Do Thyroid Supplements Help With Weight Loss?

Several supplements sold as “thyroid health” or “thyroid support” products promise to assist you in shedding some extra pounds. But do they actually work?

First you need to answer a different question: is your weight gain related to a thyroid condition? The thyroid is a butterfly-shaped gland located in the front of your neck. Its main job is to create a hormone that helps regulate your metabolism.

“Some people take thyroid supplements thinking it will help them lose weight because an underactive thyroid, a condition called hypothyroidism, can cause weight gain,” explains Florence Comite, MD, endocrinologist and founder of the Comite Center for Precision Medicine and Health.

If your thyroid is not functioning properly, then you might think it’s simply logical to take a supplement to boost your thyroid health. But when MH asked doctors about using thyroid supplements, they all had a similar response: don’t do it. Here’s why.

Can Thyroid Supplements Help You Lose Weight?

THYROID SUPPLEMENTS DON’T necessarily boost your metabolism and could actually do you more harm than good. Jean Chen, MD, an endocrinologist at Texas Diabetes and Endocrinology, says there’s no over-the-counter or lifestyle regimen that would directly improve thyroid health.

Now doctors may prescribe medications designed to balance out thyroid hormones levels of people diagnosed with hypothyroidism, adds Dr. Comite. Those medication may lead to weight loss. Supplements are a different story.

Supplements aren’t required to be regulated by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. They’re also not the same as the thyroid medications that doctors prescribe for thyroid conditions, warns Dr. Comite. “It’s difficult, rather impossible, to know how much of either you may be ingesting in an over-the-counter supplement,” she says. “Supplements are not regulated.”

For someone with optimal thyroid function taking a thyroid supplement? She warns there’s no evidence that thyroid supplements helps with weight loss. There’s also no guarantee that they’re safe.

What Exactly is In a Thyroid Supplement?

SOME THYROID SUPPLEMENTS contain high amounts of two thyroid hormone: T3 and T4. Since supplements aren’t regulated, doctors warn MH that these thyroid hormone levels may be higher than prescription medication and could run the risk of developing an overactive thyroid (hyperthyroidism). This could potentially bring a slew of health consequences such as irregular heartbeats, hand tremors, sweating, anxiety, and muscle weakness.

Many thyroid supplements also contain nutrients, like iodine, iron, selenium, zinc, vitamin D, and vitamin A, which are necessary for healthy thyroid functioning. That said, if you already have a healthy thyroid, taking too much of these nutrients could actually cause a thyroid problem.

Are There Any Benefits to Taking A Thyroid Supplement?

YOU MAY HAVE heard people taking a thyroid supplement to avoid low iodine levels. The gland uses iodine to make these hormones and when you have iodine deficiency, it can cause thyroid conditions. However, Dr. Chen says there are no proven benefits to taking supplements to support or enhance your thyroid. Plus, consuming too much iodine daily could cause an underactive or overactive thyroid.

“Over time, this can lead to iodine toxicity and cause thyroid dysregulation,” Dr. Chen says.

The thyroid is “sensitive and precise,” adds Dr. Comite. “Deviation of thyroid hormone levels may lead to health issues, such as racing heart rate, bone thinning, or poor muscle formation, and it also affects memory and cognition.”

One older study suggested that selenium supplements might be beneficial for Hashimoto’s disease, an autoimmune condition that leads to an underactive thyroid. However, more research is needed on the subject.

If you think your thyroid isn’t functioning well, a doctor—not supplements—is the way to get to the root of the problem and find an effective solution.

How to Take Thyroid Supplements Correctly

DOCTORS GENERALLY DON’T recommend thyroid supplements, since they’re unregulated. “It is hard to know if these supplements really contain the ingredients that are listed,” Dr. Chen explains. “However, if a patient does decide to start a supplement, I usually recommend stopping if they do not feel an improvement or develop new symptoms.”

The safest way to take any thyroid health supplement is to talk to your health care provider first. They may check your thyroid hormone levels and prescribe medication if your levels are out of whack. If not, they might offer other alternatives to help you achieve your weight loss goals.

Are There Natural Ways to Improve Thyroid Health?

THE TRUTH IS that there’s really no way to directly boost your thyroid health. “I always tell patients that they are welcome to try to eat less processed foods or even cut out certain foods that have gluten or dairy,” she explains. “However, there is no strong data that diet or lifestyle changes help or protect the thyroid gland.”

Still, making dietary and lifestyle changes could help you manage some symptoms and improve your general health, says Dr. Comite. If weight loss is your goal, these changes would make more of an impact than a thyroid supplement.

Here are some tips, according to Dr. Comite:

• Lower and manage stress, which can affect how your body and mind function
• Get plenty of sleep and exercise regularly (cardio and strength training), which will support optimal thyroid activity
• Adopt restorative activities like yoga and meditation to promote overall health

While certain nutrients are needed for your thyroid to function at its best, it’s more beneficial to get these nutrients from foods rather than supplements. Follow a healthy diet plan that includes:

• Fruits, vegetables, whole grains, lean protein, and healthy fats
• Antioxidant-rich foods, like berries, oranges, and spinach, that have anti-inflammatory properties
• Fish, lean meats, legumes, and nuts that contain omega-3s, selenium, and zinc, which are good for your thyroid functioning
• Avoid overdoing it on iodine-rich foods, like kelp, seaweed, cod, dairy products, tuna, and eggs.

Erica Sweeney is a writer who mostly covers health, wellness and careers. She has written for The New York Times, HuffPost, Teen Vogue, Parade, Money, Business Insider and many more.