If you have Hashimoto’s, which foods make things worse?
There are several things to consider because not everyone is the same.
For starters, consider your past reactions to foods. Are these foods that always cause digestive problems? Are there those you have dangerous allergies to? Do you have celiac disease?
The wrong food can cause a wide range of symptoms for a given person. Not everyone will answer these last questions in the same way but you need to respect what your body tells you.
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Let’s consider the effects of highly processed foods. Regardless of personal responses, humans are healthier when their diet is less processed. We have strong evidence that a minimally processed diet corresponds to lower body weight and lower risks of most chronic diseases.
How processed is a particular food? Just look for the ingredient list. The least processed foods don’t have ingredient lists.
Start with a diet that is largely made up of vegetables, fruits, nuts, seeds, intact whole grains, legumes, fresh meat and seafood. Keep any other foods to a minimum.
OK, now we’re down to healthy food options that work with your body. Among them, which are bad for your thyroid?
It is worth taking a moment to think about what criteria should be used to answer that question. You’ll find out if you haven’t already that experts have different opinions.
Some say everyone with thyroid disease must avoid all gluten. Others take that further and say all grains are harmful. Some say goitrogens are bad – even from foods like broccoli or kale.
Others say soy is the biggest problem. Others say it is oxalates and nightshades. Some even say you should only eat meat while others say protein from mammals contain antibodies that cross react with the thyroid.
No joke, if you follow all of the advice, you will have nothing to eat.
Once we’re down to a list of health foods, further restrictions should be made with caution. If you cut out entire food categories, you become far too likely to miss out on essential nutrients and phytonutrients. Plus restrictive diets can be psychologically unhealthy. They create social isolation and an unjustified fear of food.
Most of the ideas about foods that could hurt the thyroid are just that – ideas. They are results that people think might happen based on assumptions about how the body works. In medicine, ideas are like opinions. Until they are tested in the real world, we are wise to take them lightly.
The diets that have had real-world testing on humans and thyroid function include gluten-free, autoimmune paleo, and low iodine. Here is what we have learned.
Gluten free diets are essential for those with celiac. But they do not change thyroid function, even in people with celiac disease. If you don’t have celiac, but you feel better without gluten, you may as well avoid it.
The autoimmune paleo diet is popular. It does cut out processed foods, yet it is highly restrictive. There was a single study done to see if it could improve thyroid function. It did not.
At last count, we had over 33,000 studies on the connection between iodine and thyroid disease and over 1600 studies on the role of dietary iodine.
Extra iodine in the diet can cause Hashimoto’s disease and make it worse for those who have it. Avoiding extra iodine has been shown to reverse Hashimoto’s disease in 78% of participants and improve it for 97% of participants.
The goal is to keep one’s total daily iodine intake between 50 – 200 mcg for general thyroid health and under 100 mcg to improve thyroid function. It is worth noting that iodine can also come from more than just one’s diet. Medications, supplements, and cosmetics all count toward the total.
#1 Kelp granules – 81,650 mcg per serving
Seaweed, AKA sea vegetables are the densest sources of dietary iodine by far. If this top 13 list was a simple ranking, every entry would have been a sea vegetable.
#2 Sherbet – 1480 mcg per serving
#3 Hard candy – 680 mcg per serving
There are many processed foods that have much more iodine than would be expected. Iodine can come from flavors, color enhancers, and texturizers. Researchers have noted that there are no consistent clues from ingredient lists that show which are high in iodine.
#4 White bread, enriched – 610 mcg per serving
#5 Wheat bread, enriched – 530 mcg per serving
Before I said that gluten doesn’t hurt the thyroid. Yet many people find that their thyroid does better after they cut it out. Here is why – commercial grain products are often full of iodine! Yet flour does not have any. Whole grain products or things you bake at home are fine. But bread from a store is likely to be unsafe. Also consider the same to be true for bagels, rolls, biscuits, cookies, cakes, and donuts.
#6 Cod, pacific – 315 mcg per serving
#7 Haddock – 227 mcg per serving
Bummer because seafood is good. Thankfully there are a lot of low iodine options like trout, shrimp, and scallops.
#8 Eggs – 250 mcg per serving
Iodine is in egg yolks yet there is none in the whites. The exact amount from egg to egg can vary significantly but nearly all egg yolks contain more iodine than your thyroid needs. Thankfully you can use egg whites for nearly any recipe that calls for whole eggs.
#9 Skim milk – 360 mcg per serving
#10 Yogurt, low fat – 150 mcg per serving
#11 Swiss cheese – 150 mcg per serving
#12 Cottage cheese, 2% fat 72 mcg per serving
Dairy products are also sources of excessive iodine. Many find that avoiding bread and dairy helps their thyroid – and this is likely the reason. Other types of cheese and yogurt are not too different with the exception of plant-based milks and cheeses. These are low in iodine except for the few remaining brands that use carrageenan as a texturizer.
#13 Bacon – 59 mcg per serving
#14 Bologna – 43 mcg per serving
Processed meats have plenty of strikes against them. They elevate the risk for heart disease and stomach cancer, and they are usually too high in iodine. Like with bread and other processed foods, there are no ingredients on the label that always relate to iodine. When highly processed foods are made, there are many chemicals used that do not have to be listed. The ingredient lists are usually scary enough – but they are not the full picture.
Everything else. Nearly all vegetables, fruits, nuts, seeds, legumes, and fresh meats are fine. Many types of seafood are good as are plant-based dairy products and egg whites. Look at the recipes in the Thyroid Reset Diet for lots of great options like Sesame Ginger Lettuce Wraps, Wild Rice Hot Dish, Chermoula Baked Trout, and more.
Try the Thyroid Quiz today (Click Here: Take the quiz) to learn more about your thyroid and the impact it may be having on your overall health.
P.S. Whenever you are ready, here is how I can help you now:
1. Schedule a Thyroid Second Opinion with me, Dr. C, Click Here for Details
2. Need A Thyroid Supplement Recommendation? Take My Thyroid Specific Formulations Quiz Now
3. Need a Personalized Supplement? Check out My Thyroid Specific Formulations
4. Download and use my Favorite Recipes Cookbook Here
5. Check out my podcast Medical Myths, Legends, and Fairytales Here
Dr. Alan Glen Christianson (Dr. C) is a Naturopathic Endocrinologist and the author of The NY Times bestselling Adrenal Reset Diet, The Metabolism Reset Diet and The Thyroid Reset Diet.
Dr. C’s gift for figuring out what really works has helped hundreds of thousands of people reverse thyroid disease, lose weight, diabetes, and regain energy. Learn more about the surprising story that started his quest.
