Hypo/Hyper thyroid foods

[Rozenkwarts]

Thanks Chickpea, that's very helpful and yes you are quite an expert!

Oh good, i'll continue my sauerkraut. It really seems to help digestion, i think i do well with it. I do want to make my own but haven't got round to it yet. Have you tried making any fermented foods? I also add miso to soups and use tamari as a seasoning, i love the taste, really good. I'm going to try the kombu, i got some this week. At the health food store they said to leave it to soak in water for at least 30mins, preferably overnight and then add to stocks and miso soups.

Have you noticed improvement when adding more iodine to your diet?

[SHAGLEY]

[Troy McClure]

This is a great thread - well done to Shagley for starting it.

There are a few foods which are listed as goitrogens - i.e. thyroid inhibiting. Amongst them soy, brassica family of vegetables (cauliflower, brocolli, cabbage, brussel sprouts), flax.

When eaten raw these foods contain substances which inhibit the thyroid. This is something to be aware of if you have hypothyroid tendencies - e.g. as I (and most people with candida) do.

Hypothyroidism can't usually be felt directly, but its main symptom is a low basal temperature. If left unchecked the thryoid gland can swell - goitre. It is not clear if this is an autoimmune reaction of if the body is trying to produce more thyroid.

The liver is as crucial to the production of thyroid (rather the conversion) as the thyroid itself. Remember the liver is the main metabolic factory of the body.

My experiences with hypothyroidism and goitrogens is as follows:

I am hypothyroid (from having chronic candida). Main symptom is low body temperature.

3 times I have been affected by goitrogenic foods. Twice it was from eating excessive flax (2-3 flax seed milkshakes a day). Most recently it was from Sauerkraut (fermented cabbage). Eating sauerkraut 2 times a day, along with my diet of mostly goitrogenic veggies (cauliflower, brussel sprouts, brocolli) also twice a day gave me an overload of goitrogens.

Don't get me wrong - I am a big fan of fermented foods and fermented cabbage. But I was just eating far too much goitrogens.

Yes cooking & fermenting do destroy some of the goitrogens, but a big proportion will remain. One source I saw said that cooking only destroys 1/2 of the goitrogens of a food.

The end result was goitre. Let me tell you that goitre is one of the worst health problems I have ever experienced. Simultaneously you feel suicidal and murderous. Very lethargic. Basically lose the will to live.

My advice is to learn about the power of foods. And their contraindications.

By all means eat fermented cabbage. And Flax oil would only have a tiny amount (if any) of goitrogens.

But if you are unfortunate to have hypothyoid tendancies, then watch your total intake of goitrogens.

Also anyone who is hypothyroid should consider taking several tablespoons of coconut oil a day.

Another thing to look into is glandular supplements. Synthyroid (synthetic thyroid) only contains one type of thyroid, where as glandulars contain them all. Though personally I am not a big fan of taking glandulars, many people report great relief from taking them.

Unanswered questions: How does taking extra iodine (e.g. kelp) affect hypothyroidism?

Answer: I am still finding out. The problem with just taking more iodine is that usually the thryroid is already producing enough hormones - they are just not being utilised correctly. So getting the thyroid to produce even more hormone isn't necessarily the best solution. I do notice some difference but the results seem to not be as consistent as I woud like.

[chickpea]

Thanks for the compliments everyone but I really am no expert on thyroid issues. I just know what I've read and what Shelley usually advises on this.
Rosenkwarts I've only ever made kefir as far as fermented foods go. I sometimes have wheat-free tamari in stir-fries but find miso too salty. I used to eat a lot of dulse but stopped now as I've been told seaweeds may be contaminated with mercury!
I don't add iodine to my diet though I have tried a new product recently called Seagreens (www.seagreens.com). It has some iodine in it but I'm probably not having enough to see if makes a difference.
Anne

[shelley]

For HYPOthyroid, here's what you want to do:

Keep circulation going strong (cayenne, rosemary, exercise, massage)

Eat a diet low in simple sugars, high in good protein and cold fatty fish like mackeral, tuna, salmon, swordfish (take iron, zinc and eat cilantro chutney with these fish so you don't absorb mercury)

Get plenty of Skin food: B's, A, E, Zinc, C, EFA's, preferably as Wheat Germ Oil, Cod Liver Oil, Eggs, nuts, seeds, Emergen-C, Nutritional Yeast, Borage/Black Current Oil or other cold expeller-pressed oili, liquid zinc, eggs, dark leafy greens.

plus GTF Chromium (any chromium will do, but GTF Chromium is the best for hypoglycemia. Solaray has it.)

plus Iodine - sea salt, seaweed, kelp, kombu, fish, seafood, caviar, or ConcenTrace trace mineral supplement

plus Lecithin (low thyroid means you're not metabolizing fats properly, and lecithin helps the body break down fats)

plus Coconut Oil

plus Armour Thyroid, 2x a day.

You don't have to avoid goitregens if you're getting enough iodine, but it would be smart to eat oil blends like Udo's Choice rather than pure flax seed oil.

Fermented cabbage is fine.

[shelley]

okay, hypothyroidism has been added to Ailments in the FAQ. I included a couple other tips that I didn't list here so be sure to check it out.

[SHAGLEY]

Thank you Shelley
That is most helpful as usual!
So i guess if you were hyper then you would minimise those foods?

[shelley]

Not necessarily, the thyroid still needs to be fed and made whole. You could make it less hyper by taking in massive amounts of kelp, iodine overdose would knock it down and give you time to cleanse the liver and take gland caps so the body stops attacking it.

[stacirae]

I am going to the Dr today for poor thyroid results. I will get the exact results today. My T1 and T2 came back with some concern so I had T3 and T4 tested and will get all of those today. My question is this, with proper diet and changes do I HAVE to go on medication or is this something I can kick without it? I recently got out of a VERY stressful job and am on a more even keel now so I am sure between that and a poor diet from being on the go, I have caused myself this problem. I will post my thyroid results after I get them today.
I was very much following all of your dietary advice for about a year then I had a huge life change (husband got MS and I went back to work after 8 years home with kids) and I have found it very hard to cook and follow the same routine with very little time and money. I have not done a flush of my liver in over 2 years and I am SURE that is not helping. I am so leary of doing them (I did 8 in a 1 year period and developed and aversion to them). Now I think I will do just the daily or mini flushes. I know I should probably do just one major one but I can't get past the dread of doing it. That and I don't have the time, or rather with the dread can't see my way clear to make the time. I will follow your nutritional advice and stick with that but what I really need to ask is if I do that faithfully, will I still need the medication?

[shelley]

don't be afraid to take the medication for hypothyroidism if you need it, it's probably the safest hormonal replacement out there.

If, however, you are hyper, then you need to think about whether or not you want to go their route and should do more research, talk to Julia over at www.sensiblehealth.com. She was able to cure it with liver cleansing. I became hyper long ago before the Internet so I didn't know of any other options, unfortunately.

Be sure to test TSH, or just get the full thyroid panel.

[stacirae]

As always you have the answer I need, thank you.
I am at ease knowing this is a safe hormone and will start taking it today. I am awaiting the T3/T4 results still but I like this Dr because he feels there is a place for liver flushes and he wants me to return in one month for blood work to follow up and see how the medication is affecting me. He has also ordered an ultrasound on my thyroid to check the size of it and see if there are any nodes on it. He is thorough and he listens, can't ask for better than that!

[shelley]

that all sound wonderfully positive and constructive!

Be sure to go by your symptoms when gauging the dose. The values for thyroid are very individual, just like sensitivity to alcohol, and the guidelines are generated from a huge average.

[stacirae]

Thanks Shelley, will do. I have a terrible sensitivity with most medications so I asked him to start me on a very low dose, 50mcg. I am already noticing a bit of improvement each day (I only fell asleep once when I sat down today, rather than each time I did notice that I feel like there is a drying/dehydrating feeling I get with this medication. Since I live in a dry climate, I will have to carefully watch hydration. Other than that, everything seems much better already. Thanks again for your help Shelley.

[stacirae]

I was starting to experience difficulty sleeping and acid stomach aches with this medication so I dropped down to 1/2 a tablet, 25mcgs and the insomnia left but not the acid reflux so I just stopped taking it. I was wondering if I replace that with armor thyroid, how many mgs should I get? 15 or 30?

[shelley]

Try the 15 first because you have to take it 2x daily. Armour thyroid has a very short half-life.

The acid reflux may have actually been a good thing. It may indicate that your metabolism is waking up enough for you to have healthy hunger and peristaltic action. Once you cleanse your system and properly hydrate it should go away.