You may have a thyroid problem without even knowing it. An estimated 20 million Americans have some type of thyroid disease, but more than two-thirds don’t even realize it. (1)
Educating yourself and facing the problem is the first step in the right direction toward healing your thyroid condition. (2)
Did you know that essential oils can be a simple, easy and affordable way to protect your thyroid gland from damage?
Essential oils for thyroid problems have been shown to improve functioning and help reduce the severity of the side effects of your thyroid problem. If you are ready to learn more about how to embrace this all-natural method, let’s take a closer look.
Top 5 Essential Oils for Thyroid Support
This list contains the five most powerful essential oils that support a healthy thyroid. They are listed in no particular order.
1. Lemongrass Essential Oil
Lemongrass essential oil should be considered a staple item when it comes to essential oils for thyroid support. An inflamed thyroid can wreak havoc on your body. With the help of this single essential oil, you can experience relatively immediate relief from some of your symptoms.
When the thyroid is inflamed for a long period of time, it can lead to more serious health problems. Autoimmune disorders like Hashimoto’s thyroiditis are relatively common among individuals with hypothyroidism
The key to preventing autoimmune disorders from developing is to reduce the inflammation present in the body. Fortunately, many experts are now pointing to lemongrass essential oil as a key ingredient in healing.
This is not the first time that lemongrass essential oil for the thyroid has been suggested for use in the treatment of certain types of disease. A 2014 study examined the anti-inflammatory properties found within this oil when it was diluted and applied topically. Their results determined that this single essential oil contained the potential for the development of new drugs aimed at targeting skin inflammation. (3)
2. Myrrh Essential Oil
At first glance, myrrh essential oil may not seem like an obvious choice among the possible doTERRA oils for hypothyroidism. However, there has been a lot of great research that demonstrates why myrrh essential oil has to make it onto this list.
Applying it topically can help reduce inflammatory cytokines. (4) When the body has inflammation under control, it may reduce your risk of developing an autoimmune response.
A separate study proved that myrrh essential oil has both antioxidant and immune-protective properties. (5) Antioxidants are essential to a healthy thyroid. They protect the body from damage caused by the byproducts of oxidation reactions in the body. If you do not support the antioxidants in your body, you are causing continuous stress and damage to the thyroid.
This is a great essential oil to use in combination with some of the others included in this listing. Because they both hail from the same family, many individuals investigate the potential medicinal uses of frankincense and myrrh oils together. When you take a closer look at both of these oils individually, you will see that it makes sense to combine them into one strong thyroid blend.
3. Frankincense Essential Oil
Frankincense essential oil from doTERRA definitely pulls its own weight when it comes to supporting your thyroid. It produces anti-inflammatory responses, bolsters your immune system, and provides relief from some of your more painful symptoms.
This essential oil contains boswellic acids, a primary ingredient necessary for those who need help balancing an autoimmune disorder caused by a thyroid issue. The acids that frankincense contains are known for being able to reduce certain types of cytokines and increase regulatory T cells in your immune system. (6)
With both of these immune-boosting characteristics, it is less likely that a thyroid condition will develop into a more advanced state of autoimmunity.
There is also some anecdotal evidence that frankincense is one of the better essential oils for thyroid nodules. Applying it topically with the use of a carrier oil to a goiter or nodule could help to shrink the affected area naturally.
However, this frankincense essential oil from doTERRA goes beyond helping to support a healthy thyroid. It can also combat some of the main complaints that come along with hypothyroidism. Many people complain of dry, flaky skin when faced with thyroid conditions. (7) This essential oil can help to soothe irritated or itching skin when combined with a moisturizing carrier oil.
4. Lavender Essential Oil
Lavender is a go-to essential oil for many people who search out a natural alternative for managing their stress and anxiety. You may be surprised to find it listed here among the best doTERRA essential oils for the thyroid. However, it makes perfect sense to find this floral essential oil on the list.
When you are under constant stress, your body has a physical response that you might not even notice. It releases more cortisol into the bloodstream and impacts your body systems, including the endocrine system.
This means that your body decreases your thyroid function until you can calm down and move past a “fight or flight” response. Instead of making adequate T3 (the active thyroid hormone) your body will begin to produce too much Reverse T3 (or rT3).
Since T3 helps rev up your metabolism, your body intentionally reduces the amount of T3 being made by turning more of it into rT3, which doesn’t fit into your thyroid hormone receptor sites in the same way. Since more rT3 is being made, this reduces the amount of T3 your body is making and serves to slow down your metabolism. This is your body’s effort at saving energy to deal with whatever stressor you may be dealing with. It is a good thought, but if you are under constant stress, your body is never making enough T3.
By reducing stress, you help to keep the thyroid steady.
Being under too much stress and experiencing high levels of cortisol can also cause high or low blood sugar. Both of these conditions can contribute to hypothyroidism.
Managing your stress and getting proper sleep is significant if you want to maintain a healthy thyroid. There are endless research studies that show the connection between lavender essential oil and better sleep or relaxation.
Unfortunately, those who have been diagnosed with thyroid issues may complain of sleep issues. It is a terrible catch-22 where you need good sleep to help support a healthy thyroid but your thyroid issues prevent you from sleeping. You can use lavender essential oil to help bridge the gap between the rest you are getting and the rest you would like to find.
5. Geranium Essential Oil
This essential oil has all of the anti-inflammatory and anti-fungal properties that you need to get your thyroid issue under control.
In studies dating back to 2013, researchers found that they could drastically reduce paw edema in mice with the application of geranium essential oil. In fact, it reduced the edema with rates ranging from 73 to 88 percent. Researchers were able to conclude that this essential oil could be a key ingredient in new anti-inflammatory drugs that have fewer side effects. (8)
Similar to lavender essential oil, geranium can also help you to unwind and release any stress that you have been harboring. One study aimed to find natural alternatives to reduce anxiety among women who were giving birth. They discovered that inhaling the scent of geraniums helped the women to feel calmer. (9)
Combining lavender and geranium can help to lower your stress and regulate the thyroid.
Make Your Own Thyroid Blend!
Making your own thyroid blend is super simple. There are many recipe variations, but here is one with just a few ingredients:
1 10 ml rollerball
10 drops lemongrass
10 drops myrrh
5 drops rosemary
5 drops frankincense
Add essential oils and fill the remainder of roller ball with fractionated coconut oil or grapeseed oil. Close, shake, and use topically over thyroid 2-3 times a day.
The Five-Day DIY Detox Guide
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Add in a simple 5-minute routine to have more energy for the day!
Grab our Five-Day DIY Detox Guide and get some spring back in your step, naturally.
Have you tried using essential oils for your thyroid? What have you discovered? Share your thoughts in the comments below!
Bridgit Danner, LAc, FDNP, is trained in functional health coaching and has worked with thousands of women over her career since 2004. She is the founder of Women’s Wellness Collaborative llc and HormoneDetoxShop.com.