40% of Thyroid Patients have B12 Deficiency (Treatment options + symptoms)
Vitamin B12 deficiency is incredibly common among hypothyroid patients. In fact, it is estimated that up to 40% of all hypothyroid patients suffer from B12 deficiency or sub-optimal B12 levels in their body.
What's important here is that treating your thyroid is not sufficient to fix your B12 levels! You should think of B12 deficiency and hypothyroidism as two separate conditions that need to be treated.
B12 deficiency is also difficult to identify because it shares many of the same symptoms as hypothyroidism.
B12 deficiency is associated with the following symptoms:
- Fatigue
- Weight gain
- Depression
- Constipation
- Brain fog
You can see that many of these symptoms are also seen in hypothyroidism.
Testing for B12 is actually quite difficult as the serum B12 test is not always accurate. You can, however, test for B12 with the methylmalonic acid test but this test is much more expensive.
When using B12 you want to make sure that you are using the right type and formulation of B12. Formulations such as cyanocobalamin are cheaper and more readily available but they are not optimal especially if you have MTHFR mutations.
Up to 20-40% of people have MTHFR mutations which impact the type of B12 that they can utilize by their bodies. Because of this, I recommend that hypothyroid patients utilize only methylcobalamin, hydroxycobalamin or adenosylcobalamin as these are more readily active than cyanocobalamin and compatible with MTHFR mutations.
Lastly, if oral B12 supplements are not working for you then you should consider the use of B12 shots. While studies do not show that B12 shots are superior, it has been my clinical experience that they can be in certain situations.
If you are looking for a B12 supplement, I recommend using one such as this: https://www.restartmed.com/product/po...
Recommended thyroid supplements to enhance thyroid function:
- For thyroid hormone production and conversion: https://www.restartmed.com/product/th... + https://www.restartmed.com/product/t3...
- For hair loss: https://www.restartmed.com/product/th...
- For weight management: https://www.restartmed.com/product/gu... + https://www.restartmed.com/product/fu...
- For gut health: https://www.restartmed.com/product/ul...
- For energy and adrenal health: https://www.restartmed.com/product/th... + https://www.restartmed.com/product/po...
I'm Dr. Westin Childs and I focus on thyroid health, hormone balance, and weight loss. I write about thyroid disorders, weight loss, insulin resistance, estrogen/progesterone balance on my blog. I truly believe that hormone balance is the key to managing your weight, your mood and your quality of life which is why I'm so passionate about it.
If you enjoyed this video please subscribe on youtube or leave a comment on my podcast here: https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/d...
This video is not intended to be used as medical advice. If you have questions about your health please consult your physician or primary care provider. Dr. Westin Childs goes to great lengths to produce high-quality content but this is NOT a substitute for medical care.
What's important here is that treating your thyroid is not sufficient to fix your B12 levels! You should think of B12 deficiency and hypothyroidism as two separate conditions that need to be treated.
B12 deficiency is also difficult to identify because it shares many of the same symptoms as hypothyroidism.
B12 deficiency is associated with the following symptoms:
- Fatigue
- Weight gain
- Depression
- Constipation
- Brain fog
You can see that many of these symptoms are also seen in hypothyroidism.
Testing for B12 is actually quite difficult as the serum B12 test is not always accurate. You can, however, test for B12 with the methylmalonic acid test but this test is much more expensive.
When using B12 you want to make sure that you are using the right type and formulation of B12. Formulations such as cyanocobalamin are cheaper and more readily available but they are not optimal especially if you have MTHFR mutations.
Up to 20-40% of people have MTHFR mutations which impact the type of B12 that they can utilize by their bodies. Because of this, I recommend that hypothyroid patients utilize only methylcobalamin, hydroxycobalamin or adenosylcobalamin as these are more readily active than cyanocobalamin and compatible with MTHFR mutations.
Lastly, if oral B12 supplements are not working for you then you should consider the use of B12 shots. While studies do not show that B12 shots are superior, it has been my clinical experience that they can be in certain situations.
If you are looking for a B12 supplement, I recommend using one such as this: https://www.restartmed.com/product/po...
Recommended thyroid supplements to enhance thyroid function:
- For thyroid hormone production and conversion: https://www.restartmed.com/product/th... + https://www.restartmed.com/product/t3...
- For hair loss: https://www.restartmed.com/product/th...
- For weight management: https://www.restartmed.com/product/gu... + https://www.restartmed.com/product/fu...
- For gut health: https://www.restartmed.com/product/ul...
- For energy and adrenal health: https://www.restartmed.com/product/th... + https://www.restartmed.com/product/po...
I'm Dr. Westin Childs and I focus on thyroid health, hormone balance, and weight loss. I write about thyroid disorders, weight loss, insulin resistance, estrogen/progesterone balance on my blog. I truly believe that hormone balance is the key to managing your weight, your mood and your quality of life which is why I'm so passionate about it.
If you enjoyed this video please subscribe on youtube or leave a comment on my podcast here: https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/d...
This video is not intended to be used as medical advice. If you have questions about your health please consult your physician or primary care provider. Dr. Westin Childs goes to great lengths to produce high-quality content but this is NOT a substitute for medical care.
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