There’s no doubt that thyroid supplements and supplementation for vital nutrients are essential. However, when you are dealing with thyroid cancer and/or undergoing any form of cancer treatment, you must be particularly mindful of everything you put in your body including supplements.
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Some cancer treatments entail the removal of thyroid glands altogether. Such patients are put on medication to duplicate the role of thyroid role. Wrong supplementation can interfere with those medications.
Be wary of Iodine
Certain supplements contain iodine and thyroid cancer patients are often put on a low-iodine
diet before undoing any kind of procedure. You would need to avoid any anything containing iodine so it doesn’t negate the effects of the diet you are put on.
Calcium and Vitamin D for thyroid cancer patients
If your thyroid is removed as part of cancer treatment, you are likely to be put on thyroid hormone replacement therapy for a lifetime. That can make long-term bone health an issue. Being mindful of taking calcium and vitamin D can strengthen your bones all the while keeping chances of osteoporosis to a minimum.
Selenium – A big NO to Thyroid Cancer Patients
Some claims talk about the effectiveness of selenium as a cancer-prevention tool, but there’s no solid research to back such claims up.
A report published in the Jan 22. issue of the New England Journal of Medicine talked about a certain thyroid cancer patient. Read about it here. This 55-year old man was being treated for thyroid cancer.
But, his iodine levels continued increasing despite being put on a low-iodine diet. It turned out, he was taking selenium supplement that contained kelp – a rich iodine source.
Dr. Lewis E. Braverman, who was the lead author of the issue and is a professor at Boston University said, “It’s important to go on a low-iodine diet so that it improves uptake of radioactive iodine for more effective cancer treatment”.
Key Takeaway
Do not rely on guesswork. Always discuss your nutritional profile with your doctor and have a consultation regarding every supplement for an overall more effective treatment.
