Goitrogens

[PillJunkie]

I've just discovered that there is a group of foods called Goitrogens. Every day I have a berry and

Kale smoothy - thinking myself to be very healthy. Now I find out that large amounts of uncooked berries and Kale can cause hypothyroidism and restrict the beneficial effects of Levothyroxine and T3. I understand that this can be counterated by Selenium and Iodine. I do consume foods that contain both of these, but I can't be certain I get enough Iodine to counteract the amount of raw Kale I eat (approx 2/12 large fistfuls each day. I drink, probably, at least one pint of milk each day.

[helvella Administrator Thyroid UK]

Mostly, people are concerned about small amounts of cooked goitrogens. And mostly they are advised there is unlikely to be any significant impact.

But handfuls of raw kale really could cause issues. And the effect of the berries could depend on exactly which berries.

I don't think that taking iodine and selenium would counteract the goitrogenic effect.

You might find my blog of some help.

helvella - Anti-Nutrients including Goitrogens

A short discussion about goitrogens and other anti-nutrients and link to a major review paper.

helvella.blogspot.com/p/hel...

[PillJunkie in reply to helvella]

Thank you helvella. Perhaps I should switch from Kale to Spring Greens in my Smoothie?

Looking back, I can remember lots of times when I suddenly felt very tired after drinking my smoothie.

[helvella Administrator Thyroid UK in reply to PillJunkie]

Bear in mind that the sort of spring greens we get in the UK are still brassicas!

Spring greens are a cultivar of Brassica oleracea in the cultivar acephala group, similar to kale, in which the central leaves do not form a head or form only a very loose one.[1] It is considered to be closer to wild cabbage than most other domesticated forms, and is grown primarily in northern Europe, where its tolerance of cold winters is valued for an early spring supply of edible leaves. The cultivar group acephala also includes curly kale and collard greens, which are extremely similar genetically.

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sprin...

I really have no basis on which to compare kale and spring greens in terms of goitrogenicity.

[PillJunkie in reply to helvella]

Thanks again. Is there a green vegetable you could recommend as suitable for a smoothie?

[helvella Administrator Thyroid UK in reply to PillJunkie]

I'm probably the worst person on the planet to ask!

Afraid I intensely dislike most greens. I do consume leeks, fennel, lettuce, but in the brassicas, pretty much only white cabbage.

No idea how any of them would go in a smoothie. I hope others who might make them can be more helpful.

[greygoose]

Frankly, I rather doubt you'd be consuming enough goitrogenic food to affect your thyroid. Do you have a goitre? If not, you probably aren't.

What happens with goitrogens is, they impede the uptake of iodine by the thyroid. So, the thyroid swells in an attempt to trap more iodine. BUT you are taking thyroid hormone replacement, so your thyroid doesn't need the iodine anymore because it's not making hormone anymore.

Plus the fact that you will be getting about 70 mcg iodine from your levo + T3, which is recycled in the body. So, I very much doubt you're short of iodine.

I really wouldn't worry about goitrogens, if I were you, given the circumstances. And, if the goitrogenic content of these foods was having any effect on the absorption of your thyroid hormone replacement, it would show up on your blood test results, and your dose would be adjusted accordingly.

[PillJunkie]

That's good to know, greygoose. I do feel very hungry and tired soon after drinking my smoothie. Could that be indicative of a temporary effect? I don't have a goitre.

[arTistapple]

There are of course other benefits from kale, spinach etc which might outweigh any concerns about goitrogens. Raw and even cooked rarely affect mineral content (the soil they grow in has more effect) but yes some vitamins will be gone in cooking but not in a smoothie.

However trust yourself.

Anything else which could be contributed to pretty fast exhaustion after your smoothie? “Lots of times …” A bad night’s sleep? A busy day before? A day before where your food intake was less or less quality?

Berries are usually recommended for hypothyroidism rather than other fruits.

[PillJunkie in reply to arTistapple]

Thank you, arTistapple - that's very helpful. Today I didn't feel exhaustion after the smoothie. I'm thinking now that it's just a coincidence. I feel fatigued all the time, it's just the severity that fluctuates. But thank you for your suggestions.