From Mary Shomon,
Your Guide to Thyroid Disease.
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Riding on the heels of increased awareness of thyroid disease, we have a number of companies that decided to cash in by creating combination supplements they claim will "boost the thyroid," putting a hefty price tag on them, and running millions of dollars in ads to promote them. Welcome to the market Alvidar, Thyrin, and Thyrotril, subject of Jeers for 2005.

These products have garden variety nutrients, B vitamins, l-tyrosine, selenium, and other minerals, and usually include kelp, a potent source of iodine (and, controversially, something that may actually aggravate and worsen thyroid disease!) Some of the products and formulations include caffeine or ginseng as a stimulant.

You might get a little short-term energy, but these products are not thyroid hormone replacement, they are not almost assuredly not going to cure your thyroid disease. What WILL they do? They'll set you back anywhere from $50 to $80 A MONTH to take them. (Compare that to about $9 for a month's prescription of Armour Thyroid.)

Or, better yet, compare this to similar -- and in some cases, almost identical -- thyroid support formulas that run about $10 to $15 for a month's supply (Natural Factors Thyroid Health Formula, Enzymatic Therapies Thyroid Formula, Now Foods Thyroid Energy, Gaia Herbs Thyroid Support) and you'll be appalled.

How many more pseudo-drug supplements with "thy" in the name, selling for $75 a month, will hit the market in 2006? One can only wonder...