Foods That Help Regulate The Thyroid Gland
Your thyroid is a gland located in your neck that regulates various functions in your body. For example, the thyroid gland ensures that T4 and T3 hormones are produced, which help to regulate metabolism and influence other systems in your body.
When your thyroid is functioning properly, you don’t need to pay too much attention to your diet, but you should always be on the lookout for conditions where the thyroid produces more hormones than needed (hyperthyroidism) or not enough (hypothyroidism).
Below we will therefore list a number of foods that help to regulate the thyroid gland in a natural way.
The lack of iodine is directly caused by the malfunctioning of the thyroid gland and many people worldwide suffer from this. When a thyroid disorder develops, it is important to follow a diet that helps regulate it.
In the following paragraphs, we’ll give you some basic tips for dealing with thyroid disorders.
Foods that help regulate the thyroid gland
Diet Tips For Hyperthyroidism
As we mentioned above, hyperthyroidism is a condition in which the thyroid gland is stimulated and produces too many hormones. When there is an excessive amount of hormones in the body, you may experience weight loss and loss of muscle mass.
A balanced diet with foods that contain a lot of energy is always recommended in this case.
Dairy (yogurt, cheese and milk)
- Drink as many dairy products as possible.
- Enrich your yogurt with condensed milk and whole-wheat powdered milk. Use it to prepare shakes, sweets, soups and purees, and eat grains.
- Add cheese to your salad and other foods.
Proteins (fish, red meat and eggs)
- Cut a hard-boiled egg into pieces and add it to salads or soups. Do the same with meat and fish.
- Beat eggs and add them to purees, soups, creams, salsa and shakes.
- Fill your favorite savory meals with meat or fish.
Sugars, bread, honey and crackers
- Eat crackers and bread for breakfast, lunch and dinner.
- Add fried bread or croutons to your soups and purees.
Diet Tips For Hypothyroidism
When talking about thyroid abnormalities, we should also consider hypothyroidism, in which the thyroid gland does not produce enough hormones. Hypothyroidism shows up as tiredness, fatigue, hair loss and it is also possible for a person to gain weight.
These cases are much more complex and so should be examined by a doctor. Your diet should be balanced and varied.
Avoid fats, sugars and calories
- Compound foods and red meat contain too much fat.
- Margarine, butter and pork fat.
- Sugars, both white and brown and sweets with sugars.
- Alcoholic drinks and drinks with sugar.
Recommendations
- Eat four to five small portions a day and avoid snacking between meals. Also, don’t experiment with foods.
- Also try to move more. Go for a walk and avoid distractions such as escalators.
- Consume foods rich in fiber, such as raw vegetables and streamed fruits and vegetables.
General Thyroid Care
A number of other common foods can also help regulate your thyroid, including freshwater fish, salmon and tuna. Bright colored fruits and vegetables can stimulate the thyroid gland and also lower blood pressure. We recommend using powdered seaweed instead of salt.