Natural Thyroid Extract Found To Be Superior To Synthroid

As many of you have probably read, Synthroid (levothyroxine) is under scrutiny by the FDA and may be recalled. Synthroid had never been approved by the FDA but was nevertheless considered as the “gold standard” for thyroid hormone replacement. In recent years, questions have been raised about the reliability of this medication and lawsuits have been filed against its manufacturer.

Armour Thyroid and similar products are the natural equivalents of Synthroid. Extracted from pig thyroid, they are not perfectly identical to human thyroid hormone but are the closest to it that we have available. Many naturally oriented practitioners recommend that patients switch from Synthroid to Armour or a similar preparation. For some this switch makes no difference, but others feel considerably better and/or are able to reduce their dosage.

A study published in the New England Journal of Medicine in 1999 (Vol. 340:424-429) compared the effects of these two medications. Although patients in each of the two groups had similar laboratory test results, those receiving natural thyroid extract scored better on tests for cognitive performance, including memory, language and learning. In addition, those receiving the natural product scored significantly better on scales relating to mood and physical status.

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