How to Naturally Improve Thyroid Function
The thyroid gland is the largest endocrine gland in the body. Located in the neck, right below the thyroid cartilage, the gland affects the development, growth and locomotion of a body.
Sometimes, a complication inside the body can result in an underactive thyroid gland, a condition which is known as hypothyroidism. Doctors have yet to find a cure for the condition, which frequently results in making the person suffering from it feel depressed and helpless.
Even though there is no cure to hypothyroidism, there are ways to control it and improve the thyroid function. While levothyroxine is often used to improve the gland’s function, there are plenty of natural ways to attain similar, if not better, results.
Instructions
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1
Rather than taking your thyroid medication right before or immediately after you have eaten, take it on an empty stomach with nothing but a mere glass of water. The best thing to do is to take the medicine 30 minutes before you eat your meal. In case you forget and eat your meal first, wait for at least two hours before taking your thyroid medication. Remember, any negligence will result in your medication losing its effectiveness.
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2
Do not consume food that is too rich in fibre, iron, antacids and calcium within four hours of taking your thyroid medication. The aforementioned things have the tendency to reduce your body’s ability to absorb the medication.
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3
Try to maintain a healthy diet, comprising vegetables, fruits, fish and lean proteins. Increase your daily vitamin intake by taking a multivitamin tablet every day. By consuming a healthy diet rich in the aforementioned nutrients, as well as iodine, zinc, vitamin D, and selenium, you will be providing your body essential nutrients, which will consequently improve the thyroid function.
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4
Foods such as broccoli, brussels sprouts and cabbage suppress thyroid function. Such raw vegetables and soy products should be avoided when dealing with an underactive thyroid gland.
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5
Make exercise a part of your daily routine. Exercising on a regular basis will not only increase the sensitivity of your tissues towards the thyroid hormone, but will also cause the thyroid gland to become more active, which in turn will lead it to secrete the thyroid hormone in a larger quantity. One more advantage of regular exercise for people with hypothyroidism is that it increases the metabolic rate.
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6
Some yoga poses are believed to be very beneficial for the thyroid gland by the experts, as they increase the blood flow to the endocrine gland. These poses include shoulder stand, halasana and sarvangasana.
