What are the best foods for Thyroid function? Thyroid disorders such as hypothyroidism and hyperthyroidism are autoimmune diseases that affect many people. Thyroids are a gland in the neck that produces hormones necessary to regulate metabolism, growth, and development. Thyroid hormone is required for normal brain development, bone health, heart rate, and even fertility.
Thyroids are commonly referred to as the “master gland”. This is because of their influence on many other hormones. If your Thyroids aren’t functioning properly, it can affect your metabolism and cause weight gain, fatigue, or depression. Thyroids release T3 and T4 which are crucial to our bodies. These hormones also control your basal body temperature.
Is there a connection between food and thyroid function?
When people are suffering from Thyroid disorders, many times there is a connection between thyroid issues and food intolerances. You should always talk to your doctor about any food issues you have. It could be the culprit behind many Thyroid issue symptoms.
Some foods can cause inflammation in the body that may affect Thyroid function: These include gluten, dairy products, any high sugar foods or alcohol such as beer and wine; most processed junk foods like potato chips, French fries, packaged cookies cakes, etc., caffeinated drinks like coffee and soda pop; hot spices such as cayenne pepper. These are some of the most common ones!
What foods are the best to eat when you have a thyroid disorder?
- Walnuts
- Cottonseed oil
- Asparagus
- Almonds (if you are not allergic to nuts)
- Bluefish
- Coconut oil
- Oats, Quinoa, oatmeal
- Wild-caught fish like salmon and tuna (limit your intake because it can be too high in mercury.) Cod liver oil is an excellent source of vitamins A and D. These two nutrients are necessary for Thyroid function. The best way to get them is from cod liver oil in liquid or pill form instead of taking a supplement that combines both essential vitamins into one capsule. Eat lots of raw veggies daily! Thyroid issues cause nutrient deficiencies which will only make Thyroid symptoms worse. Eat local organic vegetables whenever possible. They taste great and usually cost less than chain store produce.
What foods are bad for your thyroid function?
Sugar and foods that are high on the glycemic index (white bread, rice, pasta)
Dairy products – limit or avoid all dairy products except for ghee. Whey protein is ok if you are not allergic to dairy products. Cheese is the lowest in proteins, so it will be lower in Thyroid hormones than eating butter which contains higher levels of Thyroid hormone.
Packaged food with artificial colors, flavors, preservatives: chips, processed cheese spreads, and luncheon meat should be avoided completely!
Coffee can cause heart palpitations because of caffeine content and affect Thyroids as well. Excessive coffee consumption has been linked to hypothyroidism by many researchers
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I hope you’ve found this article helpful. If you have Thyroid issues, try making some lifestyle changes to see if it improves your Thyroids and symptoms. Always consult with a medical professional before altering any medications or supplements that you are taking.
Add more Thyroid diet foods to your diet and reduce the number of Thyroid disordered foods in order to see improvement! You will feel better faster if you can identify food intolerances affecting Thyroid health!
The best way to find out if you are suffering from a thyroid disorder is to get a simple blood test from Walk-In Lab. This will show you your thyroid function and will help you identify what steps you can take to get your thyroid function back on track.
*DISCLAIMER: In no way are we claiming to be a medical professional, nor is anything on this website a replacement or substitute for consultation with your physician. Statements made on this website have not been evaluated by the FDA. These products are not intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any disease.
