How to Keep Your Thyroid Healthy

Four simple diet tips to keep your thyroid healthy

Now that we are at the end of thyroid awareness month, we think it’s important to end on a positive note. While thyroid dysfunction is quite common, it is very easily treated.

Thyroid cancer has one of the highest survival rates of any cancer, and hypo- and hyperthyroidism improve greatly with medication

For people with a healthy thyroid, there are loads of ways to keep it that way. So, here are 4 dietary habits that can help reduce your risk of developing a thyroid condition.

1)      Control your iodine levels

One of the biggest controllable causes of thyroid dysfunction is imbalanced levels of iodine. Iodine affects how much of each thyroid hormone is released, so too much or too little can lead to an over- or underabundance of them.

The recommended daily intake for adults is 150 micrograms of iodine. This increases to 220 for pregnant women and 270 for breastfeeding women. Anyone with low iodine levels should aim to increase their intake, but only if advised by their doctor.

Too much iodine can lead to an overabundance of thyroid hormones, so reducing iodine levels might be necessary instead for people with hyperthyroidism.

Foods high in iodine include fish, dairy, eggs and seaweed.

Iodine-rich foods include fish, dairy, eggs, seafood and seaweed. People with hyperthyroidism should avoid excess iodine.

2)      Maintain a healthy weight

Last week, we mentioned that obesity is a risk factor for thyroid cancer, but it is not as simple as ‘losing weight can keep you healthy’.

Struggling to maintain a consistent weight is the key here. With fluctuations in weight, your hormones also tend to fluctuate.

Slight weight fluctuations throughout the day are completely normal, but if it is constant and prolonged, it is worth speaking to your doctor about.

Excessive weight fluctuations – especially those caused by ‘yoyo dieting’ – put strain on your heart anyway, as well as making you susceptible to a whole range of other health problems.

Iodine-suppressing foods include wheat, grains, peanuts, peaches, soy, cassava and brassicas. People with hypothyroidism should avoid iodine-inhibitors.

3)      Ditch the uncooked vegetables

OK, not all vegetables…

Some veggies – known as brassicas – can cause thyroid dysfunction if they aren’t cooked for long enough. Kale, broccoli and brussels sprouts are among the vegetables that shouldn’t be eaten completely raw.

Raw brassicas interfere with iodine uptake, which is problematic for anyone with an underactive thyroid or iodine deficiency. The main health problem associated with brassicas is goitre – a swollen thyroid.

They are also among the healthiest when cooked, though, so there’s no reason to stop eating your greens! Speak to your doctor if you are concerned about your thyroid. They can conduct blood tests to find out for certain.

Brassicas if eaten raw, can then inhibit iodine uptake. Brassicas include brocooli, cauliflower, cabbage, turnips, brussels sprouts and pak choi.

4)      Eat more antioxidants

This one is unsurprising because antioxidants are little miracle workers that improve your health overall.

Antioxidants’ main job is to balance free radicals – atoms with an uneven number of protons – which move around the body causing random chemical reactions.

As they do elsewhere, antioxidants stop these chemical reactions from occurring in the thyroid, preventing health problems such as cancer and, potentially, hypothyroidism.

Antioxidants can keep your thyroid healthy. Some antioxidants are strawberries, blueberries, onions, garlic, nuts and seeds, red wine, avocado and spinach.

A healthy diet, a healthy thyroid

While many thyroid conditions are unpreventable, some lifestyle factors do contribute to our risk.

Maintaining a healthy weight and the right iodine levels, alongside a generally healthy diet filled with colourful vegetables might help you reduce the risk of developing thyroid problems.

If you are concerned about your or a loved ones’ thyroid, speak to your doctor who will be able to refer you to a specialist.

Felicity Thompson

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