Hypothyroid is generally characterized by fatigue, dry skin, hair thinning, premenstrual syndrome, maybe some constipation, maybe some mood swings, and feeling cold easily. Some women experience irregular menstrual cycles. Stimulating thyroid function is not easy to do with purely nutritional and herbal therapies. Zinc , vitamin E , and vitamin A are needed to manufacture thyroid hormone. Vitamins C , B2, B3, and B6 are also necessary for normal thyroid hormone manufacture.
Exercise is particularly important in a treatment program for hypothyroidism.
Exercise stimulates thyroid gland secretion and increases tissue sensitivity to thyroid hormone. Thyroid hormones are made from iodine and tyrosine. Herbally, probably the best approach is the seaweed called dulse. There are herbs that some herbalists may use to stimulate thyroid function, but I have never found them to be effective. I often give my patients a thyroid glandular supplement that is not synthetic and includes some of the nutrients I mentioned, but it is not available without seeing a naturopathic physician.