Why Potassium Might Be the Missing Link in Your Thyroid Health
By Dr. Emily Wiggins
The thyroid gland is found in the neck and is responsible for producing thyroid hormones, which help regulate metabolism, body temperature and truly has an effect in just about every system of the body. That is why when the thyroid gland is underfunctioning, such a variety of symptoms can arise.
Symptoms of Hypothyroidism:
Depression
Fatigue
Constipation
Sluggish reflexes
Brain fog
Weight gain
Hair loss
Dry skin
Cold hands and feet
How the Thyroid Works
The brain puts our Thyroid Stimulating Hormone (TSH) in response to circulating levels in the body and at the tissue level.
As TSH increases, it tells the thyroid gland to make more thyroid hormone and as it decreases the thyroid makes less thyroid hormone. The thyroid gland makes thyroid hormone primarily in the T4 form, which is considered an inactive hormone, and a small amount of T3, which is the active or usable form of thyroid hormone.
Then the body, at the tissue level, converts T4 to T3 wherever it is needed.
All of these processes require enough protein, minerals and vitamins to function properly. Stress and other hormone levels, such as estrogen, also make a significant difference in how well the thyroid gland is producing and how well the body is utilizing thyroid hormone.
Are You Getting Enough Potassium?
98% of Americans don’t consume enough potassium. Minimum recommended intake of potassium daily is 3500-4700 milligrams. It’s likely that most people need even more than that.
Potassium plays a key role in protecting against heart disease and stroke, osteoporosis, diabetes, high blood pressure, kidney stones, swelling and water retention.
Foods rich in potassium include, winter squash, salmon, mushrooms, meat, potatoes, leafy greens, bone broth, coconut water, and aloe vera juice. Blood tests don’t do a very good job of assessing potassium levels because this mineral is typically found inside the cells. The blood is very well controlled in terms of mineral levels in general and is one of the last substances to reflect mineral imbalances. Hair Tissue Mineral Analysis (HTMA) is a better reflection of potassium levels in the body.
How Potassium Affects Thyroid Function
We often think of iodine and selenium when it comes to optimal thyroid function but potassium is also incredibly important.
Potassium plays a key role in thyroid function in the following ways:
Cellular Sensitivity to Thyroid Hormone
Potassium regulates the electrical potential across cell membranes, which influences how cells respond to thyroid hormones. Thyroid hormones (especially T3) bind to receptors on cell nuclei to activate metabolic processes, but this requires adequate intracellular potassium to maintain proper membrane potential and signal transduction.
Sodium Potassium Pump
The sodium-potassium pump is an enzyme that maintains proper sodium and potassium gradients across cell membranes, critical for thyroid hormone production and utilization. This pump requires potassium to function and is highly active in thyroid cells, where it supports iodine uptake and hormone synthesis. Basically, this enzyme helps move thyroid hormone into the cell so it can actually be utilized. That means your thyroid labs can be totally normal but if you don’t have enough potassium to use the thyroid hormone you’re producing then you can still have symptoms of hypothyroidism.
Iodine Transport and Thyroid Hormone Production:
Potassium supports the protein that transports iodine into thyroid cells to actually produce thyroid hormones (T4 and T3). Having enough potassium in your body ensures efficient iodine uptake, which is essential for thyroid function.
The Adrenal-Thyroid Axis
Potassium supports adrenal function, which is closely linked to thyroid health via the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal-thyroid axis. Adrenal exhaustion, which happens from long term stress on the body, suppresses thyroid activity as cortisol imbalances disrupt T4-to-T3 conversion.
pH and Enzyme Activity
Potassium helps maintain cellular pH, which is critical for enzymes involved in thyroid hormone synthesis. Thyroid peroxidase is one of the key enzymes that requires potassium. Low potassium can disrupt pH, impairing enzyme efficiency and hormone production.
Minerals are truly the spark plugs of the body that allow for enzymes to carry out their functions and keep us feeling well.
Low mineral status alone can be responsible for low thyroid function, which is why assessing nutritional and mineral status is so helpful in truly addressing the underlying cause of an underfunctioning thyroid gland.
