Thyroid Problems & Coconut Oil

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Can coconut oil boost thyroid health
Wellness Mama » Blog » Health » Thyroid Problems & Coconut Oil

There has been a lot of buzz lately about thyroid problems and the potential of coconut oil to help improve them. Dr. Oz seems to be joining the bandwagon, and other doctors are mentioning the link as well.

So is there a connection and if so, what is it?

Coconut Oil and Thyroid Problems

While there seems to be at least a correlation between certain dietary changes and an increase in thyroid problems (correlation doesn’t necessarily equal cause), there is some debate about what is actually causing the increase in thyroid problems.

A source explains that the cause could be a variety of contributing sources:

“A sluggish thyroid may be triggered by many unseen causes, including…

  • MSG and bad fatty acids, so common in our diet, can weaken your thyroid.
  • A deficiency of iodine is on the rise, and without enough iodine, your thyroid won’t produce the hormones you need.
  • As you age, your risk of an unbalanced thyroid dramatically increases.
  • Popular prescription drugs for your heart, bones and blood sugar can lead to a sluggish thyroid.
  • Exposure to too much fluoride or chlorine in drinking water can interfere with normal thyroid function.
  • Menopause or pregnancy and treatments such as Estrogen Replacement Therapy can throw the thyroid out of whack.
  • A family history of thyroid concerns may cause thyroid dysfunction.
  • Autoimmune health problems can cause your thyroid to go haywire.”

Can Coconut Oil Help?

Unlike the polyunsaturated oils in many foods, coconut oil is high in (healthy) saturated fat, lauric acid, and medium chain fatty acids. It’s unique structure makes it a highly usable source of energy for the body and its particular fat balance is nourishing to the thyroid. As this article elaborates:

50 percent of the fat content in coconut oil is a fat rarely found in nature called lauric acid. Your body converts lauric acid into monolaurin, which has anti-viral, anti-bacterial and anti-protozoa properties. Lauric acid is a powerful virus and gram-negative bacteria destroyer, and coconut oil contains the most lauric acid of any substance on earth!

Nigel Turner and Jiming Ye from Sydney’s Garvan Institute of Medical Research compared fat metabolism and insulin resistance in mice fed coconut oil and lard based diets.

“The medium chain fatty acids like those found in coconut oil are interesting to us because they behave very differently to the fats normally found in our diets,” said study leader Turner.

“Unlike the long chain fatty acids contained in animal fats, medium chain fatty acids are small enough to enter mitochondria – the cells’ energy burning powerhouses – directly where they can then be converted to energy.

Coconut oil has a direct effect in suppressing inflammation and repairing tissue, and it may also contribute by inhibiting harmful intestinal microorganisms that cause chronic inflammation.

The medium-chain fatty acids and monoglycerides found in coconut oil are the same as those in human mother’s milk, and they have extraordinary anti-inflammatory and antimicrobial properties. By disrupting the lipid structures of microbes, they inactivate them. Lauric acid, its metabolite monolaurin and other fatty acids in coconut oil are known to protect against infection from bacteria, viruses, yeast, fungi and parasites. While not having any negative effect on beneficial gut bacteria, coconut oil inactivates undesirable microbes.

An excellent study from McGill University reviewed many previous studies on this topic was published in the Journal of Nutrition (Vol. 132, pages 329-332). Researchers reported that several different studies have shown weight loss equivalent to 12 – 36 pounds a year simply by changing the types of oils used in everyday cooking and food preparation.

Vegetable oils also have a negative effect on the thyroid. In fact, these polyunsaturated oils may be the worst villains in the spread of thyroid diseases.

The thyroid is small, yet one of the largest glands in the endocrine system. Endocrine system diseases are usually caused by inadequacy or excess of hormones or inappropriate response to hormones by tissues.

Is coconut oil a thyroid cure? Not by itself. Can it help people with low thyroid function? Yes, because it stimulates metabolism and boosts energy. For this reason, coconut oil has been a blessing to many people who have been able to abandon their medications with the right combination of exercise, removal of processed foods, and a balanced diet.”

What I Do

Thyroid problems and thyroid cancer run in my family so I want to be as proactive as possible in protecting my thyroid. Thankfully, I love coconut oil and use it for everything already, but I’ve made a special effort to use it in high amounts daily to nourish the thyroid. This is what I do:

  • Add up to 1/4 cup a day to hot teas and coffee (Here’s my favorite recipe)
  • Use up to 1/4 cup a day in cooking
  • Up to 1/4 cup a day added to smoothies

With all that saturated fat, have I gained a ton of weight? Quite the opposite, as this seems to help me lose weight and maintain a healthy weight during pregnancy. It seems others have had similar experiences too.

At the very least, this regimen has helped me have enough energy to meet the daily demands of raising five little ones without the afternoon slump I used to get. It has also helped my skin stay clear and improved my sun tolerance, so I’m not complaining!

Cautions About Coconut Oil

Coconut oil works great for me, but it might not be the answer for everyone.

If you’re new to taking coconut oil, be sure to get your lipids checked regularly. Some people experience elevated triglycerides and total cholesterol when they take coconut oil. If your levels increase, I recommend that you stop taking coconut oil.

Also, animal studies find that coconut oil can cause leaky gut and inflammation when in excess.

This article was medically reviewed by Dr. Terry Wahls, a clinical professor of medicine and clinical research and has published over 60 peer-reviewed scientific abstracts, posters, and papers. As always, this is not personal medical advice and we recommend that you talk with your doctor.

Have you used coconut oil to help with thyroid issues? Has it helped? Share below!

Katie Wells Avatar

About Katie Wells

Katie Wells, CTNC, MCHC, Founder of Wellness Mama and Co-founder of Wellnesse, has a background in research, journalism, and nutrition. As a mom of six, she turned to research and took health into her own hands to find answers to her health problems. WellnessMama.com is the culmination of her thousands of hours of research and all posts are medically reviewed and verified by the Wellness Mama research team. Katie is also the author of the bestselling books The Wellness Mama Cookbook and The Wellness Mama 5-Step Lifestyle Detox.

Comments

115 responses to “Thyroid Problems & Coconut Oil”

  1. kathryn Avatar
    kathryn

    I have had problems with low thyroid for years along with very poor sleep quality and quantity. I have tried all kinds of natural remedies but found a tsp or so of coconut oil in my morning coffee has made a huge improvement for me. I also started applying as a moisturizer daily and my dry skin with eczema is greatly improved. LOVE coconut oil

  2. Robin Avatar

    I want to know if coconut oil can help me. My TSH levels have been considered normal. My T3 has also been tested and considered normal. I have gained weight, and have a nodule in my thyroid. He wants me to have my thyroid out completely. If my thyroid levels are normal why should I have it out. I will have to take meds for the rest of my life if this is the case. Will coconut oil help shrink these nodules?

  3. Dinesh Singh Avatar
    Dinesh Singh

    Hi,

    My daughter is 6 years older and she is having hashimoto thyroid problem and her anti tpo is greater than 1300 and her TSH is also high.
    Recently we visited Doctor and he prescribed a medicine thryonorm to lower down the TSH.
    Can we use version coconut oil to lower down her TSH level and anti TPO.

  4. Barbara Avatar
    Barbara

    Any knowledge of the parathyroid being treated and or helped naturally?
    Thanks to anyone who may have something to share.

    1. John Avatar

      The parathyroid’s run on the mineral “boron”. Magnesium and vitamin D3 play a part as well but the highest concentration of boron is in the parathyroid and a deficiency within the parathyroid can cause hyperthyroidism. Iodine is for the thyroid, boron is for the parathyroid.

  5. Oriana Galardi-Este Avatar
    Oriana Galardi-Este

    Dear Katie,
    The most effective way to test your thyroid is via a Hair Tissue Mineral Analysis. This is because a HTMA will reveal your calcium/potassium ratio, which is essentially, your thyroid ratio. An ideal value is about 4. The higher your ratio the more sluggish your thyroid is, and the lower your ratio is, the more overactive it is. Megan is right, in that a sluggish thyroid (which most people have today), usually goes hand in hand with burned out adrenals – whose health is also clear from a HTMA. The Sodium/Magnesium ratio is the adrenal ratio and an ideal value is 4.17. Anything above that indicates excessive adrenal activity, and anything below that indicates reduced adrenal activity. Most people today have burned out adrenals due to a combination of stress, nutritional deficiencies, and toxic metal and chemical accumulation.
    I think the most important message I’d like to impart in this message is that Graves, Hyperthyroidism, all thyroid conditions are in fact reversible on a Nutritional Balancing program. This is because instead of imposing symptomatic fixes on the body, a NB program works to address the root cause of the problem, which in this case is a combination of all or most of these: 1) Elevated calcium, 2) Impaired cell permeability, 3) Copper or Mercury toxicity, 4) Adrenal Exhaustion, 5) Low tissue Potassium, 6) Sympathetic dominance mineral pattern. So as well as working to balance ones body chemistry, and safely and actively working to remove ones toxic metals and chemicals, a reduction in stress and an increase in rest/sleep is highly encouraged on a NB program. After all, it takes the body a LOT of energy to heal.
    Please feel free to come read more about how Graves and other thyroid issues work and why they are completely fixable.

    Sending you much love,
    Oriana

  6. Megan Avatar

    Great answer- haven’t thought of it in those terms :).

    I would also suggest searching “Sally Fallon the oiling of america” on youtube. The Weston A Price Foundation website has a lot of good info on saturated fats as well.

    As far as your thyroid issues check out Davis Kharrazian’s book “Why do I still have thyroid symptoms if my labs are normal.” And Wilson’s “Adrenal Fatigue: a 21s5 century syndrome.” Thyroid issues almost always go hand in hand with adrenal issues. Your suspicions are probably correct. Most allopathic physicians don’t recognize most forms of thyroid dysfunction. Good luck.

  7. Lucy Avatar

    Hi Katie,

    This may seem like a silly question, but wont coconut solidify and cause issues in our bodies like it does when still in the jar? Im really nervous about clogging up my arteries with saturated fat…

    On the other hand, i am DESPERATE to find a solution to what i believe is a sluggish thyroid. Since giving birth, i have found it incredibly difficult to lose weight (despite exercising daily, incl gym, and keeping a food diary and consuming 1200-1500 calories per day), hair loss ++++ (despite giving birth a few years ago), brittle nails, being more teary than usual, extreme exhaustion, muscle aches and pains, inflammed forearms (with itching), bulging left eye (never had unequal eye size prior to pregnancy). The doctors tell me my thyroid is fine, but can blood tests be wrong? All of my symptoms are indicative of thyroid dysfunction, yet the doctors think im imagining everything. But how does one imagine clear differences in eye size, the hair loss in clumps, my inflammed forearms, severe joint pain. Very frustrating, so hoping the coconut oil and GF diet will assist :(( Hoping someone might have some insight for me..

    1. Wellness Mama Avatar

      I understand your concern… It is what the veggie oil pr reps have been telling us all for years, and it makes sense. Until you remember that coconut oil is liquid at temps above 76 degrees. Hopefully your body won’t fall below that (if it does you will have larger problems) so you should be safe 😉

    2. Laurie Avatar

      I have hypothyroidism and my naturopath had me take my body temperature for at least one month… I was to do this before I got out of bed in the morning so that it would read my true body temperature… If we have a sluggish thyroid our body temperature will be below normal on a constant basis… the only time I would be a little warmer was when I was ovulating which is expected…I then was given armour thyroid, and in Canada the naturopaths are now authorized to give prescriptions so I get a natural form of thyroid which is called Thyroid hormone and is dessicated bovine thyroid. I have been taking it now for about 5 years and feel great!

      1. Laurie Avatar

        I wanted to mention that Synthroid in Canada has a long term side effect of Osteoporosis, 5 of my clients have been on Synthroid and all have osteoporosis… this is why I prefer the natural form 🙂

    3. Alan Green Avatar
      Alan Green

      Post natal problems can be very complex. It is usually a complex of hormonal imbalances, not necessarily connected to the thyroid.
      You really need a very good endocrinologist to check you out, a GP will not be competant to diagnose so ask him to refer you on.

  8. julia Avatar

    Katie, do you have any information about consumption of coconut oil for people who have hypothyroid, but also have a sensitivity to coconut? Thank you so much!

  9. Vickie W. Avatar
    Vickie W.

    I have Graves disease so my thyroid is too active. I am wondering using coconut oil will only make my Graves disease worse. Any thoughts on this?

    1. Angela V Avatar

      Hi ,

      I”m new to this site and was doing some research couple months ago my friend told me about the virgin coconut oil and that it could possibly help me with my thyroid , well i have a hyperthyroidism and it’s been 3 years now since i been dealing with this and truth be told it’s extremely huge it’s noticeable….anyways i tried taking all my medications that my doctor prescribe me but it don’t seem to working I just want to know will the virgin coconut oil help out..My condition is bad i have nose bleeds, light headaches, and i blackout from time to time while i walk please is there any advice you could possibly give me.

      Thank You

      1. Kayo Avatar

        Coconut oil is said to boost your metabolism. So it’s good for ones with hypo. I have hyper and when I eat raw coconut oil ( meaning without cooing or heating it well ) my condition gets worse. It doesn’t seem to affect me if I cook or heat it well though. I don’t know if coconut oil is bad or good for thyroid but it does seem to boost your metabolism. At least I can feel it.

  10. Deborah Witzaney Avatar
    Deborah Witzaney

    It really is tough dealing with Dr. I have been trying to find out what is wrong. Gone gluten free. I am not as sick as I was. My neck gets big on one side. Dr. try to give me all kinds of pills. Say I might be depressed. Nope. So I think I will try abit of the coconut oil.

  11. Char Avatar

    I just found this site, and I have a huge problem. I am hypothyroid/Hashamotos for 26 years. Last 2 years my body has started rejecting all thyroid meds…been from Synthroid, to Armours and now Levothyroxin. I’m out of options, and due to Hashamotos my thyroid is just scar tissue. I am going to a good endocrinologist, but I get told, its not my meds causing my problems: anxiety, feels like I am breathing thru fog(oxygen level was 99 last doc visit), tired, jittery, shaky, heart pain…just to name a few. Am going to add a bit of coconut oil, see if it helps.. but I am at the end of my rope after 2 years of this and no drs that will listen. Are any of you having the same problem with their drs???

    1. Rachael Avatar

      Char have you heard of “stop the thyroid madness?” It’s a Facebook page I follow, it relates to a book by the same name. So much great info, there may be some info on there that may help you.

    2. Debra Avatar

      Many of your symptoms are listed in a lawsuit which many have signed on to. I was also diagnosed with Hashimotos and my thyroid has been acting very weird the past few years, and my doc has had to adjust my meds lower and lower. The stuff they are spraying in our skies is making MANY people sick with many symptoms. A few I feel a lot after being outside is sleepiness, cranky, achy…etc.

  12. Sally Avatar

    I have read the letters about the Thyroid and find them to be very interesting. I was diagnosed with Hypothyroidism about 15 years ago. The Synthroid made me very tired and without insurance how can ANYONE afford the outrageous price for the blood tests??? Gods way is the best way! I may not have insurance but, I have Assurance in the things that God created (not man) to be good for me. Ask Him for wisdom and He will give it to you.

    1. Alan Avatar

      If God was that concerned you would not have the problem in the first place!
      Wise up, eat well but in moderation, a varied diet.
      Yes, organic will give you less ,man made, rubbish in your diet, eat moderately, excersise moderately and you will probably be o.k.
      There is no quick fix, only a steady improvement. If you really have a physical problem then you will have to follow best medicakl advice. Most ‘health food gurus’ are not usefull (Eating to your blood type is completely ridiculous, you can see total destruction of this…theory.. on Google) and some are downright dangerous.
      Go slowly with any diet change and check any problems that arise.
      best of luck, and good health!

    2. laurie Avatar
      laurie

      hi Sally…just read your post…are you still taking this and doing well?

  13. Margie Avatar

    Great info, thanks!! I recently started taking coconut oil, and because of you, I am now addicted to it in my coffee…LOVE IT!! So I have increased my intake. I am very interested in losing some weight as well, and feel that this is helping me. Do you know how I can get info about reducing my thyroid med? I started getting slight panic attacks after taking my thyroid meds. I went two days without taking my meds, and had no anxiety, but tested it again today, and within a couple hrs of taking the meds, i became more anxious. Just not sure what to do from here. thanks!

  14. Shauna Avatar

    I just discovered that my acne may be linked to a low working thyroid and am looking at ways to help my thyroid’s functioning and already use coconut oil in cooking and to make food. However, do you have other ways to incorporate coconut oil without it being oily in texture? I don’t drink coffee or tea but did try that a few times and with that large of amount it was so oily for me. I know people put it on toast but I know I should avoid grains too. So any other suggestions would be amazing!!

  15. Paulien Brierley Avatar
    Paulien Brierley

    I have been taking 3tablespoons of coconutoil for 4days and it has improved my appetite for my very sluggish thyroid. I am also less constipated.Today however I feel dreadful,no appetite and I feel depressed etc. Is it possible it is better to build it up gradually rather than taking 3tablespoons right from the start? Anybody help?

  16. jean Avatar

    used VCO for the past 6 months cooking , coffee, and all over my body after a shower, then I started with a fast irggular heart beat, and sometimes a regular beat but thumping in my chest, withone episode of when walking,up hill tightness across chest, just getting checked out now my ecg (ekg) is looking normal stopped taking VCO one week ago getting better, think I was using too much

  17. Sarah Avatar

    I have a complaint. I see hypothyroidism here, but what about HYPERthyroidism. Hyperthyroidism is just as much of a problem for sufferers as hypothyroidism is. The neglect to include hyperthyroidism is very wide spread. I find this frustrating.

    1. Mary Jane Avatar
      Mary Jane

      Seems to me all these posts are from people who haven’t enough thyroid. If you have too much, why on earth would you add coconut oil to increase it?

  18. Verona Avatar

    Hello,

    I just went across this blog (out of interest to coconut oil). 3/4 a cup a day of coconut oil? For this amount one has to have pretty strong pancreas to excrete enough enzymes to break down the fat (even though coconut sounds like God’s sent, and has many health benefits) But for many, I know for sure – such amount of fat is not suitable, as their pancreas’ aren’t strong enough. But for those of you who can tolerate this much fat – good luck! With all mentioned above health conditions, I would suggest do everything in moderation and listen to your body.

  19. Nancy Avatar

    Hello Wellness Mama,

    Love your stuff! looking for insight. I follow very healthy diet about 95%, except I often drinks lots of coffee, and usually first thing in the morning, then breakfast an hour or two later. I decided to try VCO blended with coffee (originally started with the GF butter and vanilla, but dropped those). I wanted the benefits of VCO daily. I started gaining weight, & thought maybe related to body adjusting, so I continued. nothing else in my diet changed. After 4 months, I’d gained 8 lbs, so I stopped. That weight has been the worst, it’s just flab, and it won’t budge period. It’s been 2 months since I stopped, and through hard work, I have maybe lost 1 lb. This is unusual for me; I can lose 1 lb in a week if focused.
    My daughter, who’d just had a baby (weeks old) and was nursing, started the VCO blended with coffee also, and she had the same experience. She can’t lose it either. She lives in another city, so it’s not our matching diet. It makes no sense, esp for her. Nursing for me always took every ounce off. I’m completely confused & frustrated. All I can find through research is some things interfere with leptin and prevent fat metabolism, but I can’t find anything to link with the coffee. I’d like to get this weight off, I feel miserable. Now both of us have completely taken VCO out of our diets. I’m hoping you can direct me where I can find some answers. 🙂 And through my search, all I can find is VCO causes weight loss….so tired of reading that 🙁 Thanks.

    1. Megan Avatar

      I experienced the same thing ! I follow a Weston A Price diet- have for 4 years. Started adding coconut oil to my coffee and gained weight. I never gain weight postpartum! I have had 3 other babies and always drop weight quickly from nursing. This time with my fourth, I haven’t. I think there may be a connection to the coconut oil and possibly postpartum thyroiditis. Did you ever figure anything out? I’d love to hear about it.

    2. alfa Avatar

      Sorry, late to the party…
      I don’t know if this is too late to even reach you, but I want to try anyway.

      Some brief set-up: the Lemonade Diet caused me no END of disappointment for the same reason. When I read the “Eat Right 4 Your [blood] Type” book, I discovered that my blood type’s metabolism could not deal with the cayenne pepper, which interfered with my digestion and resulted in horrific bloating and weight gain.

      That same research warns me not to consume coconut in ANY form… and I don’t want to listen, but know I must. (Sadly I have been told by body in the past, repeatedly, NO COCONUT by bouncing it right back up after eating it, so I can’t play dumb on this.) *sigh*

      Perhaps you might wish to check that research armed with your blood type, too.

      Wishing you well.

      1. Alan Avatar

        There is some good, evidence based, information on this site but PLEASE ignore the fallacious theories in `Eat right for your blood type` It sounds good:- ` different blood groups are recent history and humans have not adapted` the whole shtick is predicated on this, yet this is not true! Different blood groups, as far as SCIENCE can tell, have existed for eons.
        Of course, almost any treatment of any kind will have some good results due to the `placebo` effect, and due to the fact that a large amount of illness (especially the I feel weak and lethargic type) tend to get better, over time. On this, and many sites, I see people talking up `natural` foods then saying, for example, that they stopped eating gluten. Why? maybe 5 – 10% of Westerners are intolerant, for the rest of us it is a natural product.
        In general a natural diet is to eat LESS, to eat non processed and raw foods in moderation, low levels of carbohydrates and especially sugar, excercise, and be part of a community.
        I wish you all good health

  20. Katherine Avatar
    Katherine

    I have been using coconut oil since I found Wellnessmama! I just love it and recommend it to others. I am hypothyroid and while I may be a little warmer (a plus for a hypothyroid person who is always cold) I will continue to use it. I cook with it! Try popping popcorn in it. Yummy!! It is great for hair and skin as well. I even feed it to my cat. He gets canned food once a day to aid in hydration and I add coconut oil to it. He loves it and will even lick it off my skin after a shower. I massage it into his skin and hair and I swear his hair glows in the sun!!! Plus it has the added benefit of keeping fleas away and I think ticks too. I learned this all from Katie, the Wellness Mama! Thank you Katie!!

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