Food People With Thyroid Problems Should & Shouldn’t Eat

Thyroid problems can cause all sorts of problems that require attention. But, while you find the correct treatment for these issues, you can also be eating the foods that will help and nourish your thyroid gland.

These foods help your thyroid primarily by providing a source of iodine, which is critical for your thyroid health.

The thyroid gland is in your neck and produces hormones that affect many metabolic processes. If your thyroid is lacking hormones, hypothyroidism is the result. Symptoms of hypothyroidism include fatigue, depression, weight gain, hair loss, feeling cold often, constipation, brittle or splitting nails, memory problems, and dry skin.

Iodine will help produce thyroid hormones and so can aid in alleviating many of these symptoms. When thyroid hormones are too low, the pituitary gland produces a hormone that stimulates your thyroid to take more iodine out of the blood. The iodine is used to produce the hormones and restore the original levels of thyroid hormones.

Usually there’s about 20 to 30 mg of iodine stored in your body. When iodine becomes depleted, you aren’t able to make enough thyroid hormone. This is where iodine supplementation can save you and get those hormones pumping again.

Many different types of seaweed contain iodine. Yogurt, cow’s milk, sea food, and foods grown in iodine rich soil will give you iodine also.

Foods that Hurt the Thyroid Gland.

There are foods called goitrogens that have compounds that can interfere with iodine absorption. These foods include cabbage, broccoli, cauliflower, kale, soy, pine nuts, and millet.

Sure, these foods are good for the average person, but for those with a hypothyroidism, they can cause some adverse affects. However, when cooked, the affects seem to be lessened. When eaten cooked, the benefits of these nutritious foods can overcome the adverse affects.