If you have been diagnosed with thyroid disease, you have undoubtedly been prescribed medication to offset the symptoms. Taking your meds on a daily basis is important, but be careful that your diet is not interfering with the drugs' effectiveness. To get the most benefit from your medication, you may need to avoid certain foods, or time your dosage around your meals.
Thyroid Function
Your thyroid is a butterfly-shaped endocrine gland located in your neck, just above your collarbone. The job of the thyroid is to regulate energy metabolism, which determines how quickly your body uses food. It does so by producing hormones. When the thyroid malfunctions, it either produces too much hormone, or not enough. An individual with thyroid disease often has trouble managing his body weight.
Treatment
Treatment for thyroid disease involves trying to speed up or slow down your metabolism to a normal rate. Hyperthyroidism is treated by anti-thyroid drugs or radioactive iodine treatment to slow hormone production, or surgical intervention to remove the thyroid gland. Hypothyroidism, the underproduction of thyroid hormone, is more common, especially in women. Hypothyroid disease is usually treated with levothyroxine, a synthetic drug, marketed in many instances as Synthroid, that mimics the thyroid hormone T4.
Food Interaction
If you are taking levothyroxine, some foods can interfere with its effectiveness. Foods high in calcium like dairy and juices enriched with calcium; soybean products; foods high in fiber, including flaxseeds, oats, rye and linseed; foods high in iodine, like kelp; and leafy vegetables like cabbage, kale, collards, garden cress and garden sorrel should not be ingested at the same time as levothyroxine.
Timing
The good news is that you don't have to forgo your favorite foods altogether. Timing is everything when taking levothyroxine. To avoid interactions, Dr. Todd B. Nippoldt, M.D., of the Mayo Clinic suggests you take levothyroxine at the same time every day on an empty stomach, allowing time for it to absorb before eating. Limit interfering foods, and eat them several hours after taking your medication.
