Intro
This is part 2 of a 3 part series on thyroid health and migraine. In part 1 of this series I discussed the role that thyroid hormones play in how migraine headache manifests by way of how these hormones affect muscle tension, the health of our liver, blood sugar, and even how congested our sinus is.
Today I want to dive deeper, and outline the role that micronutrient minerals play in thyroid health, and therefore how minerals are implicated in migraine headache by way of their affect on thyroid function.
This will be some pretty dry writing, but I hope that making these mineral relationships clearer will help you to better understand how important minerals are for thyroid health.
I’ll be diving into some decidedly more evocative and juicy writing in my next blog post on the emotional/spiritual aspects of healing the thyroid. Until then, hang in there with these technical details of mineral dynamics.
Because hypothyroidism is far more prevalent than hyperthyroidism, I’ll be focusing more on the effect of minerals in slowing the speed of the thyroid, unless otherwise noted.
Before delving into the minerals, though, it’s important to point out that thyroid dysfunction can arise from diseases of the thyroid gland itself and disturbances of the hypothalamic – pituitary – thyroid (HPA) axis. Minerals do play a role in how well the HPA axis functions (manganese, for example, is a powerful mineral that stimulates the pituitary). But other factors besides nutrition can also influence the ability of all glands, including the thyroid, to do their job. As an example: consider the effect that a mercury amalgam might have on thyroid function if years of mercury leakage so close to this gland causes a displacement of other vital minerals.
In fact toxicity and pollution in the environment is one root cause of mineral imbalances in the thyroid and all glands. In the case of the thyroid, iodine can be replaced by halides in brominated flour, chlorinated water, fluoride toothpase and antihistamine medications – as just a few examples.
As always, our nourishment through minerals is greatly influenced by our environment, our medical treatments, and what we eat.
The ca/k “thyroid ratio” in hair tissue mineral analysis
In HTMA, ratios of various minerals act as an indicator for neuroendocrine balance. These results are not the same as blood tests reflecting hormone levels or antibodies – but they do give an accurate reflection of the metabolic activity of the major glands.
In Hair Tissue Mineral Analysis, the “Thyroid Ratio” is the Ca/K (Calcium/Potassium) ratio. Calcium slows down metabolic function, and potassium speeds it up. Therefore, people with elevated calcium levels in relation to potassium tend towards slower hypothyroid function, while those with low calcium in relation to potassium have a faster metabolism lending towards hyperthyroid in extreme cases.
From looking at these ratios, we can know that someone with slow thyroid function will be supported by more potassium (and other minerals like phosphorous, zinc, and magnesium that lower calcium) – and someone with fast (or hyperthyroid) function will need more calcium (or other minerals like copper that raise calcium).
What other neuroendocrine mineral ratios can tell us about the thyroid
There are many minerals involved in thyroid function beyond the usual calcium and potassium in the Thyroid Ratio. An elevation or depletion of calcium, phosphorous, magnesium, selenium, zinc, manganese, or iodine will affect the balance of other neuroendocrine ratios, all of which also tell us about thyroid and parathyroid health as expressed through mineral relationships. As Dr. Watts explains in this article, imbalances in the following ratios can also contribute to (or reveal) hypothyroidism:
- The Oxidation Type Ratio: calcium/phosphorus (Ca/P)
“Calcium absorption is increased while renal phosphorus reabsorption is decreased in hypothyroidism. Parathryoid hormone increases calcium and magnesium absorption while decreasing the renal reabsorption of phosphorus, as well as sodium and potassium.“ - The Blood Sugar Ratio: calcium/magnesium (Ca/Mg)
“The Ca/Mg ratio may become elevated depending upon the extent of Parathyroid hormone involvement. An increase in insulin secretion may be reflected by an increase in the Ca/Mg ratio, which also corresponds to increased parathyroid hormone activity. - The Adrenal Function ratio: sodium/ magnesium (Na/Mg)
Reduced adrenal activity is indicated by an elevated magnesium level relative to sodium. Copper is frequently elevated above normal (T.E.I. ideal 2.5 mg%) levels, also a consequence of adrenal insufficiency.
What about for HYPERthyroidism? As we would expect, we’lll see an inversion of the above trends.
The above ratios are reversed in hyper-thyroid profiles. An increase in thyroid activity promotes calcium and magnesium excretion and increases phosphorus retention. This is a result of an apparent thyroid-parathyroid antagonism, which produces a reduction in the Ca/P ratio. An increase in adrenal activity is suggested by an elevated Na/Mg and reduced Ca/K ratio. Epinephrine increases tissue potassium retention as does increased thyroid function. (Source)
Zinc and copper for thyroid health
Another way to look at the thyroid ratio of calcium/potassium is to examine zinc and copper by way of how they directly impact calcium and potassium levels through their dynamic relationship. Many people with a hypothyroid condition are often told to take selenium, zinc, and iodine. This is because these minerals accelerate thyroid metabolism by lowering calcium and copper and raising potassium.
Copper, on the other hand, puts on the metabolic brakes by raising calcium. This may explain why people who are hypothyroid are also sometimes copper toxic, leading to a zinc deficiency. On the other hand, copper toxic individuals have too much oxidized, “biounavailable” copper – so they are unable to benefit from the copper in their system.
However, this is a very simplistic way of viewing the role of copper and zinc in thyroid function. In reality, some minerals like copper and zinc are both synergistic AND antagonistic. That is to say, they work together beautifully in many enzyme processes in the right ratios, but when either one becomes elevated or is taken in excess, their relationship becomes antagonistic, preventing the absorption and assimilation of the other.
So someone with a hyperthyroid condition will benefit from copper, but will also need some zinc (in smaller amounts), and someone with hypothyroid will need more zinc, but still also needs a little copper, unless they are copper “toxic.”
The art of mineral balancing is the art of finding those best ratios, with help from the HTMA. So the zinc/copper ratio (The Hormone/Emotion Ratio) is also relevant to understanding the thyroid.
But why all this talk of calcium, potassium, zinc and copper, you ask? Isn’t thyroid health all about iodine?
Yes, and as it turns out, copper is needed to make iodine bioavailable. Therefore, copper is needed for both hyper and hypo conditions. Joel Wallach, in his book Rare Earths, Hidden Cures, has stated that copper is essential for iodine utilization and is therefore critical for thyroid health.
John L. Johnson chronicled his harrowing journey with hyperthyroidism and how zinc greatly exacerbated it. He emphasized the importance of copper in healing his condition, especially prior to taking kelp and iodine. He explains
“The thyroid gland is very sensitive to copper, and many people with thyroid conditions have a copper imbalance, and as a result, copper is one of the most important minerals to evaluate in anyone with any type of thyroid or autoimmune thyroid condition, but especially hyperthyroidism. If you were to take kelp without copper, there is the possibility of aggravating your hyperthyroidism, but after you’ve been taking copper (and selenium) for awhile, you shouldn’t have a problem with iodine. Some books, including my endocrinology textbook, state that hyperthyroid symptoms can be alleviated with massive doses of iodine and that doctors sometimes use that technique. That may be possible but I wouldn’t recommend doing that. (Source)
Iodine
Iodine is the mineral most commonly associated with the thyroid. Both T3 and T4 contain iodine. Iodine is made available to the thyroid with help from the following cofactors: magnesium, selenium, copper, vitamin C, inositol, B2, B3, and sodium. Without these cofactors, iodine uptake cannot be optimized.
Iodine does not show up on an HTMA test but low iodine can be indicated by low levels of lithium and other minerals. Until recently I was unaware of the connection between elevated tissue calcium levels and low iodine, or of iodine’s ability to help lower calcium in those with elevated calcium.
Iodine is a very controversial mineral, for good reason. It can speed up the thyroid in uncomfortable ways, and is also a potent detoxifyer not only of heavy metals, but also molds and other toxins in the body. Therefore it’s no wonder that taking iodine can be fraught with confusing and difficult symptoms.
Years ago I tried taking small doses of iodine in kelp along with selenium to help improve my thyroid, as I could feel it aching whenever I got a migraine, along with liver pain. This was before I knew about HTMA and mineral balancing – or my low copper and hyperthyroid tendencies. I didn’t understand at the time why iodine would not be beneficial to someone who is hyperthyroid with low copper and calcium. Iodine dissolves calcium, which is one reason why iodine supplementation is dangerous for those with already low calcium.
Interestingly, taking small amounts of kelp gave me a small goiter, and exacerbated my migraine symptoms. Although normally goiter is associated with iodine deficiency, I’ve since found evidence in the literature of excess iodine causing goiter as well – in those who are copper deficient.
Joel Wallach, in his book Rare Earths Hidden Cures describes an experiment that was done with Japanese living along the sea coast. Those that took supplemental iodine developed goiter while those that got iodine from kelp did not. And:
Norther parts of the Adictis Islands had more clinical goiter than the southern areas while the southwest was goiter-free. . . There is identical iodine content in the soil in all three locations; however, there is a severe copper deficiency in the soils of the north and the south.
Iodine and Halides
Iodine uptake is also inhibited by displacement by halides other than iodine (iodine itself is a halide). The halides that compete for absorption are bromine, fluoride, and chloride. This means that exposure to these halides through furniture sprayed with halides, fluoride in toothpaste, and chloride from drinking water and swimming pools can all interfere with thyroid function.
In order to make the thyroid gland more receptive to iodine, not only do the necessary nutrient cofactors need to be in place, but these halides need to first be dumped from the system. This is done through salt loading or magnesium chloride supplementation. The chloride helps to mobilize the halides out of the system in preparation for iodine therapy.
Iodine and Calcium
When an HTMA test reveals high calcium, perhaps due at least in part to low iodine levels, it is almost always accompanied by low sodium and potassium. Both sodium and potassium are solvents, and help to keep calcium and magnesium in solution in the blood so they can go to the right places. When potassium especially is low, calcium can build up in the soft tissues, compromising the cell’s ability to uptake nutrition, excrete metabolic waste and detoxify other contaminants. Potassium is also needed for iodine to stick in the body.
High calcium is usually associated with overactive parathyroid function. This is a natural consequence of low thyroid function. When thyroid function is slow, parathyroid levels increase and vice versa. If you have heavy metals in the mix this will further exacerbate the calcium increase because the zinc will be used up trying to move metals out and there won’t be sufficient available to lower calcium.
High calcium also affects the feedback loop with the body in maintaining vitamin D levels. When the calcium is high the body will not convert D as readily so as to minimize more calcium buildup. (The converse is true: once calcium levels go down, the body naturally raises D levels to help mobilize more calcium). D levels can be a natural consequence of the body’s own feedback mechanism that it maintains in response to mineral levels. This is quite amazing! For those with high calcium, vitamin A is most supportive, while D is not.
Selenium
Selenium is one of the quintessential minerals associated with the thyroid and very often seen in mineral supplements formulated to support low thyroid. Selenium is antagonistic to copper so it could be that some of the benefit seen in those supplementing with it are in those already high in copper (and also with high calcium caused by copper toxicity, which slows down the thyroid). Selenium is essential for the conversion of T4 to T3 (via selenium-dependent deiodinase enzymes), and protects the thyroid gland from damage from excessive iodine exposure.
Despite its popularity, the long-term effects of selenium supplementation on thyroid health aren’t fully understood. For this reason, Chris Kesser emphasizes the value of getting selenium from food rather than supplements. He summarizes selenium’s role in the thyroid here:
. . . T3 is the active form of thyroid hormone, and low T3 can cause hypothyroid symptoms. A double-blind intervention study found that selenium supplementation in selenium deficient subjects modulated T4 levels, theoretically by improving peripheral conversion to T3. In cases of severe selenium deficiency, conversion of T4 to T3 may be impaired, leading to hypothyroid symptoms. As T3 conversion is not performed by the thyroid, the dependence on selenoproteins for this conversion demonstrates how significant selenium deficiency could lead to hypothyroid symptom. . . While it seems that selenium supplementation would be an obvious solution to poor thyroid function, long term consumption of high doses of selenium can lead to complications such as gastrointestinal upsets, hair loss, white blotchy nails, garlic breath odor, fatigue, irritability, and mild nerve damage. We know that selenium is an essential component of the enzymes that convert T4 to T3, but whether supplementation will increase serum T3 levels is unclear.” (Source)
Other minerals and thyroid function
Many other minerals play a role in thyroid health. Below is a simple rundown:
- Manganese – Manganese is involved in the formation of thyroxin (source). Manganese is required by the body to produce superoxide, which in turn makes hydrogen peroxide to make thyroid hormone. I’ve written about the amazing benefits of manganese in this blog post here.
- Iron. Iron deficiency is associated with low thyroid function. Iron deficiency may be caused by copper deficiency as copper helps make iron bioavailable. (Source)
- Lithium. Is synergistic with iodine and helps to open up detoxification pathways. Too much can contribute to hypothyroidism.
- Molybdenum. Molybdenum inhibits thyroid function and lowers iron. Many with hypothyroid conditions are anemic. (Source)
- Sodium. Severe hypothyroidism and adrenal insufficiency are also associated with impaired sodium reabsorption, leading to salt wasting (hyponatremia). (Source)
B vitamins also play a role in thyroid function
- B-1 Thiamine
“Critical B vitamin for copper utilization. A B-1 deficiency can cause inflammation of the optic nerve where is exits the back of the eye. B-1 and copper deficiencies may be the cause of eye involvement and protrusion in Grave’s. My endocrine textbook says that the eye involvement is definitely not due to excess thyroid hormone.” (Source) - B-2 Riboflavin
Assists copper and boron utilization and helps eye problems.(Source) - B-3 Niacin
“Assists in copper utilization and helps hyperthyroidism. Niacin is not replaced by niacinamide.” (Source) - B12 Cobalamin
“Cobalt and vitamin B12 are closely related; therefore, either can have adverse effects upon the thyroid and contribute to hypothyroidism. Cobalt’s effect on the thyroid was seen in patients being treated with cobalt for anemia.” (Source)
Summary
As you can see, nutrient dynamics are important and complicated when it comes to their effect on the thyroid and on each other. Luckily, a lot is known about these relationships, though there is certainly always more to be discovered! The thyroid ratio and many other ratios and minerals can give us clear insights into thyroid function and how to support it. An HTMA is a great tool to evaluate how your thyroid and other neuroendocrine glands are working in the context of your metabolism.
Stay tuned for part 3 of this series coming soon, where I’ll explore the emotional/spiritual aspects of healing the thyroid.
