If you know me then you know that I’m a huge fan of using thyroid supplements.
They can not only help you get off thyroid medication, they can also help that medication work more effectively if you must take it.
But this assumes one very important thing:
You are using the right supplements for your thyroid.
Because, while some ingredients can certainly help your thyroid, there are others that can easily cause more harm than good.
And what I want to do today is talk about those supplements and ingredients that thyroid patients need to be cautious of.
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#1. Biotin
Biotin has a bad reputation among thyroid patients who don’t quite understand how it impacts the thyroid.
Most people believe that it has some negative impact on the thyroid but they can’t quite define that impact and they don’t completely understand it.
Let me set the record straight:
Biotin does not have any direct negative impact on thyroid function.
In fact, it’s actually great for thyroid patients because it’s needed to break down fats, proteins, and carbs.
Your body then uses that cellular energy for your hair, skin, and nail health.
The only problem? It does have an impact on the accuracy of your thyroid lab tests.
If taken in high doses, can react with the thyroid testing assay and make it look like you have more thyroid hormone in your system than you really do.
In other words, it will make you look hyperthyroid or like you are taking more medication than you should be (1).
And if you or your doctor aren’t aware of this fact then you will most likely end up being underdosed leading to low thyroid symptoms like weight gain and hair loss.
Sure this means you should avoid biotin, right?
Absolutely not.
You can have your cake and eat it too but simply avoid biotin for a few days prior to when you get your thyroid labs tested.
This completely solves the problems and allows you to get all of the benefits biotin provides on your hair, skin, and nails, without any of the downsides.
There’s no reason to avoid biotin, just make sure to use it correctly.
#2. Caffeine
And let me take the unpopular position here and say that if you have a thyroid problem of any type then you should probably be avoiding caffeine.
This includes coffee, energy drinks, soft drinks, and any other significant source of caffeine with the exception of cocoa (for the reasons listed here).
There are two big reasons I make this recommendation:
The first is that caffeine has a stimulating effect on the GI tract which can negatively impact thyroid medication absorption (2).
But there’s another reason…
Caffeine also has a stimulatory effect on the adrenal glands resulting in the production of epinephrine and norepinephrine (3).
This may be beneficial for supporting metabolism and helping you stay alert, but it’s not ideal if you are already in a state of thyroid-related fatigue.
But I do get it, people love the way caffeine makes them feel.
And there are even some studies that suggest caffeine intake, within a certain threshold, may have a positive effect on the thyroid in metabolically unhealthy people (4).
Correlation does not equal causation here and it’s been my experience that thyroid patients paradoxically get more energy and and have better sleep when they eliminate caffeine.
If you must consume caffeine in, let’s say, coffee, consume it responsibly and keep your dose to less than 50 mg per day.
And if you are taking thyroid medication, then take it as far away as possible, at least 60 minutes, but preferably a few hours.
#3. Fiber
When most people think about fiber they probably think about foods high in fiber but there are also supplements that contain fiber as well.
Some of these supplements are used to help with normal bowel movements such as Metamucil, Citrucel, Benefiber, and so on.
And others are used for weight loss purposes like glucomannan.
No matter what type of fiber you’re taking, you should know that it may not be good for your thyroid.
The reason for this is that fiber forms a mass in your gut that delays absorption.
If your thyroid medication gets caught in this mass, it will impair your ability to absorb it (5) and get it into your bloodstream where you want it.
This delay in absorption is actually a good thing, especially when we’re talking about carbohydrates and appetite control.
But bad when it comes to thyroid hormone.
The good news is that it can be easily solved by simply taking your thyroid medication several hours away from whenever you take a fiber supplement.
So you can still get the benefits of weight loss if you’re taking glucomannan or the benefits on bowel movements if you’re using Metamucil, so long as you take them correctly.
#4. Estrogen Support Supplements
As a woman, few hormones are more important than estrogen, with the exception, of course, of your thyroid.
Which is why it may come as no surprise that many women are taking supplements that support the function of estrogen.
This is great for problems related to estrogen: progesterone imbalances, but you can get into trouble with your thyroid if you aren’t careful.
Estrogen has a stimulatory effect on an important protein known as thyroid-binding globulin (6).
And this is the protein that holds and shuttles thyroid hormone in your bloodstream.
About 99% of thyroid hormone is bound to various types of protein leaving only a small amount available for use by the body.
If you increase the amount of this protein you will automatically decrease how much free thyroid hormone is available.
This isn’t necessarily a bad thing by itself, in fact, it’s great to have balanced estrogen levels, but it is absolutely something you should be aware of if you are taking something that increases or supports estrogen.
Your job as a thyroid patient who is taking something to support your estrogen is to simply keep an eye on your free T3 and free T4 and, if necessary, make adjustments to your thyroid medication dose.
#5. Iodine
I already know what you are thinking on this one:
“How can you say iodine is dangerous when you recommend using it and even put it in your own supplements!?”.
So let me be clear:
I do recommend iodine and I think that most thyroid patients are not getting enough of it which is why it’s found in many of my own thyroid support formulas.
But I also believe that many people misuse iodine by using the incorrect dose.
And this is what causes the issues that people see when they take iodine.
Taking higher than recommended doses of iodine does carry risks (7) and, when taken at these levels, their risks do not outweigh their benefits.
For perspective, safe dosing of iodine is within the range of 150 to 300 mcg of iodine per day.
Things start to get questionable as doses get up to 1,000 mcg per day or 1 mg.
And doses higher than 3,000 mcg per day really have no place in the treatment or management of thyroid disease.
The bottom line?
Use iodine but don’t use excessively high doses as they are increasingly dangerous and provide little to no benefit over smaller doses.
The reality is that you can overcome iodine deficiency with consistent daily doses over the course of weeks to months.
There’s no reason to overdose on iodine in the short term in an effort to eke out small gains in thyroid function. It’s just not worth it.
#6. Iron
Iron is actually an incredibly important nutrient for your thyroid but it’s what I call a Goldilocks nutrient.
You need just the exact right amount in order for optimal thyroid function.
Too much and you push yourself into iron overdose and all of its consequences.
Too little and you’ll end up with no benefit and remain hypothyroid despite optimizing your thyroid medication.
So how does iron impact thyroid function and why is it so important?
The primary way is through its impact on the enzyme thyroid peroxidase (8).
This enzyme is responsible for creating thyroid hormone and it’s considered heme-dependent or iron-dependent.
In other words, in states of iron deficiency, thyroid peroxidase will be less efficient at creating thyroid hormone and you will end up hypothyroid.
To make matters worse, the low thyroid state impairs iron absorption which leads to a cycle of worsening thyroid function and worsening iron absorption. And so on and so on and so on.
But there’s another problem:
You can’t just take iron and call it a day because iron has the ability to react with thyroid medication and render it inactive.
So if you take iron without taking it appropriately you can actually reduce thyroid function further making everything worse.
This seemingly complex problem has an easy solution:
First: get tested for iron deficiency and ferritin deficiency.
Second: if present, take iron supplements to increase both into the mid-range.
And third: if you’re taking iron make sure to take it 4 hours away from your thyroid medication.
#7. Calcium
Calcium is another ‘binder’ of thyroid medication.
While it doesn’t harm your thyroid directly it can absolutely bind to and inactivate thyroid medication (9) if you take them at the same time.
Calcium is found in all sorts of multivitamins and supplements and it’s often recommended by conventional doctors in women who are suffering from bone loss.
In addition, the calcium content found in foods can have a similar effect on thyroid medication if taken together.
For these reasons, there’s a decent chance you’re taking calcium without even realizing it.
Like iron, you must take calcium at least 4 hours away from your thyroid medication.
The only two ingredients that require this strict 4-hour period are calcium and iron, though, so don’t let other supplements and ingredients stress you out.
#8. Thyroid Glandulars
If you aren’t aware of thyroid glandulars let me fill you in:
Thyroid glandulars are portions of animal thyroid glands that have been dried and crushed and added to over-the-counter supplements.
This should sound very familiar to you, especially if you take any medication that falls into the class of medications known as Natural Desiccated Thyroid.
There’s one big difference, though:
Thyroid glandulars do not contain standardized amounts of active thyroid hormone, unlike their medication counterparts.
Some people are perfectly fine with that and it’s the reason they are so attracted to glandulars in the first place.
After all, who doesn’t like the idea of getting thyroid hormones from a more “natural” source without the need for a medication?
That’s okay if you want to do this, but you have to realize that not having a standardized amount of thyroid hormone in each dose can pose problems, especially if you’re taking thyroid medication.
It may make your lab tests inconsistent, you may feel good on one lot and not another, and it has a small risk of pushing you into a hyperthyroid state.
It’s for these reasons that most conventional doctors will label glandulars as dangerous and recommend they should be avoided.
But if you are someone who is okay with these potential problems then I think you can make the choice to determine if they are worth it in your own personal situation.
#9. Acid Blockers
I’ve included acid blockers here even though they are technically an over-the-counter medication and not a supplement.
But no matter how you classify them, the truth is that they cause a lot of problems for thyroid patients.
Yes, they may reduce the symptoms of acid reflux, but it comes at the cost of some well-documented problems including:
- Reduced absorption of thyroid medication (10).
- An increased risk of multiple nutrient deficiencies including magnesium (11), iron, and vitamin B12 (12).
- An increased risk of developing bacterial overgrowth syndromes.
- An increased risk of developing food sensitivities (13).
- And an increased risk of developing inflammation in the gut.
If you have a thyroid problem then do whatever is necessary to get off your acid blocker.
The Bottom Line?
Taking supplements if you have thyroid disease (of any type but especially hypothyroidism) can be incredibly helpful!
Just realize that not all supplements are “good” or “right” for thyroid patients.
Don’t let this information scare you away from taking them, though, because about 80% of thyroid patients who use them report significant improvements in how they are feeling.
If you want to learn more about which supplements are best for your thyroid then be sure to check out this article next.
Now I want to hear from you:
Were you aware of these supplements and how they impact your thyroid?
Are you taking any of these supplements or nutrients already?
Are you planning to change how you take them?
Or do you have any other suggestions to add based on your own experience?
Leave your questions or comments below!
Scientific References
#1. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6103391/
#2. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/19942153/
#3. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/12140349/
#4. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC10369722/
#5. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/9737361/
#6. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/2837662
#7. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC8106604/
#8. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC10675576/
#9. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3092723/
#10. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC8175524/
#11. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3782221/
#12. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6054240/
#13. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC9923889/
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