7 Foods to Eat Right Now to Strengthen the Thyroid

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Eating fresh, whole foods without additives is considered to be one of the best things you can do to stay healthy and improve your thyroid health (your other organs and glands will thank you as well!)

Let's look at some specific foods that you can incorporate now to nourish your thyroid gland. 

Coconut oil

Coconut oil supports proper thyroid function as it slightly stimulates thyroid hormone production and the metabolism. In this way, wise incorporation of coconut oil into the the diet is thought to support thyroid health and help sufferers of hypothyroidism to lose weight. Coconut oil may also help to reduce cholesterol in hypothyroid patients as thyroid suppression in and of itself raises blood cholesterol levels.

Brazil Nuts

Your body needs several key nutrients to convert T4 to T3 efficiently. One of them is selenium. Unfortunately, it is increasingly difficult to get sufficient minerals like selenium from our food. Large-scale commercial farming doesn’t involve crop rotation. And the resulting food is simply less nutritious and woefully lacking in minerals. Luckily, nature’s most abundant, edible source of selenium is common, tasty, and easy to store. Brazil nuts. Just 3 or 4 as a snack will give you a generous daily dose of selenium – and help your thyroid to give you abundant energy.

Whole Seaweed

Naturally rich in iodine as well as trace minerals, sea weed has long been considered a food that supports thyroid function.  Indeed, native peoples subsisting on their traditional diets often went to very great lengths to obtain sea vegetables in effort to avoid goiter. People in Japan eat large amounts of seaweed and their rates of thyroid disease are dramatically lower than ours [source]. Iodine is critical to thyroid health and function. Without adequate dietary iodine, your body is unable to manufacture the thyroid hormones.   Of course, excess intake of iodine-rich foods is also implicated in thyroid disease. Remember: moderation is the key, not excess. Avoid taking iodine supplements, rather use sea vegetables in their whole form and in moderation.

Maca Root

Maca root is a good choice for maintaining thyroid health for several reasons. Maca helps to balance the pituitary gland, which sends hormonal signals to the thyroid. It is a sort of top-down regulation.

This traditional Peruvian root also contains nutrients that the thyroid needs. Maca root contains zinc, B-complex vitamins, iron, iodine and copper. All of these are likely to help improve thyroid functionality. 

A lot of women with the hypothyroid report improved thyroid numbers when using maca. Even though the mechanism is not clear yet, clinical reports do claim improvement in thyroid and adrenal function when using maca. However, it is very good to mention that thyroid problem differ from person to person and not everyone will respond to maca the same way. While some may notice almost instant improvements, others will need longer time in order to experience improvement inf the functioning of their thyroid and endocrine system.

Radish

Radishes have historically been used to treat thyroid problems and have been known to keep the levels of thyroid hormones balanced. Russian researchers claim that the chemical in radishes, raphanin, helps keep levels of thyroid hormones in balance. With enough raphanin circulating in the blood, the gland is less likely to overproduce or under-produce these hormones.

Spirulina

Spirulina is a great source of many minerals including iodine, which supports overall health and metabolism. Specifically high in carotenoids like beta-carotene, spirulina supplies some crucial vitamin A for the thyroid. Spirulina is one of the best green foods for liver detoxification. Optimal function of the liver is crucial for good thyroid health because the conversion of inactive thyroid hormone (T4) to active thyroid (T3) mainly takes place in the liver, although it does occur throughout the body.

In addition to these excellent thyroid nutrients, spirulina is a good source of tyrosine. Tyrosine is the most important amino acid for healthy thyroid function.

Chia Seeds

One of the latest discoveries about chia seeds is its ability to positively influence the thyroid gland.

Scientific trials have shown that the regular consumption of chia seeds somehow helps regulate the functions of the thyroid gland, either calming down an overactive thyroid gland or boosting the gland’s function in people who are suffering from hypothyroidism. Scientists aren’t sure yet what causes chia to be so effective at regulating the thyroid gland, but they theorize that it has something to do with the rich essential fatty acids it contains. Chia is one of the best plant sources in the world for essential fatty acids, especially those that belong to the omega-3 family. These fatty acids, which have been proven to help protect our brains and our hearts, may also contain the key to keeping the thyroid gland in check. While scientists and researchers work to test the validity of this theory, there is one thing that is not in doubt: chia definitely works.

Other notable foods for the thyroid: Parsley, Sunflower seeds, Pumpkin seeds and Apricots.

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