Top 8 POWERFUL Nutrients for Thyroid Support and What to Eat

Dr. Stengler: Do you have a sluggish thyroid? A low thyroid? Your thyroid gland requires very specific nutrients from specific foods. Watch and learn about the nutrients and foods that will help your thyroid function and metabolism rev up.

Your thyroid gland is so important. It produces thyroid hormones that essentially every cell in your body uses — your brain cells, skin cells, digestive system cells, your heart, and the components of your cells that produce energy. It is very, very important that you have the right amount of thyroid hormones. When your thyroid is sluggish or you have hypothyroidism, you can have all sorts of symptoms: low metabolism, difficulty losing weight or weight gain, water retention, poor memory and concentration, joint pain, muscle pain, low energy, and even sleep problems. So it's critical that we get the thyroid balanced — and the best way is with a good diet and a healthy lifestyle.

You don't produce thyroid hormones by magic. There are many different metabolic activities involved. But here's what we know: you need eight essential nutrients for your thyroid to function properly. Unfortunately, the typical American diet is devoid of many of these. Processed foods, bad oils from packaged foods and restaurant meals — these are actually damaging to the thyroid and interfere with hormone production. But when you get the right foods and the right nutrients in, the thyroid metabolism kicks in, you can produce the hormones you need, and you can function optimally.

Nutrient number one: zinc. Oysters are the highest food source of zinc, but other good sources include pumpkin seeds, beef, lentils, and oats.

Nutrient number two: copper. Copper is also found in beef and oysters, but other good sources include potatoes with the skin on, shiitake mushrooms, cashews, sunflower seeds, chickpeas, and wild salmon.

Nutrient number three: iodine. Iodine is found in foods like cod, non-fat Greek yogurt, and eggs.

Nutrient number four: selenium. Brazil nuts are actually the highest food source of selenium. You also get it in sardines, turkey, and eggs.

Nutrient number five: magnesium. Magnesium is found in high amounts in pumpkin seeds, as well as chia seeds, almonds, spinach, cashews, and black beans.

Nutrient number six: vitamin A. Beef liver is famously high in vitamin A, but I don't recommend it due to the toxins the liver typically contains. Other good sources include sweet potato, spinach, herring, cantaloupe, and raw red peppers.

Nutrient number seven: vitamin B12. B12 is found in sardines and salmon, and you also get it in eggs, meat, and dairy products.

Nutrient number eight: iron. Iron is found in meat, but you can also get smaller amounts from white beans, lentils, and spinach.

Most of these nutrients can be obtained in ample amounts through the Mediterranean diet — likely the world's most well-studied diet, and one that has specific research on thyroid function. Studies have shown that people who follow a Mediterranean diet have better blood levels of triiodothyronine, known as T3 — your most metabolically active thyroid hormone, responsible for revving up your metabolism and energy production. A Mediterranean diet rich in plant foods, fruits and vegetables, nuts and seeds, herbs and spices high in antioxidants, cold-water fish, and olive oil — a great source of omega-9 fatty acids — can help improve thyroid function for many people. I've seen this with many of my own patients, as both their symptoms and their thyroid blood numbers improve over time on a Mediterranean diet.

So there you have it — the top eight nutrients your thyroid needs and the foods you can get them from. Get these foods into your diet, improve your lifestyle, and watch your thyroid function improve. For more information on thyroid function or the Mediterranean diet, visit my website at markstengler.com.

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