How to Improve Thyroid Function
Ask your doctor before making changes to your diet., Limit your intake of soy if you are taking hormones or have hypothyroidism.Soy can inhibit absorption of your thyroid hormones if taken too close to a dose of medication., Eat more fruits and...
Step-by-Step Guide
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Step 1: Ask your doctor before making changes to your diet.
No diet has been proven to improve thyroid function or treat a thyroid problem.Making drastic changes to your diet or adding supplements may cause more problems, so be sure to check with your doctor before you do anything, especially if you take thyroid medication.
If you take thyroid medication, avoid taking it along with:
Walnuts Cottonseed meal Soy flour Iron or calcium containing supplements Antacids Ulcer medication Cholesterol-lowering drugs -
Step 2: Limit your intake of soy if you are taking hormones or have hypothyroidism.Soy can inhibit absorption of your thyroid hormones if taken too close to a dose of medication.
In addition, eating too many products that contain soy can also cause problems for someone who has borderline hypothyroidism.
You can still eat soy in moderation, but do not make it part of your daily diet.If you use soymilk as a replacement for dairy milk, then try replacing soy milk with rice, almond, coconut, or hemp milk.
Soy is fine for people with hyperthyroidism. , Fruits and vegetables are a healthy addition to any diet.
Make sure that you eat a variety of different fruits and vegetables.
You can eat fruits and vegetables that are either fresh, frozen, or canned., Even though nearly all animal products contain iodine in moderate to high levels, you will still need to get some protein in your diet.
Avoid processed meats and choose fresh cuts of meat instead.Try to include a serving of lean protein every day, such as:
Skinless chicken or turkey Lean cuts of beef Pork tenderloin , Adult men require 11 milligrams and adult women require 9 milligrams of zinc per day.Selenium.
Adult men and women require 55 micrograms of selenium per day.Do not take more than 200 micrograms per day.Vitamin D.
Adult men and women up to 70 years old need 600 IU (15 micrograms) of vitamin D every day.
Men and women older than 70 require 800 IUs (20 micrograms) of vitamin D every day.Do not take any iodine supplements.
Whether you have hyperthyroidism or hypothyroidism, anyone with thyroid problems should not take iodine supplements., It may be necessary for you to follow a low-iodine diet for a couple of weeks if you are going to have this procedure.Many foods contain iodine, but some contain high amounts and you will need to watch your intake of these foods.
Foods to limit or avoid include:
Fish and shellfish Dairy products Iodized salt Anything that contains carrageenan, agar-agar, alginate, nori, iodate dough conditioners, and FD&C red dye #3 Eggs and products that contain eggs (egg whites are okay) Milk chocolate Blackstrap molasses Soy and products that contain soy -
Step 3: Eat more fruits and vegetables.
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Step 4: Include a moderate amount of lean protein.
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Step 5: Take a supplement that contains zinc
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Step 6: selenium
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Step 7: and vitamin D. All three are necessary for healthy thyroid function and taking these supplements may even improve thyroid function in some people.Find a multivitamin that contains 100% (and no more than 100%) of your recommended daily allowance of zinc
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Step 8: selenium
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Step 9: and vitamin D. Zinc.
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Step 10: Reduce your iodine intake if you are scheduled for radioactive iodine uptake or therapy.
Detailed Guide
No diet has been proven to improve thyroid function or treat a thyroid problem.Making drastic changes to your diet or adding supplements may cause more problems, so be sure to check with your doctor before you do anything, especially if you take thyroid medication.
If you take thyroid medication, avoid taking it along with:
Walnuts Cottonseed meal Soy flour Iron or calcium containing supplements Antacids Ulcer medication Cholesterol-lowering drugs
In addition, eating too many products that contain soy can also cause problems for someone who has borderline hypothyroidism.
You can still eat soy in moderation, but do not make it part of your daily diet.If you use soymilk as a replacement for dairy milk, then try replacing soy milk with rice, almond, coconut, or hemp milk.
Soy is fine for people with hyperthyroidism. , Fruits and vegetables are a healthy addition to any diet.
Make sure that you eat a variety of different fruits and vegetables.
You can eat fruits and vegetables that are either fresh, frozen, or canned., Even though nearly all animal products contain iodine in moderate to high levels, you will still need to get some protein in your diet.
Avoid processed meats and choose fresh cuts of meat instead.Try to include a serving of lean protein every day, such as:
Skinless chicken or turkey Lean cuts of beef Pork tenderloin , Adult men require 11 milligrams and adult women require 9 milligrams of zinc per day.Selenium.
Adult men and women require 55 micrograms of selenium per day.Do not take more than 200 micrograms per day.Vitamin D.
Adult men and women up to 70 years old need 600 IU (15 micrograms) of vitamin D every day.
Men and women older than 70 require 800 IUs (20 micrograms) of vitamin D every day.Do not take any iodine supplements.
Whether you have hyperthyroidism or hypothyroidism, anyone with thyroid problems should not take iodine supplements., It may be necessary for you to follow a low-iodine diet for a couple of weeks if you are going to have this procedure.Many foods contain iodine, but some contain high amounts and you will need to watch your intake of these foods.
Foods to limit or avoid include:
Fish and shellfish Dairy products Iodized salt Anything that contains carrageenan, agar-agar, alginate, nori, iodate dough conditioners, and FD&C red dye #3 Eggs and products that contain eggs (egg whites are okay) Milk chocolate Blackstrap molasses Soy and products that contain soy
About the Author
Alexander Morgan
A passionate writer with expertise in crafts topics. Loves sharing practical knowledge.
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