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September 2, 2020

How to Increase TSH Naturally

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Low TSH levels, often diagnosed as hyperthyroidism, affects 2-5% of all women mostly between the ages of 20-40 years old. I’m excited to tell you that there are ways to increase TSH naturally without spending tons of money on supplements. 

Let’s dive in!

How to Increase TSH Naturally

First, let’s review what TSH is and what a “normal” level is (this is important to understand, so please read these next few paragraphs before going down to the 8 steps listed below!):

TSH is a hormone that the pituitary sends out to tell the thyroid how much or how little thyroid hormones to produce. 

Please note: TSH is a pituitary hormone, not a thyroid hormone. TSH levels tell you what your pituitary is up to, but it doesn’t tell you how much thyroid hormone your body is producing. 

Everyone is biochemically individual, but at our practice we’ve found that a TSH level between 0.5-2.0 is the range where people feel healthy and vibrant. 

The pituitary, hypothalamus and adrenals (also called the HPA-axis) are all part of the endocrine system and communicate with one another throughout the day. When the body perceives stress (for those with hyperthyroidism, this is usually in the form of emotional or environmental stress), the hypothalamus can tell the pituitary to produce less TSH so the thyroid will produce more hormones to keep the body functioning. 

So, a low TSH level isn’t necessarily a thyroid problem. Instead, it’s often an imbalance in the HPA axis. Your practitioner’s job is to figure out why there is an imbalance. 

A low TSH doesn’t always mean the body is in a state of hyperthyroidism: 

Most allopathic doctors only test TSH to diagnose if a patient is hypothyroid or hyperthyroid. The danger in this is that your thyroid might actually be making plenty of thyroid hormone, but if they only check your TSH and it’s low, they might prescribe thyroid hormone medication that your body doesn’t actually need. This can create a situation where you take too much thyroid hormone for your body, which can then drive you into a real state of hyperthyroidism.

I’ve seen many clients who had low TSH but their fT4 and fT3 were either low, or in normal ranges. This is why you always want to have a full thyroid panel. 

TSH can also be low when there are TSI (aka Graves’ antibodies) present, so again, this is why you want to get a thyroid panel so you have more pieces of the puzzle.

These thyroid labs will give you nice snapshot of how your thyroid is doing: 
TSH
fT4
fT3
rT3
TPOab
TgAB
TSI (if Graves’ disease is suspected)

These labs can also be helpful to determine where other imbalances might be in the body:
CBC
CMP
Phosphorus
Vitamin D 
Lipids
Iron panel
Saliva cortisol test 

Now that we understand the basics of low TSH, here are 8 steps to increase TSH naturally:

1. Take steps to support your adrenals. As mentioned above, low TSH is usually rooted in an imbalance in the HPA axis, and the most common cause of low TSH is adrenal imbalance from stress (mental, physical, emotional, psychological etc.).

I can’t tell you how many people that have taken the steps I list in this article and come back a month or two later telling me how much better they already feel! I’ve also had clients in our practice follow many of these steps, and we’ve seen their TSH levels balance out within just a few of months.

2. If you’re on medications, talk to your doctor about the dose you are currently on. The reason for this is because allopathic doctors often only test TSH to diagnose and treat thyroid disease. The problem with this is that, as I mentioned above, TSH is a pituitary hormone and not a thyroid hormone. You need to test thyroid hormones to know how much or how little the thyroid is actually producing. 

I’ve seen many clients who are on thyroid medications with a dose that is too high, and that’s what’s most likely causing their TSH to be too low. In most cases, you have to be your own advocate, read your labs, and ask questions.

As a side note – I never tell clients how much of a medication to take, or when to start or stop a medication. If I see elevated fT4 or fT3 and they are on thyroid medication, I encourage them to talk to their doctor about their current prescription.

3. Get tested monthly. If your TSH is below .50, I recommend getting your TSH tested monthly until it comes back into a normal range. Your doctor can assist you in this, or you can get it tested yourself through True Health Labs. 

4. Take an honest look at the emotional stress in your life. Low TSH is often rooted in emotional stress, so it’s helpful to make a list of stressful things that have happened throughout your life and evaluate what you need to do about those things. 

Talking to a friend, family member, counselor or therapist can also be very helpful. 

5. Another common root cause of low TSH is toxicity in the body. Taking steps to remove all processed foods from the body and supporting liver detoxification can be incredibly helpful. 

6. Make sleep a priority. The body cannot heal and come back into balance without adequate sleep. If insomnia is an issue right now, read this article and see which steps you can take to improve your quality of sleep.

7. Avoid skipping meals, intermittent fasting or super low-carb diets (such as keto). All of these things can put excess strain on the adrenals and cause cortisol and/or blood sugar imbalance, which can then result in low TSH.

I know intermittent fasting and low carb diets like keto are popular right now, and sometimes those with thyroid disease will feel good for a short time period while on one of these kinds of diets, but they usually backfire down the road. It simply puts too much strain on an already stressed body and creates additional hormone imbalance, so I really don’t recommend it.

8. Limit caffeine. Caffeine and is like liquid stress for the body which can create an imbalance in the HPA-axis and lower TSH, so it’s really best to limit your coffee consumption.

If you need some help reducing how much coffee you drink (I know it can be hard!), then read this article I wrote about how to kick the caffeine habit without having the crazy withdrawal symptoms.

If you’d like more education about thyroid disease and are looking for a proven protocol to follow, I recommend checking out my Thyroid Support and Health online course and protocol. In the course, I cover thyroid disease, adrenal imbalance, how to read your labs, supplements, autoimmunity, how to lower antibodies, blood sugar balance, gut health, liver detoxification, and much, much more. 

Note: The purpose of this post is to give an overview of some common root causes of low TSH from a holistic perspective. Due to biochemical individuality there can be many various reasons for the root causes of low TSH. This information is not intended to take the place of your doctor’s advice.

Posts may contain affiliate links, meaning, at no additional cost to you, I will earn a commission if you click through and make a purchase.

Filed Under: Thyroid Disease, Thyroid Disease, Uncategorized | 23 Comments

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23 Comments

  1. Carolyn

    September 2, 2020 at 2:51 pm

    I just got TSH Sensitive and had a 4.400 ulU/ml How do I find how to lower my TSH? My T4, HbA1C and T3 are all normal. Thanks, Carolyn
    to Carolyn" aria-label='Reply to this comment to Carolyn'>Reply to this comment
    • Deliciously Organic

      September 3, 2020 at 2:54 pm

      I recommend reading my article about how to lower your TSH naturally. I think you'll find the tips very helpful!
      to Deliciously Organic" aria-label='Reply to this comment to Deliciously Organic'>Reply to this comment
      • Chonteh

        February 5, 2023 at 1:27 pm

        Lower tsh levels naturally info please Thank you!
        to Chonteh" aria-label='Reply to this comment to Chonteh'>Reply to this comment
        • Deliciously Organic

          February 6, 2023 at 9:22 am

          My article on that topic would be a great place to look!
          to Deliciously Organic" aria-label='Reply to this comment to Deliciously Organic'>Reply to this comment
  2. Marie

    September 2, 2020 at 3:07 pm

    When I had my levels checked, my T4 and T3 are normal. Yet my TSH was barely low. Had an ultrasound and said my thyroid was inflamed. What does that actually mean?
    to Marie" aria-label='Reply to this comment to Marie'>Reply to this comment
    • Deliciously Organic

      September 3, 2020 at 2:54 pm

      Legally, I can't analyze labs unless you're a client, so I recommend talking to your practitioner.
      to Deliciously Organic" aria-label='Reply to this comment to Deliciously Organic'>Reply to this comment
    • Carole

      October 21, 2021 at 7:12 am

      Yes hi just wanted to know where can I get my t4 and t5 tested doctors only do basic testing
      to Carole" aria-label='Reply to this comment to Carole'>Reply to this comment
      • Deliciously Organic

        October 25, 2021 at 4:06 pm

        You can get them checked using the links I provided above.
        to Deliciously Organic" aria-label='Reply to this comment to Deliciously Organic'>Reply to this comment
  3. Cathy Lucas

    September 2, 2020 at 8:48 pm

    Hi, I have hypothyroidism & take 100mcg of thyroxine, but Im all over the shop with my hormones, adrenals, mood swings. I have fibro & am on anti deps. I take suppplements of Vit C, B's, Magnesium & PEA ( anti inflam), & zinc. I have kyrptopyrole as well. Im 52 in the throws of menopause & ache from head to toe. Ive been told about iodine , so I bought some, yet dont know how much to take or how to take it. Im living or should I say surviving, just existing with my illhealth & chronic body pain. Could you please help me with my throid issues & advise on the best way to tackle it. Appreciate you & this post. Love Cathy
    to Cathy Lucas" aria-label='Reply to this comment to Cathy Lucas'>Reply to this comment
    • Deliciously Organic

      September 3, 2020 at 2:52 pm

      I'm so sorry you're struggling. I recommend starting with the steps listed and then if you'd like a specific protocol to follow, I recommend joining my Thyroid Support and Health online course where I walk through everything step-by-step.
      to Deliciously Organic" aria-label='Reply to this comment to Deliciously Organic'>Reply to this comment
      • Tear

        April 28, 2022 at 6:34 am

        Hi my doctor who is an encrinologist prescribe me methizole 10mg but my other levels are normal just my tsh is 0.01 he said Graves’ disease antibodies is present in my blood but I haven’t been taking the meds I just went plant base and drink tumeric water and ginger dandelion and elderberry it made my other levels go from high to normal just have to focus on my tsh level going back to normal
        to Tear" aria-label='Reply to this comment to Tear'>Reply to this comment
  4. Kristin

    September 2, 2020 at 9:35 pm

    I had thyroid cancer and Grave's disease, and had a thyroidectomy 25 years ago. My TSH has been suppressed on purpose ever since, Recently, my doctors wanted to bring TSH within normal range. They reduced my synthroid from .150 mcg to .112 mcg over the course of a year. My TSH did not budge. I felt terrible and my endo was convinced it was because I was on too much medication. Through a lot of prayer and research, I concluded my body was not converting my medication. After asking my doc to test free t3 along with the usual free t4 and TSH, my free t3 was low and free t4 high normal. She put me on Armour and after a couple weeks I began to feel so much better. I know from experience that when docs feel TSH is THE number that they look at for dosage recommendations/changes, this can be problematic.
    to Kristin" aria-label='Reply to this comment to Kristin'>Reply to this comment
    • Deliciously Organic

      September 3, 2020 at 2:51 pm

      So interesting! I'm glad you were able to figure out what the issue was!
      to Deliciously Organic" aria-label='Reply to this comment to Deliciously Organic'>Reply to this comment
      • Stephanie Pyeatt Cripe

        July 9, 2021 at 5:06 pm

        Thyroglobulin auto antibody acronym and normal range? Thyroid peroxide antibody acronym and normal range. Thanks Carrie!!!
        to Stephanie Pyeatt Cripe" aria-label='Reply to this comment to Stephanie Pyeatt Cripe'>Reply to this comment
        • Deliciously Organic

          July 12, 2021 at 11:38 am

          The article titled, "optimal thyroid ranges" has that info. :)
          to Deliciously Organic" aria-label='Reply to this comment to Deliciously Organic'>Reply to this comment
  5. Ashley

    September 3, 2020 at 7:11 am

    Would these recommendations be similar for reducing high TSH?
    to Ashley" aria-label='Reply to this comment to Ashley'>Reply to this comment
    • Deliciously Organic

      September 3, 2020 at 2:49 pm

      Some of them are the same and some are different. I recommend reading my article about how to decrease TSH naturally.
      to Deliciously Organic" aria-label='Reply to this comment to Deliciously Organic'>Reply to this comment
  6. Kimberly

    January 9, 2021 at 9:00 am

    I am typically hypothyroid and have been put up to 50mcg levo while trying to conceive. My tsh got to around 1 which is where they wanted me. A couple months later my tsh dropped to 0.01, with t3 and t4 being high. What could this combo of results indicate? Does is too high?
    to Kimberly" aria-label='Reply to this comment to Kimberly'>Reply to this comment
    • Deliciously Organic

      January 11, 2021 at 9:19 am

      Legally, I can't analyze labs unless you're a client, but this article about optimal thyroid hormone levels and steps to take if they are too high or too low might be helpful: https://deliciouslyorganic.net/what-are-optimal-thyroid-levels/
      to Deliciously Organic" aria-label='Reply to this comment to Deliciously Organic'>Reply to this comment
  7. Heidi F

    February 6, 2021 at 8:19 pm

    Thank you so much for this information. It's extremely helpful!
    to Heidi F" aria-label='Reply to this comment to Heidi F'>Reply to this comment
    • Deliciously Organic

      February 8, 2021 at 10:19 am

      You're welcome! :)
      to Deliciously Organic" aria-label='Reply to this comment to Deliciously Organic'>Reply to this comment
  8. Carlson Saniel

    February 14, 2021 at 9:10 pm

    My general practitioner doctor diagnoses me with hyperthyroidism because my THS level is something .35555 and T3 and T4 are in the normal range and she prescribes me TAPDIN, when I try 2nd opinion an ENDO, he orders me to stop the medication of my thyroid and no medication needed. He just gives me maintenance for my hypertension because it is already elevated. I am confused who among them is correct?
    to Carlson Saniel" aria-label='Reply to this comment to Carlson Saniel'>Reply to this comment
  9. Robbi Richard

    February 18, 2021 at 2:13 am

    🤍
    to Robbi Richard" aria-label='Reply to this comment to Robbi Richard'>Reply to this comment

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Hi, I’m Carrie Vitt, FNTP
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Through unprocessed, organic food and detox I’ve reversed Hashimoto’s disease, chronic migraines, IBS and eczema.

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