Should people with thyroid disease avoid vegetables?

Cruciferous vegetables such as broccoli, cabbage, cauliflower, kale, turnips, and bok choy contain a lot of glucosinolate compounds. When cut, chopped, crushed, or chewed raw cruciferous vegetables, these compounds are converted into goitrogens. Goitrogens inhibit thyroid hormone synthesis by reducing iodine absorption, causing the thyroid gland to increase its production of compensatory thyroid hormones, increasing the risk of goiter, nodular goiter, and hypothyroidism.

However, there is currently no recommendation that people with thyroid disease should not eat cruciferous vegetables. There is also no research confirming how much cruciferous vegetables affect thyroid function. When cooked, cruciferous vegetables destroy goitrogens or glucosinolates, inhibiting the ability of these substances to affect the thyroid gland.

Cruciferous vegetables are good for your health because they are rich in fiber and nutrients that help fight oxidation and boost immunity… In your case, no matter what thyroid disease you have, you do not need to abstain from cruciferous vegetables. You can eat them in a reasonable dose and regimen.

Patients with hyperthyroidism and Graves’ disease can eat cruciferous vegetables normally. Similarly, patients with goiter, thyroid cysts but normal thyroid function (euthyroidism), hypothyroidism and are taking thyroid hormone replacement therapy can also eat cruciferous vegetables normally. In case the patient is diagnosed with hypothyroidism and iodine deficiency, they should eat cooked cabbage instead of raw cabbage, and should not use juice or smoothies from cruciferous vegetables.

The World Health Organization (WHO) recommends that people with hypothyroidism should eat foods rich in iodine, enough 150 mcg of iodine per day for adults and about 250 mcg per day if pregnant or breastfeeding. Foods rich in iodine include fish and seafood, seaweed, eggs, milk, yogurt…

People with hypothyroidism should increase foods rich in selenium and magnesium such as nuts like almonds, walnuts, flax seeds, whole grains. Foods rich in zinc include oysters and shellfish, chicken, beef. Foods rich in iron include meat, liver… Foods rich in vitamin D come from salmon, tuna, mackerel, egg yolks, cheese, mushrooms, green leafy vegetables, fresh fruits and vegetables. These dishes are all beneficial for people with thyroid disease.

In addition to diet, patients need to pay attention to appropriate physical exercise, regular health check-ups, re-examination and take medication as prescribed by the doctor.