7 Natural Ways To Manage Your Hypothyroidism For Better Overall Health

The thyroid is a small, butterfly-shaped gland in your neck. It produces several hormones that influence your metabolism, energy levels, sleep, hair growth, menstrual cycle, and more.

If your thyroid gland struggles to produce enough thyroid hormone—often as a result of chronic stress, gut issues, or poor diet—you can end up with hypothyroidism or an underactive thyroid.

Diet is one of the biggest factors in managing hypothyroidism, and many patients see a big improvement in hypothyroidism symptoms after going gluten-free.

While true celiac disease affects only about 1% of the population, research in the last few years suggests that a lot of people are sensitive to gluten1. Gluten-sensitive people are significantly more likely to develop thyroid issues, possibly because gluten can damage your gut lining2, interfering with your hormones and causing inflammation that reaches your thyroid. Gluten is also processed with bromide—which displaces iodine, a key mineral needed to balance your thyroid.

Too much sugar is bad for you in general, but it's especially harmful if you have a thyroid imbalance.

One of your thyroid gland's main jobs is to regulate your carbohydrate metabolism. If you aren't making enough thyroid hormones, your body struggles to balance your blood sugar3, which can lead to fatigue, weight gain, and metabolic issues.

Iodine is an essential mineral for thyroid hormone production, and a lot of us don't get enough of it.

You can take an iodine supplement or eat iodized salt, but from what I've seen in my patients, iodine in food form makes a bigger impact on thyroid function.

There is such a thing as too much iodine, so you don't need to go crazy with these foods. Just try to incorporate them into your diet a couple of times a week. You may also want to get your iodine levels tested to see where you stand.

Your gut bacteria play a central role in regulating your thyroid hormones. Your gut is one of the biggest reservoirs for thyroid hormones, and good gut bacteria convert T34, a thyroid hormone, into T4, the main hormone that's often low in hypothyroidism. 

Naltrexone is a prescription medication that's usually prescribed for managing addiction. At higher doses, it can help people get off alcohol and opiates. 

Stress—especially chronic stress—is often a trigger for thyroid dysfunction. Stress can also cause flare-ups in symptoms if you already have hypothyroidism.

It's so, so important to manage your stress. Do some kind of self-care every day: meditation, aromatherapy, massage, an Epsom salt bath with essential oils, a walk in nature, reading a good book, or anything else that brings you joy and keeps you grounded.

Make time to relax, even if you have to write it in your schedule and treat it like a meeting. And if you're having trouble making time every day, start with once or twice a week and gradually work your way up.

Acupuncture is another way to potentially help balance your thyroid hormones. Recent research published in Journal of Integrative Medicine found that people with thyroid dysfunction saw significant improvements in their thyroid hormone markers6 after doing acupuncture regularly.

The above tools are all excellent ways to support your thyroid naturally and keep it running the way it should. Give them a try; you may be surprised by how good you feel.