Adrenal & Thyroid (7)

When everything in your body is running smoothly, it’s easy to pay little attention to your adrenal glands or thyroid. But when symptoms persist—like fatigue, digestion issues, and hormonal imbalances—it’s time to take a deeper look. The adrenal glands are two small lumps of tissue on top of our kidneys. They produce cortisol and other hormones that control our energy, weight, and response to stress, and work as part of a group of glands known as the HPA (Hypothalamic Pituitary Adrenal) axis. When we’re healthy, this system gently adjusts the rhythm of adrenal hormones to meet our immediate needs.

What’s the Adrenal and Thyroid Connection?

Your thyroid (located at the base of the neck) works closely with your adrenal glands (above your kidneys). The thyroid’s role is to make two hormones, triiodothyronine and thyroxine, commonly referred to as T3 and T4. It also releases thyroid-stimulating hormone (TSH). All three are required to achieve balance, and their role impacts several bodily functions including metabolism (like keeping your hunger in check), sexual function (like libido), and heart health (like regularing your heartbeat).

Your adrenal glands also produce hormones that help regulate things like blood pressure, digestion, and electrolyte balance. When you’re stressed, the adrenals go into overdrive, releasing cortisol and causing a cascade of events that disrupt your body’s normal functioning and “this flooding and eventual plummeting of stress hormones have many negative impacts on the thyroid.”

Tips for Supporting Your Thyroid

In the book The Thyroid Connection by Dr. Amy Myers, she outlines four key minerals to help optimize thyroid health.

• Iodine: Iodine is a building block of thyroid hormones and can be found in wild-caught fish and seaweed, as well as high-quality supplements.
• Selenium: This antioxidant can be found in Brazil nuts, meats, fish, and shellfish.
• Zinc: Another antioxidant, zinc is abundant in grass-fed beef, free-range turkey, oysters, mussels, and spinach.
• Iron: Beef or chicken liver, clams, mussels, oysters, and spinach provide dietary iron, and you can also supplement with it.

Top Adrenal & Thyroid Brands

For adrenal and thyroid support, these brands are our top picks.

Gaia Herbs

Gaia Herbs has nurtured healthy connections between plants and people since 1987. Their Certified Organic supplements use gentle extraction methods to maintain the purity and potency of individual plants.

Adrenal Health, Daily Support

When your body is stressed, it’s harder to adapt to changing circumstances, which may impact the immune and nervous systems, as well as inflammation. This supplement from Gaia Herbs features holy basil, rosavina, and Siberian rhodiola to help optimize adrenal function*.

New Chapter

New Chapter—a Certified B Corp—is committed to high-quality, organic, and non-GMO ingredients. Its responsibly sourced supplements are free from artificial fillers, colors, and synthetic binders.

Ashwagandha Forcee

Made with a clinical dose of ashwagandha—an Ayurvedic herb—New Chapter’s plant-based formula uses adaptogens to help your body adapt to stress, reduce fatigue, and improve your mood. Thrive Market member Amanda from Tennessee says “I love this because it's really hard to find ashwagandha that is in a capsule and not a tablet. This is much easier to take than most and works great.”

Thorne

Thorne aims to empower everyone to live healthier lives through testing, data, and personalized supplement recommendations to support your health goals at every age and life stage.

Adrenal Cortex

Made from bovine adrenal cortex tissue, Thorne's supplement may support more stable stress hormones, energy, and adrenal function. Take 1 capsule one to three times daily, or as recommended by your health professional.

Learn More About Adrenal and Thyroid Health

Head to our blog for even more tips on adrenal and thyroid health.

Your Guide to Superfoods and Adaptogenic Herbs

Enjoying functional mushrooms like reishi, and other superfoods, may be an easy way to support your adrenal health on a regular basis.

What Is Thyroid Disease?

The thyroid is a butterfly-shaped gland at the base of the neck, and is a key component to the body’s endocrine system. Find out about hyperthyroidism and hypothyroidism, including symptoms and treatment options.

Myths About Adrenal Fatigue

Is adrenal fatigue a real thing? Are you stuck with it forever? Get the scoop, including common myths.

These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. This product is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any disease.