Adrenal support refers to the use of nutrients and vitamins which help your adrenal glands produce powerful and important hormones such as cortisol. Cortisol is a hormone released in times of stress which helps thyroid hormone and other hormones function.
By repeatedly taxing your adrenals through stress or through thyroid dysfunction you can cause adrenal-related issues which create a cascade of very specific symptoms. This is important for your thyroid because we know that thyroid hormone is intricately linked to adrenal function. As your TSH increases hypothyroidism your cortisol levels will rise as well 7 leading to the symptoms of adrenal fatigue.
This connection explains why so many thyroid patients also suffer from the symptoms of adrenal fatigue. But perhaps even more important is the fact that treating yourself with thyroid hormone may not be sufficient to "heal" your adrenal glands. I mentioned that the symptoms of adrenal fatigue are very specific, and that's true. You can find a list of the symptoms associated with adrenal dysfunction below:. The presence of these symptoms indicates a disruption in cortisol. This disruption can either be at the cellular level or it can be in the absolute concentration of cortisol in your serum.
You can test for the presence of adrenal-related issues by looking at the hormone cortisol. Each of these tests has its pros and cons and one test is not necessarily better than the other.
I used to routinely recommend salivary cortisol testing for many patients but have since changed my tune. More recently, I've been using serum cortisol as a "general" assessment of adrenal function and treating based on those results.
Adrenal fatigue and its treatment deserve an entire blog post but for now, I will distill it down to this:. There are two ways to approach fixing adrenal problems with supplements and vitamins.
You can use adrenal glandulars 1 or adrenal adaptogens 2 or a combination of both. Even though we are going to primarily focus on the supplements today that's the purpose of this article, after all you should be aware that other lifestyle therapies should also be employed if you have adrenal issues. Dietary changes, meditation, stress reduction techniques, improving your sleep, and so on should all be considered mandatory elements of your treatment plan if you have adrenal issues.
Once you have determined you have cortisol-related issues you can determine how to proceed with treatment. Low cortisol can be addressed with adrenal glandulars and adrenal adaptogens, while high cortisol can be addressed with phosphatidylserine 8 and adrenal adaptogens.
Note: It isn't always necessary to check for your cortisol prior to using adrenal supplements as sometimes your cortisol level may not "match" your symptoms. Adrenal adaptogens are plant-based compounds which help you increase your stress tolerance by "nourishing" the adrenals.
They are often combined with vitamins and nutrients which form the building blocks for hormones such as cortisol and adrenaline. Of the adaptogens, Rhodiola Rosea may be the most stimulating for the body which peaks around 30 minutes after ingestion 9.
Adaptogens can also be used in combination with adrenal glandulars which is one of my preferred methods for treatment. Adrenal glandulars, or desiccated adrenal gland, contain portions of animal adrenal glands which contain hormone precursors and vitamins specific to the adrenal gland.
Don't let this information confuse you, though, because you can't go wrong in using either adrenal adaptogens or adrenal glandulars. I've found, based on my experience, that most people do exceptionally well when combining both together. My preferred supplement has shown improvement for most people with thyroid-related issues.
Treating your adrenals has a compounding effect in which it can potentially improve both your thyroid function and your adrenal function simultaneously. Zinc is perhaps one of the most important and often missed, nutrient deficiencies found among hypothyroid patients. In fact, there is a good chance that you have sub-optimal levels of Zinc present in your body as you are reading this. And this doesn't bode well for your thyroid, given how many thyroid processes Zinc is involved in.
One of the most important of these functions is the role that Zinc plays in the conversion of T4 to T3. Because zinc is required for thyroid conversion T4 to T3 conversion , low levels of zinc may predispose you to develop high levels of reverse T3 and which may limit thyroid function These changes can also be identified through lab tests as low free T3 and low total T3.
A severe deficiency in zinc may result in hypothyroid symptoms which can be reversed with supplementation Zinc deficiency is also associated with hair loss and alopecia, a troubling symptom that many hypothyroid patients face despite taking thyroid medication. The real benefit to using Zinc is that supplementing may help to improve thyroid function if you are deficient and help to reduce hair loss and improve hair quality.
Testing for Zinc in the serum or plasma is generally not recommended as many people with "normal" values still present with the symptoms of Zinc deficiency. This idea was highlighted in this study which showed that the best way to confirm and treat zinc deficiency is with a trial of zinc supplementation, in fact, this is considered to be the "gold standard" If you suspect that sub-optimal Zinc levels may be contributing to your hypothyroid symptoms then a trial of zinc may be appropriate.
Zinc is an incredibly important mineral if you have hypothyroidism, but I've found that most thyroid patients experience superior results when they combine zinc with other nutrients. This benefit is most likely related to the synergistic effect that multiple nutrients have on thyroid function. It's probably also due to the fact that many people with Zinc deficiency probably also have other nutrient deficiencies.
If you combine Zinc with Selenium and other nutrients the total dose necessary for either will decrease and you will obtain the same benefit at a smaller dose. The dosage of zinc necessary to improve thyroid function varies anywhere from 5mg up to 50mg per day.
If you are severely zinc deficient then you may benefit from using a higher dose toward the 50mg per day range for months. This will allow you to build up your zinc 'storage'. Once you have repleted zinc stores in your body, you can safely back down to a smaller daily dose which is just as effective in helping to improve thyroid function. If you decide to use Zinc make sure you find a supplement which has Zinc bound to either 'Citrate' or 'Picolinic acid'. These formulations of zinc tend to be better absorbed compared to other formulations.
My recommended Zinc supplement contains an array of nutrients in addition to zinc and is probably best for those people who are not severely zinc deficient if you are severely zinc deficient then you may need a higher dose. I know I sound like a broken record here but Iron is another huge player when it comes to your thyroid.
But it is also unique among the nutrients that I am going to discuss in this article because it's not something that you want to take unless you are sure you are deficient. Other nutrients such as Vitamin B12, Zinc, Selenium, etc. Iron, on the other hand, can potentially be harmful to your body if you use it without a documented deficiency. It's so important I've dedicated an entire post to it that you can read here , which outlines how hypothyroidism is worse in the presence of iron deficiency.
Low levels of iron, therefore, worsen existing thyroid function make your symptoms worse In addition, as thyroid levels fall even slightly your body will have a difficult time absorbing iron in the intestinal tract. This sets you up for further iron deficiency and worsening thyroid function.
What makes matters worse is that most physicians don't treat iron deficiency unless it also is causing anemia low red blood cells. But it's certainly possible to have an iron deficiency which doesn't cause anemia but which impairs thyroid function in your body Identifying iron deficiency is actually quite easy and can be tested with routine blood work more on that below and combined with your symptoms.
To identify this problem all you need to do is ask for basic "iron studies" with your next set of blood work. Once you have these labs you will want to focus on your ferritin level which tells you how much iron you have stored in your body. Again, notice the similarities between iron deficiency symptoms and the symptoms of hypothyroidism.
Often times it's difficult to differentiate between these nutrient deficiency syndromes and hypothyroid symptoms unless you know to CHECK and understand your labs. Don't make the mistake in assuming that your Doctor will understand this information, you may need to be an advocate for your own health, especially when it comes to using Vitamins and supplements.
Once you have identified the presence of low iron you can begin treatment with over the counter iron supplements but just be sure to do this with physician supervision as too much iron can be harmful. Testing for iron deficiency is quite easy and can be done by ordering the following tests and ensuring that they match with the "optimal" range provided below:.
You may find that your labs are considered "normal" but they may not be optimal. As a thyroid patient you really need these results in the "optimal" range otherwise you may not feel improvement. You can see that while these lab tests are within the "normal" range, they are not in the new "optimal" range that I've listed above. This patient has a normal iron of 80, but you can see that this iron level is certainly on the low end of the normal range.
In addition, her ferritin of 46, while normal, is not optimal for thyroid function or for hair growth. This is a well known and documented side effect but it is usually only seen when using the prescription iron tablets and capsules. Because hypothyroidism already causes constipation it's not ideal to worsen existing gut motility if at all possible. The good news is that you can take iron without experiencing constipation if you use liquid iron instead of iron tablets.
Liquid iron also contains certain cofactors required for the absorption of iron in the intestinal tract 16 which can make it more effective than just taking iron by itself. Iron is also notorious for disrupting the absorption of nutrients and even medications if you take them both at the same time. And this extends to those who take iron for iron deficiency and thyroid medication for hypothyroidism.
Taking iron at the same time as your thyroid medication can inactivate your thyroid hormone and reduce how much makes it into your body!
You can avoid this issue by ensuring that you take your thyroid medication at least hours AWAY from your thyroid medication. Because of this interaction, I usually recommend that patients take iron at the opposite time of the day as their thyroid medication. If you take your thyroid medication at night then take your iron in the morning or vice versa. You can also ensure better iron absorption by consuming Vitamin C or a glass of lemon water when you take your iron supplement.
If you are deficient, taking teaspoons of liquid iron should be sufficient to help improve your iron levels. Below you will find links to my recommended iron supplements including a well-absorbed capsule formulation of iron:. Magnesium is another big player for hypothyroid patients because hypothyroidism causes dysregulation of magnesium metabolism.
Hypothyroid patients may actually have normal serum and RBC magnesium levels but studies have shown decreased intracellular amounts of magnesium 17 in these patients.
The same can be true of other serum 'nutrient' tests, which is why I don't always rely on them. These studies also show that both magnesium and zinc appear to be lower in hypothyroid patients due to increased clearance of both nutrients in the kidneys What's more concerning is that many patients in the USA, even those without thyroid issues, have suboptimal levels of this nutrient 20 :.
I'm not a huge fan of magnesium testing simply because it is highly inaccurate, but if you prefer this route you are welcome to test for it. Both give you a general idea as to how much magnesium is floating around in your bloodstream but they don't necessarily tell you if that magnesium is entering into your cells which is where you want it.
Because magnesium is so safe to use, it's probably better to assume deficiency if you are symptomatic and to treat based off of that knowledge. Most people do well and can sustain normal serum magnesium levels with a dose somewhere between mg and mg per day. Reasons to increase your dose may include persistent symptoms of magnesium deficiency or chronic constipation. There are many different types of magnesium supplements available for over the counter use.
The formulation that you want to stick to if you have thyroid disease is magnesium glycinate a runner-up would be magnesium citrate. Magnesium glycinate is highly absorbed and is ideal for getting enough magnesium into your body in a short period of time. If you suffer from chronic constipation, however, you may want to consider using magnesium citrate.
I'm sure you've heard about Selenium if you have hypothyroidism and especially if you Hashimoto's thyroiditis. Selenium is a trace mineral which forms the backbone of a specific set of proteins known as selenoproteins. These proteins catalyze important functions such as the creation of thyroid hormone and the creation of anti-oxidants in the thyroid gland Insufficient Selenium levels may impair the function of these proteins and predispose you to develop low thyroid hormone and thyrocyte damage damage to your thyroid cells.
Studies have shown that supplementing with Selenium may help improve thyroid function and reduce thyroid antibodies by providing your body with this important mineral. Selenium is also a powerful anti-inflammatory agent 24 and using this nutrient may potentially help reduce inflammation and autoimmunity in certain patients. You can find more information about symptoms of Selenium deficiency and an in-depth analysis here and how Selenium helps improve your thyroid here.
All patients with hypothyroidism and Hashimoto's thyroiditis should be evaluated for Selenium deficiency and treated if necessary. Like Zinc, a trial of selenium may be the best way to determine if you will benefit from using it.
Doses of at least mcg per day have been shown to be effective Most of the nutrients we have discussed up until this point are fairly safe, even if used in large amounts. Flax seed that coats and lubricates the bowel which helps transit time to prevent waste products from being held against colon wall.
Alfalfa that assists cleansing the colon and helps to remove the toxins that can provoke allergies and sensitivities. Caprylic acid to help prevent overgrowth of yeast and bad bacteria. Grapefruit seed extract that has antimicrobial activity. Fructooligosaccharides to promote growth of the good bacteria. Spanish black radish to assist in cleansing upper G.
Aloe Vera to help to soothe and promote healing throughout the complete digestive tract. Mg-B12 that helps to rid toxins metals, chemicals, etc. One pack a. It also repopulates the gut with the good intestinal flora, which are referred to as probiotics, assisting in restoring the microbiome back to a normal state of balance.
Current research suggests that higher doses of grams daily for three to six months are usually required in order to restore the linings back to normal. Two to four capsules daily with a meal. Eight to ten capsules upon awakening or at bedtime with 12 or more ounces of water. They assist the body in restoring, balancing, and maintaining the gut microbiome. Take one capsule daily with a meal.
There are millions of people who suffer from the devastating effects that intense stress can cause in their bodies. Trauma, mechanical, physical, chemical, pain, emotional stresses etc.
These stresses can create significant deficiencies that not only prevent the body from repairing properly, but can also add to the problem making it even worse. Fatigue and exhaustion are common in individuals who suffer from adrenal insufficiency. Adrenal recovery is essential in anyone who is trying to recover from pain and suffering especially when stress has been associated with the cause.
Take one pack with breakfast — one pack with lunch. Note: if doing intermittent fasting, eliminate the morning dose. It also shows that Acetyl-LCarnitine ALCAR is a biomarker for depression, primary amino acid involved in burning fats for fuel, crosses blood brain barrier to assist in healthy brain function, significant in forming neurotransmitters in brain to improve function and cognition.
Take 1 capsule with morning meal — one capsule with evening meal. Take two to four capsules with meals. Normal fatty acid metabolism and proper fat assimilation are necessary in order to repair those linings. The by-products of digested fats are also used to lubricate the joint linings and help to prevent them from inflaming and becoming sore and painful.
One pack taken with largest meal of the day. GH is sometimes referred to as the master regulator of muscle growth. It stimulates cellular reproduction and regeneration. It also regulates carbohydrates and fat metabolism. Must be taken at bedtime with no food for three hours prior.
They are especially helpful when someone is on the keto diet and eats too many carbs, they can immediately put them back in ketosis without waiting the two or three days it usually takes. Muscle aches, pain, and soreness can be prevalent during periods when the mitochondria and metabolism are functioning poorly. Recent Wolfire Blog headlines. Subscribe now! Post reply! Receiver 2 Localization Update.
Wolfire Monthly Update - October Low Light Combat Launch. Wolfire Monthly Update - July
0コメント