The Hypothyroidism Diet – What You Can And Cannot Eat


If you have a case of hypothyroidism, your doctor is sure to put you on some form of hypothyroidism treatment involving the administration of the thyroid replacement hormones levothyroxine and liothyroinine. While this treatment is the most effective way to keep your condition under control, following a hypothyroidism diet is also of great help.

Going on a hypothyroidism diet can help accelerate the effect of the medical treatment and   the reduction of the hypothyroidism symptoms as well.

hypothyroidism diet
Add iodine-rich foods like iodized salt to your hypothyroidism diet, to avoid iodine deficiency.

A Hypothyroidism Diet – Three Tips To Eat Right

Here are three important pointers that can help you tailor the right hypothyroidism diet for your condition.

  1. Eat Foods Rich In Iodine And Selenium

    As iodine deficiency is the most common cause of hypothyroidism, it makes sense to compensate for the lack of iodine through foods that contain this important substance.

    Even if your condition has not been caused primarily by iodine deficiency, your thyroid gland still requires this substance in healthy amounts. For this reason, you must eat foods rich in iodine, such as iodized salt, sushi and other sea food, Nori rolls, and Celtic sea salt.

    Consuming foods rich in selenium is also highly recommended when you have hypothyroidism. Ensure that you get plenty of tuna, chicken, garlic, dairy products, Brazil nuts, onions, and other selenium-rich foods.

  2. Get Healthy Amounts Of Protein And Fat

    Insufficient consumption of protein and fat or a complete lack of these nutrients in your diet could also be one of the reasons for your body’s hormonal imbalance and thyroid malfunction. For this reason, it is important that you take in these vital substances in sufficient quantities through foods like cottage cheese, yogurt, nuts, tofu, soy milk, and quinoa.

  3. Avoid Foods That Harm The Thyroid

    Spinach, peaches, cauliflower, coffee, kohlrabi, millet, mustard, kale, and peanuts are some of the foods that are known to aggravate hypothyroidism, so strictly stay away from them. Also, avoid goitrogenic foods like tempeh, sweet potato, horseradish, canola oil, and bamboo shoots.

    hypothyroidism diet plan
    A hypothyroidism diet plan does not allow foods like bamboo shoots and sweet potatoes.

Monitor Your Medication Schedule

While eating right to regain the normal functioning of your thyroid, you must also avoid  eating certain foods around the time you’re scheduled to take the medication prescribed by your doctor. This is because the combination of the two can cause a negative reaction.

Do ensure that you do not consume items like calcium supplements, ulcer medication, walnuts, antacids, cottonseed meal, and soybean flour for a few hours before and after you have to take your thyroid medication.

Pay Attention To The Details

There are several other tiny factors that can further upset or restore your thyroid function, so pay attention to them by following these measures.

    • Stay away from foods containing gluten if you have a special case of hypothyroidism called Hashimoto’s thyroiditis.
    • If you’re taking medication for any other condition, consult your doctor to ensure that the medication prescribed for this other condition does not contain substances like Phenobarbitone, Carbamazepine, Propylthiouracil, Sulfadimethoxine, and Thioureylene. This is because these substances are goitrogenic and can worsen your hypothyroidism.
    • If you’re getting an X-ray and your thyroid is susceptible to the radiation, ask for a thyroid collar to protect it from further damage.
    • Add probiotics to your diet to help improve your thyroid function with healthy intestinal bacteria.
    • Practice relaxation techniques to get rid of stress, as the functioning of your thyroid gland is quite sensitive to stressors.

Following your doctor’s advice for treating your underactive thyroid will no doubt help you keep hypothyroidism under control, but sticking to a hypothyroidism diet is sure to help you get there faster!


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