Worst foods for Hashimoto’s disease: what to eat and what to avoid

Worst foods for Hashimoto’s: what to eat and what to avoid.

When it comes to diet and health, we cannot overemphasize their importance. Whatever we consume on a daily influence the state of our health.

The choice of foods in our diet has the power to either deteriorate health or complicate health conditions. On the other hand, they could also boost health and reduce the risks or effects of diseases.

It may seem petty but choosing the healthiest foods can go a long way to help better your health condition, especially when it’s a condition like Hashimoto’s disease.

If you are searching for the worst foods for Hashimoto’s disease, you or someone close to you may have been diagnosed with Hashimoto’s disease.

What is Hashimoto’s disease?

There are lots of thyroid disorders and there, is Hashimoto’s disease. Also called Hashimoto’s thyroiditis or autoimmune thyroiditis, it is a medical condition that damages the thyroid gland.

The thyroid gland is located in the neck and is described as being butterfly-shaped. The thyroid gland produces hormones responsible for controlling growth and metabolism in the body. These hormones could affect heart rate, body temperature, metabolism- all of which keep the human body functioning.

You could imagine what happens when the thyroid glands and their hormones are affected. It could be very fatal.

Hashimoto’s disease occurs or develops when the body’s immune system produces antibodies that attack the thyroid gland, causing it to swell and become damaged. And as a result, it could trigger symptoms like dry skin, depression, joint pain, weight gain, or fatigue.

This disease affects women more than men and often starts between the ages of 30 and 60. Although the disease is incurable, it could be treated with a disease known as levothyroxine- the same hormone produced by your thyroid gland.

People with Hashimoto’s disease plus other autoimmune diseases like celiac disease, lupus, rheumatoid arthritis, type 1 diabetes, etc., could have their condition potentially increased and worse.

Your risk also increases if you just had a baby or have a family history (this disease runs in families).

Although there is no known cause for Hashimoto’s disease, some factors could play a role in triggering this disease. These factors include:

• Genetic factors: Hashimoto’s disease runs in families. Families with a history of this autoimmune disorder usually have people constantly affected by the disease. Hence, this disease is hereditary.
• Similar autoimmune disease: if you have had any autoimmune disease in the past, chances are you are likely to be affected by thyroid disease.
• Gender: women are most likely prone to Hashimoto’s disease than men. This is because they have hormones that play a major role in the development of Hashimoto’s disease.

As a result of the thyroid becoming incapable of producing adequate hormones, hypothyroidism sets in and is accompanied by the following symptoms:

• Dry skin
• Fatigue
• Swellings in the muscles and joints
• Depression
• Weight gain
• Abnormal body temperature
• Constipation
• Joint and muscle pain
• Fever
• Irregular or heavy menstrual periods

One of the best ways to boost the system and avoid attacks is consuming the right foods. An autoimmune disease like Hashimoto’s can have its symptoms and effects reduced over time, with the right diet.

Eating the wrong food can worsen your condition and trigger symptoms – which can be fatal. To avoid complicating the condition, we advise that you fill your body system with the right foods.

Worst foods for Hashimoto’s disease

If you are searching for “foods to avoid with Hashimoto’s disease”, you have got the right answer below:

1. Soy-rich Foods

Foods rich in soy contain goitrogens. Goitrogens block iodine, an important nutrient necessary for manufacturing hormones in the thyroid. Goitrogens are compounds that disrupt the normal function of the thyroid gland, leading to the enlargement of the goiter (thyroid gland).

Eating foods that contain goitrogens even after being diagnosed with Hashimoto’s disease can decrease your chances of getting better.

Plus, soy foods can interfere with your medications and cause them to be ineffective. If you are diagnosed with Hashimoto’s disease, stop consuming soy foods like edamame, tofu, soymilk, tempeh, miso, and soy-protein bars.

2. Gluten

We know it’s hard to ditch most foods that you are already used to eating. Gluten foods are a major culprit that could trigger Hashimoto’s symptoms and you do not want that.

Gluten is a protein and is commonly found in grains.

These foods are bad for your gut and a gut that is unhealthy is prone to an increased risk for autoimmune diseases.

Plus, gluten sensitivity can cause your body to become deficient in selenium. Selenium is an important nutrient that enables the thyroid gland to produce its hormones.

By scrapping out gluten foods, you are a step close to managing your symptoms. This is because gluten-free foods reduce inflammation and enable the absorption of nutrients in the body.

Gluten foods to avoid today include bread, cereals, barley, wheat, rye, pasta- if you have Hashimoto’s disease.

3. Alcohol

Ditching alcohol is not only important in controlling Hashimoto’s and its symptoms, it is necessary for your overall health.

When considering the worst foods for Hashimoto’s disease, Consuming alcohol if you are battling with Hashimoto’s disease can inhibit the production of hormones and decrease the levels of already exiting thyroid hormones.

Also, alcohol is bad for gut health, and consuming it can increase your risk for autoimmune diseases.

If you want to reduce the effects and symptoms accompanied by Hashimoto’s disease, then it’s simple, ditch alcohol.

4. Raw Cruciferous Vegetables

Yes, vegetables contain nutrients that could boost health and reduce the risks of disease, raw cruciferous vegetables are not good for Hashimoto’s patients.

Raw cruciferous vegetables contain goitrogens that can disrupt the normal function of the thyroid gland and increase the effects of the disease.

Cruciferous vegetables include kale, cauliflower, spinach, broccoli, and cabbage.

If you still want to consume these vegetables, we advise that you cook them. But, the cooked vegetables should be consumed in small amounts.

5. Fatty Foods

Fatty foods also affect Hashimoto’s disease by inhibiting the body’s capability to absorb drugs meant for the disease. These foods could also stop the thyroid gland from producing its hormones.

One of the symptoms of Hashimoto’s disease is weight gain. Consuming fatty foods will only add and trigger more weight gain.

Fatty foods you should avoid include butter, margarine, lamb, pork, beef cut, and mayonnaise.

6. Sugary Foods

If you have any thyroid disease, it is only right that you avoid sugary foods.

Sugary foods contain lots of calories. Calories do not provide your body with any nutrients but they do cause you to gain weight.

You should be wary of sugary foods if you have Hashimoto’s disease include cakes, candies, desserts, sodas, etc.

7. Grains

A diet void of grains is not a bad idea at all. It could help with any kind of thyroid disorder.

Grains usually have lots of pesticides in them and if consumed, could affect gut health and lead to thyroid diseases.

With Hashimoto’s disease, the grains you should avoid include barley, oats, wheat, bulgur, amaranth, etc.

8. Coffee and Caffeine

We know that it is wonderful to have a cup of hot coffee, especially if it’s your favorite brand in the morning. But, that cup of coffee could increase your symptoms and worsen Hashimoto’s disease.

Coffee and other beverages with caffeine can worsen your symptoms by stimulating increased fatigue, insomnia, and tremors.

9. Canola oil

Foods that contain goitrogen should be avoided and one of them is canola oil.

Canola oil is refined, processed, and as such, bad for your health if you have Hashimoto’s

Most of the foods listed here, that you should consume are in no doubt loaded with nutrients. Yes, nutrient-dense foods can help deliver numerous benefits, reduce the risk of thyroid diseases and their symptoms, etc.

But, a diet filled with the right foods can improve your life and suppress your symptoms, if you have Hashimoto’s disease.

Foods to eat with Hashimoto’s disease

Worst foods for Hashimoto’s disease? remember that eating the right kind of food can help you feel a lot better. These foods are:

Vitamin B Foods

Chicken, tuna, spinach, salmon, avocado, whole grains, and yogurt

Omega-3 Foods

Salmon, avocado, olive oil, fermented foods, sweet potatoes, bone broth, and carrots.

Zinc-Rich Foods

Spinach, chicken, dark chocolate, eggs, and pumpkin.

Iodine Foods

Dairy products, sea vegetables, and seaweed.

Selenium Foods

Salmon, beef, oysters, eggs, mushrooms, and brazil nuts.

Conclusion

Although there is no cure for Hashimoto’s disorder, it can be managed by eating the right foods and ditching the wrong ones. The right foods can help to suppress symptoms and boost the function of the thyroid gland.