10 Things to Know About Thyroid Disease and Your Diet

If we are suffering from thyroid, whether hypothyroid also known as underactive thyroid or hyperthyroid also known as overactive thyroid or whether we are suffering from Hashimoto’s Graves’ disease, our diet affects your health. It is important to make lifestyle changes to ensure that your diet is not affecting your thyroid health.

10 Diet Inclusions for Thyroid Health are :

• Goitrogenic Food slows down our thyroid

Goitrogen is a substance that has natural occurrence in some foods. It can enlarge thyroid gland then called goiter. Food with goitrogen can act like antithyroid drugs and slow down thyroid making it underactive causing hypothyroidism.Examples of Gitrogenic foods i.e. cauliflower, broccoli, cabbage, kale and soy foods.In case one has functional or semi functional thyroid gland and is suffering from hypothyroid, he should not over consume raw food with goitrogen but not avoid it entirely. If one is hyperthyroid he should consult a nutritional practitioner to incorporate additional giotrogen foods to their diet.

• Coconut oil cannot treat thyroid

Coconut oil is thyroid friendly as it replaces other fats and oil in our diet but it is not a cure-all kind of a treatment for it.

• Soy could be problem

Soy acts a goitrogen and also curbs thyroid hormone absorption. Do not over consume it especially high phytoestrogen or processed form of it i.e. powders, shakes, soy milk, supplements or bars. People who are hyperthyroid can incorporate more of soy in their diet after consultation with a nutritional practitioner.

• Coffee interferes with Medication of Thyroid

One should not have coffee until an hour post taking thyroid hormone replacement medicines because coffee affects absorption and curb the affect  the thyroid medication.

• Calcium Fortified orange juice does not mix with our Thyroid Medication

One should wait for 3 to 4 hours at least post taking thyroid medicines prior to having calcium fortified juices, supplements and iron supplements because they may interfere with their thyroid medicine absorption.

• Iodized Food

Women in particular are usually iodine deficient and thus need more of it for good thyroid functionality, however, over consuming shall not be good.

• Gluten, Celiac and Wheat

A certain number of auto-immune thyroid patients have a dietary triggered autoimmunity because of celiac disease or due to gluten/wheat intolerance. For such patients, taking gluten-free diet may remove antibodies and lead to autoimmune thyroid disease diminution.

• Foods with High fiber

Thyroid patients also suffering from extra weight and constipation should increase their fiber-food intake. However, when one switches to high fiber foods they should also get their thyroid rechecked within 8-12 weeks to adjust the dose because fiber may affect the medicine’s absorption.

• Mini Meals

Grazing throughout the day on smaller meals is something people hear about raises metabolism. However, this may be wrong for thyroid patients that try losing weight.  Lesser meals with more spaces within, could be more effective for a thyroid patient as compared to mini meals.

• Water

Drinking abundant water can help better the metabolism and health of thyroid patients. It helps curbing the appetite, get rid of bloating and water retention, improvise digestion and elimination of constipation.

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