Finding the Best Hypothyroidism Diet

Post updated: 8th June 2023

Finding the “right” diet plan for hypothyroidism can be challenging largely because most hypothyroidism diets are based on poor research and completely outdated. However, it’s important to understand that there’s a lot of good research available verifying the link between diet and hypothyroidism.

Unfortunately, it might take years for the medical community and general public to accept the fact that most of the dietary beliefs we have today are actually false.

Most doctors will not tell you this, but diet can have a significant impact on hypothyroidism symptoms. Some foods can interfere with medications or make hypothyroidism worse while others can improve the condition. You can be using the best available medications or supplements, but if you’re not following the right diet plan, you’re setting yourself up for failure.

This article explores the link between diet and hypothyroidism, which foods to include in your diet, and which foods to avoid.

How diet affects hypothyroidism

Hypothyroidism is a condition that affects about 2% of people worldwide. It occurs when the body is unable to produce enough thyroid hormones. Although diet does not cure hypothyroidism, it plays a critical role in managing the condition. These roles include:

• Foods that are rich in nutrients such as zinc, selenium, and iodine, help improve thyroid function.
• Foods that contain nutrients such as goitrogens and soy interfere with proper thyroid function. Therefore, limiting these foods can improve the symptoms of hypothyroidism.
• Some supplements and foods interfere with the absorption of thyroid replacement medication, so limiting supplements and foods can be highly beneficial for people with hypothyroidism.

Hypothyroidism can slow down your metabolism and lead to weight gain. Therefore, people with hypothyroidism should adopt and adhere to a healthy diet to prevent unwanted weight gain. Studies show that making dietary changes has an impact on how you feel and can also help improve your quality of life.

Hypothyroidism Diet Tips

Uncomfortable aches, shivers due to sensitivity to cold, and fatigue (lack of energy), are just some of the symptoms of hypothyroidism. Fortunately, combining dietary changes with hypothyroidism medication can help alleviate the symptoms. Here are 11 key tips that are essential for any successful hypothyroidism diet plan.

1. Avoid or limit anti-thyroid foods

This is a very important hypothyroidism diet tip mainly because it’s a very controversial topic. Some popular “health foods” that most people with hypothyroidism are eating actually contribute to their condition.

For instance, studies have shown that foods that contain soy including soy milk, tempeh, edamame, tofu, and soybeans are rich in estrogens which inhibit the secretion of thyroid hormone by the thyroid gland.

This is very disturbing because some well-respected hypothyroidism treatment programs and hypothyroidism diets actually recommend soy without discussing this crucial link.

On the other hand, the polyunsaturated fats in your hypothyroidism diet also directly contribute to the condition. Although the beneficial properties of polyunsaturated fats are highly touted, most hypothyroidism diet plans that recommend it actually ignore research that shows its dangers.

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These fats suppress thyroid function on many different levels. Besides blocking the secretion of thyroid hormones from the thyroid gland, they also inhibit the transportation of the hormones in the bloodstream and block cells from utilizing thyroid hormones once they get it.

The research against polyunsaturated fats should definitely be taken into consideration and you should exclude these fats from your hypothyroidism diet at all costs. Otherwise, you’re fighting a battle you can’t win.

2. Eat the right fruits

Fruits are a very important part of a successful hypothyroidism diet plan. Most fruits are high in potassium which helps regulate blood sugar levels. This decreases the need of insulin which stabilizes your blood sugar for longer periods of time.

Moreover, by keeping your blood sugar stable, you reduce your response to stress hormones, which is one of the common problems with hypothyroidism. Nevertheless, it’s critical to avoid foods that are high in saturated fat content, such as avocado. The key is to include the right fruits in your diet for hypothyroidism and avoid fruits that work against you.

3.  Eat plenty of bone broth – treat hypothyroidism naturally.

Bone broth is a very good source of protein. In fact, it was a common component of most people’s diets about a century ago. However, now it has become an almost completely forgotten part of most hypothyroidism diets.

Bone broth is very high in important nutrients and easy to digest. It also contains a unique blend of anti-inflammatory foods that most sources of meat lack.

4.  Include shellfish in your diet for hypothyroid.

Shellfish are very beneficial to the thyroid and play an important role in your hypothyroidism diet plan. They are an excellent source of thyroid hormone which our standard meat-based diet rarely provides. Therefore, eating shellfish can actually help improve thyroid function. Shellfish are also very rich in selenium, which is one of the key nutrients the body needs to convert inactive T4 thyroid hormone to active T3 in the liver. According to a study published in the International Journal of Endocrinology, maintaining healthy selenium levels promotes overall health and helps prevent thyroid disease

Besides helping activate thyroid hormones, this mineral also has strong antioxidant properties, which means it protects the thyroid gland from damage by free radicals. Adding foods that are rich in selenium to your hypothyroidism diet plan is a great way of improving your selenium levels. Other foods that are high in selenium include tuna, sardines, legumes, Brazil nuts, shrimp, chicken, beef, turkey, eggs, ham, oatmeal, and whole wheat bread.

However, you should avoid taking selenium supplements unless recommended by your doctor because selenium can be toxic in large doses.

5.  Incorporate coffee into your diet if you are hypothyroid

This might come as a surprise to many, but believe it or not, coffee has some incredible benefits for the thyroid. However, it’s essential to remember that coffee must be taken right in order to avoid negative side effects. Avoid drinking coffee on an empty stomach and always add the right ratio of sugar and fat. Coffee is rich in magnesium which is essential for proper thyroid function. It also contains caffeine which stimulates your thyroid.

On the other hand, studies show that coffee drinkers have the lowest risk of developing thyroid disease, including goiter and cancer.

6.  Avoid raw or lightly cooked vegetables

Although raw vegetables usually contain more nutrients than cooked vegetables, raw veggies are difficult to digest. Therefore, you extract fewer nutrients from raw veggies than you do from well-cooked veggies. It’s important to cook your vegetables well in order to break down the fiber and ensure that the nutrients are readily available.

Some veggies contain goitrogens that can decrease the production of thyroid hormones. Foods that are loaded with goitrogens are usually green, cruciferous vegetables, such as collards, cabbage, cauliflower, broccoli, broccoli rabe, Russian kale, wasabi, horseradish, pak choi, watercress, cauliflower, and brussels sprouts.

However, these veggies are also rich in nutrients that offer numerous health benefits. Other foods that contain goitrogens include:

• Nuts and seeds: Peanuts, pine nuts, and millet
• Starch plants and some fruits: Strawberries, cassava, and sweet potatoes.

If you have hypothyroidism you can still enjoy these foods in moderation because the cooking process deactivates the effects of goitrogens (natural thyroid blockers). Moreover, goitrogens only affect your hormones when you consume them in excess or if you have an iron deficiency.

7.  Include high-quality saturated fats in your diet

There’s plenty of unfounded negative criticism surrounding saturated fats. However, critics of these fats cite poorly executed and outdated research studies from decades ago while overlooking the huge amount of modern research studies showing their numerous benefits for hypothyroidism.

One of the main benefits of incorporating saturated fats in your hypothyroidism diet plan is that they can help cancel out the harmful effects of polyunsaturated fats. Saturated fats also help improve the body’s insulin response which reduces stress hormones and helps you maintain healthy blood sugar levels. It’s important to keep in mind that elevated levels of stress hormones are one of the many causes of hypothyroidism.

However, you should avoid some animal fats because most conventionally raised cattle are usually fattened with foods that are high in toxic polyunsaturated fats such as soy and corn. Because of this, animal fat obtained from such animals is very unsaturated. Therefore, you should incorporate only high-quality saturated fats in your hypothyroidism diet. This includes coconut oil, butter, and fats from grass-fed animals.

8.  Avoid processed foods

Almost all hypothyroidism diets agree that processed foods have no place in your diet. Packaged and/or processed foods are usually full of processed grains that can cause problems with blood sugar levels. They can cause spikes in insulin levels which leads to low blood sugar. This creates a stress hormone response in a bid to regulate blood sugar levels.

Moreover, processed foods are also loaded with toxic chemicals like preservatives and flavor enhancers. These toxic chemicals eventually lead to liver congestion which can make it even more difficult for the liver to activate the necessary thyroid hormones.

Therefore, it’s very important to avoid processed and packaged foods, which are usually calorie-dense, promote weight gain, and offer very little nutritional benefit. Some of the processed foods you should avoid include cookies, cakes, fast food, donuts, and hot dogs.

9.  Increase your intake of salt

Sodium is a very important nutrient that plays a very crucial part in your hypothyroidism diet. Your body needs sodium to carry out many important functions such as regulating blood pressure. It also plays other important roles especially when dealing with hypothyroidism.

Edema is a common symptom of hypothyroidism that causes your cells to take up more water. When your cells take up more water, they end up losing sodium which is excreted through urine.

Low sodium levels increase your stress levels and slow your metabolism which can cause sleep problems. Elevated stress hormones can worsen the symptoms of hypothyroidism. Since we get sodium from salt, it’s critical to incorporate salt in your hypothyroidism diet to reverse hypothyroidism and reduce your levels of stress hormones.

Your body also needs iodine to make thyroid hormones. Although your body does not make iodine, you can find it in a variety of foods, such as cheese, fish, iodized table salt, ice cream, seaweed, whole eggs, and milk. However, you don’t want to eat too much iodine either. Eating too many foods that are high in iron or taking iodine supplements can worsen hyperthyroidism.

10.  Don’t drink too much water

This is another controversial topic when it comes to hypothyroidism diets. We have been led to believe that we need at least 8 glasses of water per day. However, we already know that hypothyroidism causes water retention. So it doesn’t make any sense for people with hypothyroidism to drink even more water when their bodies have a problem getting rid of it.

Drinking too much water can cause sodium levels in the bloodstream to drop even more which also contributes to hypothyroidism. Therefore, you should only drink water when thirsty. However, if you work outdoors in the sun, you’ll probably need more water than someone who sits indoors all day typing on the keyboard. Although the amount of water you should drink each day depends on several variables, your thirst is one of the best indicators of the amount of water you need.

11.  Consume gluten in moderation

Gluten is a protein that is found in grains such as barley, rye, and wheat. Although gluten does not affect thyroid function directly, some people with autoimmune-related hypothyroidism also have celiac disease, whose treatment requires patients to follow a gluten-free diet.

Celiac disease is a condition in which the immune system mistakenly attacks the small intestine after the ingestion of gluten. Therefore, if you have autoimmune-related hypothyroidism, you should cut gluten out of your diet to see if your symptoms will improve.

Other hypothyroidism diet tips

Some supplements, foods, and medications can make your hypothyroid medication less effective. Medications and supplements that can interfere with the absorption of thyroid hormone include:

• Iron supplements
• Calcium supplements
• Acid reducers or antacids

If you’re using these medications or supplements regularly you should speak to your doctor about the best way to manage your thyroid hormone levels and medication.

If you have hypothyroidism, you should not navigate your diet alone. It’s recommended that you visit a doctor who will help you identify foods that might cause problems such as interactions with your thyroid medication.

You can also consult a dietitian who will help you develop a thyroid-friendly diet. Although most of the tips provided in this guide are controversial, they are all based on credible research studies.

Incorporating these tips into your hypothyroidism diet will help minimize symptoms and also prevent unwanted effects of hypothyroidism such as unwanted weight gain.

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