Diseases of the thyroid gland make adjustments to the patient's diet. He is strongly discouraged from consuming some foods, while others are essential for better health. Nutrition for thyroid disease should be as prescribed by the doctor and be as balanced as possible.
What is thyroid sick?
This organ, located on the front surface of the neck, produces hormones that subsequently affect all human organs. Failure of the thyroid gland leads to heart palpitations, diseases of the nervous and vascular systems. The normal functioning of this organ ensures the health of the brain, mammary and sweat glands, as well as the organs of the gastrointestinal tract. Most metabolic processes depend on the functioning of the thyroid gland.
Types of diseases:
- Due to the lack of iodine, nodular goiter develops. If its size exceeds one centimeter, then the patient is recommended to undergo a biopsy in order to timely detect cell degeneration.
- Endemic goiter is also a consequence of iodine deficiency. If a child lacks this trace element, then his development is delayed. Therefore, it is highly recommended that pregnant women and nursing mothers consume a sufficient amount of iodine.
- Hyperreactivity of this organ leads to the occurrence of a disease such as thyrotoxicosis. Symptoms of the disease are excessive sweating, trembling, thinness and irritability.
- Inadequate thyroid function, on the contrary, leads to excess weight gain, swelling, impaired stool, decreased performance and memory impairment. Another symptom is the increased dryness of the skin of the face and the whole body.
For diagnosis, ultrasound, a blood test, tomography and x-ray are used.
Nutrition principles
Thyroid diseases make adjustments to the daily menu. For example, patients are strongly discouraged from consuming instant foods containing starch, sugar, flavor enhancers, and so on. In addition, any canned food can harm the health of a person with an impaired thyroid gland.
British scientists have proven that regular consumption of starchy foods over time leads to diseases of the endocrine system. This is especially true for people who initially have poor gluten tolerance. Therefore, if a person does not feel very comfortable after eating bread and cereal, he has a swollen stomach, gas formation and loose stools appear, then he is strongly discouraged from continuing to eat this food.
The best nutritional options for thyroid disease in men and women will be fermented milk products, chicken and beef meat, seafood, cauliflower and eggs. Particular attention should be paid to seaweed. To date, to purchase this product is not difficult. In addition, kelp is part of a popular sushi dish, loved by many residents of the country. A sample menu for the week may contain the following products:
Milk products
As it turned out, ordinary yogurt contains a decent amount of iodine. Due to the fact that cows are fed with feeds with the addition of this important trace element, it gets into the finished dairy product. In addition, with a diseased thyroid, it is also advisable to consume milk and cheese. They contain vitamin D, the lack of which negatively affects the work of this body. Thus, proper nutrition for thyroid disease involves the daily use of these products. For example, you can start the morning with a cheese plate, and in the afternoon drink a glass of yogurt. Warm milk, drunk at night, perfectly calms and acts like a light sleeping pill.
Seafood and Apples
These include seaweed, mussels, squid and so on. This food is easily absorbed by the body and contains iodine. Sometimes, in order to be cured, it is enough to include seafood in the diet for thyroid diseases in women. Crabs have a rare vitamin B12 and a trace element such as zinc.
Eating one or two apples daily, you can protect the thyroid gland from a malignant tumor. They contain a lot of antioxidants that supply oxygen and normalize cell metabolism. In addition, iodine is also found in apple grains. When nodular goiter is formed in case of thyroid disease, the diet recommended by doctors should include as many products with this microelement as possible. When eating these fruits, it is recommended to eat not only the pulp, but also grains with a peel. Naturally, fruits should be washed thoroughly under running water before consumption.
Meat and eggs
The composition of the eggs contains the trace element selenium and a small amount of iodine. Doctors highly recommend eating chicken or beef two or three times a week during meals for women with thyroid disease. It contains the trace element zinc, a deficiency of which can lead to hypothyroidism. Vegetarians should take trace elements of industrial production in the form of vitamin-mineral complexes.
Butter and vegetable oil
The composition of high-quality butter also contains vitamin D. Doctors recommend the use of ghee, adding it to porridge. There are a lot of vitamins and minerals in vegetable oils. All of them, to one degree or another, contribute to recovery. Among them, walnut oil is especially distinguished. It contains a lot of iodine and zinc.
With a lack of these elements, one tablespoon oil should be consumed in the morning on an empty stomach in the morning as a dietary supplement. It is not suitable for cooking, as it becomes bitter during heat treatment. It is added metered in sweet pastries, fresh salads, as well as in some sauces for meat dishes.
Vegetables and fruits
It is advisable for patients with food for thyroid disease to choose those foods that contain selenium, zinc and manganese. In addition, vegetables such as garlic, horseradish, ginger and onions are able to fight putrefactive bacteria, inhibit the appearance of fungal diseases and cleanse the body. These properties are extremely useful in any chronic diseases, including the endocrine system. Among vegetables, preference should be given to bell pepper, cucumbers, carrots, celery and eggplant. Of the fruits, black berries, apples, cherries and all citrus fruits will be most beneficial. It is also useful to use dried fruit compote.
Honey and nuts
The composition of these products also contains a huge amount of useful substances that stimulate the thyroid gland. However, they must not be abused. For example, honey is recommended to eat no more than three tablespoons per day. Nuts in large quantities cause mild poisoning, which is accompanied by weakness and headache. The recommended rate is six to eight walnut kernels per day.
Healing herbs
It is extremely useful to drink tea from herbs that have blood-purifying properties. These include yarrow, Ivan tea, St. John's wort and wormwood. The latter is consumed in a minimal amount, not more than two tablespoons per day.
As a rule, wormwood tea is not made. It is used in the form of water tincture, prepared at the rate of one tablespoon per glass of boiling water. After the agent is infused, it is filtered and sent for storage in the refrigerator. Do the same with room geranium flowers. It should be remembered that both plants are poisonous and in large doses can cause headache, dizziness and nausea. It is also useful for patients with a thyroid gland to use decoctions of leaves and branches of raspberries, currants and viburnum.
Nodes on the thyroid gland
They appear as a result of a lack of iodine. Therefore, people who have found nodes should use products containing this trace element. Nutrition for nodular goiter in case of thyroid disease should be rich in elements such as iodine, selenium and copper. For example, seaweed is the leader in the amount of iodine. In addition, almost all seafood, including mussels, shrimp and squid, boasts a large number of this microelement. It is recommended that you include two or three seafood dishes in the weekly menu. It can be baked, stewed or boiled. As well as in almost any food, you can add dry, powdered kelp.
In addition to iodine, copper, selenium and manganese will also be needed. They can be obtained from vegetables such as eggplant, pumpkin and Brussels sprouts. It is recommended to consume as many plants as possible, which have the ability to cleanse the stomach and intestines from toxins. These include Jerusalem artichoke, radish and celery. To stabilize the hormonal background, nutrition in case of a thyroid gland disease with nodes should include sprouted wheat, sunflower seeds and beans. It is recommended to refuse soy, as it contains too many phytohormones adversely affecting the thyroid gland.
Diet for thyroiditis
A diet for autoimmune thyroid diseases recommends fractional nutrition every three hours. This is due to the fact that the patient’s body constantly requires carbohydrates that deliver glucose to the brain cells. Otherwise, with a lack of carbohydrates, a malfunction occurs and the disease worsens. In addition, you can not refuse fruits and vegetables, as well as oils and seafood.
Nutrition for thyroid disease excludes the use of soy and millet. In addition to the presence of phytohormones, soy also contains compounds that interfere with the normal functioning of the thyroid gland. It is recommended that you include fresh juices made from both vegetables and fruits in the daily menu. In a glass, you can add a few drops of olive oil for better absorption of vitamin A. In addition, vegetable oil is a supplier of polyunsaturated acids Omega 3 and 6. In case of insufficient nutrition, doctors recommend using vitamin complexes.
Nutrition for hyperthyroidism
This disease is characterized by the fact that a person accelerates metabolism. To slow it down, nutritionists recommend eating lard, fat, butter and even margarine. The fact is that people who have a thyroid gland working in an enhanced mode, overweight, as a rule, are not threatened. They, on the contrary, suffer from excessive thinness, since their calories are burned extremely quickly.
If a person with this disease drinks alcohol, then he should definitely have a snack. By the way, alcohol does not bring much harm to the thyroid gland. Smoking is much worse. People with a thyroid disease are advised to completely abandon this addiction.
In order not to develop osteoporosis, which often occurs when the thyroid gland malfunctions, you should use as many foods as possible with calcium and vitamin D. These include the liver, fish, eggs and butter.
These are the basic principles of nutrition for thyroid disease.