10 Best Thyroid Supplements of 2022

March 31, 2015

This article was written by a licensed nutritionist and thyroid patient advocate. The content of this article is based on current research studies. These research studies are linked throughout this article. Clicking one of these links will lead to the study in question.

Thyroid support supplements are natural substances that can be taken to improve thyroid health and hormone regulation in healthy people.

Of course, this is a rather simple definition. The thyroid is rather ‘complex’ and is involved in over a hundred different functions in the body. To truly understand thyroid supplements, we need to explore how they work and their benefits and risks.

How do Thyroid Support Supplements Work?

Although different thyroid support supplements work in different ways, the overall idea behind thyroid supplements is to provide the thyroid with amino acids, minerals, vitamins, and other substances that the thyroid requires in order to function at best as it can.

This idea is rather simple and based on science. The most commonly referred to example to understand this can be seen with Iodine. The thyroid needs Iodine in order to produce thyroxine (T4) and triiodothyronine (T3) hormones. In fact, the number next to the ‘T’ represents the number of Iodine molecules needed.

If our bodies do not have enough Iodine in our system, the thyroid will be unable to continue producing thyroid hormones and will lead to a condition known as hypothyroidism.

If a person’s diet is centered around getting the recommended levels of Iodine into their system (150 μg per day), this would obviously not be an issue. The thyroid will always have enough Iodine to function properly. In the United States, at least, Iodine deficiency is currently not a problem.

However, let’s say for example, a person’s diet does not provide enough Iodine. If a person does not change their diet, this will continue to affect the thyroid negatively.

This is where thyroid support supplements come in.

Rather than change an entire diet or spend time preparing new, healthier – and perhaps less tastier foods – it is simpler to take a thyroid support supplement that will make sure the adequate nutrients are available for the thyroid.

While this may not be a problem for Iodine in many people, the same cannot be said for other vitamins and minerals. Let’s take Vitamin D for example.

Vitamin D has been shown in research studies to have a great effect on thyroid health and hormone production.

And according to this research study, over about 41% of US adults are deficient in Vitamin D.

Vitamin D supplementation could improve thyroid health and symptoms as noted in the previous studies. For Vitamin D, you could of course go outside and spend time in the sun more. Or, again, a thyroid supplement may help.

Although we only explored Iodine and Vitamin D in the examples here, the same concept applies to all amino acids, vitamins and minerals that the thyroid deems essential.

Benefits

Thyroid supplements have gained popularity over the last few years as many people have found that it can improve their thyroid condition and overall well-being.

Thyroid supplements work in many ways to produce a range of benefits with symptoms associated with thyroid disorder. Of course, the effectiveness of a thyroid supplement depends on the ingredients within each supplement. Each thyroid supplement is not the same and the benefits from a thyroid supplement may not manifest from each supplement as the effectiveness of one thyroid supplement may be lower than another.

With that being said, the potential benefits of thyroid supplements include helping and supporting:

Of course, this is not a complete list, but it does serve as a good starter point for the benefits of thyroid supplements.

As previously mentioned, these benefits also depend on the current state of the user of the thyroid supplement. Those who are more deficient in the thyroid supplement’s nutrients will benefit more than those who are not.

Some thyroid supplements contain herbs as well to aid in thyroid health. Ashwagandha is one of these popular herbs that have been relatively shown in peer researched studies to boost thyroid hormone production. See our article here on Ashwagandha and thyroid health to learn more.

thyroid,illustrationControversy

While thyroid supplements have been very helpful for many people, there are some who believe that thyroid supplements can pose a risk and are not worth the potential drawbacks.

The vast majority of this argument stems around the risk of thyroid supplements containing actual thyroid hormones which can interfere with prescription medicines and have an adverse impact on our bodies.

A 2013 study, published in the journal Thyroid, explored whether T3 and T4 hormones were present in commercial thyroid supplements and found that 9 out of 10 of the supplements they tested, contained T3 and T4 hormones.

This could certainly be a concerning event. If a doctor wants to change a patient’s hormone levels to get it more in-line with what the doctor believes is normal, they would alter the prescription medicine to reflect this, and wait until the changes show up.

However, if the patient is also taking a thyroid support supplement that contains additional thyroid hormones, this could interfere with the doctor’s plan to normalize the thyroid hormones in the body.

The external intake of thyroid hormones from a source unknown to both the patient and doctor is strongly not recommended as it can be risky and unsafe to body health. Hormones of any kind should only be taken under doctor orders and filled from regulated pharmacy environments.

For this reason, along with many other doctors and researchers, we recommend reading the supplement facts of every potential thyroid supplement and avoiding the ones that contain desiccated or powdered thyroid glands. While this is certainly a valid method of treating thyroid disorders, naturally desiccated thyroid glands should only be taken from verified sources and according to doctor orders. Our article on Amour Thyroid, which is a popular form of thyroid medication based on naturally desiccated thyroid glands, is helpful if you want to learn more about this type of medication.


So far, we examined an overview of thyroid support supplements, determined how they work, and detailed their benefits and controversies.

If you decide you want to learn more about thyroid supplements and are considering taking one, be sure to check out the table below for our rankings on the best and most effective thyroid supplements:

SUPPLEMENT RATING DESCRIPTION Statistics LINK
1

ThyroMate

98
Learn More

The makers of this all-natural supplement did a really good job putting together a...

Formula
95
Company Practices
100
Effectiveness
100
Side Effects
100
Value
95
Visit Website
2

ThyroChoice

97
Learn More

Since ThyroChoice’s release last month, it has quickly become a popular choice for patients...

Formula
95
Company Practices
95
Effectiveness
100
Side Effects
100
Value
95
Visit Website (Amazon Link)
3

Zhou Nutrition Thyroid Support

85
Learn More

Zhou Nutrition is a brand of supplements that are marketed as eastern and exotic....

Formula
80
Company Practices
75
Effectiveness
85
Side Effects
90
Value
95
Visit Website
4

Gaia Herbs Thyroid Support

81
Learn More

Gaia Herbs is a well-known large producer of herbs and herbal products, offering...

Formula
55
Company Practices
100
Effectiveness
65
Side Effects
95
Value
90
Visit Website
5

ThyroMend

79
Learn More

Douglas Laboratories’ ThyroMend seems to focus too much on herbs and not a lot...

Formula
75
Company Practices
95
Effectiveness
75
Side Effects
90
Value
60
Visit Website
6

Thyro8

74
Learn More

Thyro8 is a relatively new natural thyroid support supplement to have hit the market. Although...

Formula
70
Company Practices
80
Effectiveness
70
Side Effects
90
Value
60
Visit Website
7

i-Throid

74
Learn More

RLC Labs is a pharmaceutical company that focuses exclusively on thyroid supplements and medications....

Formula
50
Company Practices
75
Effectiveness
70
Side Effects
80
Value
95
Buy Now!
8

T-Balance Thyroid Supplement

74
Learn More

T-Balance Thyroid Supplement claims 81% of women who tried T-Balance Plus, report significant symptom...

Formula
50
Company Practices
80
Effectiveness
60
Side Effects
95
Value
85
Visit Website
9

Thyro-Slim

72
Learn More

Thyroid Supplement Reviews can help pick the best thyroid supplement to combat hypothyroidism, an...

Formula
65
Company Practices
75
Effectiveness
70
Side Effects
80
Value
70
Visit Website
10

Priority One Vitamins Thyroid Plus

69
Learn More

We reviewed one of Priority One Vitamins’s six thyroid supplements. Their formula is questionable...

Formula
65
Company Practices
60
Effectiveness
70
Side Effects
80
Value
70
Buy Now!
11

Thyro-Gold

68
Learn More

Thyroid supplements can help some those with underactive thyroids better manage their symptoms. Thyroid...

Formula
55
Company Practices
80
Effectiveness
65
Side Effects
70
Value
70
Visit Website
12

Wellness Resources Thyroid Helper

67
Learn More

Wellness Resources Thyroid Helper contains just five nutrients. Unfortunately, the ingredients in this supplement,...

Formula
55
Company Practices
65
Effectiveness
65
Side Effects
90
Value
60
Visit Website
13

Healthy Thyroid

63
Learn More

A thyroid supplement formulated by Chiropractor David Williams and sold by Healthy Directions, LLC....

Formula
40
Company Practices
65
Effectiveness
50
Side Effects
85
Value
75
Visit Website

No Comments