Vegan diet ??

[Sineadkots]

I would love to hear from anyone that has been on or are about to start a Vegan diet to improve your thyroid health either under or over active ( i’m Under ) and want your advice as i’ve Been reading a lot of benefits to our health & any views would be extremely welcome thank you 😊

[greygoose]

I really don't see how a vegan diet is going to help your thyroid. Be very careful with B12 and iron, because if they are low, it definitely won't help anything.

[Sineadkots in reply to greygoose]

Thank you grey goose I thought for weight loss also it might be beneficial? Yah i wasn’t sure also if it’s benefits ?

[greygoose in reply to Sineadkots]

I doubt it'll be beneficial for hypo weight-gain. To lose that, you need to optimise your T3.

[bluebug in reply to Sineadkots]

You are aware products like NDT are animal derived? If you aren't on it now you could find yourself needing it.

If you are worried about weight then as well as sorting out your free T3 level if you have cut out gluten and dairy then cut out added sugar. As sugar is not written down as sugar but under a variety of names on most processed foods, you will find you can't eat any of them so you will have to eat basic ingredients and plan all your meals. Vegans and even vegetarians have to plan their meals otherwise they could "just eat chips" all the time and end up nutrient deficient as a couple have pointed out to me in the past.

[Cat4health]

I looked into it very seriously before but there are real problems when it comes to vegan thyroid overlap. The vegan diet is high carb generally but some of the primary sources of protein for vegans is thyroid unfriendly - soy! There is also another meat alternative that's high in protein made entirely out of gluten and I personally have no issue with gluten but seemingly there is a high likelihood of gluten intolerance in thyroid cases so that might not work for you either.

That leaves you with only beans and lentils for protein, which usually have as much if not more carbs to protein. Then of course there is protein powders but most vegan protein powders are kinda gross imho.

So in the end I try to be reductionist but I decided being vegan would be very bad for my health and my thyroid. Of course that's just my opinion

[Angel_of_the_North in reply to Cat4health]

Vegan don't all eat fake meat and soy, you know. We eat real food! My protein sources are nuts and seeds and vegetables, of course. I wouldn't recommend it for thyroid, but it seemed to work fine for cancer (and asthma).

[Cat4health in reply to Angel_of_the_North]

Sorry Angel, I didn't mean to imply that it was all processed food but all those foods contain yes protein but not very much; nuts contain much more fat than protein, vegetables are fantastic but again very low in protein. So for a fat loss and thyroid friendly diet that Sinead is seeking it presents some challenges. I'm very happy to hear it was helpful to you, although very sorry to hear you had cancer.

[Angel_of_the_North in reply to Cat4health]

It's true but no need to be obsessed with protein - even potatoes have it. I still think for thyroid an omnivorous ketogenic diet is the way to go

[allen73]

Ive been vegan for 4 years with a under active thyroid my weight is down and stays down i have no effects from having a under active thyroid my health is great feel great i eat more raw than cooked foods plenty of juices no soy i get plenty of minerals iron zinc selinum magnesium etc etc from having green athletics in my juice plus eating nori in my lifestyle gives me plenty of iodine

[MidnightBlue]

I am vegan, for moral reasons. I don't eat gluten or soya because of my thyroid.

[dkmich]

My niece cured her Hashimoto disease with diet. No gmo, gluten, white sugar, etc. she used a product and diet recommended by her doctor called Arbonne I believe.

[Hidden]

I’ve been vegetarian for 53 years and vegan for 1 year, for ethical reasons mostly. During that time I’ve had Graves’ disease and Hashimoto’s. I’m careful to get enough protein and take vitamin D and B12 supplements. I avoid soy as much as I can and I eat gluten. I try to optimise nutrition to my cells by avoiding anything that may compromise my gut flora, such as pesticide residues or antibiotics (e.g. in meat) and by eating food I grow and cook myself, also some fermented food such as water kefir and sauerkraut. My Hashis is reasonably well controlled on 75mcg levothyroxine and 10 mcg T3 a day. During the last year my weight has fallen from 10.5 to 9.5 stone on a vegan diet, but of course I can’t claim cause and effect on that.

[Bookworm1961]

hi sineadkots

I have been considering going completely veggie etc I do still eat chicken and fish but a lot of lentil and bean dishes as well. I had been reading up about something called phytic acid which they plus nuts contain. The negative side is it hinders some minerals like calcium incapable of being absorbed properly also in some nuts like walnuts which I eat a lot . it is said to soak all pulses before cooking also soak nuts as well before eating is anyone else out there aware of this

[4Alexandra]

I urge anyone thinking of becoming a vegetarian or vegan to look at Dr. Campbell-Mcbrides link on You Tube. Our system was designed to have meats etc., that is why we have cannine teeth. Our stomach acids are completely different from vegetarian eating animals.

[Lentil61 in reply to 4Alexandra]

I have just watched the whole video, and although I agree with Dr. Campbell-Mcbrides on the greed of companies like Monsanto, her suggestion that an entirely animal based diet is the elixir of life reminds me of the time when GPs would prescribe cigarettes for patients with a cough!

[Angel_of_the_North]

I am vegan, but I don't think that the diet improves thyroid health - if anything the opposite as you can very easily become deficient in iron and B12 when you have poor absorbtion as many hypo people do. I think a ketogenic diet is probably the way to go.

[lco1 in reply to Angel_of_the_North]

Can you please advise best info source for keto diet? I have hypothyroid and have a mostly vegan diet as my daughter decided that was the way forward for her when she turned 13 17 years ago. Not being a fan of meat it has not been difficult but I do still have fish occasionally. Im afraid I feel I have neglected my thyroid problem as when diagnosed 20 years ago I was told it was to be expected as both my Mum and Grandmother had had the same issues. Basically I was told take the tablets and get on with it.

[Angel_of_the_North in reply to lco1]

There's a vegan keto Facebook group, but it seems that it order to be fully vegan keto rather than just low carb, you need to eat a load of processed protein powder (and be careful to avoid soy if you are hypo). There's lots of info on regular ketogenic diets on the web.

[lco1 in reply to Angel_of_the_North]

many thanks will investigate further.

[Sineadkots]

Thank you everyone for all your advice it has been extremely helpful , thank you 😊

[Heather561]

Hi Sineadkots

I agree with these replies that a vegan diet is not so good for your thyroid disorder. You need protein from meat (good beef, chicken or lamb), eggs, cheese, whole milk, yogurts, cottage cheese, parmesan, etc. If you cut out flour, (so no bread, pies, pasta, cakes, biscuits, etc,) oils of any kind except olive oil, cruciferous veg unless well cooked & the list goes on, YOU WILL LOSE WEIGHT. Start to cook with coconut oil & butter only. Cut out all processed food. Make bone broth from grass fed cattle so from a good butcher & drink with meals plus whole orange juice. Lots of fruit & root veg so potatoes are not the enemy. Also eat non oily fish & seafood which is rich in iodine. Keep away from nuts & grains. Make eggs your best friend. Raw milk is the best which is now available from some farms & it's delicious.

This diet goes against everything that we have been led to believe over the last 50 or so years. We are told to eat oily fish rich in omega, lots of greens, nuts, seeds, grains. Not good for the thyroid. Food is now made for quickness & convenience so any goodness is removed & replaced with artificial ingredients.

I know because it has worked for me.

I feel like I'm on my soapbox but I hope you can take some of this away with you & think about it.

[Sineadkots in reply to Heather561]

Thank you very much Heather561 . I really appreciate your advice, thank you

[Donalee1 in reply to Heather561]

Good feedback

[Lentil61]

Hi,

I inherited a thyroid disorder (as have many on this site). I have been vegan for many years for a variety of reasons, but I eat a mostly a whole food plant based diet entirely for my health. Compared to most on this site, I feel that my thyroid symptoms are almost undetectable, with my blood test results consistently being well within range and am on no medication. I do, when I remember, take b12 supliments like every one over the age of 50 should (vegan or not). However, the plant based milks are all fortified with b12 anyway. I also avoid soya and gluten.

A good source of nutrition info for vegans can be found at vivahealth.org.uk and nutritionfacts.org.

It is a significant consideration that nine out of the top ten leading killer diseases can be directly linked to the consumption of meat, dairy and eggs.

[Angel_of_the_North in reply to Lentil61]

I don't think that is actually true, but a distortion of the raw data in things like the China Study.

[papamoon]

I have positive experience to share.

First, I encourage you to think in terms of a "plant-based, whole food" way of eating, as opposed to vegan. Please read T. Colin Campbell's "The China Study" for why that makes sense.

I was diagnosed with hypothyroid 10.5 years ago, with TSH at 16.5. It shot up to 19.5, we kept upping levothyroxine doses until I started holding steady in the 5.5 - 7.5 range at 112 mcg.

In March 2016, at the encouragement of a friend, I read Campbell's book and changed my diet. I had been experiencing joint pain for 21 months (knees, hips, hands, sometimes shoulders), and hoped it would help. It did. I realized in November, 2016 that I no longer felt joint pain (except in my left hand: I'm a guitar player so that's where most of my repetitive issues would be). Now I tackle downhills with gusto, as opposed to whimpering.

In April 2017 I had the annual blood test, and my TSH came in at 0.95, on the low side of normal for the first time since 2007.

Again, the one factor that has changed is what I eat -- whole foods, plant-based. Perhaps 5% or less of my total calories comes from animal proteins (eggs, dairy, cheese, included). This is the threshold that Campbell shows as the first disease trigger point.

When people say "vegan" often they mean to say "I don't eat meat." But that can mean a steady diet of soda pop, snack chips, and Top Ramen. No health benefit there. By shifting the emphasis to saying what you DO eat -- plant-based, WHOLE foods -- you're starting off the right way. Your body evolved to synthesize all the protein it needs from whole plants, with a smattering of animal protein here and there for B12. Most PBWF eaters need to supplement with B12, and if you don't get enough sun, D3.

Give it a try for a year, see how it goes. Read up on getting good nutrition from plants. I read "Becoming Vegan: The Complete Guide To Adopting A Healthy Plant-Based Diet" by Brenda Davis and Vesanto Melina. It'll steer you right.

Good luck on your health journey!

[Angel_of_the_North in reply to papamoon]

And then read one of the many rebuttals of the conclusions of the China study, eg cholesterol-and-health.com/... or westonaprice.org/health-top... or deniseminger.com/2010/07/07... or even sciencebasedmedicine.org/th... (a site I usually hate) and remember that I'm a vegan, but I hate poor studies.

[BadHare]

I made myself quite poorly by eating tofu & soya milk every day, & feel better on a high fat low starch vegetarian diet with plenty of kefir. Be very careful not to eat unfermented soy, processed margarine, & any other processed vegan junk. Ensure you supplement with nutrients you might be missing, especially iron & B12.

Most vegans I know are healthy, & certainly seem to have plenty of energy, though I've spotted quite a few folks that look even more hypo than I did, as well as a few that look malnourished. However, that could be said of the general population. As long as you're careful & take advice from reliable sources like The Vegan Society, you should be ok. If it doesn't work, change your diet again ~ there's no one size fits all with food.

[Donalee1]

Would like to start a vegan diet

[AnneEvo]

I can't comment on how a vegan diet would affect thyroid health. I'm hypo and a vegetarian, aiming to be vegan. With regard to us being designed to eat meat, there are always people for and against everything, even this issue. There are many people who have been vegan or vegetarian for many years and are very healthy. Of course you do need to gen up on exactly what nutrients this type of diet may lack and act accordingly. I can't see why anybody who is vegan or vegetarian would live on chips unless they just aren't aware of good nutrition in general or don't know how to/can't be bothered cooking. You can avoid soy products, you don't have to have soy meat type products and there are many other plant based milks. My son has been vegetarian (aiming to become vegan) for some years and everyone, where he works, was recently given a free health check. The majority of people's medical age was 10 years older than their biological age, his was 14 years younger. It would seem to point to his diet. Admittedly he doesn't have any known health issues. Just as an aside, hemp seeds and quinoa have a full complement of amino acids.

[Lentil61 in reply to AnneEvo]

Agreed. However, I do get hacked off by meat eaters (including my GP) who tell me 'it's fine being vegan, so long as you are careful what you eat', when they eat foods like bacon that are listed as a class 1 carcinogen by the WHO!

[Angel_of_the_North in reply to Lentil61]

I don't think there's problem with bacon cure the old-fashioned way, just the chemicals they use these days, but vegans (including me) do need to watch iron levels and B12 esp if hypo. Usually have fantastic folate, though.

[nem1]

I've been vegan for a few months now and vegetarian for a while before that. It does take some getting into. I watched a documentary called "forks over knives" on Netflix it will help you go vegan and loose weight, it is totally focused on health, its worth googling it even if you don't have Netflix. I have an underactive thyroid by the way.

[AnneEvo in reply to nem1]

If you become vegan you really need to cook for yourself don't you. I've made vegan mayo very successfully; tried a vegan cheese recipe using cashews which wasn't very successful, though it was fine on sandwiches, but have found a recipe that looks promising.

[Angel_of_the_North in reply to AnneEvo]

I just eat real food and don't bother making any fake vegan versions of anything - so no mayo or fake meat or fake cheese or fancy recipes.