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Hypothyroid Nutrition

Hypothyroidism, or underactive thyroid, is a condition where the thyroid gland does not produce enough of certain hormones needed for normal healthy bodily functions. If untreated, it can lead to obesity, joint pain, infertility and heart disease. What, if anything, can you do nutritionally to treat hypothyroidism?

  1. Identification

    • There are certain symptoms that can help you identify whether or not you may be suffering from hypothyroidism. The symptoms can be brought on slowly, even over years. You may first feel sluggish. Your metabolism then begins to slow, and more obvious signs come into play, including unexplained weight gain, elevated blood cholesterol, pale and dry skin, muscle weakness and pain, and stiffness or swelling in your joints.

    Function

    • The thyroid gland is found in the front of the neck, and its sole function is to create thyroid hormones that regulate your metabolism. The thyroid is very important, since every cell in the human body relies on thyroid hormones to regulate metabolism.

      A normal healthy functioning thyroid takes iodine and converts it into thyroid hormones. When this process is altered, and the thyroid is creating too much hormone, hypothyroidism occurs.

    Dietary Considerations

    • There was a time when dietary iodine deficiency was a common cause of hypothyroidism. However, now that iodine is added to most table salt, a diet specialized to treat hypothyroidism is not needed, since iodine deficiency is relatively rare.

    Prevention/Solution

    • If you do not eat very much seafood or salt (primary sources of iodine), you may want to take a multivitamin that contains iodine. Otherwise, most people will have little problem getting their daily requirement (150 micrograms for both men and women). Other solid sources of iodine include kelp, eggs, bread, mozzarella cheese, milk, yogurt, and strawberries.

    Expert Insight

    • According to Mayo Clinic Endocrinologist Todd B. Nippoldt, M.D., there's no evidence that eating or avoiding certain foods will improve thyroid function. This is corroborated by a report written by the Food and Nutrition Board and Institute of Medicine, which stated that in 2000, the median intake of iodine from food in the United States was 240 to 300 mcg/day for men and 190 to 210 mcg/day for women. That is well within the recommendations for iodine intake.

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