Inside: Zinc is an important supplement for thyroid health. Different forms of Zinc exist, so here we discuss which is best form and the right dosage of Zinc for thyroid health.

Thyroid disorder is one of the most common autoimmune diseases at this point in the country. It affects mainly females and the incidence is rising rapidly.

Most of the time the only treatment available for hypothyroidism is taking thyroid medicines which people are told are for life long basis. There is rarely a discussion about the root cause of why they developed a thyroid disorder in the first place.

Also, there is a lack of knowledge about is there anything besides the thyroid medicine that people can do to support their thyroid. It is often seen that people even being on the thyroid medicines don’t feel the best, and sometimes using supplements can be helpful in improving Thyroid Symptoms. 

Why do you need Zinc to Improve your Thyroid Health

One of the supplements that support thyroid health is Zinc.

Zinc is such an important mineral and can help improve immune function, and also important for skin, eyes, and heart health. It is also important in thyroid health. 

Zinc is important for thyroid hormone synthesis as it regulates the deiodinases enzymes.

These enzymes are responsible for producing thyroid hormones in your body. Zinc also has a role in the functioning of our master endocrine gland the Pituitary and Hypothalamus, and it can affect the release of thyrotropin-releasing hormone (TRH) and thyroid-stimulating hormone (TSH) synthesis.

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Zinc also plays an important role in the conversion of T4 hormone to T3 hormone. Why that is important is because T3 is the active form of thyroid hormone and several people who have zinc deficiency cant convert T4 to T3 so the levothyroxine which is mainly T4 doesn’t help with their symptoms. 

Studies have shown that zinc deficiency has been correlated with low T3 levels in patients, and supplementation with zinc has shown to improve the T3 levels.

One study showed that Zinc when used alone or  in conjunction with selenium has shown to lower the TSH levels and increase the T3 and T4 levels. 

In Hashimoto’s disease zinc also play an important role in controlling the underlying inflammation.  Zinc is responsible for a healthy immune system and Zinc deficiency often leads to a poor immune system.  This poor immune system is not able to fight different kinds of viruses,  bacteria, and parasites and that leads to the triggering of Hashimoto’s.  It has been shown through research that Hashimoto’s patients have a higher amount of reactive oxygen species in their blood and Zinc supplementation has helped to reduce the number of reactive oxygen species.  So this is another way zinc supplementation plays an important role in improving thyroid function.  

One of the major underlying problems for Hashimoto’s patients is Leaky gut.  The new research suggests that the Leaky gut is the underlying reason which starts the process of autoimmunity in thyroid patients.  Zinc is responsible for maintaining the healthy gut lining and deficiency of zinc is responsible for causing Leaky gut.  Through zinc supplementation, we improve not only thyroid health as well as gut health and also improve the immunity of the Gut. 

What are the food sources of Zinc  

Our body has no specialized system for storing zinc, so daily intake and absorption is essential.

Zinc from animal sources is absorbed better as compared to the plant sources. Phytates—elements found in plant-based, high-fiber foods—can bind minerals and inhibit zinc absorption.

Other minerals, including iron, calcium, and copper, can interfere with zinc absorption, further affecting zinc levels.

So that’s the reason because of poor bioavailability and also interference in the absorption of zinc from dietary and other minerals it might be a wise idea to have zinc supplement. 

Following are some sources of zinc from the food —

Animal Sources for Zinc

• Shellfish: Oysters
• Beef liver
• Pork
• Lobster, and
• Chicken

Plant Sources for Zinc

• Legumes: Chickpeas, lentils, beans.
• Nuts and seeds
• Whole grains
• Certain vegetables: Mushrooms, Kale, Peas, Asparagus and Beet greens

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What is the Best Form of Zinc Supplements for Thyroid?

Various forms of zinc supplements are available in the market but not all of them are created equal. It’s very confusing for a lot of my patients to figure out which one is the best zinc supplement for them.

The various forms of zinc available are: 

• Zinc sulfate
• Zinc gluconate
• Zinc orotate 
• Zinc citrate
• Zinc glycinate 
• Zinc picolinate 

The big question is why do these different forms exist and is there a difference between these forms.

Now as we saw above that the dietary zinc might not be absorbed readily in to our body, so to enhance the absorption they are combined with other compounds to increase the absorption.

Over the course of years, different compounds have been identified and used. So that’s the reason different forms have been developed and they have different properties in terms of how much they can be absorbed and what side effects they can have. 

The most current concept in zinc supplements is to use chelated zinc and combine it with amino acids which increases their absorption rate significantly. These are the zinc picolinate and zinc glycinate. 

A study was done to compare the absorption of zinc picolinate, zinc citrate and zinc gluconate, which showed that the picolinate group levels of zinc was much higher than the others.

Another study was done this time to compare the bioavailability of zinc glycinate as compared to gluconate. The results showed that the levels were higher for zinc glycinate in this study.

So, as per these studies, it looks like the zinc picolinate and zinc glycinate both look like good options, but is there a better one. 

There was another small study done on 14 patients to compare the zinc glycinate, zinc picolinate, and other forms of zinc.

And the results showed that zinc glycinate performed the best for increasing the acute uptake of zinc in the body. Although since this study was very small the results should be evaluated with caution.

But another study that favours glycinate is the one which compared the bioavailability of Zinc glycinate with sulfate but this time in the presence of diet high in phytates. The results showed that the glycinate had more bioavailability because glycinate absorption is not affected by phytates. 

So it looks that the bioavailability of both Picolinate and glycinate is good.  But the glycinate has another advantage that its absorption is not affected by dietary phytates and from minerals in the diets or from other supplements. 

So I do like Zinc glycinate better than picolinate. But I think both are good ways of supplementing zinc. 

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Caution With Dosage of Zinc

The dosage of zinc intake is important because you don’t want to take more than 30mg per day of zinc. Reason being that high zinc can lower your body levels of copper and which can have detrimental effects.

There are only certain circumstances when a higher dosage of zinc are used, but that should be done with the help of your medical practitioner. 

In Conclusion:

So if you have thyroid problems than zinc supplementation should be part of your care. Especially as Zinc is involved in producing thyroid hormones and more importantly is important for converting  T4 to T3 hormone.

Zinc deficiency can be the reason your thyroid is not working optimally, and thus your symptoms might not be better even after taking the medicine especially levothyroxine which is, mainly T4. Do get your zinc levels checked before taking the supplement and try to get Zinc glycinate form of zinc and do not take more than 30 mg of zinc supplement. 

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Related Reading:

How much Vit B12 should you take for Hypothyroidism.

Are these Supplements Hurting your Thyroid?

4 Toxins in Household Things that are Damaging your Thyroid.

Easy Thyroid Detox To jump-start your weight loss.

Can I take Levothyroxine with Coffee in the Morning?

5 Reasons For Thyroid Disease Symptoms with "Normal" Thyroid Test Results.

FAQ

1. How does zinc support thyroid hormone production and regulation?

For healthy hormonal production activation and regulation, zinc plays a major role. Zinc is important for the thyroid gland to produce T4 and T3. Zinc-rich foods and supplements help restrict hypothyroidism symptoms like poor metabolism and fatigue. Further, it also helps in the conversion of enzymes into T4 and T3 hormones for active energy control and metabolism. In the case of autoimmune hypothyroidism disease, zinc also helps in modulating immune responses to minimise inflammation. Alongside competent thyroid hormone production and regulation, zinc plays an important role in proper thyroid hormone release, especially from thyroid-stimulating hormone from the pituitary gland.

2. Can zinc supplementation help in reducing symptoms of hypothyroidism, such as fatigue, hair loss, or weight gain?

Yes, zinc supplements can help in reducing hypothyroidism symptoms like fatigue, hair loss, and weight gain. Zinc helps in converting T4 inactive hormone into T3 active hormone, for a perfect balance in the human body. If your body is not taking sufficient amounts of zinc, then you will feel extremely tired. Therefore, supplementation is important to restore energy balance. Hypothyroidism often leads to hair thinning and dry skin, so consumption of zinc-rich foods and supplements will help in your follicle growth, which will repair hair from the root. Apart from hair loss and fatigue, zinc also plays a major role in managing weight. The conversion of T4 into T3 hormone not only restores energy balance but also regulates metabolism.

3. Which forms of zinc supplements are considered most effective for thyroid health?

There are different types of zinc supplements available, but certain supplements are only efficient for improving thyroid health. Zinc picolinate has efficient absorption quality and is mostly advised for the improvement of thyroid function and immunity level. It is the most common type of zinc supplement that is advised to patients when they have a severe deficiency. It is also an effective choice for a patient suffering from hypothyroidism, as they have indigestion issues and limited nutrient absorption. Zinc citrate is also absorbed properly in the stomach and is highly favourable for those people who are suffering from indigestion. Zinc gluconate is available broadly, with moderate absorption found within multivitamin tablets. Zinc methionine has high absorption properties and is effective for prolonged zinc supplementation.

4. What is the recommended daily dosage of zinc for individuals with hypothyroidism or other thyroid conditions?

The human body does not have any automatic system for zinc storage. Therefore, under constant medical supervision, zinc needs to be consumed with the understanding of the recommended daily dosage of zinc for hypothyroidism or any other thyroid conditions. Therefore, daily consumption and absorption of zinc supplements are advisable. An estimated recommended daily dosage of zinc for people suffering from hypothyroidism or any other thyroid conditions varies. Around 15 to 25 milligrams per day is prescribed to improve zinc deficiency in hypothyroid patients. For severe zinc deficiency, around 30 to 40 mg/day is normally prescribed for a short term under observation. However, zinc supplement consumption requires proper medical attention. For that, book an appointment with Dr Anshul Gupta, an experienced doctor in thyroid medicines with long term expertise in treating hypothyroidism. 

5. Should zinc supplements be taken on an empty stomach or with food for better absorption?

Zinc supplements need to be consumed on an empty stomach for optimal level of absorption. The ideal time is 1 hour or 2 to 3 hours before meals because food often obstructs the proportionate absorption of zinc. The reason for that is that zinc is recommended to be consumed on an empty stomach because, especially when you consume legumes, beans, or seeds that are common in our meals, it contains phytates that inhibit absorption. The best timing for zinc consumption is early in the morning or 2 to 3 hours before dinner when you have an empty stomach. It is openly recommended not to consume other supplements like iron, calcium, or copper during zinc consumption because multiple mineral absorption at one time is unfavorable for digestion.

6. Can zinc supplementation minimize infertility resulting from thyroid imbalance? 

Yes, zinc supplements can help reduce the infertility rate resulting from thyroid imbalance. But zinc supplements should not be considered as the sole medication to minimise the infertility rate. Thyroid imbalance (hypothyroidism and hyperthyroidism) among women disrupts menstruation, ovulation, and hormonal balance. Among men, thyroid imbalance affects sperm quality, motility, and testosterone levels. The major role of zinc includes the conversion of T4 thyroid hormones into T3 thyroid hormones. This is because it helps in healthy ovulation leading to pregnancy. However, it needs to be considered that zinc supplements are useful if the main reason for infertility is due to zinc deficiency, leading to thyroid imbalance.