4 Special Diets To Help Manage Hypothyroidism

Hypothyroidism, also known as underactive thyroid syndrome, is a chronic condition when your thyroid gland does not produce enough thyroid hormone. However, you can improve your thyroid hormone levels with this special diet for hypothyroidism.

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Best Diets for Hypothyroidism

Overview

According to the American Thyroid Association (ATA), hypothyroidism may induce weight gain, weakness, dry skin, constipation, and feeling cold when others are wet. Although there is no known special diet for hypothyroidism, eating a healthy, well-balanced diet can help ease some symptoms.

To improve thyroid function, a change in your diet can help with the inflammation, cortisol and providing nutrition, according to Dr. Shane Steadman, a functional medicine practitioner and chiropractic neurologist at Integrated Health System in Englewood, Colorado.

And just like all diets, this special diet for hypothyroidism has its pros and cons. Let’s check them and find out if one may be right for you.

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Gluten-Free Diet

Just like what the name suggests, this diet mainly focuses on avoiding and eliminating food that contains gluten, a protein found in barley, rye, and wheat. This diet is medically recommended for people with gluten sensitivity or celiac disease, an autoimmune condition in which consuming gluten can damage the small intestine.

According to a study in march 2012, celiac disease is a lot more common among people with hypothyroidism than the general majority.

Special diet for hypothyroidism tip: Food and drink for your gluten-free diet.

Food:

• Rice
• Lentils
• Fruits and vegetables
• Meat
• Potatoes
• Fish

 

Beverages:

• Cider
• Flavor water
• Wine
• Spirits
• Liqueurs
• Fruit juice

 

However, you should stay away from beer, ales, lager, and stout if you have coeliac disease.

 

Pros: 

• Improve hypothyroidism medication absorption.
• You may feel less fatigued as you’re eating fewer processed foods and more healthy food such as vegetables, fruits, and lean protein as an addition.

 

Cons: 

• Nutrient deficiencies such as iron, calcium, and niacin.
• Constipation, a typical hypothyroidism symptom, may be triggered by a lack of fiber from excluding whole-grain bread.

 

Mediterranean Diet

This anti-inflammatory diet emphasizes plant-based diets, fish and seafood, whole grains, almonds, peas, legumes, and good fats like olive oil while avoiding butter, red meat, and processed foods.

Special diet for hypothyroidism tip: These foods should be included in your Mediterranean diet

• Nuts and seeds: walnuts, hazelnuts, almonds, pumpkin seeds, cashews, sunflower seeds, etc.
• Tubers: turnips, potatoes, yams, sweet potatoes, etc.
• Fruit: bananas, strawberries, dates, melons, apples, peaches, etc.
• Dairy: yogurt, cheese, etc.
• Whole grains: barley, rye, whole wheat, etc.
• Eggs: Chicken, duck, quail, etc.
• Fish and seafood: clams, mussels, sardines, salmon, tuna, shrimp, etc.
• Healthy fats: avocado oil, olives, olive oil, etc.

 

Pros: 

• Helps with thyroid conversion and pituitary function
• Prevents thyroid inflammation

 

Cons: 

• Expensive for many people to maintain, according to research.

 

Paleo Diet

This is also known as the caveman, or Stone Age diet, as the food in this diet is mainly obtained by gathering or hunting in the Paleolithic era. The diet for hypothyroidism includes fruits, lean meats, fish, and vegetables.

 

Pros: 

• A paleo diet removes hard-to-digest ingredients like wheat and maize, which can induce inflammation while promoting antioxidant-rich foods like fresh fruits and vegetables.

 

Cons: 

• Eliminating the entire food group will lead to missed vital nutrients.

 

Special diet for hypothyroidism tip: while strictly following the diet can help you with hypothyroidism, it can be improved even further by adding healthy and nutritious food to keep it balanced and stable.

 

Low-Glycemic Diet

The glycemic index (GI) is a way of measuring the impact carbohydrates have on blood glucose (sugar) levels.

 

Pros: 

• According to Dr. Steadman, A low-glycemic diet is suitable for people with diabetes or who consume a bad diet rich in processed carbohydrates.
• High blood sugar levels will raise cortisol output and inflammation, all of which may be detrimental to hypothyroidism.

 

Cons: 

• According to Dr. Steadman, a low-glycemic diet can not be beneficial if a person with hypothyroidism already has low blood sugar.

 

Special diet for hypothyroidism tip: There are three GI rating include:

• Low: 55 or less
• Medium: 56 to 69
• High: 70 or more

 

Foods with a low GI value are the safest choice. They digest and consume slowly, resulting in a slower and smaller increase in blood sugar levels and, at the same time, limiting the food with high GI value.

Currently, there has been no cure for hypothyroidism, but it can be managed by replacing the hormones that the thyroid cannot manufacture on its own with synthetic hormones. However, always remember to talk to your healthcare provider before coming to a decision.

 

Hypothyroidism can cause a variety of problems down the road. Let YM lend you a hand with BIOIDENTICAL HORMONE REPLACEMENT THERAPY (BHRT). 

Contact us and receive your FREE consultation session at our four offices in Florida, Ocala, Fruitland Park, and Daytona. 2020 is DONE. Let’s SLAY 2021!  

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