Vitamin D and Your Thyroid

There is a special collaboration between vitamin D and your thyroid that you may not even be aware of.

Not only do the receptors for vitamin D and the thyroid hormone look uncannily similar but these receptors are actually found INSIDE the thyroid gland. 

Why does this information matter?

The thyroid gland impacts a wide range of areas within the body such as the heart, brain, liver, kidneys, and skin. It may also be the culprit behind persistent weight struggles, constipation, thinning hair, and infertility.

It is important to understand the integral relationship between vitamin D and your thyroid: low levels of vitamin D may cause thyroid diseases such as Hashimoto’s thyroiditis, Graves’ disease, and even thyroid cancer.

How does vitamin D preserve the thyroid?

A study published in the Scientific Journal in 2015 (Sayki Arsalan, M. et al) wondered the same thing. Their study looked at healthy people who had only one thing lacking – a deficiency of vitamin D.

They found that lower levels of vitamin D resulted in a higher risk of the antibodies found in autoimmune thyroid disorders that turn the immune system against itself by throwing it out of balance. These include Hashimoto’s and Graves’, both of which run the risk of developing into thyroid cancer. 

The reason why this study stands out:

All other factors were kept constant and ambiguous; it only focused on the relationship between vitamin D deficiencies and the risk of autoimmune thyroid disorders in people who were otherwise healthy.

While many of us may think this is all non-applicable science, and this could never happen to us, let’s take a look at the most basic consequences of vitamin D deficiency:

Inflammation in the body inhibits the circulation of thyroid hormones.

This can wreak havoc on everything from:

⚫ Joint and muscle pain

⚫ Bloating

⚫ Digestive distress

⚫ Skin problems

⚫ Sleep disturbances

⚫ Depression

⚫ Anxiety…and more.

The good news is that helpful vitamin D can contribute to stopping this inflammation!

Why would you run out of vitamin D?

You may have a nutrient-rich diet, but vitamin D needs a little more attention because it is a fat-soluble vitamin, meaning an inflamed or leaky gut – due to an unbalance inner ecosystem – may not even absorb the vitamin D you do try to consume.

In addition genetic polymorphisms or changes can influence the enzymes that assist you in using the vitamin D you consume. Since vitamin D is as effective as its ability to bind to vitamin D receptors found in immune cells, genetic differences may affect your risk of developing thyroid disease.

How can you help your body with vitamin D?

First of all, it’s imperative to mention that you should get your D levels lab tested before, during, and after supplementing with vitamin D. Also make sure that your competent doctor clears you for any supplementation, including those for key nutrients that support your thyroid.

It IS possible to over-toxify yourself with too much D vitamin when taking caplues, so you don’t want to go in blindly.

Experts like Dr. Izabella Wentz suggest that vitamin D should be taken in D3 (natural, not synthesized) form and combined with K2 for best absorption, as well as taken at the same time as magnesium to protect the heart.

Signs of excess vitamin D or calcium toxicity include:

⚫ Weakness

⚫ Thirst

⚫ Nausea

⚫ Irregularities in heartbeat

⚫ Constipation

⚫ Nervousness

Foods rich in D:

As far as getting extra D in without supplements, and if you need to stick to the AIP elimination phase, slather some D-rich avocado mashed with lemon juice and Himalayan salt on this crisped flatbread at breakfast. Or look toward the sea and consume healthy fats in the form of fish like salmon.

Other foods rich in vitamin D are as healthy as they are delicious. If you are on a Primal diet (Paleo + proper dairy) and tolerate high-quality dairy products like aged grass-fed cheeses and raw homemade grass-fed yogurt, dig in!

Pastured eggs are also rich in vitamin D. Just be sure you go for the whole egg and not just the whites…as they can be inflammatory in excess. Or if you have found through the AIP elimination phase that you do not tolerate the whites well (yours truly, ahem!), you can simply consume just the yolks if those were successful for you! They are great in smoothies or stirred into soups.

Get outside!

Most of us really don’t spend much time outdoors in this highly digital age. Though the more time you DO spend in nature and exposed to the sun the more natural vitamin D your skin will absorb.

Plus it really brings about a sense of peace and joyfulness!

Think about the last time your skin was blessed by the warmth of the sun after you hadn’t been outdoors in a while. Being sun kissed makes your skin happy!

For me, I can swear I hear my soul start to hum and bliss start to bubble to the surface! I love to incorporate some yoga for thyroid health in my backyard for good measure, too.

Enjoy your free sustainable, and natural source of vitamin D from the sun too, and feel that healthy energy and happy mood surge through your soul – and thyroid. 😉