The Best Thyroid Supplements For Weight Loss

Losing weight can feel like an impossible task if you have a thyroid problem but there are a few tricks you can use to make it easy.

One of those is supporting your thyroid.

By taking thyroid supplements you can boost thyroid function leading to a higher metabolism and more calories burned at rest.

The key is all about using the right supplements.

Here’s which supplements work best to boost your thyroid and help you lose weight:

1. T2 (3,5-Diiodo-L-Thyronine)

First on the list has to be the thyroid hormone T2.

Not many people, including thyroid patients, know about this thyroid hormone because it doesn’t get as much attention as T4 and T3.

But that doesn’t mean it can’t help boost your thyroid and help you lose weight.

Emerging research shows that T2 has promising effects directly on fat cells, muscle cells (1), and liver cells.

It also has been shown to activate brown fat (2) which enhances caloric burn and metabolism.

What makes T2 even more interesting is the fact that it’s the only thyroid hormone available over the counter.

While you need a prescription to get T4 and T3, the same is not true for T2.

How to use it:

For best results, you will want to use the most phsyiological active form of T2 which is 3,5 diiodo-l-thyronine.

Safe dosing will range from 100 mcg to 300 mcg depending on your own personal tolerance and what route you are taking it.

If you are taking it in cream form, you will want to use a dose of around 25-50 mcg per day.

If you are using capsule form, look for a dose of around 100-200 mcg per day.

And, like any thyroid hormone, don’t forget to start low and slow! Even though T2 is well tolerated, you never want to take more than needed.

2. Thyroid Glandulars

Another way to boost your thyroid is with the use of thyroid glandulars.

These glandulars come from an animal source (usually a cow) and contain hormones and pro-hormones found in the thyroid gland.

Yes, that likely includes all thyroid hormones and subfractions of thyroid hormones like T4, T3, T2, and T1.

But didn’t I just say that you can only get T2 over the counter?

Well, yes, and no.

While it is very likely that these glandulars contain these hormones, their presence and dosing is never tested for so there’s no way to know for sure how much of any of these hormones you are getting in each dose.

But, they are very likely there and taking these glandulars is very likely to have a positive impact on your metabolism as a result.

The more you boost thyroid function, the faster you will lose weight. It’s pretty simple.

How to use it:

This is where things get tricky because most people want to know exactly how much to take, but there’s really no good way to standardize the dose of this particular ingredient.

For this reason, dosing usually ranges anywhere from 100 to 300 mg per day with the most effective doses landing somewhere in the 150 to 300 mg per day range.

But there are plenty of thyroid patients who take as much as 600 mg per day for that added boost.

Start low and titrate slow and you’ll find what works best for you.

3. Thyroid Conversion Supplements

You can’t get T3 over the counter but you can get the next best thing:

A list of ingredients designed to help your body naturally create more T3.

And because T3 is the most powerful thyroid hormone in the body, the more T3 you have, the more energy you will be burning at rest.

The key to boosting T3 naturally is by enhancing a process known as thyroid conversion (3).

Certain ingredients can be included in supplements that help encourage this process thereby enhancing T3 levels.

These types of supplements are known as thyroid conversion supplements and they are very effective for people looking to boost their thyroid.

Only certain ingredients help encourage this process, though, so don’t think you’ll get this benefit from any old thyroid support supplement.

Look for specific ingredients like zinc, selenium, vitamin A, ashwagandha, and guggul extract or guggulsterone.

How to use it:

Dosing is going to range all over the place depending on which supplement you are looking at.

As a general rule, you can just follow the instructions on the bottle of the conversion supplement but you can also differentiate products from each other by looking at their individual ingredient content.

Make sure you are getting these research-backed doses:

5-15 mg of zinc per serving.

50-100 mcg of selenium per serving.

150-200 mg of ashwagandha per serving.

And 400-500 mg of guggul extract per serving.

You can get all of these ingredients in this supplement.

4. Protein Powder

More protein is one of the easiest ways to improve your thyroid and lose weight.

Here’s why:

Protein intake encourages muscle growth and lean muscle mass is a major site of thyroid hormone activity.

The more muscle mass you have, the more thyroid activity in your body.

But in addition to this, protein powder specifically also takes away the brain power required for at least one meal each day.

Using protein powder as a meal replacement means it’s easier to stay away from unhealthy food while providing your body with a satiating macronutrient (4) that tastes great.

How to use it:

In order to get these benefits, you will have to do a few things:

1. Use the right type of protein powder. For thyroid patients, that typically means sticking to plant-based protein powders like pea. Because they are dairy-free, they tend to be better tolerated than whey-based protein powders.
2. Use enough of that protein powder. 1 scoop per day just isn’t going to cut it. If you are trying to boost your thyroid function you are going to need to consume 100 total grams of protein each day. This means you’ll probably want at least 2-3 scoops of protein powder (40-60 grams per day).

5. Black Seed Oil

Black seed oil, sometimes referred to as nigella sativa, is a botanical ingredient widely known for its anti-inflammatory effects.

But its benefits don’t stop there.

Research shows that it has positive effects on thyroid function and metabolic markers like cholesterol (5), insulin, and blood sugar.

And some even show that taking it can reduce fat mass in women.

Due to its thyroid-promoting and metabolic effects, it’s a no-brainer supplement for people trying to boost their thyroid.

How to use it:

Dosing will depend on what type of black seed oil you are using.

Cold-pressed and non-standardized black seed oils require smaller doses than standard black seed oil.

And the dosing is higher for people using nigella sativia powder instead of black seed oil.

For research-backed results, use the following:

1-2 teaspoons of regular black seed oil.

500-1,000 mg of standardized black seed oil.

Or 2,000 mg of nigella sativa powder.

Take 1-2 teaspoons daily.

6. GLP-1 Activators (e.g., Berberine)

GLP-1 activators are all the rage right now given the widespread use of weight loss medications like Wegovy and Ozempic.

But you don’t need to use a potentially dangerous pharmaceutical to activate this important hormone.

Plenty of natural supplements can do it as well (albeit not to the same degree as a GLP-1 agonist medication).

One of the more powerful options is berberine.

Berberine has been shown to activate GLP-1 and AMPK leading to more stable blood sugar, insulin sensitivity, weight loss (6), and appetite control.

How to use it:

Typical doses for berberine range from 500 to 1,000 mg per day, but you can get by with much less using more bioavailable forms like dihydroberberine.

7. Fat Burners

Fat burners work exactly as advertised, they help your body burn more fat due to their impact on metabolism, body temperature, and energy expenditure.

This sounds a lot like what your thyroid does when you activate it but fat burners are slightly different.

Some ingredients work directly on your fat cells, such as yohimbine, which help your body liberate energy stored in stubborn areas on your body.

When you couple thermogenic fat burners with thyroid boosters, that’s when you really start to see great results.

But a word of caution:

Fat burners work best when combined with diet and exercise.

Because even if you kick out energy from your fat cells into your bloodstream, you still need to burn those up or they will ultimately be re-stored.

How to use it:

Because there are so many different fat burning ingredients, doses vary depending on which ones you are taking.

Most of the time, you can just follow the instructions on the back of your bottle, but you need to make sure you are using the right ingredients if you want them to work.

Some of my favorite thyroid fat burning ingredients include:

• Yohimbine
• Fucoxanthin
• Green tea extract
• L-carnitine L-tartate
• And forskolin

To see additional fat burners (and how much you should take of each) see this resource.

8. Caffeine

Caffeine is a stimulant well-known for its effects on energy, metabolism, and even appetite suppression.

The only problem with caffeine is that it can sometimes have a negative effect on adrenal and thyroid function.

In addition, its way too easy to take more than you need and become tolerant to even relatively high doses.

For this reason, if you want to use caffeine, you should exercise caution.

How to use it:

To prevent tolerance, only use caffeine 2-3 times per week.

And to prevent overdosing, jitterness, and thyroid problems, keep your dose in the 25-50 mg range.

Final Thoughts

If you think a sluggish or underactive thyroid is preventing you from losing weight, then give these thyroid-boosting weight loss supplements a try.

But remember:

Always, always, always combine supplements with diet, exercise, and intermittent fasting (calorie restriction).

Because if you think you can just take supplements and effortlessly lose weight, you’re mistaken.

In order to lose weight, you need to do all of these things.

In addition, it also helps if you avoid some common pitfalls.

And if you want to see what these weight loss pitfalls are for people with thyroid problems, check out this article next.