5 Worst Foods for Hypothyroid Disease
If you have hypothyroidism, or you’re at risk for it based on family history, some foods can be worse than others in keeping your thyroid levels under control. Yes, there are foods that can make your thyroid even more sluggish. So if you’re feeling like you just can’t seem to get on top of your symptoms, here are 5 of the worst foods that you should consider cutting from your diet.
Fast and Fatty Foods:
Polyunsaturated fat content found in most fast foods can interfere with your body’s ability to produce adequate amounts of thyroid hormone. Plus, most of these highly processed foods are low in iodine, which is needed for your struggling thyroid to make its hormones. Cutting fast food from your diet, especially if you eat a lot of it, might be just what you need to boost your thyroid function. It certainly can’t hurt.
Alcohol:
Not only can alcohol tamper with the thyroid’s ability to produce enough hormones, it can also affect your body’s ability to use them. Those who drink only occasionally and in moderation should be fine, but heavier use can have serious effects on those with any kind of thyroid condition.
Raw Cruciferous Vegetables:
Cruciferous vegetables like broccoli, cauliflower, kale and cabbage contain goitrogen, which is known to interfere with iodine absorption. Doctors suggest those with hypothyroidism always cook cruciferous vegetables (which breaks down the goitrogen), eat less than 5 ounces in one day, and make sure your iodine intake is adequate. Some other common vegetables that contain goitrogen:
Bok choy
Brussels sprouts
Radishes
Spinach
Turnips
Soy:
Soy also contains goitrogen --- and phytoestrogen, which like estrogen, can block thyroid hormones. While people with hypothyroid disease should eat soy products in moderation, doctors do not believe foods containing thyroid-blocking hormones contribute to hypothyroidism in most healthy individuals who are getting a healthy amount of iodine. However, there is evidence that it can block synthetic supplementation, so if you’re on replacement therapy, it may be best to avoid soy.
Sugary Foods:
Hypothyroidism wreaks havoc on the metabolism, and so it’s easy to pack on the pounds even with a sensible diet. Foods filled with empty calories, such as sugary snacks, could have profound effects on your waistline in no time flat. Even though it doesn’t seem to have a direct effect on the thyroid, those empty calories can make your symptoms appear worse.
Diet alone might not be enough to keep hypothyroid disease under control, but what you choose to eat can be an important piece to your overall health. Try cutting out these 5 foods and see what it does for you. Even if you don’t notice any significant change in your thyroid symptoms you can still feel confident that you are making better choices for your overall health.
Sources:
https://www.thyroid.org/hypothyroidism/
https://medlineplus.gov/hypothyroidism.html
https://www.niddk.nih.gov/health-information/endocrine-diseases/hypothyroidism
https://www.dietvsdisease.org/the-best-diet-for-an-underactive-thyroid/
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