The thyroid gland surrounds your trachea from the front and it is made up of two lobes that form two butterflies like wings that are merged together in the middle by a part-isthmus. Your thyroid gland generates thyroid hormones using iodine derived from the food that you eat; for example – fish, it can also be obtained from iodized edible salt.
Those hormones generated by your thyroid gland stimulate growth and they also regulate your body’s metabolism.
6 Foods Thyroid Patients Should Avoid
Here are the top 6 foods thyroid patients should avoid.
1. Eating Fried Foods
Eating fried food always can be detrimental to your thyroid gland functions as it reduces the glands ability to secrete thyroid hormones. If you are on thyroid hormone medication the trans-fat rich fried food will deter the proper working of the medication.
2. Refined Sugar
If you suffer from autoimmune thyroid disease then avoiding refined sugar is a must. It hampers your body’s blood sugar levels and causes great harm to the proper working of your pancreas which can result in your body building resistance to insulin and ultimately it damages your thyroid causing a significant decrease in your thyroid hormone levels.
3. Eating Gluten Rich Foods
Your body reacts to the presence of gliadin – a type of protein, by treating it as a foreign body. The gluten rich food you consume is rich in gliadin and because your thyroid gland generates an enzyme similar to gliadin called – transglutaminase, when you then eat gluten your body will treat both the gliadin and the transglutaminase as a treat to it, thereby severely limiting the use of and the benefits derived from the transglutaminase produced by your thyroid gland.
4. Excessive Drinking of Coffee
Excessive drinking of coffee would cause your adrenal glands to secrete large amounts of epinephrine and norepinephrine hormones, leading to adrenal fatigue and these hormones in large amounts can greatly affect your thyroid gland adversely.
5. Eating Cruciferous Vegetables
When taken in excess your broccoli can be harmful to you if you have a thyroid condition and where you are deficient in sufficient iodine levels in your body. However with a balanced diet you should have no problem consuming your vegies on a regular basis.
6. Consuming Soy
If you have iodine deficiency, the isoflavones in soy can affect the proper functioning of your thyroid gland. Soy taking in excess can hamper your body’s absorption and use of synthetic thyroid hormone if you are on thyroid medication. Doctors advise that if you are on thyroid medication you should wait for a minimum of 4 hours before you eat soy, as it would enable your body to properly metabolize every substance separately and more effectively.
Via Healthline