The 9 Best Supplements for Hashimoto’s Thyroiditis

The Best Supplements for Hashimoto’s Thyroiditis (Support Immune & Thyroid Function)

As someone with Hashimoto’s, I probably don’t need to tell you how hard it can be trying to feel better. 

Whether you are stuck in the “sit-and-wait” model or whether you are struggling to find your dose of thyroid medication, you have probably asked yourself many times if there is a better way.

And, while there is no “easy” path to feeling better, there are definitely other avenues and paths that you can take that CAN help you feel better.

One of those is the use of supplements. 

If this is the first time you’ve heard that supplements can help treat Hashimoto’s then let me reiterate: 

Over-the-counter supplements have the potential to help people with Hashimoto’s feel better and manage their thyroid symptoms. 

How do I know?

Well, not only do I have personal experience but I’ve also created 20+ thyroid supplements that have been used by over 65,000 thyroid patients to date. 

I have seen many times that supplements, along with other therapies such as dietary changes, stress reduction, weight loss, and thyroid medications, can help put Hashimoto’s into remission in some people. 

It’s certainly not a guaranteed thing but supplements are both safe and have the potential to be effective so they are worth considering for anyone who has Hashimoto’s thyroiditis. 

The key to feeling better with the use of supplements is to use the right ones. 

What you will learn today:

  • How supplements impact Hashimoto’s thyroiditis and how they are working inside of your body
  • Why most patients with Hashimoto’s thyroiditis should consider using supplements
  • Which supplements actually move the needle and help you feel better if you have Hashimoto’s
  • More information on iodine and Hashimoto’s (and why it’s safer than you think)
  • And much more

Let’s jump in: 

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How Supplements Work in Patients with Hashimoto’s Thyroiditis

One of the biggest mistakes that I see people with Hashimoto’s make is that they assume that Hashimoto’s is purely a thyroid condition. 

While it is true that Hashimoto’s definitely impacts thyroid function it is not JUST a thyroid condition. 

Hashimoto’s is first and foremost an immune condition (1)!

In fact, it is your immune system that triggers all of the damage in your thyroid gland that results in the symptoms of low thyroid. 

It works like this:

Something triggers your immune system (this usually stems from your gut (2)) which then causes your immune system to produce antibodies that look like enzymes found inside of your thyroid gland. 

These enzymes float around and damage your thyroid gland which results in low thyroid function and the symptoms that you are all too familiar with. 

Symptoms like weight gain, hair loss, constipation, cold intolerance, muscle aches, depression, and more. 

Why is this important?

Because if you can calm down the immune system then you can STOP the damage from occurring to your thyroid gland!

This means that focusing on your immune system is a top priority if you have Hashimoto’s disease. 

It also means that some of your supplements should be directed at cooling down inflammation as well as balancing your immune system. 

These supplements may be more important than just focusing solely on supplements that target and support thyroid function. 

When you think about using supplements to treat Hashimoto’s, you want your supplements to do 3 things:

  • Help to balance or regulate your immune system
  • Help reduce inflammation
  • Help support thyroid function

Targeting these areas will not only help you FEEL better they may help target the underlying cause of Hashimoto’s which may help put you into remission. 

The Supplements Every Patient with Hashimoto’s Should Consider Using

Many people often think that they need a series of blood tests to determine which supplements they need. 

Let me be the first to tell you that this isn’t always true and here’s why:

Many of the blood tests that we use to check for nutrient deficiencies do a good job of telling us how much of that nutrient is in the blood but they do a poor job of telling us how much of that nutrient is being USED by the body. 

And there is a big difference. 

We don’t really care if a nutrient is floating around in our bodies if it isn’t doing its job. 

a list of 8 supplements to treat hashimoto's thyroiditis

Unfortunately, many of the tests that we have for nutrients fall into this category. 

They simply aren’t as helpful as you might think. 

While this may sound like bad news, it’s actually good news in disguise. 

Why?

Because this means that you can use many of these supplements without the need to check your blood levels. 

It also gives you more control as a patient with Hashimoto’s to do some testing to figure out what works best for your body. 

As we go through these supplements, I will let you know if blood tests are accurate and other helpful information which will inform you as to whether or not you should consider using one particular nutrient over another. 

With this in mind, let’s jump into the list of the best supplements for Hashimoto’s:

#1. Zinc

Zinc is up there in terms of one of the most important nutrients that people with Hashimoto’s can benefit from. 

And the reason is simple:

Zinc plays a role in regulating the immune system as well as thyroid function. 

In addition, we know that many patients with Hashimoto’s thyroiditis are deficient in zinc (meaning they do not have enough). 

When you put these together, it means that optimizing your zinc is a no-brainer if you have Hashimoto’s. 

But let’s focus on the benefits of zinc just for a minute before we talk about supplementing with zinc. 

Zinc is particularly beneficial for those with Hashimoto’s for 4 big reasons:

  • The first is that zinc is required for something called T4 to T3 conversion. T4 to T3 conversion is the process by which your body activates thyroid hormone and turns it into a usable form. If you don’t have enough zinc then you may experience low T3 levels which will result in low thyroid symptoms. 
  • The second is that zinc can help reduce inflammation (3) and may act as an anti-inflammatory agent all by itself. As someone with Hashimoto’s, you should pay close attention to inflammation in your body because it has the potential to hurt how well your body utilizes thyroid hormone. 
  • The third is that zinc is also required for the proper regulation of your immune system (4). In fact, in the setting of low zinc, your immune system has a hard time fighting off even mild infections. This is one of the reasons that many people recommend taking zinc when you are sick! If you find that you are getting sick frequently then that may be an early warning sign you aren’t getting enough zinc. 
  • And fourth is that zinc is also necessary for hair growth. This doesn’t have to do specifically with Hashimoto’s but it’s an added bonus because many people with Hashimoto’s also have issues with hair loss!

But before you run out and supplement, you need to first consider the various types of zinc available as well as the dose. 

Not all formulations of zinc are equally effective because they are not all equally absorbed.

For people with Hashimoto’s, you will want to look for zinc as zinc chelate, zinc monomethionine, zinc gluconate, zinc acetate, or as zinc citrate.

All of these versions of zinc are equally good so you can choose whichever form works best for you. 

Definitely stay away from zinc oxide which is the cheapest form of zinc and is inferior to the other formulations listed above. 

When using zinc for your thyroid, make sure that you are swallowing your capsules and not using zinc in a lozenge or sublingual form or anything like that. 

Zinc used in this way may stay in your upper respiratory tract and not get absorbed into the body (where you want it!). 

This is helpful if you have a cold and want to treat something like a respiratory virus but doesn’t do much good if you are trying to improve your thyroid status. 

How much Zinc Should you Take for your Thyroid? 

There’s also a fair bit of controversy regarding how much zinc you should take. 

No one is disputing the importance of zinc for thyroid function but how much you should take every day does get disputed. 

I used to recommend higher doses of zinc for thyroid patients, on the order of about 30 to 60mg of zinc per day. 

Within the last few years, I’ve dramatically reduced this recommendation to around 5 to 10mg of zinc per day. 

My recommendation for daily zinc use stems from how much the body can absorb which is only around 7 to 10mg at any given time. 

If you look at most doses of zinc they are considerably higher than this which means that most of that zinc doesn’t make it into your body. 

In addition, higher doses of zinc may cause an upset stomach, stomach pain, or even acid reflux which is why lower doses are often better than higher doses. 

For most thyroid patients, taking 10 to 15mg of zinc daily is more than enough. 

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If you are someone who wants more zinc then you need to split up your dose at least 5 hours away from whenever you took your first dose in order to ensure the second dose gets absorbed. 

When using zinc for thyroid support it’s often ideal to combine it with other nutrients (including selenium which we will talk about next) because of the important role they play together. 

Because of this, look for supplements that contain around 5-15mg of zinc in each serving combined with other helpful thyroid-supporting nutrients such as selenium. 

You can get the correct form of zinc with other thyroid-enhancing ingredients here.

If you prefer to use zinc by itself just make sure you get the correct form and at the correct dose.

#2. Selenium

Selenium is another fantastic nutrient to take if you have Hashimoto’s thyroiditis. 

Why is selenium so important? 

For several reasons:

The first is that selenium plays an important role in helping your thyroid to produce a powerful antioxidant known as glutathione. 

Glutathione’s job is to protect the thyroid gland from inflammation and free radical damage. 

And because the hallmark of Hashimoto’s is thyroid gland inflammation, it’s obviously important to have sufficient glutathione in your thyroid gland!

In addition, and much like zinc, selenium is also important for supporting healthy T3 levels because it impacts thyroid conversion (5). 

If that wasn’t enough, we also have studies that show that supplementing with selenium may help reduce thyroid antibodies (6) in people who have Hashimoto’s! 

These studies show mixed results meaning that not everyone who takes selenium will see a reduction in thyroid antibodies but even just knowing this provides you with another tool to potentially treat your condition aside from just thyroid medication. 

The reduction in thyroid antibodies seen with selenium is probably related to its impact on glutathione and reduced inflammation. 

How Much Selenium should you take if you have Hashimoto’s?

There is a tendency for people with Hashimoto’s to get really excited when they hear about selenium and its impact on thyroid antibodies. 

After all, who doesn’t want to reduce their thyroid antibodies?!

Sometimes, these people will use higher than normal doses of selenium which can actually cause more harm than good. 

To ensure that you don’t cause more harm than good, you will want to keep your daily selenium dose from supplements somewhere between 100 and 200mcg per day. 

Many providers agree that if you stay below 400 to 500mcg of selenium each day that you should be okay but this total takes into account selenium that you get from all sources including your diet. 

If you stick to a dose of around 100 to 200mcg of selenium from your supplements then that gives you a buffer to ensure that you aren’t getting potentially high and toxic doses of selenium. 

The symptoms of selenium excess include many symptoms which mimic low thyroid function including hair loss, brittle nails, stomach problems, fatigue, and joint pain. 

Just like zinc, people with Hashimoto’s will see an improved benefit when using selenium in concert with other thyroid-supporting nutrients. 

For that reason, you will want to use a supplement that combines both zinc and selenium together such as this one

If you prefer to use selenium alone then look for selenium in the doses listed above and as selenomethionine, selenocysteine, or selenium glycinate. 

#3. Adrenal Support

After testing hundreds of patients with hypothyroidism and Hashimoto’s, I’ve yet to find a significant number that didn’t also have adrenal problems. 

The degree of adrenal-related problems can vary from person to person but it pretty much almost always co-exists with thyroid disease of any kind. 

And the reason is simple:

There is a strong connection between your adrenal glands and your thyroid (7) such that a problem with one will almost always result in a problem in the other. 

This connection is so strong that small changes to your cortisol level are enough to impact TSH levels or thyroid function. 

But that’s not the only reason you need to consider adrenal function if you have Hashimoto’s. 

The main reason I’ve included adrenal support on this list is that even though adrenal and thyroid problems tend to co-exist, they need to be treated separately. 

Put another way:

Treating your adrenals will NOT improve your thyroid or vice versa. 

Both conditions require treatment but the treatments are different and distinct. 

How can you tell if you have adrenal problems?

It’s actually easier than you might think. 

If you spend some time on the internet then you’ve probably heard about the idea of adrenal fatigue. 

Adrenal fatigue is really what I mean when I refer to adrenal problems but probably not in the way that you are thinking about it. 

In the traditional sense, adrenal fatigue refers to the changes in cortisol that occur when you are under stress for a prolonged period of time. 

These changes are often associated with the following symptoms:

  • Severe fatigue despite getting enough sleep at night
  • Cravings for salty or sugary foods
  • The sensation of feeling “wired but tired”
  • Difficulty sleeping or insomnia
  • Anxiety or the feeling that your mind is racing and won’t shut off
  • The classic midday crash around 2-5 pm
  • The reliance upon caffeine as an energy source to help you get through the day or to get you going in the morning

Unfortunately, this concept doesn’t really hold when scrutinized in the medical literature (8). 

Does that mean adrenal fatigue isn’t real? Not by a long shot. 

Instead, you just need to shift how you think about it. 

Instead of hyper-focusing on your cortisol status or cortisol levels, you should instead focus on treatments that help support and nourish your adrenal gland. 

As you support and nourish your adrenal gland you will see improvement in your thyroid function as well as your energy levels. 

There are many treatments for supporting your adrenals but I am going to focus on supplements because that’s the topic we are focusing on today!

These two groups of supplements work very well for patients with Hashimotos:

Adrenal Glandulars for Hashimoto’s

Adrenal glandulars are one of my favorite ways to improve adrenal function in those with Hashimoto’s. 

These glandulars contain parts of the animal adrenal glands that have been dried up and desiccated into a powder form. 

This powder contains components of the adrenal gland which you can take by mouth and support your own adrenal function. 

And it works very well!

Some people get scared of these supplements because they believe it contains active cortisol hormones. 

They do not (or at least they shouldn’t if you get them from the right place). 

Adrenal glandulars are incredibly effective, especially for people with Hashimoto’s who have severe fatigue, and can be used regardless of your cortisol level. 

They can be used with high cortisol, low cortisol, and even normal cortisol. 

These glandulars can be combined with adrenal adaptogens (which we will talk about next) for even greater benefit. 

I’ve successfully used this adrenal glandular supplement in thousands of people with thyroid disease with great success. 

Adrenal Adaptogens for Hashimoto’s

Adrenal adaptogens work a little bit differently from adrenal glandulars but they are still very effective. 

These adaptogens are plant-based ingredients that have been shown to have powerful effects on vitality through their impact on stress resiliency. 

They essentially work by helping your body tolerate the stress that you place on it by helping your body adapt to that stress. 

What’s cool about these adaptogens is that they aren’t some new or untested therapy. They have literally been used for thousands of years to help support energy and vitality. 

Take ashwagandha, for instance, which has been used in Ayurvedic medicine since 6000 BC (9).

Other types of adrenal adaptogens include:

  • Rhodiola
  • Ginseng
  • Holy Basil
  • Maca
  • Astragalus
  • Cordyceps
  • Reishi mushroom
  • And Schisandra

When it comes to treating Hashimoto’s and thyroid disease, I find that the 3 best from the list above include ashwagandha, Rhodiola, and maca root. 

Of course, the others can be helpful as well but my experience suggests that these 3 tend to work the best for the thyroid/adrenal system. 

If you are looking for an adrenal supplement designed for thyroid patients then check out this one.

#4. Probiotics and Prebiotics

Probiotics and prebiotics are included in this supplement for one very important reason:

Your gut is a major site of immune regulation for your entire body!

And guess why that’s important…

Because Hashimoto’s is first and foremost a disease of your immune system. 

Now it just so happens that treating your gut allows you to indirectly improve T3 levels which I will talk about shortly but that isn’t the main reason we are focusing on your gut. 

While not every single root cause of Hashimoto’s stems from the gut, there are a huge number of people where the gut is ground zero and is likely the very location that triggered their disease state. 

Conditions ranging from gut infections (10) (H. pylori) to food sensitivities (11), to increased intestinal permeability (leaky gut) have all been implicated as potential causes and triggers of autoimmune thyroid disease. 

This means that treating your gut should take top priority if you have Hashimoto’s!

How do you know if your gut needs to be optimized? 

The most obvious and easy way to tell is to look at your symptoms and ask yourself these questions:

  • Do I have at least one bowel movement each day?
  • Do I suffer from any other gut symptoms including things like cramping, gas, bloating, or abdominal pain?
  • Do certain foods cause abdominal pain or make me feel poorly?
  • Do I have several nutrient deficiencies or problems with absorbing food/minerals/vitamins? 
  • Do I have other problems such as Celiac disease?
  • Do I have bad breath?

If your gut is healthy then you should have at least one bowel movement every day, you should NOT have abdominal issues/symptoms, you should be able to tolerate foods without any issues, you should NOT have nutrient deficiencies, and you should not have bad breath. 

These are all indications that you need to spend some time optimizing your gut. 

There are many ways to do this but one of the easiest ways is to take probiotics with or without prebiotics. 

Probiotics act to help repopulate your gut with healthy bacteria, improve bacterial diversity in your gut, fight pathogens (bad bacteria), reduce gut inflammation, and encourage the growth of healthy bacteria. 

Contrary to popular belief, the microorganisms in your probiotic typically do not stay in your GI tract. 

Instead, they work by influencing other changes in your gut that influence your immune system. 

Because of this, there isn’t one “best” probiotic for everyone with Hashimoto’s. 

Instead, you should focus on taking probiotics that have a wide diversity of bacterial species and probiotics that exist in a high enough dose to actually have an impact. 

This will give you the best results. 

Some probiotics that I have used successfully in people who have Hashimoto’s include:

  • Lactobacillus species
  • Bifidobacterium species
  • Beneficial yeast (saccharomyces boulardii)
  • And soil-based organisms

If you want to stick to well-studied strains of bacteria then I would recommend this 100 billion CFU/serving probiotic

If you want both high dose and diversity, then I would recommend looking at a probiotic such as this one

#5. Vitamin D3 with or without Vitamin K2

Vitamin D is something that we should all be concerned about but especially those with Hashimoto’s thyroiditis. 

Vitamin D deficiency is incredibly common in the world with as many as 1 billion people worldwide suffering from this very problem. 

Research suggests that thyroid patients are more likely to develop vitamin D deficiency for two big reasons:

The first is that the low thyroid state impairs intestinal absorption of vitamin D.

The second is that the low thyroid state impairs the activation of vitamin D that does make it into your body.

These two reasons explain why the deficiency is so common among patients with Hashimoto’s but they don’t explain why it’s such a big deal. 

The reason you should concern yourself with your vitamin D level has to do with how this deficiency impacts thyroid function, your risk for developing cancer, and its impact on your immune system. 

For instance, vitamin D is necessary for immune system regulation. 

And you will recall from our previous discussion that Hashimoto’s is primarily a disease of the immune system. 

We know that people who are vitamin D deficient are at increased risk for developing autoimmune diseases such as Hashimoto’s thyroiditis. 

Whether or not vitamin D deficiency is an actual trigger of Hashimoto’s or simply a risk factor is not well understood. 

But in either event, we know it’s a good idea to optimize your vitamin D because some studies show that it can improve your thyroid hormone levels including your TSH (12)!

Obviously, vitamin D is playing a role in helping your thyroid hormone work in addition to its impact on your immune system. 

In addition, it appears that vitamin D deficiency plays a causal role in the development of chronic pain and muscular pain seen in many thyroid patients. 

Taking vitamin D may help to improve muscle pain! 

And lastly, vitamin D deficiency may increase your risk of developing thyroid cancer (13). 

Regardless of how you look at it, you will want to make sure your vitamin D level is optimized if you have Hashimoto’s. 

But the question is, how do you do that?

How to Optimize your Vitamin D for Hashimoto’s Thyroiditis

Before you plan to optimize your vitamin D, you will want to get your labs checked to see if you need to. 

You can check your vitamin D level by getting a simple blood test from your doctor which is very accurate. 

The best test available is 25-hydroxy vitamin D

If you are like most patients I’ve tested then you will find that your level is less than optimal!

Optimal levels are anywhere from 40-60 ng/mL (if you are outside of this range then you will want to get your levels up). 

There are two main ways to bring up your vitamin D level: 

The first is to get your vitamin D the all-natural way. 

To ensure you are getting enough from the sun make sure you follow these rules:

  • Be out in the sun between the hours of noon and 2 pm, when your shadow is smaller than you
  • Make sure that 40% of your body is uncovered
  • Make sure there are no clouds obstructing the sun (otherwise UVB rays will bounce off of the clouds)
  • Make sure that you are not wearing any sunscreen (sunscreens block all UVB rays and only allow UVA rays in)

If you are like most people then getting your vitamin D from the sun every day isn’t possible. 

If you can’t, don’t worry! You can still get your vitamin D level up with supplements. 

When taking vitamin D supplements, the best form to take is cholecalciferol which is known as vitamin D3. 

This version is the most active and does not require further activation via sunlight like the D2 formulation. 

In terms of dosing, you will want to use somewhere between 1,000 and 5,000 IU per day depending on what your blood level shows. 

I find that a good daily dose of vitamin D3 is somewhere between 2,000 and 3,000 IUs daily. 

If you are taking vitamin D but your blood level isn’t going up then make sure you are taking your vitamin D with a fatty meal and try taking magnesium supplements as well. 

This should help ensure that your vitamin D is being absorbed and used by the body! 

Many people believe that you MUST take vitamin K2 with vitamin D in order for it to be effective. 

This isn’t true. 

Vitamin K2 can help with calcium processing but I really only see a benefit in people who have issues such as heart disease and osteoporosis. 

If you’d like you can add vitamin K2 to your D3 supplement but it is NOT automatically required if you have Hashimoto’s. 

For best results, look for a vitamin D3 supplement that is in a micellized matrix

This ensures maximum absorption! 

#6. Pycnogenol

Next on the list is something called pycnogenol or pine bark extract. 

Pycnogenol is made from the bark of the French maritime pine tree and it’s frequently used for its impact on the immune system and inflammation. 

It’s not known exactly how pine bark works but it’s theorized to work by acting as an antioxidant and immunostimulant (14). 

Antioxidants work by cleaning up free radicals in your cells which can damage and even result in the death of certain cells. 

This is a problem for patients with Hashimoto’s who often experience the production of free radicals directly in the thyroid gland from the production of thyroid hormone. 

When your body produces thyroid hormone it creates free radicals in the form of hydrogen peroxide which can turn around and damage your thyroid gland unless they are cleaned up by antioxidants. 

The number 1 most important antioxidant in the thyroid gland is glutathione which we will talk more about in a minute!

By giving your body extra antioxidants, you may be able to prevent this damage from occurring when your body creates thyroid hormones. 

And this is probably how pycnogenol works. 

It’s been my experience that pycnogenol is particularly effective at helping to reduce thyroid antibodies and it can be combined with other supplements, such as vitamin D, to help support the immune system. 

If you are someone who has high levels of TPO antibodies or thyroglobulin antibodies, then considering pycnogenol would be ideal!

You can kind of think of pycnogenol as a therapy similar to LDN (low-dose naltrexone) in its impact on thyroid antibodies and inflammation. 

While vitamin D3 helps to support general immune function, pycnogenol and LDN may help to reduce thyroid antibodies and thyroid gland damage. 

You can’t (or shouldn’t) focus solely on your antibody levels, but in most cases, it’s ideal to lower them if at all possible. 

Just realize that lowering your antibodies doesn’t always correlate with improved thyroid function even though it seems like it should. 

If you want to use pine bark extract make sure you find it in the pycnogenol (French Maritime Pine Bark Extract) form. 

The ideal dose is somewhere between 200 to 400mg per day! 

#7. Fish oil

Next on the list is fish oil which is one of my favorites for those with Hashimoto’s. 

Fish oil is an ideal supplement for Hashimoto’s because it targets several areas that you are probably struggling with!

These include:

  • Inflammation – Associated with thyroid gland damage
  • Immune dysregulation – The underlying cause of Hashimoto’s
  • Depression and anxiety – A primary symptom of low thyroid states
  • Insulin resistance – A condition that contributes to weight gain and weight loss resistance
  • Dry skin and acne – Another complication of low thyroid
  • Weight loss and muscle mass – Fish oil can be used as a weight loss therapy/supplement!

Fish oil is so important for thyroid patients that I include it as one of my top 5 recommended daily supplements for all thyroid patients. 

At its core, fish oil is really just a healthy fat. 

Fish oil supplements provide your body with literal oil from fish!

The oil from fish contains very high concentrations of omega-3 fatty acids (a special type of fat) which have a direct impact on many cells in the body. 

The fats from fish oil get incorporated into the cell membrane of your cells in various tissues which is probably why it works to improve things from your mental state to the health of your skin. 

Healthy fats help your cells work more efficiently and even impact cellular processes such as the inflammatory cascade (15). 

Because most people with Hashimoto’s are consuming inflammatory fats in their diet, taking fish oil can help provide balance to your body and cells. 

You can get fish oil from the real deal (by eating fish) or by taking supplements. 

In a perfect world, you would be getting your omega-3 fatty acids from fatty fish such as salmon, herring, white fish, sardines, and anchovies at least 3 to 5 times per week. 

If these foods aren’t making it into your diet, then you aren’t alone! And you can still get them into your diet by taking fish oil supplements. 

Fish oil supplements are not all created equal, though, so before you run out and grab one make sure that you find one with the following attributes: 

  • A triglyceride delivery system to ensure maximum absorption and sustained serum blood levels (this will also help avoid burping up fish oil)
  • An iFOS 5-star certified fish oil to ensure your fish oil is not contaminated with heavy metals such as mercury (16)
  • A combination dose of both EPA and DHA in the 500 to 1,000 mg per capsule range

For managing Hashimoto’s, a daily dose of 1,000 to 2,000 mg of fish oil is ideal. 

If you are dealing with a Hashimoto’s flare-up or an increase in thyroid gland inflammation, then doses as high as 2,000 to 4,000mg per day may be needed!

Look for fish oil that meets the criteria above such as this one

#8. Glutathione

I mentioned glutathione when we were talking about thyroid gland inflammation and thyroid gland damage above. 

And it’s so important that it deserves its own section. 

In the healthy thyroid gland, your body produces glutathione to help clean up the antioxidants produced with the creation of thyroid hormone. 

But what happens when you can’t produce enough glutathione?

Well, to put it simply, your thyroid gland will start to damage itself, and portions of your thyroid gland will leak out into your bloodstream where your immune system may interact with them and create antibodies to them. 

The portions of the thyroid gland that leak out include thyroid peroxidase and thyroglobulin! The very same enzymes that your body produces antibodies to when you have Hashimoto’s thyroiditis. 

Researchers theorize that thyroid gland cell death may be one way that your immune system comes into contact with these enzymes which may initiate the production of antibodies. 

One way to prevent this from occurring is to optimize your glutathione levels!

There are two ways to do this:

  • The first is by taking selenium (a nutrient we already discussed!) – Selenium is necessary for your thyroid to produce glutathione (17). If you are selenium deficient then you may not be able to create enough glutathione in your thyroid gland. 
  • The second is by taking glutathione directly – Glutathione exists in supplement form which you can take by mouth. This allows you an extra way to get glutathione into your body and thyroid gland to reduce thyroid gland inflammation and damage. 

Glutathione doses ranging from 250 mg to 1,000 mg per day have been shown to be safe (18) but these high doses may not be required for those with Hashimoto’s. 

Even low doses of glutathione, when combined with other nutrients such as selenium, can be effective for improving immune status in those with Hashimoto’s thyroiditis. 

I would recommend combining glutathione along with many of the other nutrients we’ve already discussed for the best results. 

You can find an example of what that may look like here: 

#9. Iodine

Last on the list is iodine. 

I know what you are thinking:

“Isn’t iodine dangerous if you have Hashimoto’s and shouldn’t it be avoided?”

Not exactly. 

Iodine is an element that the human body REQUIRES for life. 

Put in simple terms, iodine is necessary for thyroid hormone production, and thyroid hormone is necessary for you to eat, breathe, sleep, and function. 

A complete lack of thyroid hormone is not compatible with life which means a lack of iodine is not compatible with life. 

Most people don’t realize this important connection and they fail to understand that humans can’t produce iodine on their own. 

They will exclaim that iodine is dangerous for those with Hashimoto’s all the while failing to appreciate that they are consuming iodine daily in foods such as bananas, strawberries, milk, yogurt, and eggs, and even getting doses of iodine from their makeup or beauty products!

Don’t fall into the trap of thinking that iodine is automatically harmful if you have Hashimoto’s. 

Iodine can certainly trigger problems in those with Hashimoto’s but the problems don’t stem directly from the iodine. 

Instead, they stem from a lack of other nutrients and antioxidants, such as selenium, which is required to reduce thyroid gland damage when thyroid hormone is created. 

Iodine gets the blame when it’s really a combination of factors that contribute. 

And negative reactions to iodine are actually quite rare, even among people with Hashimoto’s!

If you are one of the unlucky few who reacts negatively to iodine then you should focus on optimizing the nutrients discussed on this page. 

Everyone else needs to ensure that they are getting at least 100 to 250mcg of iodine per day from all sources (including diet, foods, and absorption from beauty products). 

If you need additional iodine then you’ll want to use a lower dose combined with zinc, selenium, glutathione, and other antioxidants. 

This will prevent the negative reactions that may come with iodine supplementation. 

For a much more detailed overview of the safety of iodine in Hashimoto’s, please see this article

If you need to use a low-dose iodine supplement then look for one like this.

Wrapping It Up 

There you have it! A complete list of supplements all designed to help improve thyroid status, immune status, and inflammation in those with Hashimoto’s thyroiditis. 

I’ve spent the last 5 years helping tens of thousands of thyroid patients and this is the result of that help. 

It’s been my experience that the use of supplements can be a powerful tool when combined with a healthy diet, regular exercise, thyroid medication (if necessary), stress reduction, quality sleep, and detoxification. 

With these therapies, it may be possible to put Hashimoto’s into remission or, at the very least, reduce your symptoms and help you feel better!

Now It’s your turn. 

What supplements have you tried for your Hashimoto’s?

Which ones have worked best for you?

Did any of the supplements on this list surprise you?

Are you planning on trying any of the supplements listed here? If so, which ones?

Leave your questions or comments below! 

Scientific References

#1. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3271310/

#2. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7353203/

#3. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4429650/

#4. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/9701160

#5. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/8834378

#6. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/23046013

#7. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3520819/

#8. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4997656/

#9. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3252722/

#10. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7167994/

#11. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7327046/

#12. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6166548/

#13. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5618598/

#14. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6619435/

#15. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/28900017/

#16. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/14632570/

#17. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4210904/

#18. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/24791752/

9 of the best supplements for treating hashimoto's thyroiditis

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About Dr. Westin Childs

Hey! I'm Westin Childs D.O. (former Osteopathic Physician). I don't practice medicine anymore and instead specialize in helping people like YOU who have thyroid problems, hormone imbalances, and weight loss resistance. I love to write and share what I've learned over the years. I also happen to formulate the best supplements on the market (well, at least in my opinion!) and I'm proud to say that over 80,000+ people have used them over the last 7 years. You can read more about my own personal health journey and why I am so passionate about what I do.

P.S. Here are 4 ways you can get more help right now:

#1. Get my free thyroid downloads, resources, and PDFs here.

#2. Need better symptom control? Check out my thyroid supplements.

#3. Sign up to receive 20% off your first order.

#4. Follow me on Youtube, Facebook, TikTok, and Instagram for up-to-date thyroid tips, tricks, videos, and more.

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