Kelp for Thyroid

What is Thyroiditis?

Thyroiditis is the inflammation of the thyroid gland. The thyroid gland is located on the spinal cord of humans, by the neck of the person.

Signs and Symptoms That You Have a Hypothyroid Disorder

• Gaining a lot of weight all at once
• Having constipation
• Feeling depressed for seemingly no reason
• Feeling pain by the thyroid gland. often caused because of a swollen thyroid
• Unusually sensitive to cold air

It is important to remember that you will not always have a hypothyroid disorder just because of one or two of these symptoms.

However, having a few of these symptoms could be a good indication that you may have a hypothyroid disorder.

Iodine & Thyroid

There are many various ways to go about treating problems with the Thyroid.

One of the things that are believed about Hypothyroid disorders is that it is caused because of iodine insufficiency. To treat it, some doctors believe that using foods that are rich in Iodine will help to treat Thyroid problems.

It is believed that Iodine helps people to activate their thyroid gland which helps to produce hormones in the thyroid glands. When it is no longer producing hormones, problems can start appearing.

Research has shown that a lack of iodine may lead to enlargement of the thyroid gland, slow metabolism, lethargy, autism, and fatigue.

Eating foods rich in iodine is important for helping your thyroid recover.

However, you mustn't overdo it. Research has shown that having too much iodine in your diet can actually make your Thyroiditis worse instead of curing it. They may also lead to autoimmune thyroiditis.

You can also get iodine from certain supplements as well as water and salts.

Iodine is especially critical for pregnant women. Around two billion of the world population has been shown to have an iodine deficiency. Iodine disorders affect over 240 million people and around 50 million of those people have been shown to suffer from some type of brain damage that has been linked to having an iodine deficiency.

What Kelp Can Do For You

Kelp is basically a brown seaweed that is also called bladderwrack. Kelp is oftentimes used as an alternative treatment for people who have problems with their thyroids. There are various ways that you can get your iodine from kelp.

You can buy kelp in raw form (seaweed form), as kelp Iodine supplements, teas, and even tinctures.

However, the most common form for people to use is the pill form. Medline Plus recommends that you get around 600 mg of kelp daily in your diet to treat hypothyroidism.

What is interesting about kelp is that it has even been used in some weight loss supplements too.

However, experts say that there is no conclusive evidence to suggest that kelp can help you lose weight.

What is interesting about one of the symptoms of hypothyroidism, however, is weight gain. Is it possible that having a healthy thyroid will actually help you to lose weight? Well, it is believed that the thyroid controls the metabolism, but unfortunately, only time will tell because right now there is no solid evidence in either direction.

Hypothyroidism Foods

Besides kelp, many other foods are rich in iodine. In fact, there are quite a few different foods. Iodine is one of the elements that are in sea salt & table salt.

These are some of the foods that it is said to give you your iodine dosage. However, it is also important to know that there are certain foods you should avoid.

Refined foods may be partially responsible for hypothyroidism.

Dairy products, sugar, wheat, and caffeine should also be avoided.

Broccoli, Brussel sprouts, kale, turnips, cauliflower, cabbage, soy, peanuts, spinach, and other cruciferous vegetables should not be consumed raw by individuals with hypothyroidism. According to the Harvard School of Public Health, these vegetables contain goitrogenic properties, which may contribute to an enlarged thyroid and slow the metabolism. However, cooking these vegetables will remove some of the harmful properties. 

According to thyroid expert Teresa Fung, an adjunct professor of nutrition at the Harvard School of Public Health, “normal, reasonable amounts of eating should not be a problem. A regular person [with no thyroid issues] who eats several servings of cruciferous vegetables a week should not have problems.”

Still, individuals who currently suffer from a sluggish thyroid will benefit from avoiding these vegetables until their thyroid gland is regulated. 

Hypothyroid Causes

There could be a variety of different reasons that you might have hypothyroidism. Knowing some of the causes and reasons that you might have it can help you to stop causing it if possible.

Here are some of the causes of hypothyroidism:

• Radiation treatment to the neck will sometimes damage the thyroid causing hypothyroidism
• Sometimes certain side effects from drugs will cause hypothyroidism
• Radioactive iodine can sometimes cause hypothyroidism. Sometimes trying to treat hypothyroidism with iodine actually causes it
• Certain birth defects will sometimes contribute to hypothyroidism

Thyroid Treatment

Thyroid medications are common treatments for hypothyroidism.

The most common drug that is used to treat hypothyroidism is known as levothyroxine (Synthroid).

Thyroid medication works best on an empty stomach.

Another important consideration is that you should not take thyroid medications with multivitamins, calcium, iron, aluminum hydroxide antacids, and medicines that will bind with bile acids.

Levothyroxine (brand names: Synthroid, Levoxyl, Levothroid, Unithroid) is a prescription medication that pumps synthetic hormones into your thyroid gland.

Typically, you will find that most people will need to take this medication for a long period of time to keep the balance in their thyroid glands.

Kelp Products & What You Should Know

One of the particularly great things about kelp products is that they are extremely rich in iodine.

Besides being essential for having a healthy thyroid, kelp products are also rich in amino acids, vitamins, and minerals. kelp might even be able to help people overcome obesity, which is why it is often used in certain weight loss supplements.

Kelp products have also been shown in studies to be effective for treating inflamed joints, rheumatoid arthritis, as well as osteoporosis.

Talk to Your Doctor If...

you notice that you are rapidly losing weight from your thyroid medication. In rare cases, thyroid medication can cause heart palpitations, and sweating. if notice any restlessness or shakiness talk to your doctor immediately. sometimes these symptoms can be the result of the medication that you are taking.

Study: Determine if Iodine Helps the Thyroid

In one study there was an overall objective that was to study the different amounts of kelp dosages that were used to help the thyroid function healthily from different amounts of iodine.

The study used 36 different individuals who were randomly assigned to receive a placebo, low dosage of kelp, or a high dosage of kelp. It was planned to be a 4-week experiment.

After the 4 weeks had ended the study showed that there was no significant difference in the placebo group and no big difference in the low dosage group, but the people who received a high dosage of kelp therapy showed a dramatic increase in the thyroid's response to the iodine from the kelp.

This study concluded that short-term, large kelp dosages helped treat the thyroid. However, more time is needed to determine if it would be effective long-term or help to contribute negatively to the thyroid.

Iodine is important because it helps the thyroid to function properly. using kelp for Thyroid treatment is a viable option because it is inexpensive and safe.