Do you wake up tired every morning, no matter how much sleep you get? Does even a small amount of stress leave you feeling completely drained? Maybe you’ve gained weight that won’t come off, or you’re always cold when everyone else is comfortable. These frustrating symptoms aren’t just “getting older” or “stress”—they’re often signs that two powerful glands in your body aren’t working as well as they should.

Your thyroid gland (located at the base of your throat) and your adrenal glands (two small glands sitting on top of your kidneys) are your body’s energy control centers. When they’re healthy, you feel vibrant, energetic and resilient. When they’re struggling, everything feels harder than it should be.

When I talk to people about the activity of these important hormone-producing glands, I say that the thyroid gland is a marathon runner. It is responsible for how fast (or how slow) your body turns fuel (our food) into energy. This energy is required every second of every hour of every day for the rest of your life. It is the energy for the heart to beat, the brain neurons to fire, the liver to detox. It is the energy for every cell in the body to do its job, and to stay alive.

In contrast, the adrenal glands are sprinters. They are responsible for emergency energy to help you survive life-threatening situations. Without adrenal glands, we might be too tired to run away when the tiger starts to chase us.

Because both these glands play an important role in energy production, it can be difficult to tease out which is at fault should you experience decreasing levels of energy. There is some overlap, and sadly, some folks have challenges with both their adrenals and thyroid.

The Thyroid: The Metabolism Master

We have already discussed that the thyroid is a marathon runner that regulates how quickly or slowly your body burns energy. When it’s not getting what it needs, everything slows down.

The lower the activity of the thyroid, the less thyroid hormone is produced, the more likely you are to have certain symptoms. You do not have to be clinically diagnosed with hypothyroidism to struggle with suboptimal thyroid function.

Signs of an underactive thyroid include:

• Constant fatigue, especially trouble getting up in the morning

• Weight gain that’s difficult to lose, even with diet and exercise

• Frequently feeling cold, especially cold hands and feet

• Dry, brittle hair that falls out easily

• Dry, flaky skin

• Constipation

• Mental fogginess or trouble concentrating

• Depression or anxiety

• Stiff joints, especially in the morning

• The outer third of the eyebrows thinning or missing

Many people with thyroid problems feel like they’re “living in slow motion.” Even your mood and personality can change—what used to excite you no longer does, and tasks that were once easy now feel overwhelming. In fact, a great number of people diagnosed with depression instead (or in addition to) have suboptimal thyroid function.

Iodine and the Thyroid

Iodine is essential for your thyroid to function properly. In fact, every cell in your body needs iodine but your thyroid, breasts, prostate, ovaries and uterus need it most.

Back in the early 1900s, iodine was considered a cure-all and was routinely used by doctors. But as pharmaceutical drugs became popular in the 1940s and 1950s, iodine was largely forgotten. Today, most Americans get far too little iodine in their diets.

You might think you’re getting enough iodine from table salt, but here’s the problem: most people have cut back on salt for health reasons, and food manufacturers don’t use iodized salt in processed foods. Many people are choosing to use more natural salt (Himalayan pink, Celtic gray) and these salts are not boosted with iodine.

Also, food and water are loaded with iodine competitors. This includes bromide (in popular sodas and baked goods), fluoride (in water and toothpaste), and chlorine (in water, coffee filters, tea bags)—all of which can block your cells from absorbing iodine.

There is no organ in the body more dependent on one single mineral than the thyroid’s requirement for iodine. The thyroid uses iodine and an amino acid, L-tyrosine, to make thyroid hormone. By supplementing with these two nutrients, a weak or suboptimal thyroid gland has what it needs to increase its output.

Iodine Has Benefits Beyond Thyroid Function

Iodine does much more than support your thyroid. Research shows it can prevent cancer, especially hormonally dependent cancers. It can help with fibrocystic breast disease. Iodine can improve mental clarity and alleviate brain fog, boost mood, and help your body rid itself of iodine’s competitors, which are toxic.

Adrenal Glands

Your adrenal glands are about the size of an acorn, but they have an enormous job. They produce hormones that help you respond to stress, fight infections, regulate blood pressure and maintain energy throughout the day.

When you face stress—whether it’s a deadline at work, a family crisis, a cold or flu, or a flat tire, your adrenal glands spring into action. They produce cortisol and other hormones to help you speed up and stay strong. But when stress becomes chronic, your adrenals can become exhausted, unable to keep up with the constant demands.

As with the thyroid, you don’t have to have clinically diagnosed low adrenal activity, which is called Addison’s disease, to have suboptimal adrenal function. The lower your adrenal hormone production, the more likely you are to experience symptoms such as:

• Feel exhausted in the morning, no matter how much sleep you got

• Feel drained after any stressful situation—even a difficult conversation

• Catch every cold and flu that goes around

• Experience low blood pressure or dizziness when standing up

• Crave salt or sugar

• Feel weak, especially in your muscles

• Feel anxious or fearful, especially about confrontation

• Would rather avoid people and difficult situations

People with strong adrenal function are energetic, confident and resilient. They take on challenges without fear. Those with weak adrenals often feel the opposite—uncomfortable speaking up, exhausted by confrontation, and easily derailed by stressful events.

More than half of people with chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS) started experiencing symptoms after significant stress like a viral infection or accident. Their bodies simply couldn’t recover because their adrenal glands were already exhausted.

Natural Solutions That Work

The good news is that you can restore your energy and vitality naturally. Your body has an amazing capacity to heal when you give it the right nutrients.

For Thyroid Health

Integrative practitioners have proposed a variety of iodine dosages. A well-regarded expert in the field, Dr. David Brownstein (author of Iodine: Why You Need It, Why You Can’t Live Without It) recommends a high dose 50 mg iodine “loading period” for a month or two, then dropping down to a dose of 6.25 or 12.5 mg ongoing thereafter. Others forgo any loading, and start at 3 mg, increasing to 6.25 or 12.5 mg daily over time. Here are some recent recommendations.

Iodine: The most important nutrient for your thyroid. Look for a supplement that contains three forms of iodine (sodium iodide, potassium iodide and molecular iodine from kelp) at therapeutic levels. While the government recommends only 150 micrograms, integrative practitioners often suggest 12.5-30 mg daily for optimal health. It may take three to six months to fully restore thyroid function, so be patient.

L-tyrosine: A typical dose is 400 mg once or twice daily. As a bonus, L-tyrosine also helps produce brain chemicals that improve mood and reduce stress.

Selenium: This mineral works synergistically with iodine to activate thyroid hormones. If you’ve been taking iodine and L-tyrosine but still feel stuck, adding 150-300 mcg of selenium might provide the boost you need.

For Adrenal Health

B vitamins: Vitamin B6 (in the active P-5-P form) and pantothenic acid are essential for adrenal function. Typical doses are 10 mg of B6 and 100 mg of pantothenic acid.

Vitamin C: Your adrenal glands are the only place in your body that temporarily stores vitamin C. When you’re under stress, your adrenals use it up quickly. Take 200-500 mg daily.

L-tyrosine: This amino acid helps produce the adrenal hormones epinephrine and norepinephrine, which you need to respond to stress. Doses of 450 mg are typical.

Adrenal glandular extract: Freeze-dried adrenal tissue provides the raw materials your glands need to rebuild. Look for at least 200 mg per dose.

Licorice root (Glycyrrhiza glabra): This herb helps your adrenal hormones stay active longer and supports your body’s response to stress. A 5:1 extract at 125 mg is effective.

Rehmannia (Rehmannia glutinosa): This herb supports both liver and adrenal function and helps restore depleted adrenal glands. Use a 5:1 extract at 75 mg.

DHEA and pregnenolone: These are precursor hormones that your body uses to make all other hormones. Small amounts (10 mg DHEA and 15 mg pregnenolone) can provide significant support.

For Both Adrenal and Thyroid

Ashwagandha: Standardized to a minimum of 30 percent withanolides, this form has been shown in human clinical trials to balance adrenal hormone balance and alleviate adrenal stress, and has also been shown to mildly boost thyroid function.

Summary

Those are long lists of nutrients! The good news is that there are products that combine many of those effective ingredients into one formula. That is often much more convenient and ensures better compliance. Your vitality is worth the investment. Give your body what it needs, and it will reward you with energy, resilience and the ability to better enjoy your life.VR

References:

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Cheryl Myers is an integrative health nurse, author, and an expert on natural medicine. She is a nationally recognized speaker who has been interviewed by the New York Times, Wall Street Journal and Prevention magazine. Her many articles have been published in such diverse journals as Aesthetic Surgery Journal and Nutrition in Complementary Care, and her research on botanicals has been presented at the American College of Obstetrics and Gynecology and the North American Menopause Society. Myers is the head of scientific affairs and education for EuroPharma, Inc.