Foods that affect your thyroid in a negative way!

[2bflawless]

Good Lord, no wonder I can't tolerate most on this list. Even strawberries... I strawberries but they don't me.


Eat goitrogens in moderation.?.and that includes soy and*soya! | Stop The Thyroid Madness?

Did you know that there are cer*tain foods which can affect your thy*roid in a nega*tive way??

They are com*monly known as Goi*tro*ge*nic foods, which means they con*tain subs*tan*ces which pre*vent your thy*roid from get*ting its neces*sary amount of iodine. If eaten in excess, they inter*fere with the healthy func*tion of your thy*roid gland, til*ting you in the direc*tion of being even more hypothy*roid, or making you sus*cep*ti*ble to having a goi*ter, or enlar*ge*ment of your thy*roid. If you look clo*sely at the word itself, you can see the root word is goi*ter (goitro-gen).

Foods which you have to be care*ful with most revolve around soy-related pro*ducts and ingre*dients, as well as cer*tain cru*ci*fe*rous veg*gies, nuts and some fruits

Now luc*kily for the owner of this site, cho*co*late is NOT con*si*de*red a Goi*tro*ge*nic food. But here are foods that ARE:

bok choy
broc*coli
brus*sels sprouts
cab*bage
cau*li*flo*wer
gar*den kress
kale
kohl*rabi
mus*tard
mus*tard greens
radishes
ruta*ba*gas
soy
soy milk
soy*bean oil
soy lecithin
soy anything
tem*peh
tofu
turnips

Also inc*lu*ded in the goi*tro*gen cate*gory, even if mildly, are:

bam*boo shoots
millet
peaches
pea*nuts
pears
pine nuts
radishes
spi*nach
straw*be*rries
sweet potatoes

But, don’t panic, and there are two rea*sons why! Coo*king does appear to help mini*mize or inac*ti*vate the goi*tro*ge*nic com*pounds found in these foods, since they are heat sen*si*tive. Also, just because you eat these foods uncoo*ked does NOT mean you will have problems…if you remem*ber the word “mode*ra*tion”. The owner of this site eats a few straw*be*rries in her Greek plain yogurt seve*ral mor*nings a week. She also enjoys spi*nach a few times a month (because she can’t stand most other vege*ta*bles) as well as pea*nuts. And with soy being added to many pro*ducts, it’s hard to avoid. The key is to not eat any goi*tro*gens exces*si*vely, pay atten*tion to those labs for hid*den soy, and use mode*ra*tion.

(And now you know why those of us “in the know” cringe when we see the heavy empha*sis on soy pro*ducts in the super*mar*ket, inc*lu*ding infant soy formulas! )

Even res*ve*ra*trol, found in grape skins and wine, plus pea*nuts, can be a pro*blem to your thy*roid if you con*sume too much.

There are also cer*tain che*mi*cals which can have a goi*tro*ge*nic effect on your thy*roid func*tion. They include:

Amio*da*rone
car*ba*ma*ze*pine
iopa*noic acid
Lithium
phe*no*bar*bi*tone
pheny*toin
potas*sium perch*lo*rate
propylthiou*ra*cil
rifam*pin
sul*fa*di*metho*xine
SSRI’s like Celexa and others

Iodine and goi*tro*gens: Dr. Browns*tein sta*tes that taking more iodine will coun*te*ract eating some goi*tro*ge*nic foods. And fluo*ride, chlo*rine and bro*mi*des are goi*tro*gens too.

To read more about the dan*gers of soy and it’s his*tory, go here:

You can also read some per*so*nal expe*rien*ces with the nega*tive effect of exces*sive soy here: Complaints About Soy

[Lisa46]

Spinach and Broccoli are the main veggies in my WOE...and the loves of my life! Gahhhh....I hope I don't have to remove them.

Sis, what happens if you eat Strawberries? Do you get immediate symptoms? Yikes!

[lisabinil]

I tolerate all of these foods well and they haven't affected my levels or health. But I have had a thyroidectomy and am on synthetics-Synthroid/Cytomel.

[inatic]

I seem to tolerate them well.. though lately im eating more spinach and feel a bit hypo??

It could be the ERFA (having a wee less than amour/i need a wee more

OR

just dieting and my training.

[Leo41]

I always cook vegetables, but occasionally I'll have a spinach salad.

When I asked my endo about all this a long time ago, he said that nothing in moderation should be a problem, but to be careful not to overdo anything that works against my meds.

I've followed that advice and never had any problems.

I think the frequent postings of lists like this (on other boards as well) creates hysteria among some people who imagine that somehow they'll 'destroy' their thyroid by eating broccoli. I think we all need to relax a little.

[nonstickpam107]

Originally Posted by Leo41

I always cook vegetables, but occasionally I'll have a spinach salad.

When I asked my endo about all this a long time ago, he said that nothing in moderation should be a problem, but to be careful not to overdo anything that works against my meds.

I've followed that advice and never had any problems.

I think the frequent postings of lists like this (on other boards as well) creates hysteria among some people who imagine that somehow they'll 'destroy' their thyroid by eating broccoli. I think we all need to relax a little.

This came at a great time. I actually got a phone call at 4am from someone I'd been helping in my area to get better thyroid care. She called me at 4am asking if she needed to go to the hospital because she had been at a party the previous night and had eaten raw broccoli and cauliflower....wanted to know if she could die from this.

Thank goodness I'm well replaced and don't require a lot of sleep (but do require a lot of patience)... once I felt a little more awake (and the heart pounding 'Omg...is someone ill or has there been a medical emergency' wore off) I had time to calm her down and explain things.

Yeah...please...if you are medicated, but recently...try cooking the veggies. Don't eat anything with soy protein (soy sauce is ok, soy oil usually doesn't present a problem and fermented soy products can be ok in moderation) and steam your veggies for now....if you have Dr. Right...than the doc will 'adjust' your meds if you eat goitrogens raw on a daily basis.

Pam

[2bflawless]

Originally Posted by Lisa46

Spinach and Broccoli are the main veggies in my WOE...and the loves of my life! Gahhhh....I hope I don't have to remove them.

Sis, what happens if you eat Strawberries? Do you get immediate symptoms? Yikes!

Lisa, I can not tolerate strawberries any longer. Whenever I eat them or go over my carb limit my hypo symptoms of chronic fatigue and fog return usually the following day.

I have tried several of the foods on this list and most brought these symptoms. I posted this because I never read this until the day I posted this here. I found it interesting b/c this has been MY experience. While on Atkins' DANDR version and SAD, the foods listed were staples in my diet.

For the record, I in no way think these foods will kill me but I do know that I avoid most that are on the list since I went VLC. I believe that along with proper meds are the reason I feel great. Everytime I have tried to add these foods since being properly medicated the symptoms return, so clearly, for some, there may be issues.

[nonstickpam107]

You might need to be optimally medicated longer Lisa. Remember...I'm past the 10th year mark optimized and strawberries STILL kind of slow me down...also...some goitrogens are contingent upon one also being hormonally balanced...I found that once I was past menopause (out the other side thank goodness!!!) spinach, raw cauliflower and broccoli no longer have the same effect.

It's a YMMV type of thing I do believe. My DD and others around her age (heading for 40 yrs. old) also experience goitrogens as 'slow downs'....maybe they won't once they are post meno also.

But we sure do know that soy does it to us everytime...regardless of how optimal we are treated!

Pam

[2bflawless]

Originally Posted by nonstickpam107

You might need to be optimally medicated longer Lisa. Remember...I'm past the 10th year mark optimized and strawberries STILL kind of slow me down...also...some goitrogens are contingent upon one also being hormonally balanced...I found that once I was past menopause (out the other side thank goodness!!!) spinach, raw cauliflower and broccoli no longer have the same effect.

It's a YMMV type of thing I do believe. My DD and others around her age (heading for 40 yrs. old) also experience goitrogens as 'slow downs'....maybe they won't once they are post meno also.

But we sure do know that soy does it to us everytime...regardless of how optimal we are treated!

Pam

You are probably right, Pam but for the time being I am avoiding foods that make me feel awful. Honsestly, strawberries are the only things I really miss from that list. So it's no real hardship.

[nonstickpam107]

I hear ya...I'm allergic to so many foods....actually, I kind of just 'wash, rinse, repeat' foods I DO tolerate. But I know strawberries really knock me out....and I'll swear that no matter how much T3 I got that day...the strawberries found it and took off with it.

Pam

[mimers]

Very interesting about the strawberries...I never knew why I loved the taste, but didn't quite "feel right" after consuming them. So, I just bought a basket and guess what. i put them outside on the ground under a tree. The little squirrels love them and take them one at a time up the tree and "bury them" in the pine needles. They have done this for 2 years and it's a riot!! Have you ever seen a strawberry sitting nicely on top of a high branch in a tree. Sorry, but I just had to tell that story! (it's true...watched one do it again this morning)

[2bflawless]

Originally Posted by nonstickpam107

I hear ya...I'm allergic to so many foods....actually, I kind of just 'wash, rinse, repeat' foods I DO tolerate. But I know strawberries really knock me out....and I'll swear that no matter how much T3 I got that day...the strawberries found it and took off with it.

Pam

Yep, I could not figure out why I would be laid out on the couch even when I was feeling better on T3 only a few months back. Same thing I was zapped! I found the same to be true with veggies...no fun.

Mimers: That is the cutest story...good for the squirrels...the strawberries may slow them down a little though.

[nonstickpam107]

Ha ha...our squirrels like English Muffins. (DH works at a bakery that makes them...and in order to show 'pride' in the company they like him to take some home....needless to say after 23 years...um..we're still proud...but not enough to eat them...lol)...the squirrels come and get them and then eat them by turning them round and round nibbling them to the size of a quarter.

Pam

[teri f]

Originally Posted by nonstickpam107

Ha ha...our squirrels like English Muffins. (DH works at a bakery that makes them...and in order to show 'pride' in the company they like him to take some home....needless to say after 23 years...um..we're still proud...but not enough to eat them...lol)...the squirrels come and get them and then eat them by turning them round and round nibbling them to the size of a quarter.

Pam

LOL--you probably have fat diabetic squirrels by now!

[nonstickpam107]

Originally Posted by teri f

LOL--you probably have fat diabetic squirrels by now!

[thewoman]

I love this thread and I frequently visit it for reference. I really like mustard greens and am eating a ton of them lately but definitely cooking them well because of this info.

The crazy thing is I think this thread is getting in my dreams! Last night I had a "nightmare" that I accidentally ate strawberries and got so tired that I had to go lie down on the couch instead of going to work! =P

[2bflawless]

Originally Posted by thewoman

I love this thread and I frequently visit it for reference. I really like mustard greens and am eating a ton of them lately but definitely cooking them well because of this info.

The crazy thing is I think this thread is getting in my dreams! Last night I had a "nightmare" that I accidentally ate strawberries and got so tired that I had to go lie down on the couch instead of going to work! =P

Were you dreaming of me? That is exactly what happens whenever I eat strawberries!

[thewoman]

Originally Posted by 2bflawless

Were you dreaming of me? That is exactly what happens whenever I eat strawberries!

Yes, it was definitely your post that crept in there....wish the fat squirrels had made it too...