01/10/11 - Supplement tip: Pro-biotics can help improve the bioavailability (absorption) of minerals in the body. This can be particularly helpful for those people who struggle with hypo-thyroidism. Don't forget the thyroid needs selenium, zinc, and iodine to function optimally.
Then this morning:
01/11/11 - I see I opened a lot of questions on Thyroid w/ my post below. I'm going to have Dr Van Herle (my endocrinologist) as a guest on my radio show. We're taping on the 22nd & I will make her available to take your calls & questions. I'll put a call in number up ahead of time. Rules of thumb on thyroid - no soy. No raw cruciferous vegetables. No peanuts. Take a daily multi & pro biotic.
So I thought....what the heck is a "cruciferous vegetable" and I googled it and found this:
Q: Are cruciferous vegetables a bad food choice for someone with hypothyroidism?
A: The answer to that depends on whether or not you take thyroid hormone replacements (i.e. Synthroid, Levoxyl...) and how you eat these foods. If you do use medication to help supplement your thyroid hormone production, then you should avoid these foods because they can block the body's ability to absorb the medication. In the end, that leaves you (and maybe your doctor) wondering why you feel so badly when you take your medication regularly and try to be healthy.
A: The answer to that depends on whether or not you take thyroid hormone replacements (i.e. Synthroid, Levoxyl...) and how you eat these foods. If you do use medication to help supplement your thyroid hormone production, then you should avoid these foods because they can block the body's ability to absorb the medication. In the end, that leaves you (and maybe your doctor) wondering why you feel so badly when you take your medication regularly and try to be healthy.
These foods are generally called goitrogenic and are, ironically, foods we are often encouraged to eat as part of a daily balanced diet. Ideally, you should avoid or limit the following foods: brussel sprouts, rutabagas, turnips, radishes, cauliflower, potatoes, corn, millet, cabbage, peaches, pears, strawberries, mustard greens, spinach, rasishes, African cassava, and kale.
So, the second condition is how you eat the fruits and vegetables. Cooking seems to break down the enzymes in these foods that might normally cause adverse affects to hypothyroid suffers. That said, they should still only be eaten in small portions.
It's also believed that soy, particularly soy lectin and soy isoflavones (but also raw soy beans), can have adverse affects on those suffering with hypothyroidism. Soy isoflavones can cause disruptions to normal hormone generation at the thyroid gland and maybe also anti-thyroid antibodies to be produced. Like any antibodies, these attack what it feels is the "intruder" in your body - the thyroid in this case. This can mimic autoimmune thyroiditis (aka Hashimoto's Disease) and cause a thyroid deficiency where one didn't exist before or worsen and existing deficiency. As of right now, this is still widely debated, but I have found that these soy ingredients have a very negative impact on my body, making me feel as though I hadn't taken my medication in years.
So it sounds like a lot of the vegetables, soy, and nuts I have been eating lately as part of my healthy lifestyle could actually be preventing the absorption of my thyroid hormone. Time to start eliminating a few things and see if that makes a difference.
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