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In this episode of the Essential Oil Revolution, I discuss how essential oils can support the health of your thyroid. First, I highlight the importance of thyroid health for overall wellness. Then, I provide a summary on how to determine if this endocrine gland is not optimally functioning. However, the main focus is on essential oils and how they influence thyroid function. This topic builds upon my previous podcast on how essential oils influence hormones.

Now, to be truthful, I have not been able to find much medical research to show a direct effect on essential oils influencing thyroid health. But there are a few preclinical and clinical studies on how essential oils impact thyroid function and hormones. There’s also anecdotal evidence that they can help treat the symptoms of certain thyroid conditions.

Below is a summary of the information on the thyroid gland and an overview of topics from the show.

The Thyroid Gland

The thyroid is a small, butterfly-shaped gland located in the middle of your neck. It is an endocrine organ that produces and releases thyroid hormones. Your thyroid impacts almost all processes of your body. For example, it helps to regulate your metabolism, emotions, brain function, heart rate, muscle contraction, cholesterol levels, and liver function.

There are two types of thyroid dysfunction, low functioning thyroid, hypothyroidism, and an overactive thyroid, hyperthyroidism. Autoimmune diseases of the thyroid include Hashimoto’s disease and Grave’s disease, which can be the cause of hypothyroidism and hyperthyroidism respectfully.

 

Symptoms of Thyroid Imbalances

Due to the fact that the thyroid impacts so many areas of the body, symptoms are vast. Common symptoms include:

  • changes in body weight
  • fatigue
  • mood disturbances
  • brain fog
  • anxiety
  • depression
  • shifts in metabolism
  • digestive complaints
  • hair loss
  • skin issues
  • sleep problems
  • … and more.

 

Thyroid Labs and Their Caveats

Lab tests have their caveats, and many doctors use Thyroid Stimulating Hormone (TSH) to determine thyroid activity. This is not a direct measurement of the thyroid hormone. Rather, it determines the signaling strength of the pituitary’s communication to the thyroid to release thyroid hormones. Oftentimes, this is the sole test used to evaluate the thyroid. Assessments of thyroid hormone conversion are not considered, such as what occurs in the gut and liver. Therefore, the TSH test is not optimal for determining the overall functioning of thyroid hormone in your body; however, it can rule in or out a pathology or disease process. (This post goes into more detail about labs.)

The bottom line is that to determine how your thyroid is working, you will want to get a full thyroid panel. This includes both free and bound thyroid hormones, thyroxine (T4) and triiodothyronine (T3), and thyroid antibodies (TP0, TgAb). There are also even more specific, not as commonly used tests for determining thyroid health, such as reverse T3 (rT3) and T3 Uptake.

Your functional or naturopathic doctor will usually screen many of these lab markers. An integrative doctor will also assess all the interwoven factors and triggers of why labs may be showing signs of thyroid imbalances. It is never wise to just treat thyroid levels with adjusting medications with thyroid hormones, as this can send other hormones into a tizzy.

 

Statistics on Thyroid Disease: Why We Need to Pay Attention

Thyroid disease is relatively common. The American Thyroid Association states that 12% of the U.S. population with develop a thyroid condition in their lifetime. This translates to more than 20 million Americans experiencing some type of thyroid dysfunction. Interestingly, about 60% of those with thyroid disease are undiagnosed and unaware of their condition. Furthermore, thyroid problems are five to eight times more likely in biological women than men. This is likely due to the interrelationship between estrogen and the thyroid.

Importantly, because undiagnosed thyroid disease can put patients at risk for certain serious conditions, such as cardiovascular diseases, osteoporosis, pregnancy complications, and infertility, it’s important to treat our thyroid right. Thankfully, we can nourish our thyroid with lifestyle and address the potential triggers to thyroid deregulation using natural methods, including essential oils.

This is what you will learn about in the latest episode of the Essential Oil Revolution.

Below is an overview of the topics covered during the podcast:

  • What is the thyroid gland? (1 min)
  • Why thyroid health is so critical for overall wellness (1 min 30 sec)
  • The different types of thyroid dysfunction: (2 min)
    • Hypothyroidism, hyperthyroidism, autoimmune thyroid diseases
  • How to know if you have a thyroid imbalance (symptoms and labs) (2 min 30 sec)
  • Why conventional medicine may be missing thyroid dysfunction (3 min)
  • Statistics on thyroid disease and why natural interventions are important (4 min 30 sec)
  • The various ways essential oils can support thyroid function by modulating specific thyroid triggers including: (5 min)
    • Stress, dietary deficiency factors, microbiome health, environmental exposures, blood sugar, and immune health
  • Some popular calming and hormone balancing essential oils for addressing thyroid symptoms: (7 min)
    • Calming oils for alleviating stress include lavender, frankincense, citrus oils, and peppermint (if one is lacking focus).
    • Oils for hormonal health include bergamot, lavender, ylang ylang (these three oils also help vagal nerve tone), rose geranium, clary sage, neroli, and jasmine.
  • How blood sugar impacts hormones and which oil benefits blood sugar the most (9 min)
  • How essential oils effect on the microbiome influences thyroid health (11 min)
  • Essential oils that enhance detoxification, based on preclinical studies: (12 min)
    • Mint, valerian, clove, rosemary, lemon, and lemongrass
  • How essential oils modulate immunity which can benefit autoimmune thyroid disease: (13 min 30 sec)
    • Essential oils can help the immune response of those with mold-related illness, support the microbiome, signal antibodies, and balance overall immune activity.
  • A list of popular essential oils for common hypothyroid and hyperthyroid symptoms including pain, inflammation, skin issues, digestive disturbances, detoxification support, and anxiety (15 min)
  • The interwoven connection between essential oils, hormones, and the brain (17 min)
  • Why essential oils are the perfect blend of mind-body medicine (18 min)
  • Essential oils shown in clinical studies to directly impact hypothyroid and hyperthyroid symptoms and thyroid disease symptoms: (18 min)
    • SKEO oil, along with antioxidants, was shown to help prevent lipid peroxidation and down regulate thyroid hormones in hyperthyroid rats.
    • Ginger and lemon oils helped to lessen salivary gland dysfunction in thyroid cancer patients.
    • An oil blend of peppermint, clove, black pepper, white grapefruit, and bergamot oils reduced fatigue in hypothyroid patients.
  • What oil was found to lower cortisol and enhance mood in menopausal women (23 min)
  • How naturopathic and functional medicine doctors can help patients with thyroid imbalances (25 min)
  • Closing comments (26 min)

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*If you are interested in thyroid health, I have an expert, go-to integrative thyroid specialist who will be joining us for an upcoming show to dive into more details!

 

Resources From the Show:

 

Previous Episodes Mentioned on the Show:

 

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Disclaimer: This material is for information purposes only and is not intended to diagnose, treat, or prescribe for any illness. You should check with your doctor regarding implementing any new strategies into your wellness regime. These statements have not been evaluated by the FDA. (Affiliation link.)

This information is applicable ONLY for therapeutic quality essential oils. This information DOES NOT apply to essential oils that have not been tested for purity and standardized constituents. There is no quality control in the United States, and oils labeled as “100% pure” need only to contain 5% of the actual oil. The rest of the bottle can be filled with fillers and sometimes toxic ingredients that can irritate the skin. The studies are not based solely on a specific brand of an essential oil, unless stated. Please read the full study for more information.

Thanks Pixabay and Canva.