Flax Seed and Hypothyroid - Pam?

[JuliaL]

I saw Pam's post on the ML about how flax seed binds with thyroid hormone. I've been eating a tbs of ground flax on my oatmeal every morning, and I was recently diagnosed with Hashimoto's. I tried to do some research on it, and came across this article written by Mary Shomon on a thyroid info site. The Dr. referenced is:

Edward Bauman, Ph.D. is founder and director of the Institute for Educational Therapy in Cotati, California. The Institute trains nutritionists and culinary arts professionals in how to identify and correctly use foods for their healing properties. With his emphasis on the healing and health-promoting qualities of whole foods, Dr. Bauman and the Institute are offering an entirely new focus on food, and creating a new profession -- Personal Therapeutic Chef -- in the process. Dr. Bauman is also a nutrition member of the California Institute of Integrative Medicine in Santa Rosa, California and Associate Dean of Nutrition at the University of Natural Medicine in Santa Fe, New Mexico.

Eat More Fish and Flax Seeds

Dr. Bauman believes fatty acids are vital for the uptake of the thyroid. Ocean fish are one good source of fatty acids. While you'd still be better off replacing some meat in your diet with something like canned tuna, some tunas have methyl mercury, so you are better off going with ocean fish. Keep in mind that most salmon sold in the U.S. is farm raised. In order to have the needed Omega-3 fatty acids, fish need to eat algae, so farm-raised fish do not have fatty acid value.

Another good source is whole flax seeds. According to Dr. Bauman, flax seeds look like sesame seeds, and have a good taste. They offer high fiber and lignans, vitamin E and zinc, from a nutritional perspective. He recommends grinding fresh flax seeds in a coffee grinder, and sprinkling the powder on hot cereal, or over a salad, or in a soup, eating 1 - 2 tablespoons, a few times a day. (Keep in mind to add the ground flax seeds to foods after cooking.)

Anyone have more info? Pam?

[nonstickpam107]

Dr. Bauman can eat a lb. of flaxsed as far as I'm concerned. I go quite 'hypo'...swelling, fatigued, etc. and have even seen the difference in my FT3, and FT4 blood work (and my NP from the endo called me, asking WHAT I was doing...heh heh...and it was the flaxseed meal I was eating). Flax has lignans, which fight cancer, but which can be quite the powerful estrogen (phytoestrogen) also.

Each to their own, as I always say, but heating it to kill the goitrogen effect also 'ruins' teh essential lignans.

Hashimoto's is autoimmune, generally triggered by 'hormone upheaval' (pregnancy, menopause, etc.) and if you think flaxseed is binding your T4 (making it quite impossible for it to convert to T3, and those with Hashi's almost ALWAYS ALWAYS need T3 in addition to T4), than you need to avoid it, OR take the SAME amount EVERY day and have the doc add MORE T3 until your FT3 is in the midway or higher levels.

I love raw cauliflower and broc. and strawberries (all goitrogens) but my doctor keeps me very well medicated (my FT3 is about 3/4 of it's lab range, right where it should be). Flaxseed and soy and EPO and OTC phytoestrogens (like Remifemin stuff) all made my FT's really slip..noticeably, proven by my blood testing.

ETA: You are eating flaxseed for the OIL...so just take the oil (which is cold pressed and doesn't have the same affect).

Pam

[JuliaL]

Thanks Pam, great information as always. I've read that broccoli and cauliflower are not goitrogens if they are cooked, is that right? I didn't know about strawberries! What are EPO and OTC?

[nonstickpam107]

Evening primrose oil and over the counter.

Yeah, I can get away with eating a lot of uncooked cauli and broc though...my doc makes sure my FT3 is quite high in range (where I need it!) ...I'm on Armour Thyroid of course...the pig thyroid that has T!, T2, T3, T4 and calcitonin (for bone health). It mimics a real female thyroid so WELL that I don't feel hypothyroid at all (unless I forget to take a split dose, ha ha). Never has a hormone worked so well, yet cost so little (my dose is a whopping nine bucks a month for name brand).

Pam