Diet for thyroid disease

Treatment of such diseases is possible and necessary, but the outcome and prognosis of therapy largely depend on our diet - daily intake of products that support the thyroid gland. In this article, we will talk about what a diet for thyroid disease is.

Poor environmental conditions, unbalanced nutrition, and, as an initial cause, lack of iodine in food and water can provoke a disorder of the thyroid gland function. This can be an excess (thyrotoxicosis, hyperthyroidism) or deficiency (hypothyroidism) of the amount of thyroid hormones.

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Nutrition for thyroid disease

For normal functioning of metabolic processes in the body, such an organ as the thyroid gland synthesizes certain types of hormones. When such hormones are not synthesized enough, experts talk about hypofunction of the thyroid gland. In this condition, metabolic processes slow down, a person acquires a tendency to obesity. The skin becomes dry, memory and attention deteriorate.

The main component of a rational diet for such symptoms should be iodine. Our body acquires this substance from the air we inhale and from food products. For normal hormone production, the human body requires about 140 mcg of iodine daily.

The best sources of iodine are fish and seafood: kelp, seaweed (nori), tuna, crab meat, pollock, shrimp, squid and meat of other sea creatures. Vegetables, fruits, greens grown in iodine-rich soil contain a significant amount of this element.

In case of a pronounced iodine deficiency in the diet, it is recommended to use iodized salt. Saturated with iodine, such salt should always be present on the kitchen table and used in cooking. It should be taken into account that salt with iodine can retain its medicinal properties only for up to 4 months, after this period the necessary element simply evaporates.

In case of hypothyroidism, it is useful to eat legumes, corn, cereals, root vegetables, tomatoes. It is not recommended to eat only regular white cabbage and millet porridge - these products contain substances that do not allow iodine to be absorbed.

What is the diet for thyroid disease?

In case of disorders of the thyroid gland functional capacity, it is advisable to stick to a vegetarian diet - a diet with predominant consumption of fresh fruits, vegetables, root crops, seeds and nuts. Such products contain natural iodine, without which a normal balance of processes in the body is impossible.

In case of hypothyroidism, the diet should consist of a variety of seafood, and in case of hyperthyroidism, foods containing iodine should be limited.

In addition to the iodine element, for thyroid diseases it is recommended to use products with a high content of cobalt, manganese, copper and selenium. Such substances promote normal absorption of iodine and are found in berries, pumpkin, root vegetables, rose hips, lettuce, as well as in decoctions of hop cones, wormwood, yarrow.

It is best to start treating the thyroid gland with foods that cleanse the blood. These foods include celery root and stalks, garlic, and radishes. Sprouted grains and legumes have a good effect: oats, barley, wheat, lentils, beans. The daily diet should consist of a sufficient amount of different types of nuts, flax seeds, and sunflower seeds.

Drinking water should be purified (not tap water), preferably alkaline mineral water.

Thyroid Diet Recipes

In case of thyroid disorders, it is strongly recommended to include in the daily diet such dishes as steamed chicken, boiled or grilled, jellied chicken or turkey in vegetable broth. You can eat a protein omelet steamed (it is better to exclude yolks).

Dishes made from cereals include casseroles, crumbly and milk porridges, puddings, muesli. You can bake potatoes in their skins, putting cheese or greens in the middle.

For lunch, vegetarian soups with cereals and potatoes, bean borscht, vegetable stew, vegetable pilaf (you can add dried fruits), fruit salads are preferred. Salads from boiled vegetables, vinaigrette, bean salad perfectly satisfy hunger.

Fruit jelly, mousse, compote or jelly made from dried fruits, and freshly squeezed juices would be appropriate as dessert.

In the menu, try to avoid pasta, semolina and millet groats, strong meat and mushroom broths. Ice cream, cakes, pastries, chocolate, and pastries are not recommended.

Instead of bread, you can bake yeast-free flatbreads, which, if desired, can be sprinkled with caraway seeds, sesame seeds, honey or vegetable oil.

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Thyroid Disease Diet Menu

We offer you several options for a dietary menu for thyroid diseases.

Hyperthyroidism:

• Breakfast – fruit salad of apple, banana and orange, green or herbal tea;
• Snack – a sandwich with black bread and cheese, tea with milk;
• Lunch – light chicken soup, vegetable pilaf, compote;
• Snack – oat cracker, herbal tea;
• Dinner – buckwheat casserole with vegetables and cheese, a piece of black bread;
• A glass of kefir at night.

Second option:

• Breakfast – cheesecakes with yogurt, rosehip tea;
• Snack – milk soup with cereals;
• Lunch – bean borscht, baked potatoes with steamed cutlet, jelly;
• Snack – a handful of nuts or dried fruits, tea;
• Dinner – stewed vegetables, a piece of dark bread;
• A cup of milk at night.

Hypothyroidism:

• Breakfast – protein steam omelette, Borodinsky bread with cheese, coffee without sugar;
• Snack – fruit mix of pear, banana and orange;
• Lunch – fish soup, potato casserole, compote;
• Snack – cottage cheese pudding, tea;
• Dinner: steamed fish meatballs with buckwheat, a piece of dark bread, compote;
• Kefir at night.

Second option:

• Breakfast – cottage cheese casserole with honey, black tea;
• Snack – vinaigrette with yeast-free flatbread;
• Lunch – cabbage soup, baked potatoes, seaweed salad, dried fruit jelly;
• Snack – an apple or a banana;
• Dinner – fish baked in foil with vegetables, a piece of yeast-free bread, compote;
• At night – tea with milk.

With any thyroid disease, it is necessary to eat fresh vegetables, greens and fruits - to improve the functioning of metabolic processes, the body needs fiber. The diet for thyroid disease should be based on the results of tests, agreed with the doctor. Do not resort to a diet on your own, first you should clarify the diagnosis with an endocrinologist! We give you recommendations on proper nutrition for diseases, but the final word should remain with your doctor.

What can you eat if you have thyroid disease?

The list of products recommended for thyroid dysfunction is quite extensive:

• unrefined oil (sunflower, sea buckthorn, olive, nut, etc.);
• natural dairy products (fermented milk products are also possible);
• beekeeping products (honey, honeycomb, capping);
• cereals, porridges (buckwheat, oatmeal, barley, except millet);
• fresh and baked root vegetables (potatoes, beets, carrots, radishes);
• dried fruits (figs, prunes, dates, dried apricots, dried apricots);
• pumpkin, zucchini, eggplant, corn, squash, peas, beans, lentils, soybeans;
• apples (with seeds), pears, apricots, plums;
• vegetable broth;
• yeast-free dark bread, you can use Borodinsky;
• fish (sea and river, pike, trout, cod, hake, flounder, mackerel);
• mussels, crabs, seaweed, shrimp, squid;
• melons and gourds;
• persimmon, chokeberry, grapes.

Nutrition for hypothyroidism should be varied. However, sugar, flour products, spicy and salted-smoked dishes should be, if not excluded, then at least significantly reduced. Good natural coffee is allowed for hypothyroidism, but for thyrotoxicosis - on the contrary, it is not welcomed.

Products that can be recommended for hyperthyroidism (thyrotoxicosis – excessive thyroid function):

• dairy and fermented milk natural products (cottage cheese, milk, yogurt, cheese);
• lean meats (chicken, turkey);
• cereal porridges.

Eating with hyperthyroidism should be frequent, but with the consumption of small amounts of food (fractional meals). It is best to cook food using steam or in the oven: fried and smoked food is not allowed.

What should you not eat if you have thyroid disease?

If hypothyroidism is diagnosed, the following is not recommended:

• fatty meats (pork, rabbit, lamb) and sausage products;
• spread, margarines, synthetic fats;
• sugar, flour and confectionery products, bread products made from premium white flour, sweet buns;
• products with preservatives and carcinogens, synthetic colors and stabilizers;
• mayonnaise, ketchup, chili pepper, mustard, horseradish, all types of vinegar;
• chocolate, cocoa, cola;
• smoked products – lard, fish, meat;
• eggs and dishes made from them;
• alcoholic drinks, cigarettes.

If hyperthyroidism (thyrotoxicosis) is diagnosed, the following is not recommended:

• seafood (fish, seaweed);
• iodized salt;
• coffee and strong tea;
• chocolate with a high cocoa content, coca-cola;
• rich meat and fish broths;
• garlic, sorrel, fatty meat, lard, canned food;
• alcoholic and low-alcohol drinks;
• spices and herbs.

With any thyroid pathology, it is important not to skip meals. Perhaps the doctor will prescribe additional vitamins and microelements (as a preventive support for the body).