01/09/2021
The thyroid is a small butterfly-shaped gland that wraps around the windpipe (trachea) in the neck area. It secretes thyroid hormones which are responsible for regulating metabolism and maintaining balance in many body systems. As they act on nearly every cell in the body, imbalances in thyroid hormones can impact many aspects of health and result in a wide range of symptoms.
Pathology testing can be useful to highlight hyperthyroidism (when thyroid hormone levels are high) and hypothyroidism (when thyroid hormones are lower). Natural health practitioners may also identify subclinical hypothyroidism when people show signs of low thyroid function not yet evident in test results.
Herbalists can prescribe patient centered herbs to support healthy thyroid function and manage symptoms, while monitoring overall thyroid function.
Herbs may include:
• Bladderwrack – this shore-dwelling seaweed is a rich source of organic iodine which stimulates the production of thyroid hormones and increases basal metabolic rate.
• Withania root – a tonic with stimulatory effects on the thyroid.
• Bugleweed, Motherwort – used by herbalists for generations to calm an overactive thyroid and counter related cardiovascular symptoms.
Additionally, your natural health practitioner can help address the many factors that may be tipping your thyroid out of balance. Stress is commonly implicated, and other drivers include autoimmunity, inflammation, oxidative stress, nutritional deficiencies (especially iodine, selenium, and zinc), toxin exposure, and gut dysfunction.
Contact your natural healthcare practitioner for more information, or find a practitioner by visiting: https://mediherb.com.au/find-a-practitioner.aspx
Bone K, Mills S. Principles and practice of phytotherapy: modern herbal medicine. 2nd ed. Edinburgh: Churchill Livingstone/Elsevier; 2013. p. 346-8.
