Hypothyroidism treatment: Just one more perk from a pig

As Farm Babe pointed out in her column, ‘No, livestock aren’t destroying the planet,’ there are 185 uses for pig — from cement to renewable energy, paint to brushes, and life-saving pharmaceuticals. Here’s one use in action — treating hypothyroidism.

Hypothyroidism is often treated with a synthetic human thyroid hormone, but when this patient did not see an improvement in her energy level, her doctor tried a seldom used remedy: pig thyroid extract. Pig hormone is rarely prescribed because, unlike the synthetic hormone, the concentration can vary. But it worked for this woman.