Your thyroid functions so smoothly that you can forget it’s there. An under-active thyroid can bring on weight gain, sluggishness, depression, and increased sensitivity to cold. An overactive thyroid, on the other hand, can cause sudden weight loss, irregular heartbeat, sweating, nervousness, and irritability.
We give you 3 best foods and 3 worst foods for your thyroid.
Best Foods
1. Yogurt
Dairy products are full of this nutrient. Livestock are given iodine supplements and the milking process involves iodine-based cleaners.
Plain, low-fat yogurt or Greek yogurt is a good source as it can make up for about 50% of your daily intake of iodine.
2. Milk
By drinking 1 cup of low-fat milk, you consume about one-third of your daily iodine needs. Another good idea would be to opt for a glass of milk fortified with vitamin D.
People with an under-active thyroid (hypothyroidism) are more likely to be deficient in vitamin D than their healthier counterparts.
3. Chicken And Beef
Zinc is a key nutrient for your thyroid. Too little zinc intake can lead to hypothyroidism. You can also become deficient in zinc if you develop hypothyroidism since your thyroid hormones help absorb the mineral.
A 3-ounce serving of beef chuck roast contains 7 milligrams, a 3-ounce beef patty contains 3 milligrams, and a 3-ounce serving of dark chicken meat contains 2.4 milligrams of zinc.
Worst Foods
4. Fast Food
Similar to processed foods, fast food chains also aren’t required to use iodized salt in their foods. And even when they do, it might not boost the iodine content all that much.
5. Gluten
Eating a gluten-free diet helps control the symptoms, which may also help protect the thyroid gland. But unless you have celiac disease, you might not want to avoid breads after all. In fact, thanks to some of the baking processes, bread can actually contain some iodine.
6. Processed Foods
More than 75% of our dietary sodium intake comes from restaurant, pre-packaged, processed fare. But manufacturers don’t have to use iodized salt in their products.
You may be taking in too much sodium, which can set you up for high blood pressure, then heart disease, minus the iodine.
