HEALTHY LIVING
Can’t Shake Fatigue? Check Your Thyroid
Here’s what controls your mind and mood. BY DAVID ALLIOT
Y
our body sends you messages about your well- being all the time. It’s like a computer sending updates
on what’s going on inside you. Think about yawning, that
growling in your stomach, or pain. Sometimes the clues are more subtle, though, and it’s easier to tune them out. Fatigue is one of them — until it aff ects your quality of life. Your thyroid may be to blame.
That butterfl y-shaped gland at the base of your neck makes hormones and controls your metabolism, the speed at which your body converts fuel into energy. That’s crucial because a sluggish
thyroid can lead to an unexplained tired feeling and even weight gain. “Your thyroid helps with
metabolism,” says Erika Schwartz, M.D., “which keeps the rest of your body functioning optimally.” Schwartz, a Newsmax magazine columnist, is a leading national expert on wellness and disease prevention and the author of Don’t Let Your Doctor Kill You. She tells Newsmax it pays to
listen to what your body is telling you.
AGE MATTERS A sluggish thyroid is more common in people over 60, but it can begin anytime. It may be discovered through a routine blood test or after symptoms begin. In 2015, the National Institutes of
Health published news on thyroid health that agrees: “Symptoms are more subtle and are often attributed to normal aging, and therefore, require special attention.”
94 NEWSMAX MAXLIFE | APRIL 2022
and zinc — like lean proteins, eggs, legumes, seaweed, and nuts — will support your thyroid,” Schwartz tells Newsmax. Iodine. When your body is low in iodine, your thyroid goes into crisis mode, causing cells to grow and multiply — which can lead to a goiter, or swelling in the neck. Since your body does not make iodine, it’s essential to get it from your diet or through a quality supplement.
Salt with added iodine used to be common. Not so today. As a result, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reports about 40 million people in the United States are iodine defi cient.
Get iodine from seaweed,
seafood, and dairy products. Vitamin A.
Researchers found that vitamin A
Dr. Schwartz
VITAL NUTRIENTS ARE KEY It’s easy to support a healthy thyroid at any age and get a jump on fatigue before it becomes a problem. “Adding foods to your diet that contain iodine, copper, selenium,
plays an important role in the mitochondria of cells. That’s the part that fuels each cell. When vitamin A is lacking, energy
production can be reduced by up to 30%, they found. Their report was published in the FASEB journal in 2010. Foods rich in vitamin A include
sweet potatoes, winter squash, red bell peppers, beef liver, and fi sh oils. Vitamin B2. The lesser known
B2 — ribofl avin — powers every cell in your body. According to the National Center for Biotechnology Information, B2 plays an important role by metabolizing fats, proteins, and carbohydrates into glucose for energy. Get B2 in nuts, green vegetables,
and dairy, too.
Selenium.This micronutrient is essential for your body, but your body does not make it naturally. Selenium stops free radicals from damaging cells and DNA, and it turns out selenium is more concentrated in the thyroid than in any other organ. You’ll fi nd it in Brazil nuts, seafood, and organ meats. Guggul gum. This funny-sounding
extract is made from the sap of the guggul tree, native to India. It’s been studied for thyroid regulation through increased uptake of iodine. Choose a high-quality supplement. The list doesn’t end there. Be sure to work the following into your diet as well:
Copper Zinc
Ashwagandha root.
A MORE
ENERGETIC YOU Fatigue can creep up on
you. Don’t wait — with a few healthy changes to your diet, you’ll jump-start a new you.
Schwartz agrees: “Make sure you don’t overlook essential vitamins and minerals” to feel your best.
SHIDLOVSKI/SHUTTERSTOCK
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