I want to get down to the nitty gritty of the thyroid foods that will ultimately speed up your metabolism and those that are responsible for slowing down your metabolism. I will also discuss which foods to steer clear of. These foods do not do your thyroid any favors. Hopefully being able to identify the good and bad foods will help you in the right direction for good health.
Let us firstly discuss the foods that may speed up a slow metabolism.
Sea Weed – It is rich in iodine which is critical for thyroid health and function. Not only is it full of iodine but also in trace minerals which are beneficial for the thyroid. Without iodine your body is unable to manufacture thyroid hormones. You must however take care in not taking an excess of iodine. Since an excess intake of iodine-rich foods has also been implicated in thyroid disease. Moderation is the key not excess.
Coconut Oil – Slightly stimulates thyroid hormone production and supports proper thyroid function. Incorporating coconut oil in your diet would be a wise decision as it is thought to support thyroid health and may help sufferers with hypothyroidism to lose weight. Coconut oil is made up of saturated fats which promotes thyroid function.
Shellfish – Like seaweed is also rich in iodine. As mentioned iodine is essential to thyroid function as iodine molecules are used in the production of thyroid hormones.
Now that we have discussed the thyroid foods which speed up the metabolism, let us move onto the foods which slow down the metabolism. These foods are beneficial for people suffering with an overactive thyroid (hyperthyroidism).
Fermented Soy Foods – Soy foods are known to be a strong suppressor of thyroid function, even more so than many anti-thyroid drugs.
Raw Cruciferous Vegetables – These vegetables likes cabbage, cauliflower, turnips and brussels sprouts interfere with the uptake of iodine and subsequently interfere with the production of thyroid hormones
Millet – Like the cruciferous vegetables contains goitrogens and interferes with iodine uptake.
Seeing we have now covered the thyroid foods which speed up and slow down a metabolism, lets move onto the foods which should be avoided as these inhibit thyroid function and aren't doing anyone's thyroid any favors.
Gluten containing grains – Research has proven that people who follow a gluten-free diet seem to show better results at shaking pesky anti-thyroid antibodies. That's a powerful case to remove gluten from your diet if you suffer from an autoimmune thyroid disease.
Unfermented Soy – Babies fed soy formula are more likely to develop autoimmune thyroid disease. Also large concentrations of unfermented soy may adversely affect thyroid function in adults. If you eat soy, keep it to small amounts and always choose fermented forms.
This brings me to the conclusion of this article. In summary with the thyroid, like life in general everything in moderation is perfectly fine.