Benefits of Thyroid Support Supplements for Weight Loss
Living a healthy lifestyle is something many of us aspire to. This often includes maintaining healthy body weight.
Normally, a balanced diet and exercise are enough for the average person to lose weight in a healthy way, but for millions of Americans, less-than-perfect thyroid health can prevent them from losing extra weight and living a happy and healthy life.
In fact, according to the American Thyroid Association, twenty million Americans, which includes five out of eight women, are affected by some kind of thyroid disorder. This can lead to a slew of health problems including obesity, heart disease, and infertility.
Luckily, there are steps we can take to help support overall thyroid health and work to prevent complications and conditions.
Understanding Thyroid Functions and Thyroid Problems
The thyroid is described by the Mayo Clinic as "a small, butterfly-shaped gland situated at the base of the front of your neck, just below your Adam's apple." The thyroid produces hormones - triiodothyronine (T3) and thyroxine (T4) - that influence metabolism, heart rate, and body temperature.
When functioning properly, the thyroid helps us use up energy to work our bodies and our brains. It helps us maintain the balance between how many calories, fats, and carbohydrates we consume and how our body uses them.
Unfortunately, not everyone has a properly functioning thyroid gland, which can lead to various thyroid conditions. The symptoms of these thyroid conditions depend on whether the gland is overactive or underactive.
Let's take a look:
Hyperthyroidism - This condition occurs when the thyroid gland is too active and produces too much thyroxine.
People with hyperthyroidism can experience symptoms such as unintentional weight loss, rapid heartbeat (tachycardia), irregular heartbeat (arrhythmia), nervousness, anxiety, irritability, tremors, sweating, increased sensitivity to heat, changes in bowel patterns, an enlarged thyroid gland (goiter), fatigue, muscle weakness, difficulty sleeping, skin thinning, and brittle hair.
Hyperthyroidism can be caused by Graves' disease, Plummer's disease, and thyroiditis.
Hypothyroidism - Hypothyroidism occurs when the thyroid gland is underactive and doesn't produce enough triiodothyronine or thyroxine. It impacts nearly 7% of the U.S. population.
Symptoms of hypothyroidism include: fatigue, increased sensitivity to cold, constipation, dry skin, weight gain, puffy face, hoarseness, muscle weakness, elevated blood cholesterol level, muscle aches, joint pain, heavier than normal or irregular menstrual periods, thinning hair, slowed heart rate, depression, impaired memory, and an enlarged thyroid gland.
Hypothyroidism can be caused by various factors including autoimmune diseases such as Hashimoto's disease, hyperthyroidism treatments, radiation therapy, thyroid surgery, and certain medications such as lithium.If you have noticed any one of these symptoms, contact your doctor or a healthcare professional about a possible diagnosis and treatment plan. You can also help support your thyroid with a balanced diet for a healthy thyroid, and taking preventive measures like finding a thyroid supplement that works for you!
Benefits of a Thyroid Supplement for Weight Loss
If you're looking to help boost your metabolism, lose weight, support your immune system, and help promote healthy thyroid function, you may benefit from adding a thyroid supplement or multivitamin to your routine like 1 Body Thyroid Support!
Here's what to look for in thyroid supplements for optimal thyroid health:
Iodine (But Don't Overdo It!) - Iodine is critical for thyroid health, as it is found in both triiodothyronine and thyroxine. Researchers have found that a lack of iodine can lead to thyroid diseases such as hypothyroidism. On the flip side of this, too much iodine can negatively impact the thyroid. Our bodies only need 150 mcg of iodine a day for a healthy thyroid, though The World Health Organization considers 1100 mcg of iodine per day to be the safe upper limit (for a healthy individual). Too much iodine has been found to slow down hormone production in the thyroid and even cause hyperthyroidism in patients with thyroid nodules.
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Selenium - Selenium is a powerful mineral our body needs for thyroid function. A healthy thyroid contains high amounts of selenium and a deficiency has been linked to thyroid conditions and dysfunction. Selenium is needed by the thyroid to activate the thyroid hormones and to protect it from oxidative stress.
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Zinc - According to Healthline, "zinc is required for thyroid hormone production. An optimal concentration of zinc is needed for healthy levels of T3, T4, and thyroid-stimulating hormone (TSH)."
Iron - In order to convert from triiodothyronine to thyroxine (the active version of the thyroid hormone), the thyroid requires iron.
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Ashwagandha - In a 2017 study, ashwagandha root was found to help increase triiodothyronine and thyroxine levels in those with hypothyroidism compared to those in the study that took a placebo. In the study, triiodothyronine levels rose by 41.5% and thyroxine levels rose by 19.6% in 8 weeks.
Bladderwrack - Bladderwrack is a type of seaweed that has been used in traditional medicine for centuries and contains plenty of iodine among other vitamins and minerals. As we mentioned before, iodine is critical for the production of thyroid hormones, and in turn thyroid health!
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Avoid TOO MUCH Kelp - Kelp is another ingredient that contains plenty of iodine, which is why it's important to look for the amount of iodine on the label. For example, 1Body's Thyroid Support Supplement contains 100 mg of kelp per serving, but only contains 0.1-1.5% iodine.
Add 1Body to Your Weight Loss Journey!
If you're looking to add a thyroid supplement to your weight loss journey, check out one of Amazon's top-rated thyroid supplements from 1 Body!
Our Thyroid Support Supplement is designed to help support metabolic function, support immunity, and help promote healthy thyroid functions through our unique formula containing Vitamin B12 , Iodine, Zinc, Selenium, Copper, Manganese, Molybdenum, L-Tyrosine, Schisandra, Coleus Forskohlii, Kelp, Ashwagandha, Bladderwrack, and Cayenne Pepper. Plus, our formula is manufactured without hormones, gluten, or soy in a vegan capsule!