What Food Should Be Avoided and Eaten If you Have Thyroid Issues?

The thyroid gland is a small organ that’s located in the front of the neck, wrapped around the trachea. It creates and produces hormones that play a role in many different systems throughout the body. When there is too much or less production of essential hormones, it is known as thyroid disease or thyroid issues.

Foods to Avoid If You Have Thyroid Issues

Aside from gluten, soy, and caffeine, people with hyperthyroidism should avoid eating excessive amounts of iodine-rich foods, such as:

·       Fish and shellfish

·       Seaweed or kelp

·       Iodized salt

·       Dairy products

·       Food products containing red dye

·       Egg yolks

·       Blackstrap molasses

·       Baked goods with iodate dough conditioners

Foods that are Good for the Thyroid Gland

These foods show evidence that aids in thyroid function. If you have hypothyroidism, you can eat:

·       Roasted seaweed such as nori and wakame

·       Salted nuts such as macadamia, hazelnuts, and brazil nuts

·       Baked fish such as sea bass, cod, salmon, and perch

·       Dairy products such as milk and yogurt

·       Fresh eggs

Early Warning Signs of Thyroid Issues

Thyroid issues can be difficult to diagnose since they can be mistaken for other health issues. Nonetheless, there are early warning signs of thyroid issues that you should be aware of.

1.    Fatigue. It can be easy to use fatigued interchangeably, but the fatigue experienced by those with thyroid disorders is significantly different, and complete sleep cannot fix it.

2.    Weight gain. The thyroid helps in regulating your metabolism. Having thyroid issues may reduce your metabolic rate and may lead to weight gain.

3.    Weight loss. For some people, thyroid problems may lead to excessive weight loss. In these cases, your BMR results would be much higher than usual.

4.    Slower heart rate. Hypothyroidism results in insufficient thyroid hormone, leading to a slower heart rate. Over time, insufficient thyroid hormone can also cause your arteries to lose elasticity, which can result in high blood pressure due to it taking more work for blood to circulate.

5.    Rapid heart rate. Hyperthyroidism causes the overproduction of hormones that causes faster heartbeats, and harder, and occur at irregular rhythms. Rapid heart rate may cause irregular beats to occur in the upper chambers of the heart and palpitations.

6.    Sensitivity to heat. Sensitivity to heat is a common symptom of an overactive thyroid. This can cause people with hyperthyroidism to experience abnormal sweating and even anxiety due to feeling hot.

7.    Sensitivity to cold. People with hypothyroidism often experience cold hands and feet. This can even occur in rooms where everyone else feels hot. This happens due to your body not producing enough hormones causing your metabolism to slow down.

How to Diagnose Hypothyroidism?

Your doctor may test for an underactive thyroid if you feel increasingly tired, have dry skin, constipation, and weight gain, or have had previous thyroid problems. Blood tests measure TSH and sometimes the thyroid hormone thyroxine is used to diagnose hypothyroidism based on your symptoms and the results of blood tests. Underactive thyroid is indicated by low thyroxine levels and high TSH levels.

Maintaining a Healthy Thyroid

• Go for a Mediterranean diet. One of the most important things you can do to maintain a healthy thyroid is to eat a well-balanced diet.
• Be cautious of certain foods. Avoid processed foods packed with sugar and preservatives, dyes, or fat- and sugar-free substitutes.
• Consider supplements. Speak to your doctor about taking selenium or vitamin D, both of which can improve thyroid health.  Taking probiotics also offers a whole host of health benefits.
• Avoid environmental toxins. Long-term exposure to chemicals may trigger endocrine problems.

Treatment for Thyroid

Standard treatment for hypothyroidism involves daily use of the synthetic thyroid hormone Thyroxine Sodium.  It restores adequate hormone levels, reversing the signs and symptoms of hypothyroidism. Treatment with levothyroxine will likely be lifelong, but because the dosage you need may change, your doctor is likely to check your TSH level every year. For subclinical hypothyroidism discuss treatment with your doctor.