The thyroid gland is small, shaped like butterfly and located at the base of the throat. People don’t tend to think much about their thyroid gland – that is, until something goes wrong with it. The most common thyroid disorder is hypothyroidism, or a thyroid gland that is underactive and does not produce sufficient levels of hormones for the body. When this happens, people can suffer from fatigue, weight gain and depression among other things – and not even know why.
Fortunately, apart from taking levothyroxine (an artificial thyroid hormone), there are some natural therapies that can help for those who suffer from this condition. And one such natural treatment is an easily accessibly vitamin which can be bought from any health food store or increased in the diet by consuming a variety of fruits and vegetables – Vitamin C.
Let’s take a look at why Vitamin C is so good for the health of the thyroid gland.
The Top 5 Reasons the Thyroid Needs Vitamin C
Vitamin C is good for the whole body. But there are some reasons why it is great for the thyroid gland in particular. The top five reasons are:
- Because of its strong antioxidant properties, Vitamin C is great for detoxification and this can help greatly improve thyroid function
- It reduces levels of the stress hormone, cortisol, which also has a big impact on the thyroid, specifically with how it processes calcium
- It helps the keep the digestive process moving efficient to eliminate wastes and excess hormones
- For those who are taking levothyroxine (artificial thyroid hormone), Vitamin C has shown the ability to enhance the body’s absorption of this drug
- Vitamin C promotes the production of collagen, which aids in the synthesis of thyroid tissue
Getting More Vitamins C in the Diet
The great news is that Vitamin C is one of the easiest vitamins to get more of in the diet. This is because it is found in such a wide variety of foods, particularly great-tasting fruits and vegetables that can be added to salads, smoothies, stir-fries and a ton of other dishes.
Good source of Vitamin C include:
- PapayaKiwi fruit
- Citrus fruits (oranges, lemons, grapefruits, etc.)
- Pineapple
- Pears
- Apples
- Cantaloupes
- Red bell pepper
- Broccoli
- Greens
From this list (which is by no means complete), it is easy to see that there are many options available to someone who is trying to get more Vitamin C into the foods that they eat.
In short, Vitamin C is not just good for the general health of the body – it can specifically help those who have been diagnosed with a thyroid condition to manage this condition naturally and to support healthy thyroid function.
Sources: thyroiduk.org.uk, doctoroz.com, raysahelian.com
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