Dietary changes, taking certain herbs and supplements and alternative therapies like homeopathy, are believed to stimulate the thyroid glands and treat hypothyroidism effectively. Read on to know more about these natural cures for low thyroid…
Hypothyroidism or low thyroid, as it is commonly known, is a condition that develops when the thyroid glands do not produce the right amount of thyroid hormones. As these hormones perform many important functions in the body, such as regulating the body’s metabolism and temperature; low levels of thyroid can be detrimental to one’s health, producing symptoms such as tiredness, weakness, weight gain, lack of concentration, muscle cramping, hair loss, brittle nails, constipation, anemia, insomnia, puffiness in face, hoarse voice, amongst others. Medically, there is no permanent cure for low thyroid as of now. That’s why, people suffering from this condition often rely on natural cures and alternative therapies, along with the thyroid medications.
Natural Remedies for Low Thyroid
Dietary Changes:
Foods to Avoid…
There are certain foods that may aggravate your condition. So eliminate these foods from the diet completely, to take care of your low thyroid problem. Here is a list of such foods:
- Refined Foods
- High-sugar Foods
- Red meats
- Foods with Saturated Fats
- Brussels Sprouts
- Certain vegetables like cabbage, turnips and broccoli
- Certain fruits like pears and peaches
- Peanuts and pine nuts
- Alcohol
Foods To Eat…
Include lots of fruits and vegetables in your diet, especially those that are organically grown. Here are some other foods that are a must have in the diet:
- Supplement your diet with iodine rich foods as it is known to nourish the thyroid. Some of the foods rich in iodine are eggs, yogurt, fish, potatoes, bananas, radish, oatmeal, seafood and sea vegetables such as kelp, kombu, nori, arame, etc.
- Foods with zinc such as oatmeal, all seafood, spinach, nuts, bran, beef and chicken aid in thyroid formation too. So, they are a must have in the diet.
- Take foods rich in Vitamin A such as carrots, all yellow vegetables, eggs, and green vegetables.
- Copper rich foods aid in increasing the thyroid hormones in the body. So, supplement your diet with them. Some of the foods which have a good amount of copper are legumes, raisins, nuts, yeast and eggs.
- Take foods that have Tyrosine, an amino acid which the body needs to make the thyroid from iodine. Foods that contain this amino acid are fish, beef, chicken and soy.
Seaweeds and Herbs:
Bladderwrack
Bladderwrack is known to increase the thyroid levels in the body. In addition to this, it contains many important minerals, which the body needs to stay healthy, such as iron, potassium, zinc, magnesium, etc. Another use of bladderwrack is that it aids in weight loss, by speeding up the metabolism of the body.
Kelp, Irish Moss and Black Walnut
When these herbs are used together, they perform a number of functions for the body, such as increase the body’s metabolism, stimulate the thyroid gland, enhance the circulation of blood in the body and cleanse the body of the various toxins and wastes. This makes them one of the most effective natural cures. Besides these, Black walnut is another herb which improves the thyroid hormone levels in the body.
Avena Sativa
This herb, which is a rich source of zinc, iron and manganese, is known to stimulate the thyroid gland, especially if taken with a lot of water.
Alternative Therapies:
Homeopathy
This alternate therapy can very effectively cure low thyroid problems. The treatment may involve both natural medicines as well as certain techniques and procedures like tapping the gland manually, a couple of times in a day, to stimulate it. Another procedure that might be followed is keeping the feet in iodine-rich sea saltwater, for some time, everyday.
Hydrotherapy
Physically applying hot and cold treatments on the neck where this gland is located can stimulate it. For this home treatment, a heat pack and an ice pack are needed. First the heat pack should be applied for a couple of minutes. This should be followed by application of ice for a minute. This should be repeated three to four times at one go. Perform this therapy twice a day for naturally curing low thyroid.
Besides the above suggested cures, taking multivitamins is recommended to make up for any nutritional deficiencies in the body. Certain supplements such as Omega-3 fatty acids, Alpha-lipoic acid and L-tyrosine can contribute to improving this health condition too. In the end, whether you are making diet changes or taking any of these supplements/herbs or going in for an alternative therapy, make sure to consult your doctor first, to rule out any possible health risks.
