Featured article | August 2024
The Nutritional Relationships of the Thyroid
David L. Watts, D.C., Ph.D., F.A.C.E.P.
Journal of Orthomolecular Medicine Vol. 4, No. 3, 1989
Discussed in the article:
- An estimated 40% of the American population suffers from thyroid dysfunction, with hypothyroidism being the most common issue.
- Subclinical hypothyroidism is more prevalent than clinical hypothyroidism, often going undetected in standard tests.
- Various conditions are linked to severe clinical thyroid insufficiency, such as myxedema, arteriosclerosis, and hyperlipidemia. Symptoms of subclinical hypothyroidism include fatigue, depression, and cold sensitivity.
- Nutritional deficiencies that contribute to thyroid dysfunction include:
- iron (deficiency affecting up to 60% of hypothyroid patients)
- phosphorus, manganese, magnesium, potassium, sodium, and chromium
- vitamins A, B1, B5, B6, and C
- Natural and environmental inhibitors of thyroid function include:
- certain foods, including cruciferous vegetables, almonds, yams, etc.
- vitamin B12 and cobalt
- vitamin D and calcium
- lithium (therapeutic medical dosing)
- bromine
- iodine (See ISOM Hypothyroidism page for discussion of the need for selenium with iodine supplementation)
- estrogen, insulin
“Subclinical hypothyroidism could be described as a syndrome rather than a disease and is characterized by fatigue, depression, cold sensitivity, and changes in the skin and hair texture.”
“The incidence of anemia is estimated to affect up to 60% of those patients with hypothyroidism and is not related to severity or duration of thyroid insufficiency.”
