The thyroid tends to be an underappreciated organ, but despite being a small gland it has massive implications for your health. While thyroid disease can occur in various forms, one of the most common is called Hashimoto’s thyroiditis, an autoimmune disease where the body attacks the thyroid gland and diminishes its ability to create precious hormones—ones that impact every cell of the body. Hashimoto’s is the leading cause of hypothyroidism (an underactive thyroid) in the US and roughly 14 million people in the US are struggling with this diagnosis, with women at much higher risk, being 7 to 8 times more likely than men to get it.
In this mini-episode, Dr. Hyman is joined by Dr. Elizabeth Boham to review patient cases in which thyroid issues were treated.
Elizabeth Boham is a physician and nutritionist who practices functional medicine at The UltraWellness Center in Lenox, MA. Through her practice and lecturing, she has helped thousands of people achieve their goals of optimum health and wellness. She witnesses the power of nutrition every day in her practice and is committed to training other physicians to utilize nutrition in healing. Dr. Boham has contributed to many articles and wrote the latest chapter on Obesity for the Rankel Textbook of Family Medicine. She is part of the faculty of the Institute for Functional Medicine and has been featured on the Dr. Oz show and in a variety of publications and media including Huffington Post, The Chalkboard Magazine, and Experience Life. Her DVD Breast Wellness: Tools to Prevent and Heal from Breast Cancer explores the functional medicine approach to keeping your breasts and whole body well.
In this episode, Dr. Hyman and Dr. Boham discuss:
Symptoms of hypothyroidism which can include sluggishness in the morning, poor concentration and memory, low-grade depression, dry skin, hoarse voice, thinning hair, coarse hair, being very sensitive to cold and having cold hands and feet, low body temperature, muscle pain, weakness or cramps, low sex drive, fluid retention, high cholesterol.
Evaluating thyroid health by testing thyroid-stimulating hormone (TSH) levels as well as free T3, free T4, thyroid antibodies, reverse T3 testing, and DIO2 gene testing.
Looking for associated problems such as gluten intolerance, food allergies, and heavy metals, as well as deficiencies of vitamin D, selenium, vitamin A, zinc, and omega-3 fats.
Choosing foods that offer nutritional support for your thyroid, such as
Eggs, sunflower seeds, whole grains, and brazil nuts. Just 1-2 brazil nuts a day can give your body all of the selenium it needs.
Seafood and sea vegetables (such as nori, seaweed, and iodized salt) which are rich in iodine.
Zinc-rich foods such as oysters, beef, poultry, beans, nuts, and seeds.
Avoiding raw cruciferous vegetables and GMO soy. Instead, steam or cook cruciferous vegetables and eat non-GMO, whole food soy.
Implementing lifestyle practices to support thyroid health such as reducing stress.
Using supplements and medication to support thyroid health.
Additional resources:
“Could It Be Your Thyroid”
“Thyroid Nourishing Recipes”
Supporting the Thyroid: Food as Medicine”
“6-Steps to Heal Your Thyroid”
awesome video bro
My mother has alzheimers took her to the doc because she’s complaining about being cold all the time even when it’s warm outside or if the heating is on at home so I assumed under active thyroid and had the doc run a test and he said it was normal but I know she wasn’t given the full thyroid investigation so maybe she’s borderline can we use a herbal thyroid support supplement ….we are treating her with the bredesen protocol without any of the tests due to lack of finances can the thyroid support product made by cytoplan in the uk help or make it worse the product contains iodine from seaweed l tyrosine manganese selenium from yeast please any new info would be a big help her free t3 was 4.9 and that’s all we were told……she was always complaining of feeling cold long before she had alzheimers diagnosed 3 years ago I’m 40 and remember her with this symptom of coldness when I was in my early twenties I’m wondering if this supplement from cytoplan thyroid support plus could benefit her and possibly improve cognition without needing to use pharmaceutical drugs
Craig Moyle I hope they read and answer this for you.
Really enjoying this. Thank you for all your videos.
What about if you have nodules
Marina Lindsay-Roach
I was just going to ask the Same question, I have multi nodule goiter.
Blood work always normal but with many weird symptoms.
I hope your question gets answered
Great video
I hope you answer
I’ve been making smoothies following goodbye autoimmune
Using 75% greens (raw) mix kale, spinach and chard. I keep asking Her about my multi nodule goiter and no response , From what I hear in this video I’m assuming to stop with the smoothies
So true it’s hard to find a primary care that will listen it’s so hard to get the help you need and want so desperately
Excellent dialogue.
Thanks for sharing this valuable information.
Peace and blessings
Cool as usual +++
I live in a northern community in Canada, have a low income, and no access to functional medicine doctors, or even homeopathic/naturopathic doctors, as the cost of these services is prohibitive. Thank-you for the information and I am going to share it with my nurse-practitioner and see what she thinks.
Soy sauce usually has wheat, which, as you know, contains gluten. So probably, you should go for organic, gluten-free tamari rather than standard soy sauce.
The problem is our healthcare system doesn’t work making preventative or even diagnostic care affordable. I’m not sure I will ever have healthcare again job or no job with the way things are looking. Even with a job insurance is too expensive and not worth it.
I hope the make a video about fatty liver ,supplement, diet,etc.
And heavy metal.
we will be eternally grateful.