Naturopathic Solutions For Thyroid Disorders in Toronto
begin your journey to balanced hormones and overall well-being
Your thyroid is arguably one of the most important endocrine organs in the body. Sitting comfortably at the base of the neck, this small, butterfly-shaped gland produces three major hormones: thyroxine (aka inactive T4), triiodothyronine (aka active T3), and calcitonin. These hormones essentially help determine the body's metabolic rate — influencing how efficiently it burns fuels like fat and sugar, synthesizes proteins, regulates heart rate, and supports growth and development, especially during infancy and childhood.
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Thyroid hormones also have a much broader impact on the body than many people realize. They influence energy production, body temperature, digestion, cardiovascular function, brain function, menstrual cycles, fertility, mood, and overall metabolism. They also interact closely with other hormonal systems, including the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis, which plays an important role in how your body responds and adapts to stress.
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Thyroid disorders are one of the most common hormonal issues affecting Canadians, with hypothyroidism affecting roughly 2 in every 100 people, and prevalence rates increasing with age. Women are also significantly more likely than men to experience thyroid dysfunction, particularly autoimmune thyroid conditions such as Hashimoto's thyroiditis.
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Looking Beyond "Normal" Thyroid Blood Work
When it comes to thyroid health, conventional medical care often focuses primarily on thyroid hormone levels — particularly TSH and, depending on the situation, free T4. These markers are incredibly important and can provide valuable information about how the thyroid is functioning. However, there can be more to the picture than simply getting a blood test result back into the reference range.
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As a naturopathic doctor, I look at thyroid health from a broader perspective. The goal isn't simply to chase a number on a lab report; it's to understand why thyroid function may have become disrupted in the first place and how that may be contributing to the symptoms you're experiencing.
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For example, two people can have thyroid blood work that falls within the same "normal" range while having very different symptoms, health histories, nutritional status, stress levels, digestive health, or autoimmune activity. Symptoms such as fatigue, hair loss, constipation, feeling cold, changes in weight, brain fog, low mood, menstrual changes, or difficulty with fertility can sometimes persist even when standard thyroid markers appear acceptable.
This is where a more comprehensive assessment can be helpful.
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"I sleep well but never wake feeling rested"
"I can't lose weight, no matter what
I try"
"I feel like I'm in a constant fog"
"My labs are normal, but I still feel unwell"
hypothyroidism
Hypothyroidism is described as under-functioning of the thyroid gland and can be a result of high levels of stress, environmental influence, genetics, age, and autoimmunity (Hashimoto's). Under-functioning of the gland, and/or failure of the negative feedback signalling to the brain ultimately result in a lack of T4/T3 hormones in the bloodstream, producing the following most commonly experienced symptoms:
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Fatigue
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Weight gain
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Poor concentration or feeling mentally "foggy"
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Dry skin
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Constipation
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Cold intolerance
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Fluid retention
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Muscle and joint aches
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Depression
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Prolonged or excessive menstrual bleeding in women
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Infertility
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Hair loss, brittle hair, brittle nails
hyperthyroidism
Hyperthyroidism is less common and is usually a result of an autoimmune disorder known as Grave's Disease. Symptoms include:
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Weight loss
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Increased appetite
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Insomnia
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Decreased tolerance to heat
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Tremors, heart palpitations and/or chest pain
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Anxiety/nervousness
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Diarrhea
What causes thyroid dysfunction?
low iron - the enzyme known as thyroid peroxidase, which is essential to thyroxine production is largely heme dependent. That means if your iron is low, your thyroid will have a hard time making T4
infection - inflammation of the thyroid gland, also known as thyroiditis, is often secondary to bacterial and viral infections like Staphylococcus aureus, Streptococcus, mycobacteria, and fungi
environment - heavy metals, chemical drug toxicity, synthetic hormones (especially high doses during fertility treatment) and BPAs/thermal receipts have all been linked to thyroid disorders
adrenal dysfunction - the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis has a closely linked relationship with thyroid function. High levels of cortisol output slow deiodinase activity, resulting in decreased T4 to T3 conversion and increased symptomatology of hypothyroidism.
iodine + selenium deficiency - iodine deficiencies remain the number one cause of goitre formation worldwide. Furthermore, selenium deficiencies have been shown to slow T3 conversion by up to 80%
insulin resistance - research from the American Thyroid Association confirms that individuals with insulin resistance have also been shown to have an increased number of thyroid nodules, and medications that support blood sugar control actually shrink the size of thyroid nodules. Furthermore, T4 to T3 conversion has been shown to be slowed by up to 50% in those with insulin resistance.
autoimmunity - Hashimoto's and Grave's disease are a result of autoimmune insult on the thyroid gland, enzymes, and receptors
Believe it or not, your thyroid medication can also be making your thyroid disorder worse. Increased levels of T4 in the system, without proper enzyme activity and support towards T3 production, can lead to T4 moving down the reverse T3 pathway, which inherently further inhibits thyroid function. Talk to Dr. Holmberg, ND about having your reverse T3 levels checked.
Testing your thyroid
The single most important thing to remember when screening for thyroid disorders is that while blood work is an essential part of uncovering underlying pathologies, it is not fool proof. Symptoms should always be evaluated first, and lab markers should be used to further confirm or deny underlying dysfunction.
Secondly, there are some things to remember when running your blood work.
3 Rules for an Accurate Diagnosis
#1 Always test your thyroid in the morning
#2 Always test your full thyroid panel (TSH, T4 and T3)
#3 Listen to your symptoms first, labs second
The most important blood markers to evaluate when assessing for a thyroid disorder are as follows:
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TSH, Free T4, Free T3, reverse T3
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Anti-TPO, Anti-TG, TSI antibodies
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Ferritin and CBC
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25-hydroxy Vitamin D​​
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Fasting glucose + fasting insulin
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DHEA, 4 point cortisol
Secondary to blood work, it is also important to assess your basal body temperature roughly 3 hours after waking. Temperatures under 98 degrees F can indicated slowed metabolic function.
Treatment of thyroid disorders
Naturopathic medicine looks at the thyroid as part of the larger picture of your health rather than as an isolated gland. During an assessment, I look at your symptoms, medical history, family history, medications and supplements, diet, stress, sleep, digestion, menstrual cycle and other relevant factors to identify potential contributors to thyroid dysfunction.
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My functional medical approach considers factors that may influence thyroid function, including nutrient deficiencies, chronic stress, blood sugar dysregulation, digestive health, inflammation, autoimmune activity, and hormonal changes.
For someone with Hashimoto's, for example, the conversation may extend beyond thyroid hormone replacement and include an investigation into factors that could be contributing to immune dysregulation. For someone with hypothyroidism and persistent fatigue, we may look more closely at iron status, nutrient deficiencies, metabolic health, sleep, stress and other potential contributors to their symptoms.
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This doesn't mean that thyroid medication isn't important. Thyroid hormone replacement can be an essential and appropriate part of treatment for many people with hypothyroidism. Naturopathic care can work alongside conventional treatment to look at the bigger picture and address factors that may be contributing to symptoms and overall thyroid health.
Ultimately, the goal is not simply to make your blood work look "normal." It's to understand your individual physiology, identify potential root causes and contributing factors, and create a comprehensive plan that supports thyroid function and your health as a whole.
Therapies often include:
- Herbal medicine: support production and conversion, decrease antibodies in Grave's/Hashimotos
- Nutrient replacement: provide the building blocks (like zinc, iodine, selenium) to create hormones
- Diet and Lifestyle: eliminate food intolerances and promote healthy metabolism through diet
- Bio-identical Hormone Replacement Therapy (Natural Desiccated Thyroid) when necessary *
No two people are the same. Thyroid issues can present differently in everyone. Furthermore, lab testing is not always reliable. Some people exhibit symptoms of "subclinical hypothyroidism" well before lab tests become abnormal.
What happens during a comprehensive thyroid assessment?
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01 — In-depth assessment
Your first appointment begins with a detailed review of your symptoms, health history, medications, supplements, nutrition, lifestyle and other factors that may be relevant to your thyroid health.
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02 — Review your existing blood work
If you already have recent thyroid blood work, I will review your results and look at them in the context of your symptoms.
You don't necessarily need to repeat testing if you already have appropriate recent results.
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03 — Determine what testing is actually needed
Not everyone needs the same thyroid panel.
Based on your presentation, we determine which thyroid, nutritional, metabolic or hormonal markers will provide the most useful information.
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04 — Interpret the complete picture
Your results are interpreted alongside your symptoms and health history rather than looking at individual markers in isolation.
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05 — Build an individualized treatment plan
Once we understand the potential contributors to your thyroid dysfunction, we can develop a treatment plan focused on addressing those factors.
This may include nutrition, lifestyle modifications, targeted supplementation, herbal medicine and, when appropriate, thyroid hormone support.
* Dr. Holmberg, ND is a licensed medical provider of bio-identical hormone replacement therapy
