Thyroid Health, Naturally

Care for this important gland (and treat its disorders) with helpful herbs and foods.

January/February 2003
By Brigitte Mars 
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The thyroid is a butterfly-shaped gland, positioned on the front of the neck, on either side of the windpipe, directly below the Adam’s apple. It is part of the endocrine system and one of the first organs to develop in a fetus. Among its many functions, the thyroid gland:

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• Dictates the rate at which cells use oxygen
• Stores 25 percent of the body’s total iodine
• Produces hormones that affect metabolism and activity
• Allows for better muscle and cardiac activity
• Regulates growth in children
• Accelerates bone repair
• Helps convert beta-carotene into vitamin A
• Enhances secretions of gastric juices at an optimal rate
• Affects sex drive and menstrual regularity

The entire blood supply filters through the thyroid gland once every hour. Any iodine in the blood is used by the thyroid to manufacture hormones. The thyroid gland can easily be susceptible to imbalance because it attracts electropositive elements (that is, those that tend to release electrons) such as aluminum, arsenic, bromine, calcium, chlorine, fluorine, and thiocyanates. Liver stagnation can be a factor in thyroid gland function, as the liver also filters blood. In Oriental Medicine, low thyroid function is often related to a deficiency of kidney yang energy.

There are three known hormones secreted by the thyroid gland: thyroxine, triiodothyronine, and calcitonin. Heredity, viral infections, and many medications affect the thyroid adversely. Fluoride, in most drinking water, and thiocyanate, found in cigarettes, are thyroid inhibitors. Exposure to dyes, X-rays, and chemicals in the environment can also cause thyroid dysfunction. Although rare, an imbalance in the pituitary (the “master gland”) or in the hypothalamus gland (which sends messages to the pituitary) may cause the thyroid gland to function poorly. Both the hypothalamus and the pituitary can be adversely affected by cold exposure, stress, excitement, and emotional upheaval.

Synthroid and bone health

Synthroid (levothyroxine), first developed in 1959, is the third most prescribed drug in the United States. Before its introduction, pig thyroid was used and is still used to some extent today. Because long-term synthetic thyroid supplementation can contribute to osteoporosis, the following herbs, which help protect bone health, may be helpful:

• Horsetail (Equisetum arvense) is rich in trace minerals that protect and nourish the bones, flesh, and cartilage. It is high in silica and strengthens the body’s connective tissue.

• Nettle is an adrenal tonic and kidney tonic (which governs the bones in Oriental Medicine), as well as a thyroid tonic. This herb nourishes virtually every aspect of health.

• Oatstraw and seed (Avena sativa) support the bones, hair, skin, nails, and nervous system. Oatstraw is an anti-anxiety agent, aphrodisiac, nerve tonic, and nutritive.

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