If you suffer from hypothyroidism, do you know which foods to avoid so you don’t stop your medication from working as prescribed?
Foods are like medication – and the following list contains those that are stuffed with goitrogens, nasty little chemicals that can block your thyroid (and medication) from producing thyroid hormone properly, especially when eaten raw. Lower your thyroid function and you could develop a goiter, or swollen, enlarged thyroid tissue.
Here are the foods to avoid eating raw if you want to prevent a goiter:
VEGETABLES
- BROCCOLI
- BRUSSEL SPROUTS
- CABBAGE
- CASSAVA ROOT
- CAULIFLOWER
- KALE
- MUSTARD GREENS
- RADISHES
- RUTABAGAS
- SPINACH
- TURNIPS
FRUITS
- STRAWBERRIES
- PEACHES
- PEARS
LEGUMES/SEEDS/GRAINS
- MILLET
- SOYBEANS
- PEANUTS
- PINENUTS
OILS
- CANOLA
Now cooking these foods inactivates their anti-thyroid properties, so eating a cooked strawberry pie or jam would be fine…but stuff yourself with the delicious, fresh version and you could be in for a world of trouble.
Soy contains a hat trick of ways to tamper with your thyroid. It contains isoflavones, which can trigger thyroid antibodies creating an internal war of inflammation. Next…they can fake out the thyroid by masquerading as thyroid hormone, making an already low productive thyroid down right comatose. Finally, isoflavones can tackle block iodine, triggering a goiter.
So next time you visit the salad bar, skip the raw veggies in this list and make your thyroid happy.