Since there's a hereditary component to most thyroid disease, you may be unable to avoid trouble if you have a family history of hypothyroidism or hyperthyroidism. However, regardless of genes, there are several actions you can take and natural remedies you can use to keep this part of your endocrine system functioning in a healthy way.
Get Checked
According to the Mayo Clinic, hypothyroidism, or underactive thyroid, is most common in women over 50. However, women's health experts, such as nurse practitioner Marcy Holmes, suggest that you should start getting checked after age 30, or even earlier if you have a family history of thyroid disease. Testing early and talking to your doctor about your risk factors can help you catch thyroid disease early or even delay the onset.
Iodine Supplements
Iodine is important to help maintain a healthy thyroid. If your diet is deficient in this nutrient, this can lead to an enlargement of your thyroid called a goiter. It can also cause your thyroid not to function as well, causing hypothyroidism. Because iodine has been added to salt and other food products in the United States since the 1920s, most people are not iodine deficient. However, if you avoid packaged food, primarily use non-iodized salt or live in a region where the soil is depleted of the nutrient, you may be deficient. If this is the case, you can switch to iodized salt or take a kelp supplement to provide the iodine you're missing.
Stop Smoking
Quitting smoking is a top priority for anyone concerned about health, but it's especially important for avoiding thyroid trouble. According to a study in the JAMA, hyperthyroidism is more common among smokers than among the general population, and smoking is linked with worsening of eye conditions associated with hyperthyroidism. So, while there is currently just a correlation and not a proven causal link, it's best to avoid smoking tobacco in order to maintain a healthy thyroid.
Limit Foods
Some foods contain certain substances, called "goitrogens" because they can slow the thyroid and cause goiters, that can interfere with thyroid function. Foods known to contain goitrogenic substances include soy, strawberries, canola oil and cruciferous vegetables such as broccoli and cabbage. These substances probably don't impede thyroid function in healthy people, but if you have been diagnosed with thyroid disease or have a family history of thyroid disease, you may want to limit these foods to help maintain a healthy thyroid. Cooking also appears to lessen or erase the negative effect of these substances.
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