When the ancient Greeks were pushing back the boundaries of consciousness and philosophy, Hippocrates famously said, ‘Physician, heal thyself’. The phrase is also to be found in the bible, attributed to Jesus in Luke. Alongside this pithy saying, was the understanding that one way to achieve good health was to eat wisely and not too well, to drink water and to get enough sleep, and it is true that in the vast majority of ailments, perfecting these three factors can see an improvement in the person’s general health.
What Helps Thyroid Issues?
Thyroid problems are not amongst these ailments. While eating better is always good, following even the most stringent regimen will have no effect on your thyroid disease unless you are also taking your thyroid medication – find out more about T3 thyroid medication here – to ensure that your levels of thyroid hormone are within optimal ranges.
What Doesn’t Help Thyroid Issues?
Having said that, there are some foods that should be avoided, especially when taking thyroid medication because it can interfere with the body’s absorption of the thyroxine replacement. These include:
- Calcium: Calcium supplements, antacids containing calcium, and multivitamins ‘block’ the absorption and usage of the synthetic thyroxine
- Iron: Iron supplements and multivitamins also interfere with absorption
- Walnuts: these tasty treats make your body struggle to absorb levothyroxine
- Gluten free flours: Soybean flour and cottonseed meal are no-nos too because they interfere with the readings of thyroid hormone levels more than with the levels themselves
Biotin and fibre too should be avoided, or taken at as distant a time as possible from the thyroid medication.
Other Points to Ponder
When you have thyroid issues, treatments for too much thyroxine are generally to induce hypothyroidism by removing the gland, or curtailing its excessive production in some way. This means that you must then take replacement thyroid hormones, as the treatment has essentially reversed your ailment, leaving you low on the hormone. One of the effects of hypothyroidism is a reduced metabolism alongside greater sensitivity to the cold and a strong lack of motivation. The reduction in activity that this causes can result in weight gain, which must then be managed with a careful diet.
To this end, the patient should eat high-energy foods: meat, eggs, avocados and non-walnut nuts, that will work to provide high quality nutrition and good fats that will offer both satiety and a good source of readily available energy even as they help to maintain muscle tone – which itself boosts the metabolism.
In short, to answer strictly, just considering the question, ‘Can diet improve thyroid function?’ and being completely honest, one would have to say no. But if the parameters of the question are broadened to include the feelings of the patient, their weight and energy levels and other areas not necessarily impacted directly by their thyroid, then yes, diet can improve the life of a thyroid patient – as long as their medical condition is undergoing prescribed treatment first!