Vegetarian hypothyroid recipe help

[Hypopotamus5]

Can anyone share any thyroid friendly recipe ideas for a vegetarian? I've spent all week researching and am finding it confusing and contradictory at best. I've just discovered the word 'Goitrogenic' and am horrified to discover that everything I have been eating is making me feel worse. Doctors/endocrinologist have been useless, no info. Help.

[greygoose]

OK You've discovered it. Now forget it! It's a complete red herring and none of it applies to you if you're hypo and taking thyroid hormone replacement.

am horrified to discover that everything I have been eating is making me feel worse.

Really? Do you feel worse when you eat a Brussel's sprout? If you really do, then stop eating them. But, if you don't, carry on.

Goitrogens make you hypo by impeding the uptake of iodine by the thyroid, thereby reducing the amount of thyroid hormone it can make. If you are taking levo, your thyroid doesn't need to make hormone, so how can a cabbage hurt you?

And, what they always forget to mention, when 'they' write about goitrogens, it that you would have to eat an awful lot of them for them to have any effect - more than even a vegetarian would eat.

The only exception to this is soy. Soy isn't just a goitrogen, meaning that soy doesn't just affect the thyroid. It also has an affect at a cellular level, impeding the uptake of thyroid hormone by the cells. So, you really, really must avoid that, in all its forms. But, apart from soy, just eat what you enjoy.

[Hypopotamus5 in reply to greygoose]

Hello Grey Goose, Many thanks for your advice. You have put my mind at rest as I am a vegetarian who eats copious amounts of soy (who doesnt, it's in everything!) And goitrogenic veg. Point taken, dont panic, thanks for that!

[greygoose in reply to Hypopotamus5]

Well, you do need to cut out the soy. It really is very, very bad for people - it is NOT a health food - it isn't even food! Bad for all people, not just hypos, and the nutritional properties are off-set by substances that stop you absorbing the nutrients. It can cause all sorts of health problems, including cancer.

But, you don't have to give up the goitrogenic fruit and veg.

[Hypopotamus5 in reply to greygoose]

Bless you, you have made more sense in 1 paragraph than any doctor I have seen thus far. I finally have a plan that makes sense! Thank again!

[greygoose in reply to Hypopotamus5]

You're welcome.

[Hidden]

Like Greygoose says, once you are on levo you are effectively by passing your thyroid and putting thyroxine into your blood via your digestive system. You only need to watch out for medicines, foods and drinks that might affect absorbtion when you take your thyroid pills and food like soya that may affect how your body processes thyroid hormones (I.e. the conversion of T4 to T3 or uptake and use of T3). Everyone's is a bit different, I find that taking levo a couple of hours after eating in the evening still gives me a blood test result near the top of the range. That doesn't happen if i take it on an empty stomach in the morning an hour before coffee and breakfast. My partner is mostly vegetarian and I eat pulses, cruciferous vegetables, chocolate most evenings. I doubt your green veg is the source of the problem.

[Hypopotamus5 in reply to Hidden]

Hello Mike, many thanks for your advice. Your levo regime interests me as I have been taking it 1 hr before breakfast which plays havoc with my work life. No time with a long commute! I appreciate your help, thank you!

[Hidden in reply to Hypopotamus5]

Hi hypopotamus, it works for me but with lots of trial and error and I still don't convert T4 to T3 particularly well. There's a bit of evidence that T4 Taken at night leads to higher serum T4. But the researchers advise leaving three too four hours after food. I usually leave but two hours after chocolate. My serum T4 slowly improved on the same dose over six months but the other factor was I changed brand but from TEVA to be boots own brand. If you try it out might take a good few months to bed down and you'll need to test to ensure you don't end up on more T4 than you need compared to morning. Good luck, Mike.

[SlowDragon Administrator]

Do you have Hashimoto’s

Are your thyroid levels correct

How much levothyroxine are you currently taking?

Do you always get same brand of levothyroxine?

As vegetarian presumably you supplement B12 daily and regularly test iron and ferritin levels

academic.oup.com/nutritionr...

The present review of the literature regarding B12 status among vegetarians shows that the rates of B12 depletion and deficiency are high. It is, therefore, recommended that health professionals alert vegetarians about the risk of developing subnormal B12 status. Vegetarians should also take preventive measures to ensure adequate intake of this vitamin, including the regular intake of B12 supplements to prevent deficiency. Considering the low absorption rate of B12 from supplements, a dose of at least 250 μg should be ingested for the best results.3

Much harder to maintain optimal iron on plant based diet

For full Thyroid evaluation you need TSH, FT4 and FT3 plus both TPO and TG thyroid antibodies tested. Also EXTREMELY important to test vitamin D, folate, ferritin and B12

Low vitamin levels are extremely common, especially if you have autoimmune thyroid disease (Hashimoto's) diagnosed by raised Thyroid antibodies

Ask GP to test vitamin levels (and thyroid antibodies if not been tested yet )

You may need to get full Thyroid testing privately as NHS refuses to test TG antibodies if TPO antibodies are negative

Recommended on here that all thyroid blood tests should ideally be done as early as possible in morning and before eating or drinking anything other than water .

Last dose of Levothyroxine 24 hours prior to blood test. (taking delayed dose immediately after blood draw).

This gives highest TSH, lowest FT4 and most consistent results. (Patient to patient tip, best not mentioned to GP or phlebotomist)

Is this how you do your tests?

Private tests are available as NHS currently rarely tests Ft3 or thyroid antibodies or all relevant vitamins

List of private testing options

thyroiduk.org/getting-a-dia...

Medichecks Thyroid plus ultra vitamin

medichecks.com/products/thy...

Medichecks often have special offers, if order on Thursdays

Thriva Thyroid plus vitamins

thriva.co/tests/thyroid-test

Blue Horizon Thyroid Premium Gold includes vitamins

bluehorizonbloodtests.co.uk...