All the supplements that I take, why fillers are used in supplements, and the brands that I trust!

To be honest, I was never sold into the idea of supplements. Why? How? Do they really work? I took a chance on them, and they actually really do work. How can an herb give me heart palpitations? Well, it can! I've realized the supplements are like seeds, you don't sow a seed and expect to reap fruit the next day. You wait months to see the results, same with supplements, it takes 3 - 6 months to see the effects.

"I've realized the supplements are like seeds, you don't sow a seed and expect to reap fruit the next day."

But not all supplement are created equal, there are definitely scams. If you see one that says "Lose weight with this green tea coffee beans", or "Become smarter with ginkgo biloba" - it's a sham. A big, fat sham. There are no magic bean pills to make you smarter or skinnier, and how do I know? I was the sucker that fell for every single one of them. Yes, years of ginkgo biloba did not make me more brilliant, and diet pills never made me skinny, they just put me $180 in the hole. Don't fall for it.

Why aren't all supplements equal?

Fillers - some of the generic supplements you find at the grocery store have fillers in them. The reason brands use fillers is to reduce manufacturing costs, stabilization for the different components in the pill, and to bulk the product. (Example of fillers: Magnesium stearate, silicon dioxide, titanium dioxide, starch, microcrystalline cellulose, stearic acid - simethicone, vegetable gum, talc, and propylene glycol).
Added coloring and flavoring - no explanation needed. I like my supplements to be in their purest form :)
More resources - https://perfectketo.com/food-additives-to-avoid

The supplements I am talking about are not going to defy the gravitational pull of your body. They will nourish your organs, and optimize day-to-day organ performance. Yes, I said organ performance. I am basically telling you how to turn your thyroid into the best Bach that it can be.

“The supplements I am talking about are not going to defy the gravitational pull of your body. They will nourish your organs, and optimize day-to-day organ performance.”

Along with my diet recommendations (published as separate posts on this blog), I used these pills to heal my thyroid naturally and rid myself of hypothyroidism. A lot of the supplement ingredients I have found out are naturally in seafood, which I want to emphasize the importance of having a mediterranean diet if you're dealing with hypothyroidism.

So without any further music puns, let's break this down.

(For the sake of being budget sensitive, I have included a budget version of all the supplements I take).

1. Omega-3 and Omega-6 supplements

These are the holy grail of hypothyroidism supplements. I've already covered on why fish is necessary here. I can't stress enough the importance of seafood for hypothyroidism.

The ones I take: Thorne Research Omega-3 and Omega-6 - EPA, DHA, and GLA

Budget friendly option: Nature Made Triple Omega 3-6-9

2. Vitamin D

Vitamin D is produced by the skin from the sun. This isn't the most important supplement for hypothyroidism precisely, but I was vitamin D deficient when I had hypothyroidism. Vitamin D deficiency causes lethargy and exhaustion, it's important to take vitamin D so you can differentiate whether you're slow and exhausted from hypothyroidism, or a vitamin deficiency. D3 is the best one to take.

The ones I take: Garden of Life Vitamin D3

Budget friendly option: Vitamin D3 by Nature's Bounty

3. Vitamin B12

Nearly half of patients with hypothyroidism and Hashimoto‚ have a vitamin B12 deficiency. I also took this vitamin because I decreased meat intake with my new diet. Vitamin B12 is naturally found in meat, so if you're planning on decreasing meat like I did, be sure to take you B12!

The ones I take: Garden of Life Vitamin B12

Budget friendly option: Nature's Bounty Vitamin B-12

4. Biotin

This product is not necessary for hypothyroidism itself, but is important if you want healthy hair. Hypothyroidism caused my hair to thin out, I am still taking biotin every single day to maintain hair health. I know a lot of women who have suffered severe hair loss because of hypothyroidism, I feel you girl!

The ones I take: Biotin with Organic Coconut Oil

Budget friendly option: Nature's Bounty Biotin

5. Iodine

This is so important, iodine is key in nourishing your thyroid! I remember even as a kid my mom would give me iodine pills. It can help reverse the effects of a slow metabolism, as it can help your body make more thyroid hormones. Low iodine levels may slow your metabolism and encourage food to be stored as fat, rather than be burned as energy. Where I was born (Central Asia), historically has an iodine deficiency problems, many people suffer from the lack of iodine in their diet. Perhaps if iodine was introduced to their diets early enough, their bodies would have the tools they needed to maintain proper thyroid function.

The ones I take: RLC, i-Throid 12.5 mg

Budget friendly option: NOW Supplements, Kelp 150 mcg of Natural Iodine

6. L-Tyrosine

L-Tyrosine is an amino acid, remember how I talked about all the amino acids that your thyroid needs? Well, this is one of them. Tyrosine is a popular dietary supplement used to improve alertness, attention and focus. It produces important brain chemicals that help nerve cells communicate and may even regulate mood.

The ones I take: Thorne Research - L-Tyrosine

Budget friendly option: NOW Supplements L-Tyrosine Powder

7. Selenium

Selenium is an antioxidant. Certain selenoproteins are antioxidants — removing free radicals that are generated during the process of building up thyroid hormones in the thyroid gland. This is a crucial function in preventing thyroid gland damage and premature aging. Selenium is incredibly important to take when you have hypothyroidism, I take the supplements, and also a seaweed snack in the afternoon :)

The ones I take: Pure Encapsulations - Selenium (Citrate)

Budget friendly option: Nature's Bounty Selenium 200 mcg

8. Zinc

Zinc is a vital nutrient that plays a huge role in boosting your immune system and maintaining the metabolic rate of your body.

The ones I take: Garden of Life Vitamin Code Raw Zinc

Budget friendly option: NOW Zinc Gluconate

Let's talk brands

When I look for supplement brands, I look for trustworthiness, organic ingredients, sourcing of ingredients, very little filler/none would be preferable, rigorous testing of product. Some brands don't have all the supplements I need, which is why I look for other reputable brands.

1) Thorne Research

This is by far THE BEST brand I have ever encountered.

Link to their practices/quality : https://www.thorne.com/quality

2) Pure Encapsulations

Link to their practices/quality : https://www.pureencapsulations.com/quality-control

3) Garden of Life

Link to their practices/quality : https://www.gardenoflife.com/content/about/why-gol

Conclusion

I hope all this information is useful to you guys, it's definitely helped my thyroid and my energy levels. It still baffles me that an herb can uplift my mood or reverse my hypothyroid symptoms.

As a reminder, I am not a medical professional. I am just sharing what has worked for me, and riddled me free of my hypothyroidism. Every body is different, what worked for my body may not work for yours.

I look forward to reading your emails, and sorry that this post took so long!

Best Supplements for Hypothyroidism