Post updated August 5, 2021.
Your thyroid gland regulates your metabolism, core body temperature, and heartbeat! When you’re thinking about your overall health, your thyroid gland should not be forgotten.
What is the thyroid?
Your thyroid gland is butterfly-shaped and is located at the base of your neck, under your Adam’s apple. This gland is part of a body system, called the endocrine system, responsible for coordinating many of your body’s activities – including managing hormones and regulating metabolism.
Types of thyroid diseases?
Your body is dependent on hormone and metabolism functions; therefore, the thyroid’s overall health and support are essential. Four primary conditions could affect the thyroid gland, leading to thyroid disease. Most of them are considered genetic and are therefore unavoidable for specific individuals. The notable, common denominator with thyroid disorders is that they are most common in women over 40. Overall, diagnosis and treatment options provided by a physician, typically an endocrinologist, are the key to managing most thyroid diseases.
The four primary conditions that have been found to affect the thyroid gland are Hashimoto’s thyroiditis, Graves’ disease, goiter, and thyroid nodules. The most common thyroid disorders that may result from one of the four conditions are hyperthyroidism (an overactive thyroid) and hypothyroidism (an underactive thyroid).
How can you keep your thyroid healthy?*
Many thyroid conditions are genetic. Based on family history, gender, and age, sometimes thyroid condition diagnoses are inevitable. Leading an overall healthy lifestyle may positively impact the functioning of your thyroid.
Eating a well-balanced diet can be an essential key to maintaining a healthy thyroid. Research has shown that 70% of our autoimmune system is found in our intestines, and when the intestine lining becomes inflamed, an immune response may be triggered. In some studies, an activated immune system is the critical player in the development of thyroid disease.
Aiming for four to five servings of vegetables, three to four servings of fruit, and consuming lean proteins daily can be the recommended path to a healthier diet. Healthy fats, such as fatty fish, extra-virgin olive oil, nuts, nut butter, and avocados, are also part of a balanced diet.
Thyroid superfoods, a research-proven group of food, have been found to aid in improved thyroid function. Thyroid superfoods are high in selenium, iodine, or both! These superfoods include:
- Roasted seaweed
- Salted nuts
- Baked fish
- Frozen yogurt (yum!)
- Fresh eggs
Avoiding processed foods that may be high in sugar and preservatives, dyes, and fat-free or sugar-free substitutes, is essential as they have potential key triggers in autoimmune flare-up symptoms. Autoimmune flare-up symptoms are different for everyone, but some commonly reported symptoms are swelling (either joints or the gut), fatigue, or tingling in the hands and feet.
Selenium or Vitamin D supplements should be discussed with your doctor, as both of these have been found to potentially improve thyroid health. Research has shown that the mineral selenium can help in the reduction of anti-thyroid antibodies. Vitamin D has been suggested in regulating the immune system, which can aid with autoimmune diseases.
Valor Compounding Pharmacy, in partnership with Designs for Health and Metagenics, brings you access to premium supplements that can be purchased, without a prescription, for your overall wellness needs. Designs for Health has a series of supplements specifically formulated to assist in thyroid support**. Metagenics similarly has a nutritional support supplement intended to support healthy thyroid function and reduce stress-related fatigue***.
What are the next steps?
As you can see, the thyroid is an essential system within the human body tasked to regulate hormones, the endocrine system, and lots of other functions. Health and support of the thyroid can be achieved through a balanced diet, supplementing when necessary, and reducing overall environmental toxins.
If you think that you have any thyroid issues, your prescriber may order a blood test for you and examine your TSH, T4, and T3 levels, three fundamental indicators of thyroid functioning. In the meantime, integrating our tips into your routine may be a step in the right direction to further your wellness journey.
Valor Compounding Pharmacy can help.
We are subject matter experts in compounding medications for you! If you need a prescription for a thyroid medication in a strength or dose that is not commercially available, or if you have allergies or sensitivities to certain ingredients commonly found in commercially available medications, your doctor can prescribe your custom medication to us easily.
- If you are a currently under the care of a prescriber and a new patient to Valor, simply call (510) 548-8777 to transfer your prescription. Or, submit your transfer online via our submit your transfer online via our secure form.
- If you are a current Valor patient, you may call or submit your refill online via our secure form. Request to have your prescription auto-refilled on a regular schedule and we will proactively speak with your physician for you each time.
Valor Compounding Pharmacy™, Inc. is a multi-state licensed 503A facility housing both sterile and non-sterile laboratories, located in Berkeley, CA. Valor is a specialized pharmacy that makes custom medications to meet the unique needs of the individual patient. Our goal is to reinvent pharmacy from a reactive vendor to a proactive partner in patient health care. We do that by optimizing turnaround time, being data-driven, and reducing patient anxiety.
Our focus is on non-sterile and sterile, hazardous and non-hazardous compounded medication, and we work with a network of providers, patients, health systems/institutions, and research scientists in multiple states in the United States.
Written by: Lucy Casey, Communications Manager, Valor Compounding Pharmacy