GoldCare explores how to strengthen your bones and thyroid naturally
Ask Dr. Gold: Can You Strengthen Your Bones and Thyroid Naturally?
Every week, the GoldCare HealthDesk receives questions from readers looking for answers about their health. Our team selects two from the many submissions for Dr. Simone Gold to answer, offering clear medical insight, practical guidance, and the straight talk she’s known for.
Question:
I have been treated for hypothyroidism for 30 years. I currently take Levothyroxine and Liothyronine. Are there any natural supplements that I can take to improve my thyroid function? I have tried Lugol’s iodine, but it did not work. Thank you!
Dr. Gold:
The short answer is yes. Certain vitamins and minerals play important roles in thyroid health. But first, I’d want to know why your thyroid became underactive.
One of the most common causes is Hashimoto’s thyroiditis, an autoimmune condition in which your immune system mistakenly attacks your thyroid gland. If that’s what you have, some supplements may be particularly relevant.
Here are the ones I’d consider:
Selenium: Your thyroid uses selenium to help activate thyroid hormones and protect its cells from oxidative damage. Studies have found that selenium supplements can lower anti-thyroid peroxidase (TPO) antibodies, which are markers of the autoimmune attack on your thyroid. A commonly studied dose is 200 micrograms daily. However, too much selenium can also be toxic, so consult with your GoldCare clinician.
Vitamin D: Low vitamin D levels are common in people with autoimmune thyroid conditions. Vitamin D helps regulate the immune system, and some studies suggest that correcting a deficiency can reduce thyroid antibodies.
Iron: The thyroid needs iron to produce hormones. That’s because TPO, one of the key enzymes involved in making thyroid hormones, depends on iron to work properly. If your iron levels are low, your thyroid may struggle to produce enough hormones. Ask your doctor about checking ferritin and transferrin saturation, which measures stored iron.
Zinc: The thyroid needs zinc to synthesize hormones. Zinc also supports the process that converts T4, the less active thyroid hormone, into T3, the more active form cells use to regulate metabolism and energy levels. But if zinc levels are already adequate, taking more isn’t necessarily beneficial. High doses can also cause copper deficiency.
Magnesium and vitamin B12: Both are important for normal energy production and nerve function. Low B12 can cause fatigue, weakness, and difficulty concentrating, symptoms that can easily be mistaken for poorly controlled hypothyroidism. Magnesium supports numerous metabolic processes, although there’s limited evidence that supplementing it directly improves thyroid hormone conversion.
Myo-inositol: This is a naturally occurring compound involved in the cellular response to chemical signals, including thyroid-stimulating hormone (TSH). Some studies, particularly those combining myo-inositol with selenium, have suggested possible benefits in people with mild hypothyroidism.
What about iodine?
You mentioned trying Lugol’s iodine without success. That doesn’t surprise me. Iodine supplementation is most useful when someone actually has an iodine deficiency. If your hypothyroidism is caused by autoimmune damage to the thyroid, taking extra iodine generally won’t repair that damage.
In fact, if you have Hashimoto’s, excessive iodine can sometimes make the condition worse by increasing thyroid inflammation or disrupting hormone production. That’s why I wouldn’t recommend continuing high-dose iodine without confirming a deficiency and discussing it with your doctor.
Don’t overlook exercise
Regular physical activity can also make a difference in how you feel.
Combining aerobic exercise, such as brisk walking or cycling, with resistance training can help improve energy, muscle strength, metabolic health, and quality of life. Some research has also found improvements in TSH levels among people with hypothyroidism who exercise regularly.
Here’s what I’d recommend
I’d ask your doctor whether you’ve been tested for Hashimoto’s and whether it makes sense to check vitamin D, ferritin, B12, or other nutrients based on your symptoms and medical history. There is a connection between autoimmune thyroid disease and B12 deficiency.
If free T4, free T3, and thyroid stimulating hormone (TSH) are all within range but you’re still feeling tired, cold, sluggish, or otherwise unwell, don’t automatically assume you need more thyroid hormone. Those symptoms can have other causes, including anemia, nutritional deficiencies, and sleep problems.
Autoimmune thyroiditis progressively destroys the thyroid, and with advanced disease, getting off thyroid replacement medications is unlikely. Reducing medications should be done with physician supervision to avoid clinically significant hypothyroidism. Identifying and correcting nutritional deficiencies, improving your overall health, and addressing any underlying problems that may be affecting your thyroid makes sense and is always recommended.
Question:
I am a senior who has been diagnosed with osteopenia of the lumbar spine and of the left hip. My doctor has recommended taking alendronate, along with a diet rich in vitamin D and calcium, plus exercise. Is there an alternative option that requires no prescription medicine?
Dr. Gold:
Yes, many people with osteopenia manage their condition without prescription medication.
Osteopenia is a “disease” invented by a WHO committee of “experts” and is based strictly on an arbitrary bone density score. Osteoporosis is an actual disease that can be diagnosed definitively by bone biopsy, and is associated with very low measured bone density and increased rates of fracture. Osteoporosis affects “spongy” bone in vertebrae and the expanded ends of the long bones.
Guidelines from major medical organizations, including the Bone Health and Osteoporosis Foundation (formerly the National Osteoporosis Foundation) and the Endocrine Society, emphasize nutrition, exercise, and other lifestyle measures as essential parts of bone health. They also recommend drug treatment with so-called “antiresorptives” based on bone density. Bone density varies with weight–lightweights don’t need as much bone as do heavyweights. Yet bone density measurements do not take this into account.
GoldCare doctors do not recommend any bisphosphonates such as alendronate, also known as Fosamax. These drugs interfere with normal bone remodeling and actually weaken bones. That’s why one of its side effects is an unusual fracture of the thighbone, called an atypical femur fracture. They also cause osteonecrosis of the jaw. We strongly recommend staying away from them. Newer, and much more expensive, antiresorptives work by different mechanisms, but also block normal remodeling.
What can you do naturally to strengthen your bones?
Your doctor’s advice about calcium, vitamin D, and exercise is a good starting point. Here’s how I’d build on it.
Get enough calcium. Your bones are constantly breaking down old tissue and replacing it with new tissue, and calcium is one of the main minerals they need for that rebuilding process. I’d start with food rather than supplements. Dairy products, calcium-fortified foods, leafy greens, and canned salmon or sardines with edible bones are good sources. If you’re not getting enough through your diet, a supplement can help fill the gap.
Vitamin D. itamin D is needed to absorb calcium properly. Without enough of it, even a calcium-rich diet may not provide what your bones need. Vitamin K2 activates proteins involved in binding calcium within bone tissue (osteocalcin) and that prevent calcium from depositing in arteries and other soft tissues (matrix gla-protein). Vitamin K2 should be added to supplemental vitamin D to prevent this. Vitamin K2 is found in the yolk of pastured eggs, aged cheeses, and fermented soy (natto).
Stress your bones. This is one of the most important things you can do. Just as muscles grow stronger when you challenge them, bones respond to physical stress by maintaining or building strength. Walking, climbing stairs, and dancing are good weight-bearing activities. I’d also encourage resistance training with weights, resistance bands, or bodyweight exercises. Studies show that properly designed exercise programs can help maintain or improve bone density, particularly in the spine and hips. Since you have osteopenia in your lumbar spine, ask a physical therapist which exercises are most appropriate for you.
Feed your gut bacteria. Your gut bacteria plays a role in keeping your bones strong. Researchers have found differences in gut bacteria between postmenopausal women with and without osteoporosis. Fermented foods such as yogurt, kefir, and sauerkraut can be part of a gut-friendly diet. Just as importantly, eat plenty of fiber-rich foods, including vegetables, legumes, fruits, and whole grains. Fiber provides fuel for beneficial bacteria, which produce compounds that influence inflammation and bone metabolism. Cutting back on ultra-processed foods makes more room for these nutritious foods.
Eat enough protein. We hear so much about calcium that it’s easy to forget how important protein is for bone health. Protein provides building blocks for bone tissue and helps preserve the muscles that support your skeleton. Eggs, fish, meat, dairy, and legumes are all good sources. This becomes especially important as we age because losing muscle makes us weaker and more vulnerable to falls.
What about other supplements?
There are a few additional nutrients worth considering.
Magnesium is another important mineral. It contributes to bone structure and helps your body regulate calcium and vitamin D. If you’re deficient, correcting that deficiency makes sense. Nuts, seeds, legumes, and leafy greens are good natural sources.
Zinc also plays a role in building and repairing bone tissue.
Here’s what I’d recommend
Ask your doctor what your fracture risk is and to what extent does medication reduce this risk, in absolute (not relative) terms. Ask how it makes sense to take a drug that paralyzes normal bone remodeling and causes severe femoral fractures.
Come to GoldCare for more information, and to find a practitioner who will work with you to restore good health.
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