Hypothyroidism? You’re Lacking This Essential Vitamin

Hypothyroidism, a condition in which the thyroid gland doesn’t produce enough thyroid hormones, is characterized by fatigue, weakness, and brain fog.

It’s often considered to be caused by inflammation, and the traditional medical system has no solution for it other than hormonal medication for life.

If a new study in Cureus is right, however, it also tends to be accompanied by a lack of one of the most essential vitamins—one you absolutely must take.

The good news is that this vitamin is dirt cheap and can be found in all supermarkets.

Hypothyroidism and vitamin B12 deficiency share some overlapping symptoms, which can make it difficult for clinicians to distinguish between the two conditions without testing. Fatigue, weakness, constipation, poor memory retention, anemia, and loss of sensation are common symptoms seen in both cases.

That is why, even with adequate treatment for hypothyroidism, some patients continue to experience these symptoms.

Could an underlying vitamin B12 deficiency be the culprit?

A study conducted at Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose Medical College in Jabalpur, India, looked at 100 people to see how many of them with hypothyroidism also had low vitamin B12 levels.

Doctors took a detailed history of each patient and did a complete check-up. They also took blood samples to test for markers such as iron levels and thyroid-related substances.

The results were more or less what they expected.

1. Of the 100 patients, 69% were women, indicating that hypothyroidism was more prevalent in females.

2. The most common complaints reported by these patients were weakness (56%) and weight gain (50%). No symptoms were reported by 38% of the participants.

3. A staggering 68% of the hypothyroid patients exhibited a vitamin B12 deficiency.

4. Of the hypothyroid patients with vitamin B12 deficiency, 73.5% were women, suggesting that females with hypothyroidism are particularly susceptible to a lack of this vitamin.

5. Of the patients with blood markers indicative of autoimmune thyroid disease, 78% had low vitamin B12 levels, with lower vitamin B12 corresponding to higher levels of these markers.

What does all this mean?

There is a high tendency for hypothyroid patients to develop anemia, with vitamin B12 deficiency standing out as a significant cause.

In the past, researchers believed that the tendency of hypothyroidism patients to have anemia was due to the role of thyroid-stimulating hormones in the formation of blood cells.

This study, however, suggests that the culprit is a lack of vitamin B12.

Why is this important?

Anemia caused by B12 deficiency can have severe and irreversible consequences, including nerve damage and other neurological issues, if not treated in time. Addressing and treating this deficiency can significantly improve the quality of life for patients with hypothyroidism.

Vitamin B12 is present in all animal-derived foods and is also available in supplement form. Taking B12 supplements can be a useful way to distinguish between hypothyroidism and vitamin B12 deficiency and can also relieve many hypothyroidism symptoms.

Your main goal, however, shouldn’t be just to manage hypothyroidism but to cure it. Thousands of readers have done just that using the simple, natural steps explained here…