nutrients you take -- and when you take them -- can impact whether supplements help improve your health or have adverse effects. When you want to incorporate supplements as part of your overall approach to managing hypothyroidism, avoid making these seven common mistakes with dietary supplements!

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Before discussing common mistakes with supplements, here are some key facts you should know.

The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has guidelines to help you understand how much of a nutrient is recommended. The Daily Value (DV) is listed on food and supplement labels to inform you of how much of a vitamin or nutrient is optimal based on a diet of 2,000 calories per day.

High doses of some supplements can have risks. Knowing a nutrient’s tolerable upper level (UL) intake can help you understand how much is safe. Sometimes, you can take a dose higher than the DV while still staying below the UL.

Remember, supplements are meant to complement your diet. Dietary supplements alone are a magic cure or treatment for most health concerns. At Paloma Health, we recommend you eat a nutrient-dense diet and take supplements to fill in any nutritional gaps.

Lastly, the FDA has little to no oversight of the claims made by dietary supplement producers or the ingredients in them. Companies producing nutritional supplements don’t have to provide evidence to support their health claims. This contrasts with prescription medications, which must follow a strict process to ensure they are safe and effective. In addition, prescription medications must meet specific potency targets before being available to consumers.

Always check with your healthcare provider before starting any new supplement.

Now that you understand the basics of supplements, let’s look at seven common thyroid supplement mistakes.

THYROID GUIDE

Your Guide To Thyroid Medication

Optimizing your thyroid levels with thyroid hormone replacement medication is usually the first step in minimizing symptoms.

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Every single cell in your body needs thyroid hormones to work properly. When you don’t have enough thyroid hormone, you’ll suffer from symptoms that can impact your overall health and quality of life. Suppose you do not make enough thyroid hormone. In that case, a thyroid hormone replacement medication replaces the amount of thyroid hormone your thyroid cannot produce. (Levothyroxine is the most commonly prescribed thyroid hormone replacement medication.) If you have overt hypothyroidism, you will likely need to take thyroid hormone replacement medication for the rest of your life.

Sometimes, people turn to dietary supplements as a natural way to increase thyroid hormone levels. However, there is a catch. Over-the-counter thyroid supplements typically don’t contain actual thyroid hormone. They may have ingredients that support thyroid health. Still, it is doubtful that dietary supplements alone will raise your thyroid levels enough to relieve your symptoms of overt hypothyroidism and restore normal thyroid function. And supplements can still cause side effects.

So, don’t stop taking your thyroid hormone replacement medication without talking to your healthcare provider first. Be sure to explain your concerns about side effects or your preference for a more natural approach to managing your underactive thyroid.  Together, you can develop a plan to optimize your thyroid health.

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Thyroid glandular supplements are made from animal tissues. Thyroid glandular supplements contain actual hormones from animal tissues, such as cow or sheep thyroid. These supplements are sometimes labeled as bovine thyroid tissue.

There is a small amount of wiggle room when it comes to thyroid hormone levels in the bloodstream. Thyroid hormone levels that are too high or low can affect your body’s functions. If you take a prescribed thyroid hormone replacement medication along with a thyroid granular supplement, this can alter your thyroid levels in unpredictable ways. If your thyroid levels become too high, you can start displaying typical symptoms of hyperthyroidism, like anxiety, insomnia, elevated heart rate, weight loss, and feeling overheated.

Before taking a glandular thyroid supplement, you should always check with your healthcare provider.

Note: Glandular thyroid supplements are not to be confused with natural desiccated thyroid (NDT) medication. NDT is a prescription medication derived from the dried (desiccated) thyroid glands of pigs. It provides T3, T4, and other thyroid hormones and cofactors found in the human thyroid but in a different ratio. 

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Calcium can interfere with the absorption of thyroid hormone and other thyroid hormone replacement medications. Many people use calcium supplements to keep their bones healthy and improve their cardiovascular health. Indeed, most people in middle age and beyond take a calcium supplement -- or drink calcium-fortified juice -- to prevent osteoporosis and bone fractures. Calcium is also in some over-the-counter medications, including antacids.

If you take a calcium supplement or another product fortified with calcium, you shouldn’t take it at the same time as your thyroid medication. The general recommendation is to separate calcium at least 4 hours before or after taking thyroid medication. Ideally, you’ll want to take your thyroid hormone replacement medication on an empty stomach. Most people take their medication first thing when they wake up or before going to sleep at night if it has been at least two hours after dinner. An easy way to avoid any interactions is to take your calcium supplements at the opposite time of day as your thyroid medication.

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Iron is an essential mineral for thyroid health and plays a critical role in producing T4 and T3. Low iron levels, known as iron deficiency, can worsen hypothyroid symptoms such as fatigue, cold intolerance, and joint pain.

People with hypothyroidism often benefit from taking iron supplements. However, like calcium, iron can decrease the absorption of thyroid medication and make it less effective. If you take an iron supplement, such as a prenatal or daily multivitamin, separate it from your thyroid medication by at least four hours.

THYROID GUIDE

LDN: Treatment For Hypothyroidism And Hashimoto's

Learn how LDN can be implemented as part of your treatment plan to support your thyroid.

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Iodine plays a critical role in thyroid function. People who are low in iodine can develop goiter (an enlarged thyroid), hypothyroidism, or pregnancy complications.

Iodine is essential for the production of thyroid hormones. Because of this, many thyroid dietary supplements contain iodine. But, there is a fine line regarding the right amount of iodine. Taking too much iodine can cause Hashimoto’s patients to experience the Wolff-Chaikoff effect. When this occurs, your thyroid gland absorbs the excess iodine. In turn, thyroid hormone production decreases, and hypothyroidism symptoms worsen.

The majority of Americans are not iodine deficient. So, before taking an iodine supplement, ask your healthcare provider about testing your iodine levels.

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Selenium is an essential trace mineral that is crucial to your thyroid health. Benefits of selenium include:

• Production of antioxidants that protect against oxidative stress in the thyroid gland
• Regulation and normalization of the immune system, especially in the presence of autoimmune disease
• Facilitation of the conversion of T4 and T3

Remember that, like most nutrients discussed here, selenium requires a delicate balance. Consuming more than 400 micrograms daily from all sources (supplements and foods like Brazil nuts) can cause toxicity. Symptoms of selenium toxicity include:

• “Garlic” breath
• Nausea
• Diarrhea
• Skin rash
• Hair and nail loss

The recommended dietary allowance for selenium is 55 micrograms per day. However, research suggests that a higher intake may support optimal health, particularly in individuals with Hashimoto’s.

Download our Selenium Guide

Selenium is a trace mineral that is essential to many of the body’s regulatory and metabolic functions.

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Zinc is a vital mineral for supporting the immune system and thyroid health. Also, zinc deficiency is common in people with Hashimoto’s. Zinc deficiency can alter thyroid function by causing oxidative stress and promoting inflammation.

Correcting a zinc deficiency can improve thyroid function by lowering TSH levels. When combined with selenium supplements, zinc may further reduce oxidative stress. Furthermore, it may help heal leaky gut, which is a possible cause or trigger for Hashimoto’s and Hashimoto’s flares.

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Taking dietary supplements along with your thyroid hormone replacement medication can help keep your thyroid running smoothly. But, before starting any supplement, talk to your provider first. And if you get the okay, try to avoid the mistakes discussed in this article!

With so many supplements on the market, it can be hard to choose the right ones. For people with Hashimoto’s or hypothyroidism, Paloma Health offers an iodine-free Daily Thyroid Care vitamin supplement. It contains ten essential nutrients that support thyroid health in only two capsules a day! Order your first bottle today.

Daily Thyroid Care

$34/month

The reinvented multivitamin that works smarter to help fill the gaps in your thyroid health journey

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Vegan and free of gluten, GMOs, dairy and iodine