Sea Kelp Helped One Woman Heal Her Thyroid Naturally—And Lose Weight in the Process
The supplement shrunk her goiter and healed her thyroid nodules too
When Vivian Nosti was told that taking medication for the rest of her life was the sole way to manage her hypothyroid symptoms, she refused to accept that as her final answer. Instead, she took healing into her own hands, delving into research on natural remedies and holistic approaches, as well as exploring what other women had tried for their thyroid issues. Along the way, she discovered the benefits of sea kelp for thyroid support, thanks to its rich iodine content. With lifestyle changes, targeted supplements and a deeper understanding of her body’s needs, Vivian began to feel like herself again. Here, she shares her journey to natural healing and alleviating discomfort.
Vivian struggled with the side effects of an underactive thyroid
Every morning upon waking up, the same thought would echo in her mind, How will I get up today?
“For months, I had been experiencing awful symptoms—hair loss, constipation, depression, severe cold in my extremities and the type of fatigue that settled into my bones,” she recalled. (Discover other early warning signs of thyroid issues here.)
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“I also had gained weight, about 60 pounds despite working out,” Vivian said. “Every doctor I consulted dismissed me, insisting, ‘It’s your age. You’re in perimenopause and there is nothing you can do about it.’”
She was in her 40s. Fed up, she turned to a functional endocrinologist, who checked her thyroid hormone levels and finally diagnosed her with hypothyroidism (an underactive thyroid), nodules on her thyroid and a goiter—but he said she’d need hormone replacement medication for life.
“‘Is there any other option?’ she asked. His solution was to put her on an iodine supplement, explaining that an iodine deficiency can contribute to thyroid disease, and the body needs a steady iodine intake to produce thyroid hormones. These hormones play an important role in regulating energy levels, metabolism and body temperature, among other things.
“But taking only 2 mg a day, I developed a rapid heartbeat and palpitations, along with dizziness and nausea…and my symptoms didn’t improve,” Vivian recalls. “I stopped taking it and invested in a personal trainer and a nutritionist for help, both to no avail. After seven years of trying and suffering, I decided that it was time to take things into my own hands.”
Vivian tried a sea kelp supplement for her thyroid
“Always an excellent researcher, I put my skills to work and I found online forums full of women who said they had reversed their thyroid dysfunction with kelp supplements. Kelp, I learned, is part of the seaweed family and naturally rich in iodine as well as other nutrients. That makes it easier on the body to digest and less likely to cause side effects than iodine supplements, which are devoid of such nutrients.”
She decided to try a kelp supplement from Solgar to help nourish her thyroid gland, and started with a low dose of 150 mcg a day. When she didn’t experience any side effects, she increased her dose to 250 mcg daily, which she noted was what most women in the forums took. Vivian also added iodine-rich foods such as shrimp, tuna and iodized salt to her diet.
“In just a few weeks, I noticed my energy and drive returned, my depression was lifting and my goiter was shrinking. Within six months, my nodules disappeared,” she said.
Inspired, she added meditation to her protocol, having learned studies show there’s a link between people with hypothyroidism and elevated levels of the stress hormone cortisol. The combination of sea kelp and stress relief finally did the trick, reversing her thyroid symptoms such as weight gain, hair loss and blue moods.
“A year after incorporating these changes, the extra pounds were gone and my thyroid function was normal. Today, at 58, I’m thrilled to have my health back!”
More natural ways to boost your thyroid
Supplements like sea kelp can make a big difference in treating an underactive thyroid, but everyday habits matter too. Try these simple changes to support healthy thyroid function:
Swap out your water
Fluoride is added to most U.S. drinking water, but research shows it stops the absorption of iodine, which is crucial for thyroid function. Instead, keep a gallon of cheap, fluoride-free distilled water in your fridge for sipping.
Opt for e-receipts
Store receipts contain the thyroid-blocking chemical bisphenol A (BPA), which rubs off onto your hands, where it soaks into skin and gets into the bloodstream. It can disrupt thyroid function by mimicking or interfering with hormone activity. An e-receipt can help you avoid the thyroid sapper.
Sip aloe vera juice
Drinking 2 oz. of food-grade aloe vera juice after waking up revs up thyroid function and helps heal a slow thyroid in three months. So say Italian scientists, who explain that aloe’s compounds convert thyroid hormone into its active form.
Additional reporting by Courtney Shapiro
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