Your thyroid gland is critical in ensuring that your body functions at optimum efficiency. It produces just the right amount of thyroid hormone to aid in the regulation of the body’s activities.
Thyroid diseases generally aren’t preventable.
According to health experts, some nutrients can interfere with thyroid health. Symptoms of hypothyroidism might ease if people eat less foods that contain goitrogens.
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Goitrogen-containing foods include the following:
- Collards
- Brussels sprouts
- Russian kale
- Broccoli
- Broccoli rabe
- Cauliflower
- Cabbage.
However, “goitrogenic compounds are mostly deactivated when the foods are cooked”.
When consumed in moderation, these veggies are good to general health and have no adverse effect on thyroid function.
Thyroid function may be affected and symptoms may be more severe only when these healthy foods are consumed in large quantities.
Other signs of an underactive thyroid include:
- Muscle aches and weakness
- Dry and scaly skin
- Brittle hair and nails
- Loss of libido (sex drive)
- Pain, numbness and a tingling sensation in the hand and fingers (carpal tunnel syndrome)
- Irregular periods or heavy periods.
Soy may also interfere with the way the body generates thyroid hormones, according to research.
This was shown in a case study presented by academics at Japan’s Showa University.
A 72-year-old lady got severe hypothyroidism after drinking a soy-based health drink on a daily basis for six months.
When the lady quit drinking the soy-based health drink, her condition significantly improved.
Food and drinks that contain soy:
- Soy milk
- Soy sauce
- Edamame
- Tofu
- Miso.
Researcher at the Medical University of Silesia, Poland, suggested that autoimmune thyroid disease is often accompanied by celiac disease.
It’s for this reason that removing gluten from the diet could improve thyroid function.
Foods that contain gluten:
- Bread
- Pasta
- Cereals
- Biscuits or crackers
- Cakes and pastries
- Pies
- Gravies and sauces.
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Thankfully, many supermarkets now have gluten-free aisles which will make shopping much easier.
Experts encourage people with autoimmune hypothyroidism to try a gluten-free diet to see if symptoms improve.
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