Thyroid Disorders Diet, Which Foods Should You Avoid?
Hypothyroidism Diet – The Perfect Diet For Low Thyroid Problems:
Thyroid Gland is a small butterfly-shaped gland found at the base of your neck, just below your Adam’s apple. This gland makes thyroid hormone that travels in your blood to all parts of your body. The thyroid hormone controls your body’s metabolism in many ways, including how fast you burn calories and how fast your heartbeats.
Thyroid Disease:
is a common disease that can be seen in human beings nowadays. This is a genetic as well as a lifestyle disease. The thyroid’s hormones regulate vital body functions,
including:
- Breathing.
- Heart rate.
- Central and peripheral nervous systems.
- Bodyweight.
- Muscle strength.
- Menstrual cycles.
- Body temperature.
- Cholesterol levels.
- Much more!
How Thyroid Gland Works?
The thyroid is part of the endocrine system, which is made up of glands that produce, store, and release hormones into the bloodstream so the hormones can reach the body’s cells. The thyroid gland uses iodine from the foods you eat to make two main hormones:
- Triiodothyronine (T3)
- Thyroxine (T4)
It is important that T3 and T4 levels are neither too high nor too low. Two glands in the brain—the hypothalamus and the pituitary communicate to maintain T3 and T4 balance.
Diet And Thyroid Disorder:
There are certain foods that are to be had if you want to avoid getting thyroid. A thyroid diet should include many things. Iodine is one of the most important things to be included in the diet.
A. Iodine,
can be obtained from normal salt that we use for cooking. But that might not be up to necessary standards. In that case, supplements could be made use of, or seafood should be had in plenty, as they are rich in iodine. Protein is another important component of a thyroid diet.
B. Protein:
Protein can be obtained from seafood, and any kind of white meats, like that of poultry. Eggs are another excellent source of protein. Lentils, kidney beans, apples, broccoli, and lots of green and leafy vegetables are to be incorporated in the diet.
C. Fiber:
These are high in fiber and are good in preventing thyroid. The fiber intake should be around 25 grams per day. Keeping the production of insulin in check is a very important thing while a person is suffering from a thyroid. These foods rich in high fiber help you o do just that. Even cauliflower, almonds, and flaxseed are some very good sources of high fiber.
A thyroid diet,
should be planned out with the physician who is handling your case. No single diet is suited for everyone. Diets vary with people. Extreme caution is to taken while formulating a diet, and care should be taken to incorporate all the important components.
A healthy thyroid diet may not be able to completely control your thyroid problems. One of the most popular thyroid supplements available is Thyromine.
Thyroid Disorders, Which Foods Should You Avoid:
The first step to starting out any diet is to know what you are supposed to eat and what you cannot eat. We will thus look at the various foods you cannot eat when on a thyroid condition.
If you have a thyroid condition, you might be surprised at how great a benefit you can get from even a few small changes in your diet. There are a few foods you should avoid eating if you want to keep your thyroid working at its best. They can actually cause thyroid problems or cause you to experience a worsening of your current thyroid disorder symptoms.
These include:
- Soy.
- Gluten.
- Sugar.
- Processed Foods.
- Artificial Sweeteners.
1. Soy:
Soy is thought of universally to be healthy food, it may not be good for everyone. There has been a long‐standing concern about the negative effects soy has on thyroid function and the production of your thyroid hormones. There is a great deal of mixed research on the health benefits of soy, but from what I have studied and what I have seen in my patients, I would not recommend anyone with or suspected of a thyroid condition to include soy in their diet.
The reason Soy has such a damaging effect is two-fold:
Firstly:
- Soy is a member of the goitrogens food group which is thought to cause enlarging of the thyroid.
- Goitrogens, or at least some of them, have an anti‐thyroid effect. They slow down the function of your thyroid and have in fact actually caused thyroid disease in some cases.
Secondly:
- Soy is Phyto estrogenic. Essentially this means that it mimics estrogen in the body.
- estrogen dominance is one of the underlying reasons thyroid disease is so prominent in our society, and since soy has increased so significantly in our diets so has low thyroid function.
- Soy has been touted as the new healthy food that is low in saturated fat and therefore great for our heart health and a much better choice than meat or dairy.
- High amounts of fat and obesity are definitely contributing to the increased incidence of heart disease saturated fat intake alone may not be the main reason.
So, good quality dairy and some meat, in moderation, are in fact good for our health, providing us with fat-soluble vitamins, zinc, Omega 3, magnesium, iron, calcium, potassium, B vitamins (and more).
“These are all essential for optimal thyroid health”
The Most People Who Suffer From Low Thyroid Function:
The most common people to suffer from low thyroid function and Hashimoto’s are women late 20’s – early thirties. many women used soy as a substitute for meat and dairy as a way to lose weight and gain good health.
There are a lot of foods that contain soy These include:
“tofu, many vegetarian sausages and meat alternative, soy milk, soy cheese, soy ice cream, soy yogurt, soy sauce, protein bars, and shakes, as well as many packaged foods and drinks”.
2. Gluten:
The biggest reason to cut gluten from your diet is the impact it has on your thyroid. Studies have shown a strong link between autoimmune thyroid disorders and gluten intolerance. The molecular structure of gluten, gliadin, resembles the thyroid gland. Gluten is a protein found in rye, wheat, barley, and some oats. This means that many of our favorite foods contain gluten.
Such as:
- Bread.
- Pasta.
- Pizza.
- Cereals.
- Biscuits.
- Cakes.
- Pastry.
- Muffins.
- Sauces for thickening batters. This also includes what we often think of as healthy whole grains.
It is surprising to many people with thyroid disease how much of a staple these are in our diets and how different they feel once they stop eating them. It is important to read your label to identify gluten as it can be sneaked into many foods that you would never think of.
Including:
- Soy.
- Sauce.
- Most packaged foods. sauces, soups, even ice cream.
There are many fantastic gluten-free options for almost any food available today. However, if you wish to indulge in a gluten-free chocolate brownie make sure it is only as part of your free meal. Just because it’s gluten-free doesn’t mean that it’s good for you!
The effects of gluten on thyroid health are believed to last for up to 6 months.
So it is important to remove it from your diet completely for optimal thyroid function. This means that even on your free meals this is one food ingredient you should still steer clear of. Gluten intolerance creates high levels of inflammation in the body, especially if there is also an autoimmune condition:
As a result, some symptoms that develop include:
- Joint and muscle aches and pain.
- Fatigue, even chronic fatigue.
- Brain fog o Dry skin.
- Eczema and psoriasis.
- Headaches.
- Diarrhea.
- Constipation.
- Anemia and malnutrition.
3. Sugar:
If you suffer from low thyroid function having even a small excess of sugar will exacerbate symptoms and cause long-term havoc. While it does not recommend reducing all carbohydrates from your diet, highly refined sugars and all forms of simple sugars should be significantly removed or reduced.
Common symptoms include:
- Craving sweets.
- Irritable if meals are missed.
- It depends on coffee or other kinds of caffeine for energy.
- Eating relieves fatigue.
- Feel shaky, or jittery. Feel agitated or nervous.
- Get upset easily.
- Poor memory, forgetful.
- Blurred vision.
- Fatigue after meals (this is the hallmark symptom).
- General fatigue.
- Constant hunger.
- Craving for sweets that aren’t relieved when you eat sweets.
- Must have sweets after meals.
- Waist girth equal to or larger than hip girth.
- Frequent urination.
- Increased appetite and thirst.
- Difficulty losing weight.
- Migrating aches and pains.
If you are really,
Struggling with sugar cravings and need to add some sweetness to your foods and drinks, Stevia is a recommended option.
Stevia is:
A herb that is very readily available in most supermarkets. It is available in powder, tablets, and liquid forms. Stevia is derived from a plant. It has a very small amount of calories per serve.
Benefits:
The main benefit is that it does not have any effect on the blood sugar levels, in fact, some research suggests that it actually has a stabilizing effect.
- Another benefit is that it is helping to feed the good bacteria in the gut.
- Unlike sugar which is the best friend of the unhealthy “bad” bacteria that causes so many digestive problems for people in Western society.
4. Processed Foods:
The majority of the foods we spend our money on are foods that have been processed. The amount of processed food some people intake can be as high as 95%. Habitual consumption of processed foods, junk foods, and fast food can wreak havoc on the thyroid. These foods are high in calories from trans and saturated fats, sugar, and salt and low in nutrients.
Everyone seems to,
have a hectic lifestyle and we all want things to be quick and easy. It can often lead to eating a lot of packaged foods. This will always make it difficult to manage our weight and general well-being. Making healthier food choices will allow you to enjoy a variety of foods that will provide your body with essential nutrients for optimal health and thyroid function.
5. Artificial Sweeteners:
Having issues with your thyroid can cause you to gain weight. Your thyroid controls your body’s metabolism, so weight gain is common. Because of this, many people use low-fat and low-calorie products that contain artificial sweeteners.
Artificial sweeteners contain chemical compounds such as aspartame or sucralose. They are not healthy and can be harmful to your thyroid. People use artificial sweeteners because they think it’s healthier than sugar because of the low‐calorie content. The chemicals in the artificial sweeteners, however, are toxic poisons. In fact, they may actually encourage weight gain.
Since,
The chemicals in these sweeteners are not natural, your body doesn’t recognize them. When your body craves something sweet, artificial sweeteners will not satisfy the craving. Some researchers have actually shown that many people who consume artificial sweeteners have increased consumption of total sugars in their diet.
Artificial sweeteners are greatly sweeter than sugar. When you consume artificial on a regular basis, products that aren’t sweetened may taste bland, so you need to add more sugar and sweetness to your foods and drinks. Artificial sweeteners can cause you to suffer from many unpleasant side effects.
Artificial Sweetness Side Effects:
Here’re a few of the side effects believed to be caused by the ingredients in artificial sweeteners:
- Anxiety.
- Unexplained pain.
- Depression.
- Dizziness.
- Brain fog.
- Fatigue.
- Fibromyalgia.
- Headaches.
- Hyperthyroidism.
- Insomnia.
- Restless legs.
- Memory loss.
Selective Foods That Good And Healthy For Thyroid:
Below are the selective foods good for the thyroid that we can eat:
1. Iodized Salt:
- Along with its name, it is a very good source of iodine.
- We can get this from natural sea salt.
- There are some salts that are low in iodine.
- Only go for the iodized ones.
- The iodine is essential for the thyroid. It helps prevent the presence of thyroid diseases like a goiter.
- Make sure that you add enough iodized salt to your food instead of other sauces.
2. Goitrogenic Foods:
A goitrogen is a substance in certain foods that will suppress normal thyroid function by blocking iodine. The term goitrogen comes from the word goiter which is when the thyroid gland enlarges as it is trying to compensate for a lack of hormone production.
The intake of iodine is essential because the thyroid gland needs this for the proper production of hormones and a goitrogen will get in the way, potentially causing a goiter. When someone has an underactive thyroid, and they are on a thyroid diet, it becomes essential to avoid foods containing this substance.
There are basically two types of foods that contain goitrogens;
The First Category:
Soybeans and cruciferous vegetables. The soybean, including tofu, contains what are called isoflavones, and it is these substances that hinder the thyroid. Otherwise, the nutritional value of soy-based foods is very high and they don’t need to be avoided by someone who does not already have thyroid issues or is on a thyroid diet.
The Second Category:
Cruciferous vegetables contain what are called isothiocyanates. These do pretty much the same as the isoflavones; disruption of the uptake of iodine by the thyroid gland. Like soy, the nutritional value of these vegetables is very high and people without any issues do not need to avoid them.
These are helpful in preventing goiter.
These foods keep the health of the thyroid stable so it functions properly. We can get these goitrogenic foods from Brussels sprouts, cauliflower, cabbage, spinach, broccoli, horseradish, cassava root, mustard, millet, soybeans, turnips, peas, and radishes.
3. Tyrosine-Rich Foods:
- Tyrosine is an amino acid. It is responsible for receiving phosphate groups to be transferred into protein kinases.
- This plays a big role in keeping the thyroid healthy normal.
- We can find tyrosine from protein high foods like turkey, chicken, almonds, peanuts, fish, cheese, yogurt, milk, lima beans, sesame seeds, and pumpkin seeds. disorders disorders disorders
4. Cold-Pressed Olive Oil:
- This is a very healthy alternative for any type of oil.
- When you want to take care of your thyroid, you cannot use oils that are high in cholesterol.
- If you need to stir-fry something, you better use cold-pressed olive oil instead.
5. Nuts:
- These also contain essential oils that are good for the body.
- Have the habit of taking nuts as snacks rather than chips.
- It is more nutritious and will keep your thyroid healthy.
6. Shellfish:
- These are other food groups that are a good source of iodine.
- Any food that comes from the sea is considered iodine-high food.
- You can eat this together with other seaweeds and foods.
7. Foods With Beta-Carotene:
You can get this from winter squash. The vegetable is high with lots of essential vitamins like Vitamin A and C. it is very nutritious for the health of the thyroid glands.
As you can see, the foods you eat and/or don’t eat play an important role in your thyroid function. In other words, the old phrase you’ve probably heard since you were a child, “You are what you eat” is most certainly true.
The Bottom Line:
Remember to always work with your nutritionist to develop a diet plan that is tailor-made for you. Taking a healthy diet is a lifelong process that will greatly improve your well-being. You should eat more or less certain foods. This is normal. Make sure you keep track of what you eat and how it makes you feel. This will help you refine your diet over time, so you can create the best diet for your body type.
If you find this article useful, don’t forget to share it with your friends and family, as you might help someone in need. Thanks.
Disclaimer: “Nothing in this article makes any claim to offer cures or treatment for any disease or illness. If you are sick please consult with your doctor.”