Im new here.
I am hypothyroid. I am always being told not to eat goitrogens and being given lists of such vegetables. I have also been told to eat almonds and having just read the Marion Gluck newsletter I have found that these are also goitrogens. Is there a definitive list.
More importantly have there been any clinical trials or peer reviewed papers which actually show what foods are goitrogens.?
Other than soy which should be avoided by those with thyroid disorders, there's nothing within the "goitrogen"classification that you really can't eat in moderation. So you wouldn't want to be drinking raw green smoothies for every meal, but first boiling or steaming your greens for instance, is not going to do you any harm, and will add important nutrients to your diet. As Dr Mercola says for example, "ingesting radishes, cabbage, broccoli and kale can improve your thyroid function because they boost your glutathione levels".
So, in the 1950s, scientists examined foods with the possibility that, rather than playing a nutritive role, some might actually pose a negative risk, particularly in regard to the thyroid. These they called goitrogenic foods, and glucosinolates in cruciferous vegetables were implicated as a likely culprit. However, studies proving that effect are scarce, and the vast majority of relevant research supports the consumption of cruciferous vegetables, especially to prevent thyroid cancer. Additionally, deiodinase enzymes, central to the production of thyroid hormones, were discovered and their mechanics understood; and thankfully scientists have since modified their theory about cruciferous vegetables, with the focus now being on people having the nutrients they need for their own individual, optimal, thyroid function. According to the George Mateljan Foundation: “Over the past 50 years … researchers have determined that there are no such ‘negative’ substances in food, but only health-supportive nutrients that are not a good match for certain individuals because of their unique health history and health status. Five decades of research have also determined that certain nutrients — like tyrosine, iodine, and selenium — play a unique role in thyroid health.”
Thanks for explaining this. I have found it really helpful.
I’ve not yet seen this summarised so well and have been wondering about a lot of these for some time. Thanks for this and thank you Geetal for asking the question 
I agree. I didn't know about almonds though. I buy raw almonds and pop them as a snack daily-esp keep them in my purse when I go out. Will probably cut down.
Thanks for this info. I eat a lot of vegetables but I do steam them. Read somewhere awhile ago that too many raw cruciferous vegetables can cause problems.
But may not be such a problem. I mean who pigs out on raw broccoli??
Lol! As a vegetarian I admit to having a spell of being partial to raw carrots, broccoli, cauliflower & mushrooms etc as crudité, and until my Nutri-bullet died, often using raw green veg and super green powder in smoothies. I still do that on occasion, but not so frequently.
I do add carrots and other things to a salad. Also growing up in South Florida I LOVE fresh hearts of palm in salad. But not the awful stuff in cans.
Alas no palm trees in Atlanta. No avocado trees, and no mango trees. Life is tough!
Very many thanks for this.
I have now had a quick look at the website you referred to. You refer to researtchersin your response to me. Do you have any references for original research papers I could access. I was a senior researcher in a University for ten years early in my career and now Im retired want to research thyroid and nutrition in order to sort the wheat from the chaf in the information going around.
Chris Kresser is research based nutrition, here's one of his podcasts... chriskresser.com/do-raw-veg... and a more recent article
chriskresser.com/heres-what...
Not having read that info for a while, it made me pause for thought. What I thought was healthy, e.g. daily leafy greens for calcium, may not actually be so good when you've got a thyroid issue! I avoid dairy, gluten and soy religiously but eat eggs, nightshades and many of the veg mentioned on a daily basis.
I think he's hinting towards the AIP (auto-immune protocol) diet when he's suggesting avoiding eggs and nightshades and it may be that you only need to avoid those in a complete elimination phase, and you can probably/possibly re-introduce them. My husband follows this due to various autoimmune problems including coeliac disease, and a good source for more on this is thepaleomom.com x
Many thanks. Ive red some of the podcasts and his ebook really meant for practioners and subscribed too his newsletter. Im still muddled-maybe more so but Im seeing my specialist next week and its givenm me some ideas for questions to ask,
Once again. Many thanks
If you are looking for a way to boost your gut health and support your thyroid, I'd suggest a look at this guy drruscio.com/ and his Healthy Gut, Healthy You book, as he helps to sort the wheat from the chaf. There are many rabbit holes to go down about what to eat/not eat and it gets really confusing. His process, apart from the elemental liquid diet part which for me is a bit too hard-core, is sound and evidence based x
Choosing an Endocrinologist
Hypo thyroid and neuropathy
Help with Substernal Thyroid
My GP has no idea how hypothyroidism has affected me.
Having MRI scan of eyes due to GED
