Green leafy veg

[Citta]

I'm confused about the effects of green leafy veg on the thyroid. Can someone please clarify if they should be avoided or can be eaten cooked. They are goitrogenic I hear but I'm not sure what that means. Does it mean they attack the thyroid or just prevent the meds from working.

[bluebug]

Eat in moderation cooked.

Certain green veg such as sprouts, cabbage, kale and broccoli contain goitrogens ehich act on the thyroid but they are made inactive by cooking.

So this means no green smoothies.

[Citta in reply to bluebug]

That's such a shame as I love spinach smoothies

[greygoose in reply to Citta]

Have you ever noticed any sort of reaction to spinach smoothies? If not, carry on drinking them.

[greygoose]

They neither attack the thyroid, nor prevent the 'meds' working.

As bluebug said, it's the goitrogenic effect that worries people, but most don't know what the goitrogenic effect actually is. What goitrogens do, is impede the up-take of iodine by the thyroid gland. Without enough iodine, the gland struggles to make enough hormone, and will enlarge into a goitre (hence the name) in an effort to get more iodine to make hormone.

So, if your thyroid is struggling to make enough hormone anyway - due to Hashi's, or whatever - and you are therefore taking thyroid hormone replacement, it doesn't matter if the thyroid isn't getting enough iodine, because it no-longer needs to make hormone. And, you can see that it would have no effect on your thyroid hormone replacement.

The only exception to this is unfermented soy. Soy is a goitrogen - as are many other fruit and veggies, it's not just green veg - but it also has an effect at cellular level, impeding the uptake of hormone by the cells, keeping you hypo. So, no unfermented soy in any form - soy protein, soy milk, soy oil, etc. - but all other things in moderation.

[Citta]

That's so helpful, thank you. It makes sense when you think about it likvtgst. Thankfully no bad side effects from spinach smoothies.