Is Vitamin C Good for your Thyroid?

Vitamin C Thyroid. Did you know that many people that have thyroid conditions are often deficient in Vitamin C?

As a thyroid cancer thriver and health enthusiast, I take Vitamin C extremely seriously. I even get high dose Vitamin C IVs from time to time.

In my own diet on a day to day basis, I prefer to get Vitamin C naturally. It sits well with my system and makes me feel my absolute best. Every day I take a scoop of my organic camu camu and I will purposely think to myself- this is working! This is helping my body be strong! Vitamin C helps the body, science tells us this, and what gives it an extra push to work even harder is that mind-body connection! But we won’t go into great detail there with that today.

Let’s focus on what we’ve learned as a society about Vitamin C and the thyroid.

Vitamin C and the thyroid

Vitamin C can help those with thyroid issues produce enough of the thyroid hormone that we need on the daily.

When Vitamin C was tested on the thyroid gland of rats, it was found that the rats were actually able to uplevel their production of thyroid hormones through sufficient Vitamin C. It is thought that the antioxidant effects of Vitamin C were enough to protect the thyroid from damage that was caused by chemical pollutants.

Vitamin C also helps us with stress. According to the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, Vitamin C is typically secreted when the body is under stress- good or bad!

But extra stress (that bad kind) without enough Vitamin C in your body? Oh no! We don’t want to go there. That can lead to a deficiency that then leads to adrenal stress. And adrenal stress is often linked to thyroid issues.

Here’s why.

Adrenal stress disrupts the hypothalamus and the pituitary gland- and anything that disrupts the HPA axis is going to affect thyroid function. The HPA/adrenal axis is a complex system. Since adrenal fatigue is strongly suspected in those who deal with thyroid disorders, it’s so important to include foods that have high amounts of Vitamin C. Especially if you are dealing with extra stress.

So, extra stress + not enough vitamin C = potential adrenal fatigue which can then affect the thyroid functions.

People with thyroid problems need to nourish their bodies on a daily basis. This means antioxidants, minerals, phytonutrients and yes- Vitamin C! I don’t want you to think that Vitamin C is the only thing we need to be concerned about. There are a wide array of nutrients we need to function normally if we have thyroid problems, but starting with Vitamin C is a good start.

We can also look at antioxidant therapy, which often uses Vitamin C. Did you know Vitamin C can actually reverse thyroid damage? Oh yes, it has been documented that it can even help people who don’t see enough improvement with their prescription thyroid medications.

Notes taken from the American Thyroid Association when they met in 2008 showed that patients who take their prescription thyroid medication but aren’t able to get to their target TSH level have been able to do so by taking Vitamin C alongside their medication. Isn’t that incredible?!

 

Lastly, I would like to note that Vitamin C also helps modulate inflammation, which can be a real problem for people with thyroid problems. If you are dealing with chronic inflammation, I urge you to look at many things within your lifestyle, one of them being how much Vitamin C you are getting.

I promise you, it is much easier than you think to get in enough Vitamin C. If we are eating the rainbow, getting enough leafy greens and fruits in our diet, we should be fine. Are you someone who is short on time? You can also do what I do and supplement with camu camu– it is a fruit from Peru that has more Vitamin C than anything on the planet! And it is natural! One scoop a day will have you covered (although I still believe in getting nutrients from all kinds of foods.)

Remember, Vitamin C is a master antioxidant! It can fight cancer cells, it can help keep you healthy, and certainly– can help your thyroid! Stay empowered!