The thyroid requires iodine in order to function properly and to produce sufficient thyroid hormone to meet the body’s requirements as per the National Institutes of Health. If you’re not getting enough iodine, you could develop goingiter or hypothyroidism. The majority of Americans can get enough iodine since table salt is iodized. But If you’re on an ox-free diet or an entirely vegan diet, you might need to increase the amount of iodine that you get by other methods.
10 Good Foods for a Healthy Thyroid
1. Yogurt
Other than a couple of salads with kelp, you aren’t worried about getting too much iodine in any other food. Particularly dairy products, they contain the highest amount of 85 mg of iodine in a cup, states the NIH.
2. Brazil Nuts
Based on the NIH, Brazil nuts contain another nutrient which helps regulate thyroid hormones, selenium. Selenium could help stop chronic thyroid damage for those who suffer from thyroid-related issues such as Hashimoto’s or Graves” disease, as per an analysis published in 2013 of the Journal clinical Endocrinology.
3. Milk
Milk and milk-based product are the most effective sources of iodine as per the NIH. However, the plant-based drinks which are milk substitutes like soy and almond beverages, contain tiny amounts of iodine.
4. Chicken and Beef
Zinc is a crucial nutritional component of your thyroid. It requires it to produce thyroid hormone. A lack of zinc can cause hypothyroidism according to an article that was published in International Journal of Trichology. But if you suffer from hypothyroidism, you may also be deficient in zinc as thyroid hormones assist in the absorption of the mineral, according to Ilic. When this occurs, you could suffer from side effects such as severe alopecia. It’s an illness that causes an immune response to attack hair follicles, causing them to drop out in clumps according to a report from 2013 published in The International Journal of Trichology.
5. Fish
Iodine is abundant in seawater and soils fish is a great food source for this mineral states the American Thyroid Association. Scientists have known for a long time that those who live in mountains and remote regions that aren’t connected to the ocean are more susceptible to goiters.
6. Shellfish
In general the shellfish such as shrimp and lobster are great sources of iodine according to Ilic. A mere 3 grams of shrimp (about 4 or five pieces) has about 10 percent of your daily recommended intake, according to NIH.
7. Eggs
One egg can contain about 16% of your daily dose of iodine and 20% of the daily selenium that you require according to the NIH, making eggs a thyroid-boosting food.
If you’re not instructed not to by your physician take the entire egg (try our foolproof method to cook eggs over easy)–much of the iodine as well as selenium is contained in the yolks, according to Ilic.
8. Berries
The ideal diet for thyroid health requires much more than iodine selenium as well as vitamin D said Ilic. Unsurprisingly, foods that are high in antioxidants (substances that are found in certain foods that fight damage to cells) are beneficial for your thyroid. According to a study from 2022 in Biomedicine and Pharmacotherapy antioxidants can aid to treat thyroid dysfunction.
9. Cruciferous Vegetables
Do a bit of Googling to come across a site that claims that cruciferous veggies (think broccoli, cauliflower, kale Brussels sprouts) may cause thyroid issues. The reality is a bit more ambiguous. Although it’s true that these vegetables are laced with compounds known as glucosinolates that could hinder the production of thyroid hormones when consumed in large quantities however, it’s highly unlikely that they’ll affect your thyroid health in the case of servings that are normal size.
10. Soy
The effects of soya on thyroid health is not clear. There are concerns that soy may negatively affect thyroid function and alter level of hormones that regulate thyroid function according to researchers of the meta-analysis published in Nature. After reviewing numerous studies in the field, the Nature authors reported they concluded that supplementation with soy does not alter thyroid hormones.