Latest / Love Your Gut / Ep 58: The Best Minerals for Hypothyroidism and Hashimotos

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Ep 58: The Best Minerals for Hypothyroidism and Hashimotos · Love Your Gut

• 0:03
  Dr. Heather Finley: Welcome to the Love Your Gut Podcast.
• 0:05
  Dr. Heather Finley: I'm your host, Dr.
• 0:06
  Dr. Heather Finley: Heather Finley, registered dietitian and gut health specialist.
• 0:10
  Dr. Heather Finley: I understand the frustration of dealing with GI issues because I've been there and I spent over two decades searching for answers for my own gut issues of constipation, bloating, and stomach pain.
• 0:21
  Dr. Heather Finley: I've dedicated my life to understanding and solving my own gut issues.
• 0:25
  Dr. Heather Finley: And now I'm here to guide you.
• 0:28
  Dr. Heather Finley: On this podcast, I'll help you identify the true root causes of your discomfort.
• 0:33
  Dr. Heather Finley: So you can finally ditch your symptoms for good.
• 0:36
  Dr. Heather Finley: My goal is to empower you with the knowledge and tools you need so that you can love your gut and it will love you right back.
• 0:43
  Dr. Heather Finley: So if you're ready to learn a lot, gain a deeper understanding of your gut and find lasting relief.
• 0:48
  Dr. Heather Finley: You are in the right place.
• 0:50
  Dr. Heather Finley: Welcome to the love your gut podcast.
• 0:54
  Speaker 4: Welcome back to the next episode of the Love Your Gut podcast.
• 0:57
  Speaker 4: So excited to be with you today and talk to you a little bit about hypothyroidism and Hashimoto's and how that impacts your gut health.
• 1:07
  Speaker 4: I'll explain why your labs might be normal, but you could still be dealing with subclinical hypothyroidism symptoms like fatigue, dry skin, constipation, bloating, hair loss, and how certain minerals like potassium, selenium, et cetera, are really essential for thyroid health.
• 1:27
  Speaker 4: So let's back up about 10, 15 years.
• 1:31
  Speaker 4: And I want to share a little bit about my own journey with hypothyroidism and Hashimoto's.
• 1:36
  Speaker 4: I have been living with technically both conditions since then.
• 1:41
  Speaker 4: I had lots of hypothyroidism symptoms in my early 20s after my dad passed away.
• 1:50
  Speaker 4: I remember going to the doctor and telling her my hair is falling out, I'm sick.
• 1:54
  Speaker 4: So tired.
• 1:55
  Speaker 4: I can't focus.
• 1:57
  Speaker 4: I feel like I'm going crazy.
• 1:59
  Speaker 4: And she told me, you're just depressed.
• 2:01
  Speaker 4: There's nothing wrong with you.
• 2:03
  Speaker 4: And I left there feeling so defeated because I knew, sure, I was sad, obviously that my dad had passed away, but I knew there was something else going on because I felt so far away from myself.
• 2:17
  Speaker 4: I ended up going to another doctor and telling them the same thing.
• 2:22
  Speaker 4: I don't feel well, can you please run some labs?
• 2:26
  Speaker 4: I think I have hypothyroidism.
• 2:28
  Speaker 4: And thankfully, they did.
• 2:29
  Speaker 4: And the labs came back and I had not only hypothyroidism, but I had very severe, I would consider Hashimoto's.
• 2:39
  Speaker 4: So Hashimoto's is the autoimmune portion of thyroid issues.
• 2:44
  Speaker 4: It's where your body is developing antibodies against your thyroid.
• 2:48
  Speaker 4: That's not a good thing.
• 2:49
  Speaker 4: You don't want your body attacking your thyroid.
• 2:53
  Speaker 4: And in that moment, although I was upset that I had an autoimmune condition, I felt extremely validated that I knew there was something wrong with my body.
• 3:03
  Speaker 4: And I was so glad that I had advocated for myself because I can't even imagine what would have continued to happen had I just accepted the original doctors.
• 3:14
  Speaker 4: diagnosis of you're just depressed.
• 3:17
  Speaker 4: I also remember leaving that doctor's office.
• 3:21
  Speaker 4: The second one feeling really encouraged okay, I'm going to get on this thyroid medication.
• 3:25
  Speaker 4: I'm going to feel better and everything's going to be fine.
• 3:28
  Speaker 4: And that just was not the case.
• 3:30
  Speaker 4: Over time, I started to realize that medication alone was not going to make me feel better.
• 3:35
  Speaker 4: The biggest breakthrough came when I started really focusing on my overall health, especially my gut health.
• 3:42
  Speaker 4: And my minerals, which is partially why I'm so passionate about what we do at gut together, because it's not just about your GI symptoms.
• 3:52
  Speaker 4: It's not just about your hypothyroid symptoms.
• 3:54
  Speaker 4: It's not just about your fatigue.
• 3:56
  Speaker 4: It's about how every system in the body is working together and how everything is affecting everything.
• 4:03
  Speaker 4: So it wasn't just the medication that made a difference.
• 4:05
  Speaker 4: Although over time getting on the right medication at the right dose, And I think that's what really helped.
• 4:10
  Speaker 4: It was the little shifts that I made to my diet, to my lifestyle, addressing my underlying gut issues and absorption issues that truly helped me feel better.
• 4:22
  Speaker 4: So I want to talk about a couple scenarios.
• 4:26
  Speaker 4: And the first is why your thyroid labs hypothyroid.
• 4:33
  Speaker 4: This was obviously Not the case for me, but we have a lot of clients that fit into this bucket.
• 4:39
  Speaker 4: And so what I mean by this is maybe your hair is falling out.
• 4:43
  Speaker 4: Maybe you do feel exhausted.
• 4:45
  Speaker 4: Maybe you are constipated, bloated, et cetera.
• 4:49
  Speaker 4: And yet your TSH, your thyroid stimulating hormone is normal.
• 4:55
  Speaker 4: So when we talk about hypothyroidism, many people think that your thyroid hormone levels are off.
• 5:01
  Speaker 4: You have these symptoms.
• 5:03
  Speaker 4: Cold sensitivity is another one that I can think of but there's often this class of subclinical hypothyroidism.
• 5:10
  Speaker 4: It's when thyroid function is starting to decline, but the blood work is still showing normal levels of TSH and possibly even T4.
• 5:19
  Speaker 4: But your body might not be converting enough of the inactive hormone, T4, to the active form, T3.
• 5:25
  Speaker 4: And the key here is that traditional thyroid tests often only measure TSH and total T4.
• 5:33
  Speaker 4: They don't always include the other way more comprehensive markers like free T3 or thyroid antibodies to determine autoimmune thyroiditis which is really critical for understanding thyroid function fully.
• 5:46
  Speaker 4: So you might be in this bucket where you've just had TSH run.
• 5:51
  Speaker 4: I know we had a client recently who enrolled in our program, gut tested.
• 5:56
  Speaker 4: She suspected that she had thyroid issues for years and her doctor only ran TSH.
• 6:03
  Speaker 4: And when we ran a full thyroid panel on her, she actually had Hashimoto's.
• 6:07
  Speaker 4: And she was so grateful that she finally had that data because she thought, okay, I am not crazy.
• 6:13
  Speaker 4: Same thing as me, there is something wrong.
• 6:16
  Speaker 4: And she also had some pretty significant mineral issues, which I'll get into in a little bit.
• 6:21
  Speaker 4: So if your free T three is low, ideally we want free T three, around three or above three or if your antibodies are elevated, you can still experience all of the symptoms of hypothyroidism and you could totally be missed.
• 6:35
  Speaker 4: So this is point number one.
• 6:38
  Speaker 4: Why comprehensive thyroid testing is so important and if you don't have comprehensive testing that you really should get it.
• 6:46
  Speaker 4: Because you could be missing a really big piece of the puzzle.
• 6:50
  Speaker 4: Free T3 and antibodies are really helpful because free T3 is the active form of thyroid hormone and this affects how your cells use energy.
• 7:00
  Speaker 4: So even if TSH and T4 are within normal ranges, a low free T3 can result in symptoms.
• 7:07
  Speaker 4: Like I mentioned, before fatigue, weight gain, brain fog, feeling cold all of the time hair loss, etc.
• 7:16
  Speaker 4: This was the case for me.
• 7:17
  Speaker 4: My free T3 was way too low and that's why thyroid medication alone was not helping me.
• 7:26
  Speaker 4: My free T3 was likely low from lots of stress, probably over training and under eating at the time, all the restrictive elimination diets that I was doing for my gut health were not helping and actually making things worse.
• 7:41
  Speaker 4: And then in addition, thyroid antibodies are really important for indicating if it's.
• 7:47
  Speaker 4: autoimmune or not.
• 7:49
  Speaker 4: So if you have high levels of antibodies, it can indicate your immune system is attacking your thyroid.
• 7:54
  Speaker 4: This can result in fluctuating hormone levels.
• 7:58
  Speaker 4: So even if your thyroid function appears normal, you still want to run antibodies because you could have normal TSH, like our client that I mentioned, and actually have antibodies.
• 8:09
  Speaker 4: So some symptoms that might point you to going to get testing would be fatigue, Dry skin, cold intolerance, constipation, weight gain, brain fog, puffy face, that was another big one for me, depression, joint pains.
• 8:26
  Speaker 4: And as we'll discuss, minerals play a huge role in your thyroid health and how you actually feel.
• 8:34
  Speaker 4: So I want to talk about why minerals impact the thyroid and why you might not be responding to your medication Or why perhaps minerals might be what finally does it for you.
• 8:48
  Speaker 4: We understand thyroid labs can miss the mark sometimes.
• 8:51
  Speaker 4: But your thyroid relies heavily on this very delicate balance of minerals to convert T4 to T3.
• 8:59
  Speaker 4: This happens as a result of your liver health as well as your gut health.
• 9:04
  Speaker 4: It also, minerals in your thyroid rely on the regulation of hormone production.
• 9:11
  Speaker 4: It keeps your metabolism running smoothly, and so if you're deficient in minerals, your thyroid can really struggle to produce enough active hormone.
• 9:20
  Speaker 4: Even if your labs look fine, which is why FreeT3 is such a huge marker to look at that your doctor's probably not running.
• 9:29
  Speaker 4: So particularly I'm talking about potassium, selenium, iodine, and copper.
• 9:34
  Speaker 4: They're really crucial for supporting healthy thyroid function.
• 9:38
  Speaker 4: They protect the thyroid from inflammation.
• 9:40
  Speaker 4: They aid in hormone conversion.
• 9:43
  Speaker 4: I'll go in more detail about each of these, but it's really clear that addressing mineral imbalances can be a huge missing piece, even if you're thought, even if your labs are normal.
• 9:53
  Speaker 4: So let's first talk about potassium.
• 9:56
  Speaker 4: Potassium deficiency is one of the major issues that we see.
• 10:00
  Speaker 4: This mineral, Is a game changer and did you know that 98 percent of Americans don't meet their, meet their potassium needs.
• 10:11
  Speaker 4: Potassium is a mineral that's so critical for all body functions, yet most people are not getting enough in their diet.
• 10:19
  Speaker 4: And this widespread deficiency is a huge reason why so many people struggle with blood sugar, energy, and thyroid issues.
• 10:26
  Speaker 4: If you did one thing today and you just focused on getting more potassium in your diet, I promise you, you would feel better.
• 10:35
  Speaker 4: Potassium is essential for maintaining fluid balance, nerve signaling, muscle function, and helps convert It helps your body convert thyroid hormone.
• 10:46
  Speaker 4: So if your potassium levels are low, which you're not going to see on blood work, you're going to see this on hair mineral testing, it becomes really hard for your body to turn T4 into T3.
• 10:57
  Speaker 4: T4 is pretty useless if it can't be converted to T3 because that's the active thyroid hormone.
• 11:04
  Speaker 4: So this means that your metabolism can slow down.
• 11:07
  Speaker 4: your thyroid function will be compromised, even if your labs are normal.
• 11:12
  Speaker 4: And one of the key things that depletes Potassium is stress.
• 11:17
  Speaker 4: So this is a heavily depleted mineral, and as we know, stress is a constant for so many of us, whether it's work, family life, physical stress, things like pregnancy, illness, past trauma, etc.
• 11:33
  Speaker 4: When you're stressed, your body pumps out more stress hormone, cortisol, which increases your need for potassium.
• 11:40
  Speaker 4: So this means that if you're constantly under stress, you could be burning through your potassium stores faster than you can replace them, which your potassium is crucial for maintaining the balance of stress in your body.
• 11:53
  Speaker 4: It helps regulate the HPA or the happy hormone.
• 11:56
  Speaker 4: hypothalamic pituitary adrenal axis, which controls how your body handles stress.
• 12:01
  Speaker 4: So any disruption in the HPA access can lead to chronic stress, which over time is going to damage thyroid function.
• 12:09
  Speaker 4: So when you're, when your potassium levels are low, your stress response can be poorly managed, which can also increase your body's need for other minerals like magnesium, sodium, et cetera.
• 12:22
  Speaker 4: So potassium.
• 12:24
  Speaker 4: Really functions two ways two main ways when it comes to the thyroid.
• 12:29
  Speaker 4: First, it helps thyroid hormone conversion, like I mentioned.
• 12:32
  Speaker 4: It helps your, your body convert T4 to T3, which is necessary for metabolism and energy.
• 12:40
  Speaker 4: And without that, you, you can be producing plenty of T3, but your body can't use that.
• 12:47
  Speaker 4: Additionally, potassium's effect on the HPA axis is gonna determine how your body handles stress.
• 12:55
  Speaker 4: So those are two very critical things.
• 12:58
  Speaker 4: Thinking of, how can your body get enough active thyroid hormone, hormone, and we know that stress This is going to impact thyroid function.
• 13:07
  Speaker 4: So if we're not getting enough potassium, this can make you more vulnerable to stress.
• 13:13
  Speaker 4: It can also worsen your thyroid symptoms and keep energy levels low or put you at risk for thyroid issues.
• 13:19
  Speaker 4: So how do you get more potassium?
• 13:22
  Speaker 4: Potassium is going to be found in foods like bananas, avocados, sweet potatoes, leafy greens, tomatoes, coconut water.
• 13:30
  Speaker 4: If you're struggling to get enough from food, there obviously can be ways through supplements that might be helpful.
• 13:36
  Speaker 4: My favorite is through mineral mocktails.
• 13:38
  Speaker 4: But food is a great place to start.
• 13:41
  Speaker 4: If you just think of, okay, what is one potassium rich food I can add to every meal that I'm eating today?
• 13:48
  Speaker 4: you will make a huge difference.
• 13:50
  Speaker 4: So this is one of the cornerstones of your thyroid support, but it's really more effective when you pair it with other minerals as kind of part of this mineral symphony.
• 14:00
  Speaker 4: The next mineral that I want to talk about is selenium.
• 14:03
  Speaker 4: So what does selenium do for the thyroid?
• 14:06
  Speaker 4: This is E, a trace mineral that is helpful at protecting the thyroid gland from stress and it does support the conversion from T4 to T3.
• 14:17
  Speaker 4: It is an enzyme or it's a cofactor for specific enzymes in the thyroid that help with that conversion.
• 14:25
  Speaker 4: It also is an antioxidant, and can help protect your thyroid from damage, which we don't want, obviously, and can allow your thyroid to function more effectively.
• 14:37
  Speaker 4: Selenium is particularly beneficial if you do have Hashimoto's, so you have the autoimmune form.
• 14:43
  Speaker 4: And research has shown that selenium can help reduce thyroid antibodies, specifically anti TPO antibodies, which are commonly elevated.
• 14:53
  Speaker 4: And by lowering these antibodies, selenium is going to decrease that inflammatory response.
• 14:59
  Speaker 4: So one of the reasons that selenium is so effective is that it helps regulate immune function.
• 15:05
  Speaker 4: And it's going to help support the body's ability to balance your immune system it can reduce those antibodies by, in some studies, up to 30%, which is pretty crazy.
• 15:15
  Speaker 4: One of my favorite ways to support selenium is I usually eat two to three Brazil nuts per day.
• 15:22
  Speaker 4: Super easy.
• 15:23
  Speaker 4: Great way to get your daily intake of selenium.
• 15:26
  Speaker 4: The last HTMA test that I did, I actually had a really amazing levels of selenium and I attribute that to my two to three Brazil nut today.
• 15:36
  Speaker 4: You can also get selenium from different fish, eggs, mushrooms all things that I eat as well.
• 15:42
  Speaker 4: Mostly the eggs and mushrooms, occasional fish.
• 15:44
  Speaker 4: Not my most favorite food in the world, but I try to eat it.
• 15:47
  Speaker 4: So if you're dealing with thyroid issues, brazil nuts or selenium containing foods can help, especially if you have Hashimoto's but really if you have thyroid issues in general.
• 15:59
  Speaker 4: Another mineral that is really essential for thyroid health Is copper copper is very essential because it is going to help with various things, but it really can't be taken alone or at face value.
• 16:17
  Speaker 4: If you're looking at an HTMA test, which is something that we do with a lot of our clients, copper levels might appear to be normal or high.
• 16:26
  Speaker 4: But sometimes this can actually be really misleading.
• 16:29
  Speaker 4: The key is that copper can actually be buried in the body, which means that it's not being used effectively.
• 16:36
  Speaker 4: And it's really critical to look at how copper is behaving in the body and why it might be bound up and not biologically active.
• 16:46
  Speaker 4: Often this is due to issues with other minerals.
• 16:50
  Speaker 4: Like zinc or excessive stress copper imbalances can occur when there's not enough zinc to help regulate its activity.
• 16:57
  Speaker 4: It can also happen due to issues with vitamin A, iron, etc.
• 17:03
  Speaker 4: The, that iron, vitamin A, Zinc, they're all kind of part of the same picture.
• 17:09
  Speaker 4: So copper and zinc have this delicate balance and too much copper, too little zinc can really wreak havoc on your hormones, including thyroid as well as fertility.
• 17:20
  Speaker 4: And so you want to make sure that if you're supplementing copper, you're also paying attention to zinc.
• 17:26
  Speaker 4: This is particularly relevant for anyone who's dealing with PCOS, endometriosis, thyroid issues.
• 17:33
  Speaker 4: The other thing to note is that copper and zinc compete for absorption.
• 17:37
  Speaker 4: So when we consume too much of one or the other, it can create a situation where one goes super high and one goes super low.
• 17:48
  Speaker 4: This can result in irregular periods, low libido, infertility et cetera.
• 17:54
  Speaker 4: You can get copper into your body from environmental exposure.
• 17:58
  Speaker 4: For example, copper IUDs are a really common source of copper.
• 18:02
  Speaker 4: And they release copper into the body to prevent pregnancy copper pipes in your water supply oral contraceptives can actually increase copper levels as well.
• 18:12
  Speaker 4: It can raise copper binding proteins.
• 18:15
  Speaker 4: The unfortunate part is that most multivitamins do not contain a proper balance of copper and zinc, which can be really problematic.
• 18:22
  Speaker 4: Especially for women who are already dealing with hormone imbalances or any fertility concerns.
• 18:28
  Speaker 4: So pay attention to the zinc to copper ratio.
• 18:31
  Speaker 4: Make sure that if you're taking a multivitamin, it has zinc and copper in it.
• 18:35
  Speaker 4: But copper really helps with that T4 to T3 conversion as well.
• 18:40
  Speaker 4: It's also crucial for iron metabolism, like I mentioned.
• 18:43
  Speaker 4: And if you're addressing any copper imbalances in the body, you want to support zinc.
• 18:50
  Speaker 4: As I mentioned foods rich in zinc and copper are things like shellfish, legumes, nuts, seeds.
• 18:58
  Speaker 4: And you want to make sure that you're not exposing yourself to excess amounts of copper environmentally.
• 19:05
  Speaker 4: Another somewhat controversial mineral for Hashimoto's specifically, but thyroid issues in general, is iodine.
• 19:14
  Speaker 4: So iodine is very critical because it helps produce thyroid hormones.
• 19:19
  Speaker 4: So the thyroid uses iodine to produce T3 and T4.
• 19:24
  Speaker 4: And like I've mentioned before, these are You need T3, the active form, but you need T4 so that you can convert to T3 as well.
• 19:35
  Speaker 4: But iodine supplementation is particularly controversial, especially if somebody has Hashimoto's.
• 19:43
  Speaker 4: In someone with Hashimoto's, which is the autoimmune condition, there's a complicated relationship.
• 19:50
  Speaker 4: Iodine, like I mentioned, is essential.
• 19:54
  Speaker 4: But excessive amounts of iodine can actually trigger an immune response or make it worse.
• 20:00
  Speaker 4: So we don't want to have iodine intake that's too high.
• 20:04
  Speaker 4: This can exacerbate an autoimmune flare.
• 20:07
  Speaker 4: So this can be very nuanced.
• 20:10
  Speaker 4: There's a lot of practitioners that are pretty split on this.
• 20:13
  Speaker 4: And I think the reason that people are so split is because it really comes down to the individual.
• 20:19
  Speaker 4: We obviously don't want to worsen autoimmune conditions.
• 20:22
  Speaker 4: We want to monitor carefully what's going on.
• 20:26
  Speaker 4: The recommended intake for adults for iodine is 150 micrograms which is usually enough to support thyroid health without triggering an autoimmune flare.
• 20:36
  Speaker 4: However, sometimes people are really deficient.
• 20:39
  Speaker 4: You may need to supplement, but a lot of foods are really high in iodine and that's really my favorite way to get iodine into someone.
• 20:47
  Speaker 4: Sea vegetables, kelp, nori, any kind of seaweed is going to be a great source of iodine.
• 20:54
  Speaker 4: Adding just small amounts of this can make a huge difference.
• 20:57
  Speaker 4: difference.
• 20:58
  Speaker 4: Even if you're just doing this a couple times a week.
• 21:01
  Speaker 4: We love using kelp with our clients.
• 21:04
  Speaker 4: It is going to provide iodine as well as a lot of other beneficial minerals, for instance, magnesium, calcium, iron.
• 21:12
  Speaker 4: So we don't necessarily supplement too often with iodine.
• 21:16
  Speaker 4: More isn't necessarily always better.
• 21:19
  Speaker 4: I actually have a story about this.
• 21:21
  Speaker 4: When A long time ago, when I was experimenting with minerals and knew way less than I knew now, I read about iodine, and I thought, okay, maybe that's what I need, and I took Liquid iodine, and I didn't actually even take that much, but for two days, I had a raging, raging headache, and I couldn't figure out why, and then I realized, oh my goodness, I think it could have been that.
• 21:48
  Speaker 4: About two weeks later, I did it again.
• 21:50
  Speaker 4: Raging, raging headache.
• 21:52
  Speaker 4: That was my experience with it.
• 21:54
  Speaker 4: Obviously, too much for my body.
• 21:56
  Speaker 4: Not something that I would recommend.
• 21:58
  Speaker 4: But it's best to talk with your healthcare provider.
• 22:00
  Speaker 4: Sometimes it can be appropriate.
• 22:02
  Speaker 4: If you're working with Hashimoto's or you have Hashimoto's supplementation can be necessary, but there's other ways to get it, like I mentioned through the diet.
• 22:12
  Speaker 4: So iodine deficiency Typically, in the past, was a huge cause of goiters, which is the enlargement of thyro, the thyroid gland, which is why a lot of things are, or specifically salt, is enriched with iodine or fortified with iodine but it's really less, far less common today than in other parts of the world.
• 22:33
  Speaker 4: So the bottom line is, if you have Hashimoto's, you don't need to avoid iodine.
• 22:39
  Speaker 4: But you should just be cautious.
• 22:41
  Speaker 4: A moderate, balanced approach is best.
• 22:44
  Speaker 4: Ideally from food sources like kelp or iodine rich vegetables.
• 22:48
  Speaker 4: And always talk with your healthcare provider about what would be best for you.
• 22:54
  Speaker 4: The last kind of mineral picture that I want to talk about is B12, cobalt, and iron.
• 23:00
  Speaker 4: These are all really essential nutrients for thyroid health as well.
• 23:04
  Speaker 4: B12 specifically is especially helpful in relation to energy production and cellular metabolism.
• 23:11
  Speaker 4: It helps support your nervous system, so your stress resilience, it helps form red blood cells.
• 23:17
  Speaker 4: DNA synthesis.
• 23:18
  Speaker 4: And when B12 is deficient, energy levels will drop.
• 23:21
  Speaker 4: You might experience symptoms like fatigue, brain fog, sluggish metabolism, all which overlap with thyroid dysfunction.
• 23:29
  Speaker 4: But the interesting piece is that B12 does not act alone in supporting the thyroid.
• 23:35
  Speaker 4: So cobalt, which is a trace mineral, is really essential as a component of B12.
• 23:40
  Speaker 4: And without cobalt, the body can't use.
• 23:43
  Speaker 4: Vitamin B12, which means that a deficiency can indirectly cause B12 deficiency.
• 23:49
  Speaker 4: Cobalt is something that we can see on an htma test, and then you can draw B12 through the blood.
• 23:54
  Speaker 4: But the thyroid relies on B12 to function.
• 23:57
  Speaker 4: Low B12 can slow the process.
• 23:59
  Speaker 4: things down.
• 24:00
  Speaker 4: So we want to make sure not only B12 is good, but also cobalt is good.
• 24:04
  Speaker 4: And then cobalt, like I mentioned, is the mineral component of B12 and is going to help with the production.
• 24:11
  Speaker 4: Cobalt is going to be found in animal products like meat, poultry, fish, dairy, eggs.
• 24:16
  Speaker 4: So this is why B12 deficiency is often seen in people with plant based diets that don't adequately supplement since food sources, sources are.
• 24:27
  Speaker 4: Typically best with B12 and cobalt.
• 24:30
  Speaker 4: And then lastly, iron.
• 24:32
  Speaker 4: Iron is another mineral that is really closely linked with thyroid health.
• 24:36
  Speaker 4: Low iron can disrupt the production of thyroid hormones.
• 24:39
  Speaker 4: And then conversely, Thyroid issues can lead to low iron levels in the body as well.
• 24:45
  Speaker 4: With thyroid hormone synthesis, because there are enzymes involved in converting T4 to T3, these require iron to function properly.
• 24:55
  Speaker 4: Low iron can make this conversion less efficient.
• 24:59
  Speaker 4: leading to low T3, which is the active form, even if T4 levels are normal.
• 25:05
  Speaker 4: So this means that iron deficiency can really mask the real issue with thyroid function, as some thyroid labs might appear normal when in fact the conversion is really impaired.
• 25:16
  Speaker 4: On the flip side, hypothyroidism, so when someone's TSH is actually elevated, this can contribute to lower iron stores.
• 25:25
  Speaker 4: When thyroid function is low, blood flow will slow down.
• 25:29
  Speaker 4: This impacts the transport of nutrients, like iron, to the tissues and people with thyroid problems may experience increased blood loss through menstrual periods, which will further deplete iron levels.
• 25:41
  Speaker 4: When we're looking at iron, it's not as simple as just iron supplementation.
• 25:45
  Speaker 4: Iron has to be properly balanced with other minerals, like copper and zinc, and these nutrients play a role in absorption and utilization.
• 25:49
  Speaker 4: Iron has to be properly balanced with other minerals, like copper and zinc, and these nutrients play a role in absorption and utilization.
• 25:54
  Speaker 4: Copper is going to help mobilize stored iron, which is where htma can be really helpful.
• 26:02
  Speaker 4: And we want to make sure that we're getting iron from iron rich foods.
• 26:05
  Speaker 4: Our iron needs actually on a daily basis are not that high.
• 26:09
  Speaker 4: Iron recycling is really important.
• 26:11
  Speaker 4: You can get iron from red meat, liver, chicken, fish.
• 26:15
  Speaker 4: Lentils, spinach, quinoa, tofu, etc.
• 26:19
  Speaker 4: And vitamin C can really help enhance that absorption.
• 26:23
  Speaker 4: All this to say, minerals are a huge piece of your thyroid health.
• 26:28
  Speaker 4: Because if you're just taking medication for your thyroid, that's not really addressing the whole picture.
• 26:35
  Speaker 4: What if you can't convert that medication?
• 26:38
  Speaker 4: You can't convert T4 to T3.
• 26:41
  Speaker 4: I know it's pretty controversial in the endocrinology space about taking medications that have both T4 and T3 and your doctor may have a hard line on this issue, but if you can't convert T4 to T3, you're going to still have all of the same symptoms, which is where minerals and addressing your gut and liver health It's going to be huge for you.
• 27:04
  Speaker 4: It's all about the balance of nutrients that work together.
• 27:08
  Speaker 4: A B12 deficiency is not only going to affect brain and energy function, but it's going to affect your thyroid.
• 27:16
  Speaker 4: Similarly, iron levels, this can impair the conversion of thyroid hormone.
• 27:20
  Speaker 4: Low potassium, this is going to impair the conversion from T4 to T3.
• 27:27
  Speaker 4: Especially if you have autoimmune disease, we have to pay attention to things like selenium, zinc, etc.
• 27:33
  Speaker 4: Really, your next step on your thyroid journey is Great, you're on medication now.
• 27:39
  Speaker 4: Let's look deeper at what else your body needs so that it can function optimally.
• 27:46
  Speaker 4: So I want to share a story with you about a client who made huge improvements in her thyroid health in literally three months.
• 27:56
  Speaker 4: Think about how much time it probably took you to finally get diagnosed, to get on medication, to perhaps get on the right dose of medication, but really small shifts.
• 28:06
  Speaker 4: It wasn't like this woman completely overhauled her entire lifestyle.
• 28:10
  Speaker 4: In fact, she just made really distinct but simple changes to her health.
• 28:16
  Speaker 4: And her intake that allowed her to have huge results.
• 28:21
  Speaker 4: So she came to us.
• 28:22
  Speaker 4: She was struggling with all the classic thyroid symptoms, fatigue, brain fog, cold extremities, sluggish digestion.
• 28:29
  Speaker 4: She'd been on thyroid medication for a while, I think several years, but still just wasn't feeling right.
• 28:35
  Speaker 4: She was constantly tired.
• 28:37
  Speaker 4: And her energy levels were just nowhere near where they needed to be.
• 28:41
  Speaker 4: So we started with the HTMA test and found that she had quite a few mineral deficiencies that were likely contributing, including magnesium, zinc, selenium, potassium, and iron.
• 28:54
  Speaker 4: Through just making some simple shifts and focusing on restoring balance to her minerals, she was able to actually decrease her thyroid medication.
• 29:07
  Speaker 4: It was so simple.
• 29:09
  Speaker 4: In three months, she noticed such a huge change.
• 29:12
  Speaker 4: Her energy levels picked up.
• 29:14
  Speaker 4: Her brain fog lifted.
• 29:15
  Speaker 4: Her digestion was a lot more regular.
• 29:18
  Speaker 4: And we were able to reduce that medication dose or her doctor was able to, which is so encouraging, just showing you that it does not take huge drastic potentially really time consuming shifts to actually make a huge difference.
• 29:34
  Speaker 4: When you have a really simple and effective plan, you can really support yourself.
• 29:39
  Speaker 4: And also on the flip side, When your thyroid is functioning optimally, everything becomes easier, you have more energy, you're not fighting brain fog, your life just feels better and it doesn't have to take hours in the kitchen, doesn't have to take this total life overhaul.
• 29:58
  Speaker 4: You can do it and you can do it sustainably and long term.
• 30:02
  Speaker 4: So I want to just give to close up a quick guide to look at if you're looking at your thyroid labs.
• 30:09
  Speaker 4: Some key markers that can help you determine which minerals you might need for extra support.
• 30:15
  Speaker 4: First take a look at your TSH.
• 30:17
  Speaker 4: This is your thyroid stimulating hormone.
• 30:19
  Speaker 4: If it's high, this means that your thyroid is underactive, so hypothyroidism.
• 30:24
  Speaker 4: You might need more selenium, iron, or magnesium or potassium.
• 30:29
  Speaker 4: If it's low, you want to look at your selenium and copper.
• 30:34
  Speaker 4: Thank you Next, look at your T4.
• 30:37
  Speaker 4: If you have low T4, this often suggests hypothyroidism.
• 30:41
  Speaker 4: If it is low, it's important to focus on supporting selenium for thyroid conversion, also zinc and magnesium for the enzyme processes involved in thyroid hormone conversion.
• 30:52
  Speaker 4: Next, look at your T three and your free T three.
• 30:56
  Speaker 4: So free T three is the active thyroid hormone.
• 30:59
  Speaker 4: If it's low, this means that your body is not converting thyroid hormone efficiently.
• 31:04
  Speaker 4: So potassium and selenium are gonna be huge here.
• 31:08
  Speaker 4: Also, make sure you're getting enough zinc if your free T three is high.
• 31:13
  Speaker 4: This could indicate too much thyroid hormone so you might have to look at a medication change.
• 31:19
  Speaker 4: It's gonna be a lot more rare if you're actually have too much T3.
• 31:25
  Speaker 4: And then next up would be your reverse T3.
• 31:28
  Speaker 4: So this is a key marker of thyroid dysfunction.
• 31:31
  Speaker 4: It often happens in the context of stress.
• 31:33
  Speaker 4: illness or chronic inflammation.
• 31:36
  Speaker 4: So if you have high reverse T3, this is going to block the action of active T3.
• 31:41
  Speaker 4: So magnesium, selenium, zinc, these are going to be really important.
• 31:45
  Speaker 4: You also want to look at your iron levels.
• 31:48
  Speaker 4: And lastly, your antibodies.
• 31:50
  Speaker 4: If you have high antibodies, indicating Hashimoto's, This is where you're really going to want to push selenium.
• 31:58
  Speaker 4: So eat your two to three Brazil nuts a day, copper, zinc, make sure that your copper and zinc are balanced and really identify the source of the fire.
• 32:07
  Speaker 4: So what's causing the autoimmune flare?
• 32:10
  Speaker 4: Is there something going on in your gut?
• 32:12
  Speaker 4: Is there something going on with your stress?
• 32:14
  Speaker 4: Are you chronically stressed?
• 32:16
  Speaker 4: Something going on with your liver, et cetera.
• 32:18
  Speaker 4: So you want to really take a look at where the issue is.
• 32:23
  Speaker 4: And then you can really make a plan to heal from there.
• 32:27
  Speaker 4: So thanks so much for tuning into this episode on minerals for hypothyroidism, as well as just where to go next.
• 32:35
  Speaker 4: If you've been diagnosed, we work with so many women that have been diagnosed with hypothyroidism or Hashimoto's, or they don't know they have thyroid issues until.
• 32:45
  Speaker 4: We're able to draw labs.
• 32:47
  Speaker 4: If you're feeling inspired to support your minerals, make sure you download the free mineral guide.
• 32:52
  Speaker 4: The link is in the show notes.
• 32:53
  Speaker 4: Lots of practical tips.
• 32:55
  Speaker 4: I even have a section on mineral mocktails for thyroid issues.
• 32:59
  Speaker 4: So make sure you check out that section.
• 33:02
  Speaker 4: There's recipes.
• 33:03
  Speaker 4: Links, et cetera.
• 33:05
  Speaker 4: And then don't forget, mark your calendar.
• 33:07
  Speaker 4: HTM a black Friday sale is right around the corner.
• 33:11
  Speaker 4: If you're feeling inspired okay, minerals are my next step.
• 33:14
  Speaker 4: 9 AM black Friday, November 29th, those spots will become available.
• 33:20
  Speaker 4: But thanks so much for tuning in.
• 33:22
  Speaker 4: Go ahead and send me a message on Instagram.
• 33:24
  Speaker 4: I would love to hear what you took away from this episode, what you found interesting any topic or episode suggestions that you might have and remember to always love your gut.
• 33:35
  Speaker 4: So it loves you back.
• 33:36
  Speaker 4: I'm giving you a thumbs up because you just finished another episode of the love your gut podcast.
• 33:42
  Speaker 4: I am so excited because black Friday is just around the corner.
• 33:46
  Speaker 4: And honestly, Thanksgiving and black Friday are some of my favorite days of the year.
• 33:50
  Speaker 4: The buzz on Instagram has been wild with questions about our black Friday specials.
• 33:55
  Speaker 4: And guess what?
• 33:56
  Speaker 4: The answer is a resounding yes.
• 33:59
  Speaker 4: So make sure that you're part of our email list to be the very first in the know about our fantastic.
• 34:05
  Speaker 4: Black Friday deals on HTMA or hair mineral testing.
• 34:09
  Speaker 4: You do not want to miss out on these gems.
• 34:11
  Speaker 4: I promise the link to join our email list is in the show notes below.
• 34:15
  Speaker 4: And as always remember that when you love your gut, it'll love you back.
• 34:19
  Speaker 4: And that's what we're all about.