Fish oil and thyroid medication if taken together may cause a problem. Instead of memory enhancement, it may do the exact opposite. There is a suspected inhibition of thyroid medication with fish oil. With that in mind, can fish oil affect your thyroid? How do we put these together without hindering the results?
How Can Fish Oil Affect Thyroid Medication?
1. Can I Take Fish Oil with Levothyroxine?
Levothyroxine is the most prescribed thyroid hormone replacement medication to hypothyroidism patients. There have been cases where these supplements affect the potency of each other. Fish oil can interfere with your body’s absorption of the levothyroxine. To reduce interaction, take either of them 4 hours apart.
2. Can I Take Fish Oil with Synthroid?
Fish Oil, Apple Cider Vinegar and Coconut Oil are effective treatments for Thyroid disorders. pic.twitter.com/llyJcdH2yM
— LAB's Relaxings Massage Boutique & Spa (@natwellny) August 9, 2015
As little as 15% of the dose can convert to T3. Due to this, every patient is different in their ability to convert free T4 into the active T3. In an augmented process, the fish oil may be responsible for more available T3. This prevents the conversion of the T4 introduced by Synthroid.
3. Fish Oil can Inhibit the Medication
The fish oil may contain more iodine than your usual food which can flush out competing halogens such as bromide, chloride, and fluoride. A deficiency of these halogens can blood the iodine binding sites. Fish oil can be good for patients with Hashimoto’s Thyroiditis. For people who experience side effects with kelp, their physicians recommend taking fish oil supplements to boost their iodine.
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4. Thyroid Medication can Inhibit Fish Oil
Lack of deiodination of T4 causes low T3 in the brain. This could lead to countering the supplements’ effects. Low T3 in the brain leads to slow thinking or brain fog. This affects the improvement in memory which the fish oil should do.
5. Fish Oil Supplements on Their Own
Adding fish oil supplements to your thyroid diet provides a lot of health benefits. This includes your body and thyroid. Its omega 3 fatty acids are especially essential to your thyroid function because it assists the thyroid hormone’s efficiency at receptor sites. It can also help counter symptoms of thyroid disorder such as weight gain and obesity. Omega 3 fatty acids increase your energy and suppress your appetite.
6. Bleeding Complications
Fish oil is rich in Omega-3 fatty acids. These acids strengthen immunity and help diminish inflammation. There is the risk of internal bleeding when taken with thyroid medication as there are chances of further blood thinning. Check with your doctor if you have chances of a bleeding disorder.
7. Too Much Is Bad for Your Health
The bottom-line of this issue is to moderate intake of supplements and medications. Fish oil has the tendencies to lower the efficiency of thyroid medicines. Be sure to check with your doctor for a proper prescription.
Find out what fish oil supplements do to hypothyroidism. Watch this video from Andrew Poplava:
Taking fish oil supplements with your thyroid medication can hinder the intended results. Fish oil supplements on their own are very beneficial. They have no side effects and can reduce the amount of thyroid medication you need to take. Be sure to understand how fish oil supplement interacts with your thyroid medication. Consult your physician before relying on fish oil supplements for your thyroid health.
Have you tried adding fish oil supplements to your thyroid diet? Did it have noticeable effects on your thyroid medication? Share your experience with us in the comments below!
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Editor’s Note – This post was originally published on August 31, 2017 and has been updated for quality and relevancy.
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