Foods to Avoid for an Underactive Thyroid

An underactive thyroid can leave you feeling weepy, tired, and even irritable which can be problematic. The thyroid is this butterfly-shaped gland that is located at the front base of the neck. This is the one responsible for regulating your hormone production as well as metabolism where hypothyroidism is the most common. Hypothyroidism is the term used to refer to underactive thyroid which can lead to depression, weight gain, and hypothyroidism just to name a few. If you are diagnosed with this condition, you will need to avoid certain types of food such as the ones below.

Desserts

If you have an underactive thyroid, you will have to reduce your dessert intake since eating sweets can trigger inflammation which you need to avoid if you have hypothyroidism. So say goodbye to sweets like cookies, chocolates, and ice cream for now.

Dairy

If you have hypothyroidism, you will be contending with leaky gut. Avoiding consumption of dairy can help ease the symptoms of hypothyroidism. Dairy products can make your immune system attack the casein present in them which can lead to an autoimmune response. Among the dairy products that you should skip include milk, yogurt, whipping cream, cheese, butter, and sour cream just to name a few.

Tuna and swordfish

For those who have underactive thyroid, make sure that you don’t go consume too much tuna, swordfish, mackerel and the like because they may have higher concentrations of chemicals that your body cannot process as of yet. Farmed fish, on the other hand, may have higher concentrations of mercury compared to the wild ones so go easy on them too.

Kale

Kale is always a favorite by those who are eating healthy, but if you have an iodine deficiency, you will have to cross this one off your list or at least cook it first before eating. Raw kale can rob you of iodine which is something that you should consider if you have hypothyroidism.

Grains/gluten

We all have been eating foods that contain processed flour from some time now, which means that you need to reconsider your food intake. There are studies that show that too much consumption of foods that contain gluten can lead to autoimmune diseases. Skipping foods that contain gluten may help improve your hypothyroidism. If you aren’t familiar which ones contain gluten, consider the following: bread, biscuits, croutons, pasta, crackers, and breadsticks. They are all delicious but, unfortunately, they aren’t improving your condition one bit.

Iron and calcium supplements

If you are taking medications for your hypothyroidism, make sure that you aren’t taking any supplements that contain iron or calcium since they can counteract the effects of your drugs.

Hot dogs

Processed meats are a staple in many households, but if you have an underactive thyroid, you should definitely remove this from the list of foods that you are eating. Think hot dogs, pre-packaged sandwich meats, and the like because their artificial additives can worsen your condition. well, anything that contains harmful ingredients can make your underactive thyroid worse, so make sure that you skip this.

Iodine

If you have been eating foods that are high in iodine, it may trigger sluggishness on your part which is basically a symptom of hypothyroidism. It’s really simple, if you have too much, it’s not good for your thyroid, too little and your thyroid will still not be able to function well.

These are just a few examples of foods that are not really recommended for those who have hypothyroidism because they can only make the symptoms worse. Studies have showed that easing up on the consumption of these foods can help improve your thyroid function too.

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