SHRINK A GOITER NATURALLY

The THYROID GLAND is a butterfly-shaped gland located in the lower front of your neck which makes HORMONES that are essential for optimal health and METABOLISM, specifically cellular ENERGY. When your thyroid gland is enlarged, it can produce too much (overactive) or too little (underactive) THYROID HORMONE. ‍GOITER is the medical term for an enlarged THYROID gland. In this article, we discuss how to help an enlarged thyroid and shrink a GOITER naturally.

Several factors can lead to GOITER. The most common outside of the United States is an IODINE DEFICIENCY. IODINE is an element in food including iodized salt and seafood used by the thyroid to make these HORMONES. However, this is NOT common in the United States because iodine is added to salt and many foods.

Fortunately, the problem of GOITER and its effects whole body health can be solved if you know what symptoms to look for, the REAL UNDERLYING CAUSES, and the cutting-edge substances proven to improve NUTRITIONAL DEFICIENCIES and REMOVE the CELLULAR TOXICITIES that may alter optimal thyroid function.

 

So, let’s examine the importance of OPTIMAL THYROID FUNCTION how a safe, natural and science-based approach to detecting and correcting optimal levels can help an ENLARGED THYROID, restore your overall health and make you look, feel and function at your best.

 

THYROID AFFECTS ALL CELLS IN YOUR BODY

Unlike most HORMONES, which are chemical messengers that are produced in glands throughout the body and usually target only SOME parts of your body, THYROID HORMONES travel from your thyroid gland through the blood to ALL parts of your body. They control how your body utilizes food for energy and help ALL of your organs work properly.

Thyroid hormones affect your CELLULAR METABOLIC RATE, which means how fast or slow (in other words, how efficiently or inefficiently) your brain, heart, muscles, liver, and other parts of your body work.

If your metabolism is too fast or too slow, you won’t feel well. For example, if you don’t have enough thyroid hormone and your metabolism slows down, you might feel FATIGUE or always COLD, even if properly dressed. You may not burn off calories as quickly and you can GAIN WEIGHT.

On the contrary, if you have TOO MUCH THYROID HORMONE, it can accelerate your body’s metabolism, causing weight loss without trying, making you feel tired or anxious, or cause a potentially dangerous FAST HEARTBEAT/PALPITATION and/or frequent bowel movements (including DIARRHEA).

 

INITIAL SIGNS/DIAGNOSIS OF THYROID ENLARGEMENT, OR NODULES.

Nodules are extremely common, especially in young adults, children and 50% of people over the age of 40.

Although they are concerning and do affect human physiology, 90% are benign.

In other words, the good news is that very few are CANCER related.

Typically, GOITER is suspected when the nodules can be noticeably observed, or felt with a doctor’s hands, or your own, if you are doing a self-exam, which is highly recommended.

Blood test and ultra sound test are usually ordered to confirm NODULES, the first signs of growth of thyroid tissue.

Blood tests including thyroid stimulating hormone (TSH), Free T4, Free T3 and TPO antibodies are the minimum panel that should be ordered.

So, nodules are common, and they may potentially affect how your thyroid is working.

Biopsy: When modules appear suspicious, a fine needle aspiration (FNA) biopsy may also help rule out the possibility of THYROID CANCER.

 

Most of the time, when your primary care physician or endocrinologist is checking for GOITER, they may actually suspect (and/or uncover) HASHIMOTO’S THYROIDITIS. This is actually a condition where your body’s own IMMUNE SYSTEM is mistaking your thyroid as a foreign protein, or unwelcome invader, and attacks it, causing damage.

 

So, many times, being diagnosed with a thyroid condition is actually more of an AUTOIMMUNE problem than a thyroid problem.

In other words, you IMMUNE SYSTEM is out of whack, and attacks your thyroid gland and causes the nodules.

It’s like you don’t really have a thyroid problem at all. You have a thyroid VICTIM.

The problem, again, is an out-of-control IMMUNE SYSTEM.

SEVERE STRESS/TRAUMA, like GRIEF from a sudden, unexpected loss can trigger this.

 

SYMPTOMS OF A GOITER

When related to HYPOTHYROIDISM, classic LOW THYROID symptoms will be evident. These include FATIGUE, WEIGHT GAIN, ANXIETY, INSOMNIA and/or CONSTIPATION.

Since a goiter is close to your trachea, it is common to experience symptoms such as:

• Feeling like something is stuck in your throat
• Tenderness along the front of the neck
• A constricted, tight feeling in your throat
• Trouble swallowing
• Hoarseness
• Persistent, frequent coughing

 

6 THINGS THAT HELP SHRINK NODULES/GOITER

As mentioned, IODINE DEFICIENCY is one of the most common causes of a GOITER. Iodine is a critical substance in the manufacturing of thyroid hormone. If you are DEFICIENT, your thyroid adapts to this NUTRITIONAL STRESS by enlarging (in order to produce enough thyroid hormone).

If a GOITER is due to this IODINE DEFICIENCY, it is known as a COLLOID GOITER.

 

TOO MUCH IODINE

Iodine EXCESS, while much less common can cause thyroid enlargement, although much less common.

 

Here are the top 6 NUTRITIONAL influences on thyroid dysfunction.

 

1. ELIMINATE DAIRY. Commercially produced dairy has lots of hormones that stimulate thyroid. Milk, in general is produced to grow calves into large cows and so has lots of GROWTH HORMONES. Avoiding dairy is helpful for SHRINKING nodules.
2. GLUTEN. Protein in grains, majorly associated with HASHIMOTO’S. Your body sees gluten as an external invader/pathogen and your body will make antibodies to attack the gluten and your thyroid as well. It is common to see nodules improve just by eliminating gluten. Keto diet is good since lots of carbohydrates increases insulin resistance which promotes nodules.
3. LOW SELENIUM. Highly essential mineral. High in Brazil nuts. Just a small handful. Tuna, sardines, salmon are good sources. Counter mercury in the fish. Organ meats, meats in general and eggs. Iodine is tricky. It can be cause or the cure, so if you are taking sea kelp and iodine and still have nodules, then cut back.
4. ZINC DEFICIENCY. Zinc is in shellfish, oysters, red meat. Supplements of course.
5. ESTROGEN DOMINANCE. Thyroid has estrogen receptors. So, estrogen dominant women are susceptible for getting these nodules These include pregnant women, perimenopausal women or those taking birth control or hormone replacement therapy. Common symptoms include BLOATING, tender or LUMPY BREASTS, reduced SEX DRIVE, irregular menstrual periods, SLEEP disturbances and WEIGHT GAIN.
6. Turmeric, spirulina, Boswellia. These herbs have been found to help an enlarged thyroid gland.

 

OTHER CORE CAUSES

 

INFLAMMATION OF THE THYROID

An acute (temporary, sudden) VIRAL or BACTERIAL infection can cause AN enla INFLAMMATORY RESPONSE, and enlargement of your thyroid.

 

CANCEROUS (or BENIGN) THYROID NODULES

These can also create swelling and a goiter. Nodules may also produce more HORMONES, causing too much hormone, known as HYPERTHYROIDISM.

When a goiter results from these nodules, this is known as TOXIC NODULAR GOITER.

 

Medications

Some medications can cause enlargement of the thyroid gland, but often there is minimal effect on thyroid function.

 

HIGHER RISK OF DEVELOPING GOITER:

• WOMEN, especially those over the age of 40.
• PREGNANT, or recently delivered a child
• Familial history of ANY AUTOIMMUNE disease, but especially thyroid related disease
• You have ELIMINATED SALT and iodine dense foods from your diet.
• A history of RADIATION to your neck or chest area
• You’re taking MEDICATIONS known to trigger thyroid problems

 

CONVENTIONAL TREATMENT OF GOITER

The treatment for GOITER usually depends on the CAUSE, SIZE and LOCATION.

The smaller the goiter, especially those that are not visible and do not affect your breathing, swallowing or thyroid function may not require any intervention. Typically, this situation will be monitored and periodic imaging tests, like ULTRSOUND, will be used to measure whether the nodules or GOITER is growing larger.

If you are already diagnosed with HYPOTHYROIDISM with a goiter, then using SYNTHETIC THYROID HORMONE, known as SYNTHROID (generic name levothyroxine) or a more natural DESSICCATED THYROID may treat the underactive thyroid and may help shrink the goiter.

On the other hand, if you are HYPERTHYROID, drugs suppressing overactive thyroid function may help reduce the size of your goiter.

 

In some more aggressive instances, if your goiter is from the autoimmune disease known as GRAVE’S DISEASE, then RADIOACTIVE THYROID can destroy the thyroid cells enough to shrink the goiter.

 

FUNCTIONAL MEDICINE – HOW TO SHRINK A GOITER NATURALLY

 

IMPORTANT Specific NUTRIENTS for HYPOTHYROIDISM

Addressing NUTRITIONAL DEFICIENCIES is key.

Research suggests that certain nutrients play a role in Hashimoto’s thyroiditis as there are SPECIFIC nutrients which are important for the overall function of the thyroid gland.

Here are the main nutrients of concern and what to eat for Hypothyroid/Hashimoto’s so you can make sure you are getting enough of these critical nutrients.

 

Vitamin D

Several studies have found a link between low VITAMIN D levels and Hashimoto’s. Vitamin D can be produced in the body during sun exposure or consumed through food, ALTHOUGH THIS IS DIFFICULT.

Supplementation of this extremely important VITAMIN, is imperative, especially during the winter months.

As many adults now spend most of their days indoors, low vitamin D levels are becoming more common.

Just a few minutes of REASONABLE sun exposure 2-3 TIMES to the FULL BODY without TOXIC sunscreen usually leads to sufficient vitamin D.

If consistent, REASONABLE sun exposure is not possible, it is a good idea to take supplements since very few foods contain adequate amounts of vitamin D.

The best FOOD SOURCES of vitamin D include:

• cod liver oil
• swordfish
• salmon
• tuna
• sardines
• mushrooms

 

Thyroid LOVES Selenium

Low selenium levels are common in many people with Hashimoto’s. Selenium is an essential trace mineral important for brain function, immunity, and fertility.

The highest amount of selenium found in the body is stored in the THYROID GLAND.  Selenium supplementation can be beneficial for people with thyroid trouble.

 

Best food sources of selenium:

• liver
• oysters
• Brazil nuts
• halibut
• sardines
• grass-fed beef
• sunflower seeds
• eggs

 

ZINC DEFICIENCY

 

is common in Hashimoto’s – it is important for the health of gut cells as well as immune function. Deficiency can also lead to hair loss. Zinc is needed for thyroid hormone production, so get more from flax seeds, pumpkin seeds, nuts, legumes and whole grains.

 

MAGNESIUM

 

Magnesium deficiency is common. Magnesium is found is nuts, seeds, cooked spinach, legumes and whole grains.

 

IRON

 

Eating iron-rich foods will help you prevent deficiency.

 

While NUTRITIONAL DEFICIENCY is a main CAUSE of poor thyroid, goiter and immune health, it is only ONE part of the equation.

TOXICITY is the second main CAUSE.

 

The Ultimate KEY to TOXICITY –

 

Optimize DETOXIFICATION

 

Normally, your immune system defends us against any foreign invaders but ONLY WHEN it is working correctly and NOT being OVERWHELMED by the extremely high TOXIC BURDEN (ENVIRONMENTAL CHEMICALS, PESTICIDES) all around us.

Failure of this ability to detoxify toxins results in health issues.

Supporting the body’s ability to bind to and eliminate toxins is a key part of healing from environmental toxicity exposure.

 

This is where ADVANCED SUPPLEMENTATION can be helpful.

 

It’s important to work with an experienced practitioner who can recommend the right supplements designed to remove these toxins directly.

So, you MUST support your body’s natural detoxification and drainage systems.

New, emerging technology, designed to help combat PESTICIDE ACCUMULATION by BINDING TOXINS, increasing oxygen, enhancing your liver and thyroid, and SUPPORTING DRAINAGE systems (your body’s NATURAL ability to eliminate poisons from itself) are necessary to successfully recover from this kind of toxicity.

Let’s examine this more closely…

 

How do I get rid of these toxins in my body?

Special agents are required for this. They BIND toxins in the gut and in other tissues so they can be more easily excreted.

An excellent, natural REMEDY for BINDING environmental toxins is Carbon Technology

Made of specially-selected and precisely-formulated extracts of fulvic and humic acids, Carbon Technology uses these natural substances to tightly BIND toxins to help remove them from your body via stools.

The fulvic and humic acids in Carbon Technology have advantages to binders like activated charcoal and bentonite clay, two common binders. One big advantage is that Carbon Technology can travel beyond the gut.

Also, fulvic and humic acid extracts are a good source of nutrition, including amino acids, phytochemicals and minerals.  This is good since cells damaged by pesticides and environmental chemicals NEED TO SELF-REPAIR.

 

BOOST energy, oxygen levels, and thyroid function

As you know, GLYPHOSATE can GREATLY DAMAGE mitochondria. BROKEN mitochondria result in LESS cellular ENERGY and that definitely hampers your ability to DETOX.

It can also crush OXYGEN levels. Mitochondria need oxygen to generate energy efficiently.

Supplements formulated with fulvic acid extracts designed to enhance ATP production (your body’s ENERGY source) and thyroid metabolism greatly enhance your detoxification potential.

 

Support the LIVER

Even though the liver is the body’s main detox organ, environmental chemicals and pesticides, especially GLYPHOSATE, often cause damage to liver cells.

Fortunately, a substance called TUDCA— a naturally present bile acid — helps support the liver. Available in supplement form, it helps:

• Enhance liver function and bile flow
• Reduce inflammation
• Increase mitochondrial function
• Provide antioxidant protection

You can see, the correct supplements and botanicals are KEY to solving the ENVIRONMENTAL CHEMICALS and PESTICIDE problem.

 

Don’t SWEAT it. Correction: SWEAT it out!

TOXIC CHEMICALS and PESTICIDES have been found in human AND animal sweat.

You will reduce overall toxin burden if you sweat.

This can be accomplished efficiently with an INFRARED SAUNA or with regular physical activity.

Also, it is crucial to keep up your water intake as well.

Hydrate, hydrate, hydrate.

 

Clear out OTHER PATHOGENS

Because pesticides can inhibit the immune system, OTHER chronic infections — such as PARASITES AND VIRUSES — may more easily take hold in your body.

It becomes a vicious cycle because then these PARASITES make the body more vulnerable to chemical and pesticide toxicity.

Either way, removing unwanted PARASITES from the body helps reduce the STRESS on the immune system, which is important in any and ALL AUTOIMMUNE DISEASE, including HASIMOTO’S

 

There Is Hope

In conclusion, people with Hashimoto’s should be open to trying different FOOD PLANS until they find the one that makes them feel best. They should also make sure they get all of the essential nutrients best suited for AUTOIMMUNITY.

 

So, if you’ve ever asked “What is my doctor missing?” and suspect that NUTRITIONAL DEFICIENCIES or TOXICITY may be a part of YOUR persistent GOITER and/or HYPOTHYROID (AUTOIMMUNE) challenges, do NOT give up.

 

While a GLUTEN-FREE or AUTOIMMUNE PROTOCOL may help alleviate symptoms for some, DIET ALONE may be not sufficient.

In fact, clinically it rarely is enough.

This is where a proven FOOD PLAN along with ADVANCED SUPPLEMENTATION can be helpful.

 

It’s important to work with an experienced practitioner who can recommend the right supplements designed to bring you from DEFICIENCY to SUFFICIENCY as well as to REMOVE TOXICITY directly.

 

The good news is that there are doctors with specialized knowledge who are ready with a science-backed action plan to DETECT AND CORRECT BOTH DEFICIENCY and TOXICITY.

 

Addressing these allow you to get back to looking, feeling and functioning at your best, and greatly IMPROVE your THYROID HEALTH.