This is SUPER important information regarding optimal thyroid functioning that I hope to share to every person on the planet with thyroid dysfunction so we can all live the healthy, vibrant lives we were meant to live.

I’m talking about the crucial nutrients the thyroid needs in order to work at the cellular level: selenium and iodine. Most of these nutrients are seriously lacking in the American diet- even if you are eating a relatively healthy one.

Iodine. The body needs this to make thyroid hormone- a critical building block of T4 and T3 (the numbers actually refer to how many iodine molecules are attached to the thyroid hormone). As of 2007, the World Health Organization estimated that 30% (2 billion) of the population have insufficient iodine intake and I would guess this number is actually higher because many of us are not at optimal levels.

During pregnancy, production of the thyroid hormone T4 doubles, causing an increase in daily iodine intake. Iodine deficient pregnant women cannot produce the thyroid hormones that are needed for proper neurological development of their growing babies, and are at high risk of giving birth to infants with cognitive impairment and learning delay. In studies, even a moderate iodine deficiency in a pregnant woman can lower her infant’s IQ from 8 to 16 points. This is also why so many women become hypothyroid after pregnancy- the body lacks the proper building blocks to even make hormones even more so than before pregnancy.

Iodine rich foods: sea vegetables (seaweed, kelp, dulse, kombu, wakame), cranberries, & navy beans. I recommend cooking grains like quinoa, rice & amaranth with a strip of kombu in it, which will allow the grains to soak up the minerals from the kombu.

Selenium. The thyroid contains more selenium than any other organ. It uses selenium and enzymes to convert the inactive T4 hormone to the cell-active T3 hormone; without selenium this process cannot happen and the thyroid hormone remains inactive (and you continue to not feel well). Selenium is also protective of the thyroid: hydrogen peroxide is generated by thyroid cells when making hormone and selenium protects the gland from oxidative damage cause by these reactions. Without sufficient selenium, destruction can occur to the gland’s cells.

This mineral is especially important if you have Hashimoto’s thyroiditis. Studies show that antibody levels can decrease just by adding a selenium supplement in 66% of patients, but it is estimated this number is actually higher the more antibodies you have (selenium assists thyroid conversion even more so when antibodies are very high).

Selenium rich foods: brazil nuts, yellowfin tuna, halibut, sardines, & grass-fed beef.

The easiest way to know you are getting enough of both of these nutrients is to supplement. Talk to your healthcare practitioner about the right dose and product for you.

Other helpful herbs for thyroid are: licorice, ashwagandha, lemon balm and motherwort.