Hey, guys. Dr. Axe here, Doctor of Functional Medicine and founder of DrAxe.com. Today I’m going to share with you the three steps you need to follow to overcome hypothyroidism and Hashimoto’s disease, and I’ll go through the top diet, supplements, as well as natural treatments to do so. So the first thing you’ve got to do, we’ve got to know what causes hypothyroidism or Hashimoto’s disease. And to be honest, 90% of hypothyroidism is an autoimmune form of Hashimoto’s disease. That’s where your body is autoimmune. It is attacking itself, which is causing issues with the thyroid. Hippocrates is famous for saying, “All disease begins in the gut.” And so I believe if you have a thyroid problem, a big part of that is starting in your gut, and it can be caused by a condition called leaky gut.

So, if you’re going to fix your thyroid, you’ve first got to fix and heal leaky gut. We’re going to do that, again, with diet, supplements, and then removing toxins from your body. So let me talk about diet and why this is so important. When you have leaky gut, what can happen is the holes in your intestines become larger, and particles like gluten can get through. This is why a lot of people with thyroid issues will notice, if they go on a gluten-free diet, they will notice immediate results with their thyroid. So diet wise, the first thing you’ve got to do is remove those things that are causing inflammation of your gut and the things that are causing more autoimmune responses within your body.

So I recommend going gluten-free and overall grain free for a period of time, for a total of 90 days, and gluten-free just long term period. But gluten is one of the biggest culprits. So again, if you’ve got hypothyroidism or Hashimoto’s disease, go gluten-free to start is so important. Also, look for other foods that can act like gluten in your body or that cause gut inflammation. Regular grains are one of them, especially if they’re not sprouted or fermented, like ancient grains were.

Then also, just other foods. Fast foods, too much sugar. Excess sugar in your diet will undoubtedly cause inflammation of the gut, which then, in turn, will cause some of those thyroid issues. The best diet to follow if you have hypothyroidism or Hashimoto’s disease is a diet that’s high in vegetables, fruits, as well as things like bone broth and organic meats. These are the things that are easiest for your body to digest. That’s what you want to focus on, is letting your system rest and doing things that are easy on your gut and your entire body, if you want to heal the thyroid. So the type of diet you should be trying to follow is something very similar to what’s called the GAPS diet. Again, it’s an ancient diet that’s full of fruits, vegetables, organic meats. So doing things like bone broth soup is fantastic, as well as also eating some probiotic rich foods, like a yogurt that’s been fermented for 24 to 29 hours, as well as ancient, fermented dairy products like kefir.

Those probiotic rich foods can really help support the healing of the gut. So again, if you want to know more about a hypothyroidism diet, what I would do is recommend looking up things like the Leaky Gut Diet and GAPS diet, and those are the sort of diets you want to follow for thyroid issues. Now, the second step in helping heal and repair your thyroid is getting specific nutrients and supplements, and there are three main supplements you should consider taking. The first one is a supplement that has selenium. Selenium has been shown to help regulate the hormones T3 and T4 in your body. So selenium is an essential mineral for really supporting thyroid function and for balancing out thyroid hormones. So selenium is the first one you should take.

The second supplement is called ashwagandha. Ashwagandha is an adaptogenic herb that’s been used in Asia for thousands of years, and it’s known for its ability to help reduce stress. Also medical research is now showing that it also helps balance out your thyroid hormone T4, which is critical if you’re going to overcome hypothyroidism or Hashimoto’s disease. So again, taking a good ashwagandha supplement is the second most important supplement. And the third most important is making sure you’re getting your B vitamins, especially vitamin B12. Vitamin B12 is also known as your energy vitamin and the vitamin that supports cellular function. In order for your thyroid to be healthy, your cells must be healthy and functioning and working properly. So vitamin B12 is essential in terms of supplements. If I had to add one more supplement in the mix, I would recommend probiotics, and the reason is probiotics really help support in repairing your digestive lining, which, in turn, is going to help your thyroid as well.

And then last, but not least, in terms of natural treatments for thyroid issues is you’ve got to detox your body. Doing cleansing on a regular basis is beneficial, and then if you have silver fillings in your mouth, looking at getting those removed by a DAMS certified dentist that’s mercury safe. Also, looking at even your personal care products and your cleaning products at home, get rid of those, switch over to natural cleaning products and personal care products that contain things like essential oils. Those can definitely help your thyroid. So again, follow those steps of the natural diet and supplements and removing toxins from your overall diet and your life if you want to overcome Hashimoto’s disease. Hey, guys. This has been Dr. Axe with my top tips on natural remedies for hypothyroidism and Hashimoto’s disease..

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