What should I be eating for hypothroidism
diet and hypothroidism: What should I be eating... - Thyroid UK
diet and hypothroidism
Written by
sam295
To view profiles and participate in discussions please or .
60 Replies
•
Food. Fresh, clean food, not processed. No soy, artificial sweeteners or processed oils. Gluten-free might help if you have high antibodies. 
Thanks so much I am on a steep learning curve with a newly diagnosed heart condition and I also have been taking 100mg of thyroxine for years with no change. I have nearly every symptom you could name stress. anxiety, hairloss etc and have been to my GP today and asked for every blood test that I could, they wont do T3 but I will let you know what the rest come out as. I was taking soy milk but have now stopped after reading your notes on this site. I have been fainting and they found that my heart was pausing so I now have a pacemaker. I have to say I still feel lousy very tired all the time.
I don't doubt you're under-medicated. 100 mcg is not much more than a starter dose. Were you retested six weeks after you first started it? Either that, or you have a conversion problem. But, you won't know that without testing the T3.
The biggest question is: Is Hashimoto's the cause of your hypothyroidism? This is very important to know, since you are wondering what you should eat. What are your TPOab and TGab levels? If you have Hashi's, what you do and do not eat can differ from non-Hashimoto's hypothyroidism.
Semi-seriously, rabbit, as you could consume some of its thyroid tissue.
Unfortunately, this page doesn't give the required spin: dailymail.co.uk/health/arti...
What a dreadful, ignorant article!
But perhaps one of the main reasons why we should take note is that rabbit meat's fat content is similar to that of chicken or turkey - and much lower than the red meats such as beef. This means rabbit is good if you're watching your waistline.
Eating fat doesn't make you fat. Not eating fat kills you. Anybody who lives exclusively on rabbit dies because there is no fat. That is well-known.
t's also good in terms of cholesterol, as the amount of saturated fat it contains is low, so eating rabbit is less likely to produce what we call bad cholesterol (LDL ).
There is no connection between saturated fat - or any other fat come to that - and cholesterol. They are two entirely different substances. And there's no such thing as 'bad cholesterol'.
Since heart disease rates are worryingly high in Britain, maybe we should be less sentimental about these animals.
Neither fat nor cholesterol cause heart disease!
And, I certainly wouldn't buy rabbit from China! The poor things were probably skinned alive.
And, as for her advice on hypothyroidism...
This has a certain logic to it: the thyroid gland needs iodine to produce thyroxine, so it would seem that an iodine-rich diet could correct hypothyroidism. Fish from the sea (especially haddock, smoked mackerel and cod), shellfish (particularly lobster) and seaweeds such as kelp are good sources of iodine. There is nothing wrong with eating more of these foods to see if this makes a difference.
And we might as well sacrifice a few virgins, while we're at it, see if that makes a difference!
Still, at least she says not to take iodine supplements, so that's one point in her favour.
But, SmallBlueThing , there is no connection between eating rabbit and the thyroid. They're two separate articles.
I'm vegan, so my diet is plant-based. I had soya in my diet for years, but have stopped this now, I'm also gluten-free. It's early days yet for me, but I'll keep reporting back. My TPO is at >1300 (0.0 - 60), so I'm hoping these changes will bring them down. I'm still tired though and painful joints and legs, depression has gone, Weight gain did stop but has started again. Started levo, 50mcg, in January 2018...more blood tests today for other autoimmune conditions, so let's see what happens next.
I'm vegan and I was diagnosed with Hypothroidism in October. I had thought the weight gain was due to being peri-menopausal as I've never really been overweight. This is the heaviest I have ever been and that includes when I was pregnant. I have Ankylosing Spondilitis, so already have pain in my bones/joints and muscles so until the health check that revealed I was hypo, I had just put down to my usual trouble with my condition - the health check showed I had elevated chlorestral levels which was a shock as it's usually animal products - meat and dairy that are responsible. Also for the first time in my life I had higher than normal blood pressure - the doctor has told me this is due to my thyroid. I am so, so tired, I barely recognise myself either. Brain fog is awful, I've also developed like a white noise sound in my head, varying volumes - I haven't read of this being related to Thyroid though....very weird. Currently on 75mg levo but have appointment with doc tomorrow (had bloods taken a couple of weeks ago). I'd be very interested in any vegan/gluten free/thyroid recipe books you may have come across. My mum had hypothyroidism and had her thyroid removed (not sure if all or partial). Sadly she then went on to develop Good Pastures Syndrome which is like the grandfather of all auto immune disorders, she died within 12 months - the survival rate is better now but, it does worry me that I may be on the same path. Anyway sorry for gabbing away.
Sorry to hijack Sam's thread but PurpleDee since you are vegan do you supplement with Vit B12 or eat B12 fortified foods (B12 is only found in animal products or B12 fortified foods). There is a fair bit of overlap in symptoms of Vit B12 deficiency with thyroid problems eg brain fog, tiredness and tinnitus amongst others. It may be worth getting your Vit B12 levels checked if not already been done recently. Apologies if you already know this and have ruled it out...
Thank you. I've just been talking to someone about B12, it is fortified in the almond milk I drink but it is one of the things I was going to ask the doctor about. There is so much to learn, thankfully I've found this forum, the doctor didn't tell me anything about avoiding certain foods etc, I've ordered a book with good reviews in regards as to what is happening 'The Thyroid Fix: How to Reduce Fatigue, Balance Hormones, and Get Your Life Back' by Dr Shawn Soszka.
Yes things like that have B12 in but unless you drink a lot of it it might not be sufficient. (eg Alpro almond 100ml = 15% of the NRV). Good idea to bring it up when you speak to your GP.
If you have any Vit B12 related questions please feel free to post over on healthunlocked.com/pasoc forum (Pernicious anaemia is one of the various things that can cause a B12 deficiency - anyone with B12 questions / problems is welcome though!)
Good luck.
It may well take time for all of your symptoms to abate - mine took about 9 months - but have faith - you will get well again - after all it took a long time for your body to get to this stage - do follow up on the vits/supplements advice on here - it is invaluable in your long journey back to health. Good luck
I take a vegan supplement, which includes b12 and other nutrients, I've been vegan for years and have never suffered from anything like this before. But I'm determined to stay as well as I can.
Does your vegan supplement contain iron? If so, you won't absorb the B12, or anything else, because the iron will block it.
Do you have any links to info on that greygoose ?
B12 depends on intrinsic factor to facilitate absorbtion (~99% of the absorption anyway) and so is not affected by taking iron at the same time. I don't think folate is affected either.
As far as I know taking calcium at the same time as iron means iron absorption is pretty much halved (which I am guessing is why my iron tablets patient info leaflet recommend avoiding taking them with milk) so taking iron and calcium together isn't very helpful... but I've not heard of anything else being affected!
Sorry, don't have any links, but it's well-known that iron blocks the absorption of all vitamins, including B12, and it has nothing to do with intrinsic factor.
No sorry I've not managed to find any info on that, which is why I was asking... Just interested as I'd like to know and learn more. B12 absorption is NOT affected by iron at all from what I can tell and I've read a LOT of research papers on B12 as I have pernicious anaemia.
Taking levothyroxine and iron at the same time is of course a no no (as per bnf.nice.org.uk/interaction... but as far as I can tell iron doesn't really do much one way or the other to the absorption of anything else vitamin wise. Iron absorption can however be affected itself by other minerals eg calcium lowers iron absorption and zinc can inhibit iron absorption (if not taken as parts of the same meal).
I'm happy to be corrected if you have more info though!
As I said, I don't have any links. Perhaps SeasideSusie could come up with some.
I am rearranging my diet I have chucked the soy and will try hemp. There are sweetners everywhere. I like yogurts and probiotics but they have sweetners any ideas for exchanges?
Sam
For fruit yogurts I have Activia Everyday Fruit Classics danoneactivia.co.uk/product... They don't contain sweeteners but do contain sugar.
The 0% Fat No Added Sugar range does contain sweeteners.
Or Yeo Valley Organic natural yogurt and add my own fruit.
What do you mean by probiotics - the drinks like Yakult?
yes yakult
Sam295
You would probably do better with a probiotics supplement or some fermented foods.
Here's an interesting article about probiotics drinks, Yakult in particular
Hi take, I think you’re right. I have had two iron IVs and started supplements at the same time. All my nutrients levels shooted up, and B12 in particular! (with an exceptional zinc). If Iron was blocking things that would have not happened I believe as the two IVs had a megadose of iron in it.
Taka
I don't have any links to scientific studies.
This link labdoor.com/article/a-guide... says
"Iron should ideally be taken on an empty stomach and separately from other multivitamin/multimineral combinations."
As Multis aren't recommended anyway, I think it's worth being cautious and keep iron away from everything else.
I can't do any research today, I am not well enough.
Thanks SeasideSusie I think that is more that iron absorption is affected by a bunch of other things (calcium, zinc etc, tannins in tea etc) rather than the other way round. Thanks for the link
Hope you feel a bit better soon...
why then do they sell so many multivits with iron?
Sam295
Probably because that's what people think they need so they provide it, if there's a demand they will supply, they're in business to make money regardless of whether the product is good, bad or indifferent.
Thanks , still on my learning curve. I am now taking my thyroxine at night away from other meds. I was taking in the morning which may have not been such a good idea.
I also take epilepsy meds who could tell me if they might affect thyroxine?
Sam295
You should Google "<name of medication> + levothyroxine"
I never realised that that may be why my nails kept breaking so that may be connected as well. I am so stupid
I'm sorry, I don't live in the UK, so I have no idea what is available, or what contains what.
Definitely breaking nails is a hypo symptom, but that will stop when you are adequately medicated. But, you mustn't think you're stupid for not knowing. Why should you? You're not a doctor, and the person who is a doctor is failing you by not knowing either. So, who's the stupid one?
what could I eat to replace my soy milk with, I was taking it for menopause reasons
Hi Sam, my worries regarding the menopause were the same as yours. I had a lot of soya as I thought this would help me. While some of my menopause symptoms went away, most didn't. I stopped all soya and gluten. My doctor advised that it probably wasn't menopause symptoms after all, but my autoimmune thyroiditis.
I now have hemp milk, packed with supplements and I take a vegan supplement from the Vegan Society, I've taken it for years.
I also need to mention lifestyle. Apparently, prolonged periods of high stress levels can trigger these conditions. My life over the past 20 years has been very stressful, particularly the past 5 years, losing 5 loved ones.
Take care of yourself.
Sorry to hear of your troubles and yes I have had a high stress job for the last 10-15 years . I also have an elderly mother to care for which is stressful.
Thanks for your advice I will try hemp milk
I looked at the vegan society supplement VEG 1 but it has iodine and I wonder should I be wary of iodine?
No, Iodine is helpful for thyroid function.
sam295 and jacky62
Iodine is not 'helpful for thyroid function', iodine is merely one of the ingredients of thyroid hormone. It does not make your thyroid function better, anymore than putting an extra egg is the cake makes the oven hotter.
Iodine is anti-thyroid. It used to be used as a treatment for hyperthyroidism to bring levels down. If you are hypo, you should not be taking iodine unless you have been tested and found deficient. And, then, you should only take it under the supervision of an experienced practitioner. You will already be getting some from your thyroid hormone replacement, anyway. And excess iodine is dangerous. Especially if you have Hashi's.
Could you please not reply so aggressively, thank you.
The daily requirement dose for iodine is around 150mcg. If you are suffering from thyroid conditions and you think you may be deficient through your dietry intake, you need to be aware of this and correct your intake as necessary.The thyroid gland requires iodine for normal function. No one is talking about taking an iodine overdose. I am very aware of the implications of iodine overdose with regards to my condition and am happy in the fact that I take a normal dose of iodine on a daily basis. No nutrient should ever be taken in excess.
I'm sorry, my intention was not to be aggressive.
If you think you are deficient in iodine then you should get tested because if you are not deficient and you take iodine supplements, you will have excess iodine in your system. And, don't forget that from 100 mcg levo, you will be getting 65 mcg iodine. So, it would be easy to over-dose. But, I still say that the thyroid only needs iodine for making thyroid hormone. And if your thyroid is damage or in any way sick, it will not be able to use all that iodine. But, disagreeing with you does not make me aggressive.
I didn't say that you were aggressive, I said that your reply seemed aggressive. There was nothing to disagree with, I merely stated the fact that iodine is very important for normal thyroid function. Anyone who suffers from thyroid conditions should of course be tested, that goes without saying. As I said before, nutrients should never be taken in excess.
Hi Purple Dee! I just spoke about this with Jacky but I’ll share my experience with you too just in case it helps. I became very nutrient deficient and ill on vegan (no soy, plant based, gluten free) diet despite the fact that it begun well. I also had high cholesterol and was like - WHAT? What from?! All I’m eating is veggies! Ended very badly for me. After 3 years on vegan I eventually ending up in hospital and the wake up call from this made me switch to paleo. One month down the line, my cholesterol is back in range, nutrients all up, B12 top range whilst a month back it was bottom (but zinc a bit on the low still) so something is clearly making a difference.
Hi Jacky62!
Word of friendly warning ☺️ I was a plant based vegan (also no soy) for 3 years. First year was great, all went down hill from there however. The whole thing ended badly for me and my Hashis.
Many believe Thyroid sufferers need some animal protein in diet to feel well and recover (check Izabella Wentz articles for example). Whilst vegan diet can do wonders for many, I think it is not for us, unfortunately 😞 shame as I would like to stay on plant based diet but feeling difference now that I moved to paleo.
Thanks for your advice, but I've been vegan for 35 years, my doctor thinks my condition is probably hereditary as I have other family members who also have the same problem.
I will never eat animals or their byproducts, not for anything.
Basically, you should avoid sweet things-fructose and sacarose- and milk carbohydrates completely; so to say, lactose and galactose.
This is the opposite from what ray peat advocates.
Dear AA123,
What does Ray Peat advocates?
Could you tell me, please?
Check out ray peats articles. He is an expert in hypothyroidism and tells you what food to avoid and what to eat.
Dear AA123,
That way of thinking does not make sense to me!!
Sam295 the best way is to try everything and share with us the results!!
Dear AA123,
All the things said by Ray Peats are easy to follow!!!
Sorry, I do not agree with them at all.
Not what you're looking for?
You may also like...
Can having hypothroidism fix itself??
Ive been hypothryoid for 2years and Why i ask is because in november i was told to stop taking my...
Repeat blood test - Subclinical hypothroidism?
Hi,
So I’ve had repeat blood test (5 months since last test) and results as follows
TSH 4.99
FT4...
Diet and meds
So, I am posting in hopes I can help someone else struggling. I am recently diagnosed auto-immune...
Hashimoto's and diet
Lets assume I have Hashi because of my high antibodies. Doctor I saw last week could not confirm...
Hypothyroidism and diet
Hashimotos and diet 
diet and thyroid
Diet and thyroid
Diet and Hashimoto's incidence
