The thyroid is a small, but important gland that regulates hormone production in the body. When not functioning properly, the thyroid affects the heart, lungs and brain. An underactive or overactive thyroid also affects your mood, emotions, strength and energy level. According to 2009 information from the Harvard Medical School, 12.2 million Americans have some form of thyroid disease. Hypothyroidism, or an underactive thyroid affects 9.6 million people; roughly 2.6 million people suffer from an overactive thyroid, or hyperthyroidism. While medication helps regulate the thyroid, your diet significantly affects thyroid performance.
Hypothyroid Diet
A diet to address an underactive thyroid should consist of whole grains, fruits, vegetables and low-fat lean meats and seafood. The hypothyroid diet should also be spread over five or six meals a day with each meal containing around 300 calories. Spreading your meals over the course of the day provides your body with constant energy and avoids spiking and crashing caused by insulin. Perhaps the most important component of a hypothyroid diet is the mineral selenium. Selenium is a powerful antioxidant that assists the body in the conversion of important thyroid hormones. Selenium is found Brazil nuts, seafood, mushrooms and lean red meats.
Hyperthyroid Diet
A hyperactive thyroid produces an excess amount of the hormone responsible for metabolism, resulting in weight loss, nervousness, increased heart rate and sweating. A diet for hyperthyroidism should include foods high in vitamin A like carrots, yellow and green peppers and leafy greens. Overactive thyroids are often associated with zinc deficiencies. Eating foods such as seafood, pumpkin seeds, eggs and mushrooms provide extra zinc. Iodine-rich foods, such as fish, kelp and iodized salt, provide appropriate amounts of the mineral required for proper thyroid function. Other foods to include in a hyperthyroid diet include cabbage, Brussels sprouts and broccoli. These vegetables contain goitrogens, a nutrient thought to stabilize hyper thyroids.
Foods to Avoid
While goitrogens balance an overactive thyroid, they cause problems for underperforming thyroids. In addition to cabbage, Brussels sprouts and broccoli, other goitrogen-containing foods to avoid include all soy products. While you should avoid many foods, simply reducing the amount of certain food consumed also benefits those with thyroid conditions. These foods include coffee, tea, red wine, chocolate and refined foods. If hormone supplementation helps control your thyroid condition, pay special attention to when you eat certain foods, as they may interfere with the effectiveness of your thyroid supplement. The MayoClinic.com recommends that you avoid taking your supplement with foods such as walnuts, dairy products and iron-rich foods.
Member Comments