Tips For Eating Healthy to Treat Your Thyroid

With a thyroid condition, one of the top ways to treat it naturally is by having plenty of healthy foods in your diet. There are a lot of vitamins and nutrients that can actually help to prevent the condition, or at least reduce the symptoms. Follow these tips for eating healthy to help treat your thyroid problems.

Avoid Soy if You Have Hypothyroidism

While soy is okay to have in your diet if you are producing too much hormones and have an overactive thyroid, you should try to avoid it if you have an underactive thyroid. When you have hypothyroidism, you are already struggling with the reduced thyroid hormones. Soy affects your body’s ability to use thyroid hormones properly, so it creates an even bigger problem. If you follow a plant-based diet, look for other sources of protein and nutrition.

Try to Get More Antioxidants

You want to have as many antioxidants as you can get, regardless of the type of thyroid condition you have. With proper antioxidants, it helps to balance out your immune system, so even if you have Hashimoto’s or Graves’ Disease, the antioxidants will help you to get the right amount of hormones from your thyroid gland. Berries are one of the best sources of antioxidants, particularly with blueberries, raspberries, and strawberries. 

Be Careful With Cruciferous Vegetables

Another dietary guideline that is determined by the type of thyroid condition you have is when it comes to cruciferous vegetables. These include broccoli, cauliflower, cabbage, kale, turnips, and Brussels sprouts. If you have hyperthyroidism, it can be great to have these vegetables since it helps to naturally lessen the production of the thyroid hormone. However, if you have hypothyroidism, you don’t want to reduce the amount of hormones anymore than the condition is already causing. In this case, try to reduce how many of these vegetables you eat.

Eat More Omega-3s

Your thyroid can also become stronger if you have more omega-3 fatty acids in your diet. This is true for both hypothyroidism and hyperthyroidism. Omega-3s are commonly found in fish, including tuna, mackerel, and salmon. You can also get these fatty acids from flax seed oil, olive oil, and walnuts.

Reduce Your Gluten Intake

Another type of food you want to reduce in your diet for proper thyroid help is gluten. Extra grains aren’t good for hypothyroidism or hyperthyroidism. Grains are often found in products with wheat, including baked goods and bread. 
