Non-prescription thyroid supplements can contain ingredients such as iodine, l-tyrosine, calcium, phosphate, potassium, olive leaf extract, selenium, guggul extract, processed kelp/seaweed, bioperine, dipotassium phosphate and a number of other varied ingredients.
Some brands are manufactured with processed, porcine (pig) or bovine (cow) thyroid glands added as an ingredient but with the hormones extracted, so that the supplement is hormone-free (to avoid FDA restrictions in applicable countries). Others that contain no thyroid hormone will have names that imply they contain them, when in reality they are also hormone-free.
Deceptive Marketing Ploys
Many of these supplements contain ingredients that have some benefit in the human body but they have limited affect on thyroid function and the purpose behind the manufacture of them is strictly to gain sales. This is not to say that the vitamins, minerals and healthy ingredients, including herbals don’t have a positive effect to a degree in people taking them but the claim that they will improve thyroid function specifically is often exagerated or completely false. There are other factors that determine how well healthy supplements and nutrients work in the body, including proper diet, exercise and adequate sleep and rest.
Dangerous Stimulants or Ingredients
The common claim by thyroid booster manufacturers is that these supplements increase metabolism in the body via improved thyroid function, which will help the user to lose weight safely. When thyroid boosters contain stimulants however, the user of such a product may feel the energizing effects from the supplement but it s not coming from an increase in thyroid function but is in-essense a stimulant-high that does not result in benefit toward better health or safe weight-loss. In some cases the supplement may instead result in negative effects on health.
Supplements that contain high levels of caffeine or that contain any level of ephedrine or pseudo-amphetamines should be strictly avoided. This is especially true of people who are experiencing hyperthyroidism because these stimulants can worsen the symptoms of an overactive thyroid gland, including increased hypertension and heart arrhythmias.
A similar warning can be applied to supplements containing iodine as well. Some of them add a very high content of iodine as an ingredient that far surpasses the RDA (recommended daily allowance) and medical studies have shown this to be a potential contributing factor toward development of autoimmune thyroid disease in susceptible individuals.
No Substitute for Thyroid Hormone Replacement
Individuals who have hypothyroidism (under-active thyroid) or who have had their thyroid glands removed will afterward require thyroid hormone replacement therapy. A thyroid boosting supplement cannot substitute prescribed thyroid hormone even if it contains iodine as an ingredient because proper levels of thyroid proteins must be present in the body for iodine to be converted into thyroid hormone. This is something that is deficient or missing in people with diseased thyroid glands.
In the case of natural thyroid hormone, some of which can be purchased without a prescription, a qualified doctor will not be prescribing a determined dose by blood test evaluation or monitoring the treatment to adjust the hormones to proper level. This endangers a patient of taking too high a level, causing thyrotoxicity (toxic amount causing hyperthyroidism) or in under-treatment which will allow hypothyroidism to progress and worsen. In short, there is no substitute for thyroid hormone replacement, in patients with hypothyroidism, monitored by a licensed physician administering the treatment.
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