Natural Support for Thyroid Health
If you’re one of the millions of people dealing with a thyroid condition, you’ll know how challenging it can be. From underactive to overactive, thyroid conditions cause a wide range of symptoms. In this article we delve into natural support for thyroid health and share the best foods and nutrients for maintaining healthy thyroid function.
What do thyroid hormones do?
The thyroid gland produces five hormones: T1, T2, T3, T4, and calcitonin, a hormone that regulates your blood calcium levels. Very little is known about T1 and T2, which is why thyroid care focuses on T3 and T4.
T4 is relatively inactive and most of it is converted to T3, the most biologically active thyroid hormone.
Thyroid hormones are active in every part of your body. They regulate your metabolism and influence digestion, weight balance, heart health, brain function, bone development, energy levels, menstruation, and much more.
Think of them as being like the accelerator pedal in a car. We need just the right amount of speed for all the activities in each cell to happen at the right pace. Too much or too little causes problems.
How to spot a thyroid imbalance
Thyroid hormone imbalance produces a range of symptoms that vary from person to person.
So how do you know if your thyroid isn’t working properly? Here are some common signs to look out for [1,2]:
Underactive thyroid: not enough thyroid hormone means your metabolic rate and energy production slows right down. You might notice tiredness, fatigue, fuzzy thinking, constipation, breathlessness, dry skin, menstrual changes, weight gain, and low mood.
Overactive thyroid: too much thyroid hormone causes everything to speed up. You might notice anxiety, racing thoughts, insomnia, palpitations, diarrhoea, weight loss, sweating, and a swollen thyroid gland (goitre).
Thyroid conditions are up to 10x more common in women than men [3]. The complex symptoms are also influenced by changing hormone levels during different life stages like pregnancy and menopause.
Autoimmunity and thyroid health
Most thyroid conditions are caused by an autoimmune response. This is when your immune system mistakenly attacks healthy thyroid tissue causing inflammation and disrupting the production of thyroid hormones. The autoimmune form of underactive thyroid is called Hashimoto’s disease, and the autoimmune form of overactive thyroid is Graves’ disease.
Women are more affected by autoimmune issues than men due to the way oestrogen and progesterone influence immune function, which is why women are more affected by thyroid problems overall.
The difference between autoimmune thyroid disease and other thyroid issues is that the underlying cause is immune dysregulation. Taking steps to support a balanced immune response is an important part of managing Hashimoto’s or Graves’ disease.
Natural nutritional support for thyroid health
Whether you’re taking thyroid medication or not, there are many ways to support thyroid health through foods and nutrition.
Your thyroid glands relies on a ready supply of vitamins and minerals including iodine, selenium, zinc, magnesium, iron, and vitamin D. It also needs protein – specifically, the amino acid tyrosine – to build thyroid hormones, which you can find in meat, fish, and plant foods like soybeans and spirulina.
Trace minerals for thyroid health
Iodine combines with tyrosine to build thyroid hormones. The main food sources are seaweeds and seafoods but iodine deficiency is on the rise [4] in the UK. Using a supplement can be helpful but the right amount is key as excess amounts of iodine can worsen Hashimoto’s disease, particularly if selenium levels are low. The NHS advises an upper safe level of 500mcg for iodine [5] – more than double the amount in most supplements.
Zinc is essential for producing Thyroid Stimulating Hormone (TSH), the messenger hormone that comes from the brain to the thyroid gland. Brazil nuts, pecans, pumpkin seeds, and seafood are especially rich in zinc whereas refined and highly processed foods contain very little.
Selenium and iron are utilised by the enzymes that convert T4 into active T3. Statistics from the UK National Diet and Nutrition Survey show that around 12.6 million UK adults need more selenium and approximately 4.9 million of us don’t get enough iron [6], which highlights the need for extra support.
Plant-based iron isn’t as bioavailable as iron from meat and fish, but you can enhance the absorption by combining iron-rich plant foods with foods high in vitamin C. Broccoli with peas for example, or pumpkin seeds with kiwi fruit. Even squeezing fresh lemon juice onto steamed greens can help.
The easiest way to ensure your daily requirements of these trace minerals is with a high-quality multivitamin and mineral formula. Our Ethical Multivitamin contains 26 essential vitamins, minerals, and phytonutrients including zinc, selenium, iodine, and iron, so you can be confident of getting the right amount of foundational nutrients for thyroid health.
Magnesium and thyroid health
Magnesium found in dark green vegetables, nuts, and seeds, is crucial for thyroid function, energy production, and a balanced immune response. Studies show that low levels of magnesium are associated with inflammation and autoimmune thyroid conditions [7].
Stress increases the need for magnesium [8], and it can be hard to meet this need through foods alone. Our range of 100% chelated magnesium supplements provides magnesium as glycinate, malate, or taurate, for optimum absorption and bioavailability.
Vitamin D and thyroid health
The exact role vitamin D3 plays in thyroid health remains unclear but we do know that supplementary vitamin D has been shown to reduce anti-thyroid antibodies, and low levels of vitamin D are associated with immune dysregulation [9]. We need to supplement vitamin D during autumn and winter in the UK and other northern climes, and many adults need to take extra vitamin D all year round.
Gut microbiome and thyroid health
The connection may not be immediately obvious, but the trillions of microbes living in your gut play an important role in thyroid health. These microbes influence your absorption of zinc, iron, magnesium, and other essential nutrients, and modulate immune function and inflammation [10].
Autoimmune thyroid diseases frequently co-exist with Coeliac disease (the autoimmune reaction to gluten that damages the small intestine), and dysbiosis (an imbalance of gut microbes) is often seen alongside thyroid disorders [10].
Supporting a healthy, diverse microbiome can benefit your immune function and thyroid health. You can do this with:
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Fibre-rich fruits, vegetables, beans, nuts, and pulses that feed the friendly flora.
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Fermented foods like sauerkraut and kimchi that naturally contain live bacteria.
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Live bacteria supplements proven to survive stomach acid and reach the microbial communities in your gut.
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Natural digestive enzymes and specific fibres from kiwifruit that are shown to ease bloating and constipation – two common symptoms seen with underactive thyroid.
We hope this article has provided insight and inspiration for supporting thyroid health. You can find more food inspiration and recipes over on our blog where you can also download free meal plans.
Please note that thyroid conditions are complex and often interact with other health issues. These suggestions are not intended to replace medical advice and you should always consult your healthcare practitioner before using supplements alongside prescription medication.
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References
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NHS, 2025. Underactive thyroid (hypothyroidism). [online] Available at https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/underactive-thyroid-hypothyroidism/
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NHS, 2023. Overactive thyroid (hyperthyroidism). [online] Available at https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/overactive-thyroid-hyperthyroidism/
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British Thyroid Foundation, 2024. Thyroid and menopause. [online] Available at https://www.btf-thyroid.org/thyroid-menopause
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Rayman, M. P., & Bath, S. C. 2015. The new emergence of iodine deficiency in the UK: consequences for child neurodevelopment. Annals of Clinical Biochemistry, 52(Pt 6), 705–708. https://doi.org/10.1177/0004563215597249
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NHS, 2020. Iodine [online] Available at https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/vitamins-and-minerals/iodine/
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Food Standards Agency, n.d. National Diet and Nutrition Survey (NDNS). [online] Available at https://www.food.gov.uk/research/national-diet-and-nutrition-survey
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Wang, K., Wei, H., Zhang, W., Li, Z., Ding, L., Yu, T., Tan, L., Liu, Y., Liu, T., Wang, H., Fan, Y., Zhang, P., Shan, Z., & Zhu, M. 2018. Severely low serum magnesium is associated with increased risks of positive anti-thyroglobulin antibody and hypothyroidism: A cross-sectional study. Scientific Reports, 8, 9904. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-018-28362-5
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Cuciureanu MD, Vink R. Magnesium and stress. In: Vink R, Nechifor M, editors. Magnesium in the Central Nervous System [Internet]. Adelaide (AU): University of Adelaide Press; 2011. Available from: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK507250/
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Leko, M. B., Jureško, I., Rozić, I., Pleić, N., Gunjača, I., & Zemunik, T. 2023. Vitamin D and the Thyroid: A Critical Review of the Current Evidence. International Journal of Molecular Sciences, 24(4), 3586. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijms24043586
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Knezevic, J., Starchl, C., Berisha, A. T., & Amrein, K. 2020. Thyroid-Gut-Axis: How Does the Microbiota Influence Thyroid Function? Nutrients, 12(6), 1769. https://doi.org/10.3390/nu12061769
