Iodine, Selenium, and Thyroid Health

Critical nutrients for thyroid health

What's ailing the modern thyroid?

First, let's back up. Why have rates of thyroid disease historically been so LOW?

Hold on there - they haven't been, at least not in all times and places. The first widespread reports of thyroid disease are BOTH linked to deficiencies of minerals, specifically iodine and selenium. In the United States, the "goiter belt" was a part of the nation where people ate very little fish, due to being inland. They developed "goiters," or enlarged thyroids due to low iodine levels. Selenium may have played a role as well. The Chinese province of Keshan has low selenium content in the soil, and the people there develop "Keshan's disease," one of the features of which is hypothyroidism.

So hypothyroidism is NOT just about modern lifestyles. It's about the soil and our dietary choices.

I wrote more about iodine here and I recently shared my high-dose iodine protocol with premium subscribers here.

Let's talk about how iodine and selenium can, together, help explain why thyroid hormone levels are so deranged among modern people.

Iodine and selenium are both found in an abundance in seafood, specifically fish and shellfish. Iodine is found in an abundance in seaweed, which is why I eat a ton of seaweed in the form of powders from (affiliate link incoming) Mountain Rose Herbs. I use a teaspoon to a tablespoon in soups, stews, and smoothies. Selenium is found in an abundance in Brazil nuts, but you'll find it in a wide range of plant and animal foods. Eggs are another good source, which might be why the powers-that-be want you to eat fewer eggs and keep engineering egg-shortages.

However, you will find that, despite being common in a wide range of foods, the intake of the average person varies wildly for each of these. For selenium, people may eat at little as 50 mcg and as much as several hundred micrograms. For iodine, people may ingest less than a hundred micrograms daily, but you can easily get a dozen milligrams in a hefty serving of seaweed. That's a difference of 100x for both nutrients!

This is why I LOVE eating a mineral dense diet. And this is where things with the thyroid get really interesting...

Because the thyroid controls metabolism, when we consider its dysfunction, we should really ask ourselves, why would it be low in the first place?

Why might your body want to dial back your metabolism?

Your body dials back your metabolism when resources are scarce.

When are resources scarce?

When it's dark and cold outside. When the bears and rodents are hibernating, when the ice is thick on the lakes and ponds, and when the birds have flown south for the winter.

Selenium and iodine are found in seafood. If you live near a coast, resources are always available, and particularly iodine and selenium. Might this explain why coastal and island nations are so productive and powerful?

Most people today are not getting enough selenium and iodine. Yet others are getting too much of either.

And this isn't just about selenium and iodine. There are so many more factors that affect the thyroid that I can't possibly fit them all into one Substack article.

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Until next time, be well,

Dr. Stillman