Update – Thyroid Nodules: The Full Story and How To Treat Them Naturally

You might not know this, but 40% of women in their 40’s have thyroid nodules.

Healing thyroid nodules and learning how to shrink thyroid nodules without surgery is possible, but you need to start by knowing more about it.

If you have been concerned about nodules turning into thyroid cancer, then this article has you in mind.

Product Recommendation: We have your thyroid needs covered with savings galore. This bundle includes 1 Daily Reset Pack(60 packets), 1 bottle of Thyro-Balance Nigella, 1 bottle of Inflame Reset, and one container of RS Complete. The Ultimate Hypothyroid Bundle Click Here

What are thyroid nodules?

To put it simply, nodules are abnormal lumps of thyroid tissue. The thyroid itself has a normal buildup of cells, called follicles, that:

• Pull in iodine
• Take tyrosine
• Make thyroglobulin
• Utilize thyroid peroxidase

These little nest-like follicles of cells actually build hormones in your body. Performing all of these steps in order for your thyroid to function as it should.

What happens, though, is that some parts remain uneven or are not the same texture, we call those “nodules.”

What causes thyroid nodules?

The main cause of nodules in the modern world is Hashimoto’s thyroiditis. The other causes can also include:

• Exposure to radiation
• Iodine deficiency (a common culprit in the developing world)
• Iodine excess (more of an issue in the developed world – contributing to Hashimoto’s thyroiditis)

Who gets thyroid nodules?

The people who get thyroid nodules parallel percent and decade by age quite conveniently. What we see with women; is that their age and their decade corresponds quite clearly with their risk for developing nodules.

Overall, developing thyroid nodules is three times more common to occur in women over men.¹

This means that for women especially, getting to know more about the status of your thyroid is important.

For men, we need to be aware of the chances of developing thyroid problems and how it changes between genders.

Are thyroid nodules dangerous?

After learning a little bit more about where they come from, you might be concerned that thyroid nodules are going to be especially dangerous for your health.

What I am here to tell you is that the safe answer is that thyroid nodules are usually not dangerous. There are natural remedies for thyroid nodules.

Often, 95% or more are benign – meaning that they pose no risk.

Can I have symptoms from thyroid nodules?

This is often the question for those who are at risk of developing thyroid nodules. Who want to know whether or not they might “feel” something due to the thyroid nodules being present on their thyroid. What you need to know is there are usually no symptoms.

If the nodules are very big, and because of where your thyroid sits, they can affect swallowing or speaking. If they are really big, and I mean really, they can affect the nerves that allow your tongue to move properly. This is more rare, and they are rarely ever painful.

How do you know if you have thyroid nodules?

There are really three big methods that you can consider when it comes time to find out whether or not you are dealing with thyroid nodules:

1. Self exam
2. Doctor’s exam
3. Ultrasound

Doctor’s exams are effective at picking up nodules somewhere around 5 – 10% of the time. Self exams are just as similar, unless you are doing it regularly and can pick up on any irregularities with ease. The gold standard is, ultimately, ultrasounds.

What steps can I take to treat thyroid nodules?

So, what do you do if you have a thyroid nodule and need a natural cure for thyroid nodules? Well, that depends entirely on the state of your nodule – again. Here is my opportunity to advocate for ultrasounds. There are some things you can consider should the need arise.

Do you need to have a biopsy? Well, that relies on multiple factors, such as:

• Your nodule is well over 1 centimeter in size
• If your nodule has calcified (with lots of calcified spots)
• If your nodule has exaggerated blood vessels (hypervascular)

At this point, considering all of these factors, you may want to have your nodule biopsied. This is only because the nodule, at this point, looks suspicious for developing into cancer.

If you have a nodule that is biopsied, the next consideration is removal. How do you know when to remove, though? Consider if:

• You have had an abnormal biopsy
• The nodules are growing quite quickly
• There are abnormal lymph nodes nearby
• The nodule is putting pressure on vessels or nerves
• We see high levels of thyroglobulin

All of these factors could play a role in deciding whether or not the nodule, or portions of the thyroid, need to be removed.

How do you reduce nodules naturally?

So, apart from all of this sharp, scary stuff, what can we do to deal with thyroid nodules in a natural way?

Is there anything we can do? There is! The two biggest factors that play a role in handling thyroid nodules are:

• Dialing in your TSH
• Dialing in your iodine²
• Reverse insulin resistance

When it comes to your TSH, let’s think about the “normal/optimal” range. What we have is a very broad “normal” range, and a very slim “optimal” range.

What we want to do, when it comes to nodules, is get even narrower (between 0.5 and 0.9 – but not lower).

How does TSH effect nodules?

The concept here is that TSH stimulates the thyroid. While that might be great for a thyroid that is perfectly healthy, it can also play a role in stimulating nodules.

Think about it like a garden. Let’s say you have the most beautiful tomato plants in your garden. Could you put Miracle-Gro on it to make it grow faster? Sure, you could, but what if you had weeds in your garden?

What if the Miracle-Gro made them grow as well, instead of killing them off. At that point, you might need to ask yourself whether the Miracle-Gro is worth it, or whether or not it is actually making things worse.

What We Know About Iodine

We also know that when your iodine is properly dialed in, you have the opportunity to decrease your risk for thyroid nodules. Iodine is important, and it’s even more important to know how much you are getting in your diet already.

Low iodine intake can lead to an increased potential for thyroid nodules.³ You do not want to get too much, but you also do not want to have too little.

What we also want to do is reverse our insulin resistance. There is data suggesting that when your body has a more difficult time dealing with blood sugar, that is when you are more apt to grow nodules on your thyroid.⁴

When we are better able to deal with how our bodies deal with insulin, it can go a long way in managing our risk for developing nodules.

Produce in Your Diet

We have seen that large amounts of produce in the diet can cut the risk of nodules. While suppressing the growth of nodules, and ultimately helping reverse them altogether.

We obviously know the benefit of getting more produce into your diet. This is just one more reason to add a little bit more fresh fruit into your life!

Here’s a wild thing, though, that this data also applies for cruciferous vegetables. Many have talked about cruciferous vessels as goitrogens.

While that is a bit of a separate topic, it has been shown that cruciferous vegetables have the ability to reduce nodules. (Read: A comprehensive guide to Goitrogens and Hashimotos)

What You Can Do About Nodules Starting Today

Do you want to start checking for thyroid nodules right away, while looking for thyroid nodule treatment that is natural?

Here is what I want to leave you with, so that you can start taking more steps towards better health today. Start:

• Get in the habit of performing monthly self examinations.
• Get a doctor’s exam of your thyroid.
• Have an ultrasound done of your thyroid.
• If you do have nodules, take the steps you need to cut your risk (cutting your TSH and getting it into that optimal range. Dialing in your thyroid, and enjoying a diet that is high in produce and cruciferous vegetables).

Better Thyroid Management Today

Today, we talked all about thyroid nodules and what you can do to start treating them naturally.

The first thing I did mention, though, was how important it always is to understand your body and to know when your body is trying to tell you something.

Consider taking the Thyroid Quiz (Click Here) today. It is a collection of very simple questions, which can go a long way in helping to determine the health of your thyroid.

Think of it like a launchpad for better health, starting today, and start to understand a little bit more about your thyroid. Afterward, follow the action steps I outlined and get back to feeling more like yourself today.

1. Schedule a Thyroid Second Opinion with me, Dr. C, Click Here for Details
2. Download and use my Favorite Recipes Cookbook Here
3. Check out my podcast Medical Myths, Legends, and Fairytales Here

Dr. Alan Glen Christianson (Dr. C) is a Naturopathic Endocrinologist and the author of The NY Times bestselling Adrenal Reset Diet, The Metabolism Reset Diet and The Thyroid Reset Diet.

Dr. C’s gift for figuring out what really works has helped hundreds of thousands of people reverse thyroid disease, lose weight, diabetes, and regain energy. Learn more about the surprising story that started his quest.