January is Thyroid Awareness Month
You may be wondering, what exactly is the thyroid and what does it do? The thyroid is a small 2-inch butterfly-shaped gland that is located in the front of the neck. The primary job of the thyroid is to produce hormones that control many important functions including metabolism, development, reproductive hormones, and regulation of body temperature.
First, let’s identify the two main problems that can occur with the thyroid. They are hyperthyroidism where your thyroid is overactive and produces too much thyroid hormone, or hypothyroidism, where your thyroid is underactive and produces too little thyroid hormone. An overactive thyroid may result in weight loss, anxiety, intolerance to heat, shakiness, and diarrhea. An underactive thyroid is on the opposite side of the spectrum with intolerance to cold, weight gain, fatigue, constipation, and heavy or irregular menstrual cycles. Individuals may also have an autoimmune thyroid disease, such as Graves’ disease (form of hyperthyroidism) and Hashimoto’s disease (form of hypothyroidism) or develop thyroid cancer.
The health of your thyroid and its proper function and production of hormones is closely linked with your diet. We will talk briefly about a few nutrients of importance to keep your thyroid healthy.
- Iodine: The most known micronutrient for thyroid health is iodine. The reason traditional table salt is iodized is to help prevent thyroid disease! Most people these days consume enough iodine in their daily diet through dairy, fish and shellfish, and eggs. But it is important to note that if iodine intake is a concern, other types of salt such as sea salt may not contain iodine and processed foods may also be made with salt that do not contain iodine.
- Selenium: Research has shown that selenium deficiency may be linked to an unhealthy thyroid. Brazil nuts have the highest amount of selenium out of all foods. Eating one ounce of Brazil nuts will give you almost 10 times the recommended daily intake so consume in moderation. Other sources of selenium include eggs, tuna, shrimp, poultry, pork, dairy, organ meats, and whole grains like brown rice.
- Zinc: Zinc is an essential mineral that supports a healthy immune system as well as a healthy thyroid. Oysters are the highest source of zinc but if you aren’t a fan you can also get zinc from beef, pork, pumpkin seeds, cashew, beans, lentil, eggs, and dairy.
- Iron: Iron is an important mineral for many functions in our body, most notably known for its role in blood, but it also plays a big role in proper thyroid function. Iron in red meat and animal sources is most readily absorbed by our body. However, there are many plant sources like beans, baked potato, and spinach that also contain a good source of iron. Iron found in these plant sources is not as easily absorbed by our body but including a food with vitamin C can help increase its absorption. Try adding bell peppers to a spinach salad with black beans to make sure your body is absorbing all that plant-based iron!
- Other important micronutrients include copper, magnesium, vitamin A, and vitamin B12.
It’s important to keep your thyroid healthy by eating a variety of foods. These foods should include nutrients the thyroid needs to function but should generally be rich in vitamins and minerals and lower in added sugars, saturated fat, and sodium. Focus on a diet rich in fruits, vegetables, lean protein, and whole grains. These foods will provide adequate fiber and nutrition to keep your whole body healthy, including your thyroid. If you haven’t had your thyroid health checked make sure you discuss with your doctor at your next annual exam.
Source: Thyroid Health 101, American Academy of Dietetics
Chelsea Reinberg, MPH, RDN, 2024
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