The Best Ashwagandha for Thyroid Problems (Data From 70,000 Patients)

Ashwagandha is a controversial topic in the thyroid community.

Some, like me, say it’s an amazing herb that can boost your thyroid function, improve your sex drive, and give you more energy.

Others say taking it will crash you into a hyperthyroid state.

So, which is it?

Based on data from over 70,000 thyroid patients, it’s the former.

Here’s what I learned when I looked at the data on ashwagandha and thyroid problems.

Results From Over 70,000 Thyroid Patients

First, let’s talk about the results.

This is all based on one of my top-selling thyroid support supplements that contains ashwagandha, T3 Conversion Booster.

To date, we’ve provided more than 70,000 bottles of this very supplement to all different types of thyroid patients, including those with Hashimoto’s, which we will discuss shortly.

Throughout this time, I’ve kept an extensive database of interactions, reviews, and emails from patients who have used it.

And the results I’m about to share with you came from this data:

70.4% Reported Thyroid Symptom Improvement

A whopping seven out of ten patients who used this ashwagandha-based supplement experienced some thyroid symptom-related benefit.

This benefit ranged from more energy to weight loss, to better sleep, to improved mood, or even hair growth.

This makes sense when you look at the research, which shows that ashwagandha, acting as an adaptogenic herb, can improve thyroid function.^[1]

The reason we see such varied responses in thyroid patients here is that each person experiences a different set of symptoms related to their thyroid problem.

But when that thyroid dysfunction improves, with the use of ashwagandha, they see an improvement in their symptoms, whatever those were to begin with.

While T3 Conversion Booster does contain additional ingredients, which we will talk about soon, we can safely say that the majority of these benefits stem from the ashwagandha.

48.4% Felt “Like Themselves Again”

Second, roughly 5 out of 10 thyroid patients used the phrase “felt like myself again” (or a close variation) when describing how ashwagandha made them feel.

This is huge because, as you are probably well aware, having a thyroid problem will rob you of feeling like yourself.

Why?

Because of the impact that it has on almost every single system in your body, from your hair to your weight, and everything in between.

This benefit of feeling like yourself can really only be attributed to thyroid function because it would otherwise be impossible for another ingredient to have such a profound impact on so many different systems.

Again, we can chalk this one up to ashwagandha as the primary driver for this reason.

34.8% Use It Long-Term

Third, over a third of patients continued to use it long-term, as evidenced by consistent use, multiple repeat purchases, and refusing to go without it.

This is important because one of the most often cited reasons that endocrinologists do not recommend thyroid support supplements is their claim that they don’t work.

But real-world data shows the opposite:

It’s possible that someone could be tricked into a one-time purchase of a thyroid supplement that overpromises.

But do you think it’s likely that this same person would continue to purchase the same product month after month for over a year?

Unlikely.

This alone lends credence to the benefits of these supplements.

87.2% Were Satisfied Using It

That’s about 9 out of 10 thyroid patients, which is no small number.

When you look at the clinical data for the general population, you see a satisfaction rate of around 60-80% in non-thyroid patients.

Based on our understanding of thyroid physiology, we’d expect this number to be higher in thyroid patients simply based on the fact that it has prothyroid benefits.

And my outcome-based data bear this out.

The question you might ask yourself is, why don’t 100% see improvement if it’s so great?

There’s really no such therapy, in all of medicine or surgery, that has that level of satisfaction.

There will always be a handful of people who simply don’t react in the typical way. This happens with over-the-counter medications like Tylenol and ibuprofen, and it happens with over-the-counter adaptogens like ashwagandha.

But 9 out of 10 is still pretty darn good.

How to Use Ashwagandha for Hypothyroidism & Hashimoto’s

If you want to join in on these benefits, here’s the protocol that I’ve used and recommended on thousands of thyroid patients.

1. Pair it with Thyroid Cofactors (Zinc & Selenium)

Instead, use it in combination with selenium,^[3] zinc,^[4] and guggul.^[5]

Each of these compounds the benefits of ashwagandha, providing you with synergistic benefits that none of them would supply if taken by themselves.

I know that thyroid patients love the idea of figuring out the one thing that is helping them feel better.

But in the real world, it’s rarely ever just one single thing that does the trick.

Instead, it’s a combination of multiple therapies all stacked on top of each other.

This exact same principle applies to ashwagandha.

2. Use a Moderate Dose (200-300 mg)

Contrary to what some experts might tell you, you don’t need crazy high doses to see the results you want.

Yes, if you are using ashwagandha as an isolated supplement all by itself, you will need a higher dose.^[2]

But when you layer it on top of other treatments, other adaptogens, and other minerals, you need a much smaller dose.

Smaller effective doses mean a reduced risk of side effects and bigger results for you.

Practically speaking, this means doses in the range of 200-300 mg of ashwagandha each day.

You can push this dose higher if you’d like to, for whatever reason, but just realize that some 70,000 thyroid patients have seen positive results with the dosing range I just shared.

3. Take it Consistently for 8-12 Weeks

If you are going to react negatively to ashwagandha, you will notice it within the first 1-2 days.

If you are going to react positively to ashwagandha, you will notice it after about 8 weeks of daily use.

I know that’s probably not what you wanted to hear, but that’s the reality.

Adaptogens like ashwagandha work in your body to change your physiology, and changes to your thyroid and adrenal glands take time.

As a thyroid patient taking ashwagandha the right way, here’s what you might expect:

• After 1-2 weeks: a slight increase in energy
• After 2-3 weeks: a slight improvement in sleep
• After 3-4 weeks: a slight improvement in your mood
• After 4-6 weeks: more pronounced daily energy, resistance to stress, and more resilience
• After 6-8 weeks: more pronounced energy, faster recovery with your workouts, more vitality day to day, and a more pronounced reduction in your thyroid-related symptoms
• 8+ weeks: this is when you may start to see changes to your lab tests (a reduction in TSH, a rise in T4 and T3, and a more balanced cortisol level).

4. Try Rhodiola If You’re a Non-Responder

It’s frustrating, but it’s the truth.

There is no one-size-fits-all treatment for thyroid patients, and their physiology is as varied as their personalities.

If you’ve taken it for a solid 8 weeks and you haven’t noticed any improvement whatsoever, you’re likely one of these non-responders.

The good news is that just because you didn’t respond to ashwagandha doesn’t mean you won’t respond to anything.

In fact, I’ve found it to be the case that simply switching to another adaptogen, like rhodiola, is typically enough to see the improvement you are looking for.

Bottom line:

Don’t be afraid to switch it up and try new things. If you do, you will eventually find something that works well for your body.

Where to start

If you want a single supplement that combines my recommended dose and form of ashwagandha along with other ingredients like zinc, selenium, and guggul, here’s the product that I recommend.

It was formulated specifically for low thyroid patients, including those with Hashimoto’s, and it’s the formula used by the cited 70,000+ thyroid patients we’ve been discussing this entire time.

Take 2 capsules each day, with or without food, and do so consistently for 8-12 weeks.

Based on historical data, there’s about a 9 in 10 chance you will feel an improvement in your symptoms.

Is ashwagandha safe for Hashimoto’s?

This is a common misconception among patients with autoimmune disease.

There’s an assumption that ashwagandha can do two things:

#1. It can cause hyperthyroidism.

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#2. It can lead to immune dysfunction because it’s technically in the nightshade family.

While it is technically true that there is one or two case studies connecting ashwagandha to hyperthyroidism, and it is part of the nightshade family, both of these are essentially irrelevant.

Here’s why:

If we just look at the numbers I provided you and if we assume a conservative 70% of them have Hashimoto’s, then out of the 70,000 patients we have data on, approximately 49,000 carried this autoimmune diagnosis.

And yet, I have yet to see a single reported case of hyperthyroidism out of the lot of them.

And believe me when I tell you, if this problem existed, we would see it.

There’s no shortage of people leaving reviews or emailing us directly regarding how ingredients make them feel, and we keep track of this data.

Based on this data, we can say with a high degree of confidence that the risk of ashwagandha causing hyperthyroidism is certainly overblown.

Next, let’s tackle the nightshade problem.

Again, if it were the case that its being a part of this family of plants was a problem, we would see this reflected in the rate of satisfaction.

We can’t reconcile the fact that almost 9 out of 10 patients reported satisfaction with its use, when about 70% of them are supposed to be reacting to it in an immunogenic way.

The numbers just don’t add up.

Based on our data, its rate of problems is no higher than that of any other ingredient.

It’s actually in line with nutrients like magnesium, zinc, and even selenium.

This isn’t opinion. It’s just what the data show.

What IS true is this:

You may not personally tolerate ashwagandha. And the only way to know for sure is to give it a try.

But what we can’t or shouldn’t say is something like “ashwagandha is automatically bad for all patients with Hashimoto’s because it’s a nightshade or because it can cause hyperthyroidism”.

There’s no data to suggest that all thyroid patients, or even the majority, or even a large amount of thyroid patients have the same issue.

And the clinical research backs this up as well.

In the seminal randomized controlled trial on ashwagandha for subclinical hypothyroidism, 600mg of ashwagandha daily for 8 weeks improved TSH, T3, and T4 with no reported cases of hyperthyroidism in the treatment group.^[1]

Final Thoughts

Ashwagandha is one of my favorite ingredients for thyroid patients, and it’s something that I have recommended to thousands and thousands of patients.

As long as you use it correctly, in the right dose and for the right duration of time, there’s a very high probability you will see an improvement in how you feel.

By the way, if you are looking to support your thyroid, don’t just stop at ashwagandha.

There are so many other nutrients you can take that are just as good (if not better). You can find the list here.

References

1. Sharma, A.K., Basu, I., & Singh, S. (2018). Efficacy and Safety of Ashwagandha Root Extract in Subclinical Hypothyroid Patients: A Double-Blind, Randomized Placebo-Controlled Trial. Journal of Alternative and Complementary Medicine, 24(3), 243-248. [https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/28829155/]
2. Salve, J., Pate, S., Debnath, K., & Langade, D. (2019). Adaptogenic and Anxiolytic Effects of Ashwagandha Root Extract in Healthy Adults: A Double-blind, Randomized, Placebo-controlled Clinical Study. Cureus, 11(12), e6466. [https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/32021735/]
3. Drutel, A., Archambeaud, F., & Caron, P. (2013). Selenium and the thyroid gland: more good news for clinicians. Clinical Endocrinology, 78(2), 155-164. [https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/23046013/]
4. Severo, J.S., Morais, J.B.S., de Freitas, T.E.C., et al. (2019). The Role of Zinc in Thyroid Hormones Metabolism. International Journal for Vitamin and Nutrition Research, 89(1-2), 80-88. [https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/30982439/]
5. Tripathi, Y.B., Malhotra, O.P., & Tripathi, S.N. (1984). Thyroid stimulating action of Z-guggulsterone obtained from Commiphora mukul. Planta Medica, 50(1), 78-80. [https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/6739577/]