A Naturopathic Approach To Goiter, Part 2: Nontoxic Goiter

I’m Dr. Pat Nardini, a naturopathic doctor in Toronto.

As part of my practice, I have a special interest in thyroid health.

If you take a look through my blog on this website, you’ll see a lot of different articles on the thyroid.

However, not a lot about goiter.

Goiter is a fairly uncommon thyroid condition here in Canada, but it definitely exists.

And as far as naturopathic treatment for goiter goes, you certainly have options.

There are three different types of goiter, and last week we talked about the first type – toxic nodular goiter.

This week, we’ll take a look at the second type – nontoxic goiter.

Don’t let the name fool you, though – it’s still a health condition worth addressing.

What Is A Goiter?

Just below the point where the bottom of your face becomes the top of your neck, is a gland called the thyroid.

This butterfly-shaped gland secretes hormones that aid in your body’s regulation of metabolism, respiration, mood, digestion, heart rate, and more.

Goiter is a condition that increases the size of your thyroid.

What Is A Nontoxic Goiter?

Last week we took a look at the toxic nodular goiter.

If you recall, a toxic nodular goiter is related to hyperthyroidism – a condition where your thyroid works harder than it ought to, which causes a whole host of problems.

With nontoxic goiter, however, it actually triggers hypothyroidism, a condition where your thyroid underperforms.

How does this happen?

It has to do with your pituitary gland.

Your pituitary gland is responsible for sending TSH, or thyroid stimulating hormone, to your thyroid, and from there, the TSH tells your thyroid how much thyroid hormone it ought to be producing.

During nontoxic goiter, however, your pituitary gland releases too much TSH, which over-stimulates your thyroid.

This doesn’t cause it to produce more thyroid hormone, however.

Instead, the TSH just makes your thyroid swell, while at the same time holding it back from producing as well as it should.

This triggers hypothyroidism, as well as nontoxic goiter.

Symptoms Of Nontoxic Goiter

Because nontoxic goiter is a symptom of a certain type of hypothyroidism, the symptoms are generally the same.

Other than the telltale symptom of goiter – swelling in the front of the neck – symptoms of nontoxic goiter include:

• Depression
• Chronic fatigue
• Constipation
• Menstrual irregularities
• Dry skin
• Hair loss
• Slowed heart rate
• Unexplained weight gain
• Carpal tunnel syndrome

In a way, goiter can be described as a symptom of a specific type of hypothyroidism, rather than its own condition altogether.

Risk Factors For Nontoxic Goiter

While anybody can experience nontoxic goiter, there are certain populations at greater risk than others.

These include:

• Being a woman
• Being over 40
• Lack of dietary iodine
• Medical history of autoimmune disease
• Certain medications (such as the heart drug amiodarone and the bipolar drug lithium)
• Radiation exposure
• Being pregnant
• Being menopausal

Naturopathic Treatment For Nontoxic Goiter

Naturopathic treatments for nontoxic goiter involve treatment for the underlying hypothyroidism.

After all, if it’s hypothyroidism that triggers your goiter, addressing the root cause of your goiter is the ideal solution.

One of the six tenets of naturopathic medicine is “treat the cause” – so that’s the approach a naturopathic doctor will take with nontoxic goiter as well.

To start, we’ll take a look at what’s causing your hypothyroidism in the first place.

There are a number of different causes, and which one is affecting you will dictate treatment.

Some of the causes of hypothyroidism include:

• Hashimoto’s thyroiditis, an autoimmune condition
• Radiation exposure
• Poor diet
• Poor gut health
• Pregnancy
• Emotional stress

As a general rule, though, it’s a good idea to consider a hypothyroid diet.

Try to include foods that contain the following nutrients:

1. Iodine

Because one of the leading causes of nontoxic goiter is a diet lacking in iodine, including more iodine in your diet may help.

Fortunately, there are many different popular and delicious foods with this essential nutrient.

These include:

• Codfish
• Tuna
• Shrimp
• Eggs
• Seaweed
• Most dairy products
• Lima beans
• Prunes

You can also increase your iodine intake through iodized salt, but this is considered the least healthy option.

If you have goiter, it’s best to use caution with iodine supplements, since too much of it may also be detrimental to the health of your thyroid.

2. Selenium

Selenium is an essential nutrient that your thyroid uses to convert T4 hormones into T3.

T4 and T3 are thyroid hormones, and T3 is far more potent.

If you’re deficient in selenium, your body may have a hard time creating T3, which can lead to an underactive thyroid system and a lowered metabolism.

Dietary sources of selenium include:

• Brazil nuts
• Most fish
• Poultry
• Organ meats
• Eggs
• Legumes
• Sunflower seeds
• Mushrooms
• Spinach
• Lentils
• Brown rice
• Oats

3. Zinc

Like selenium, zinc plays a role in converting T4 hormone to T3.

Insufficient zinc in the body is not uncommon. Fortunately, zinc is found in many popular foods.

Dietary sources of zinc include:

• Most meat
• Oysters
• Most dairy
• Eggs
• Whole grains
• Chickpeas
• Lentils
• Hemp seeds
• Pumpkin seeds
• Squash seeds
• Sesame seeds
• Cashews

Book An Appointment With Nardini Naturopathic

Have you read the above list of symptoms and found they hit a little closer to home than you’d like?

Do you feel the front of your neck swelling?

If so, I can help.

Contact me, Dr. Pat Nardini, ND and let’s get to the bottom of your health issues.

Whether it’s a thyroid condition or something else entirely, I’m here to help.