✅ The good news:
Cooking deactivates most goitrogens.
Steaming or boiling cruciferous veggies reduces their goitrogenic activity by up to 90%.
🟢 Smart tip:
Enjoy these nutrient-rich vegetables — but cook them if you have hypothyroidism.
Moderate raw intake if you’re healthy and eat a balanced diet.
❌ 2. Soy Products (Especially Unfermented)
The Hormone Mimicker
Foods to watch:
- Soy milk, tofu, edamame, soy protein isolate, soy sauce
Soy contains isoflavones (like genistein), which are phytoestrogens — plant compounds that can:
- Block thyroid peroxidase (TPO), an enzyme needed to make thyroid hormones
- Interfere with thyroid medication absorption
- Increase risk of hypothyroidism, especially in people with low iodine intake
This is especially concerning for:
- People with Hashimoto’s thyroiditis
- Those on levothyroxine (wait 4 hours after taking medication to consume soy)
🟢 Smart tip:
Fermented soy (like miso, tempeh, natto) is less problematic in moderation.
Limit unfermented soy if you have thyroid issues.
❌ 3. Gluten
The Autoimmune Trigger
Foods to watch:
- Bread, pasta, cereals, baked goods, beer (anything with wheat, barley, rye)
For people with Hashimoto’s (the most common cause of hypothyroidism), gluten can be a major trigger.
Why?
Gluten’s protein, gliadin, looks similar to thyroid tissue.
In sensitive individuals, the immune system may attack the thyroid in a case of molecular mimicry.
Studies show a strong link between celiac disease and autoimmune thyroid disease.
🟢 Smart tip:
Even if you’re not celiac, a gluten-free trial (for 4–6 weeks) may reduce inflammation and improve thyroid antibodies.
❌ 4. Refined Sugar & Processed Foods
The Inflammation Amplifier
Foods to watch:
- Candy, soda, pastries, white bread, packaged snacks
High sugar intake fuels chronic inflammation — a key driver of autoimmune flare-ups, including Hashimoto’s.
It also:
- Spikes insulin, which can disrupt hormone balance
- Weakens the immune system
- Contributes to weight gain — a common struggle with hypothyroidism
🟢 Smart tip:
Choose whole, low-glycemic foods like berries, nuts, and vegetables.
Reduce added sugars to under 25g per day.
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