Found a few articles I wanted to share:
Little Tip from Dr. Weil
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January is Thyroid Awareness Month in the United States, and you should be aware that some foods contain natural goitrogens, chemicals that cause the thyroid gland to enlarge by interfering with thyroid hormone synthesis. Common sources include cruciferous vegetables (cabbage, kale, Brussels sprouts, broccoli, cauliflower, corn, sweet potatoes and lima beans).
Another culprit may be soy. Excess consumption of soy can affect thyroid function, but is generally only a problem in those taking synthroid or other thyroid replacement medication. If you are on such medication, tell your doctor how much soy you consume so your dosage can be adjusted, if necessary. You should also know that if you eat soy foods at the same time that you take thyroid hormone, they may interfere with its absorption. To be safe, do not eat soy within three hours of taking your medication. Moderate soy consumption should not be a problem - that means one serving a day of whole soy products, such as one cup of soy milk or a half cup of tofu, soy protein (tempeh), or crispy soy nuts.
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And this, from "The World's Healthiest Foods":
Most practitioners use words like “overconsumption” or “excessive” to describe the kind of goitrogen intake that would be a problem for individuals with thyroid hormone deficiency. Here the goal is not to eliminate goitrogenic foods from the meal plan, but to limit intake so that it falls into a reasonable range.
A standard, one cup serving of cruciferous vegetables 2-3 times per week, and a standard, 4-ounce serving of tofu twice a week is likely to be tolerated by many individuals with thyroid hormone deficiency. It’s worth it to try and include these foods in a meal plan because of their strong nutritional value and great track record in preventing many kinds of health problems.
On cooking and goitrogens:
Although research studies are limited in this area, cooking does appear to help inactivate the goitrogenic compounds found in food. Both isoflavones (found in soy foods) and isothiocyanates (found in cruciferous vegetables) appear to be heat-sensitive, and cooking appears to lower the availability of these substances. In the case of isothiocyanates in cruciferous vegetables like broccoli, as much as one third of this goitrogenic substance may be deactivated when broccoli is boiled in water.
http://www.whfoods.com/genpage.php?...rge&dbid=47
And one more:
Extreme Low Carb and Thyroid:
Very low consumption of carbs can negatively impact thyroid function. If you are severely restricting carbohydrates, your liver has to work overtime converting protein and glycogen into glucose, the liver is also where ketones are converted. This extra work means that the conversion of T4 into T3 is compromised.
Dieting (low carb dieting included) also reduces TSH, but NOT by increasing your thyroid hormones. TSH drops because your body is trying to slow metabolism. When TSH drops, T4 production by the thyroid gland slows down in response. T4 to T3 conversion, also compromised, further lowers your metabolism, and causes it to be harder to build muscle tissue. T3 is VITAL for protein synthesis such as building muscle tissue. If you can't build muscle tissue, it is harder to increase your metabolism.
You can also see how a lowered TSH would make life more difficult when you are trying to get that initial diagnosis.
What helps:
Selenium is VITAL for the production of the enzyme responsible for the conversion of T4 to T3. In addition, clinical trials have shown that supplementing with Selenium can help to lower the thyroid antibody counts, reducing symptoms that they cause, too. The maximum you would want to take is 200mcg a day – this is the total amount, so check your multi-vitamin and look at your diet for selenium rich foods, overdosing with selenium is possible.
Zinc (10 mg per day) is needed both before and after these production and conversion of T4 / T3 processes. Moreover, zinc is needed at the intracellular level to help the thyroid nuclear receptors attach and drive the reading of the DNA genetic code. Keep in mind that the main function of thyroid hormone is to help put the genetic code into action.
In addition to these minerals, vitamin D is necessary for thyroid hormone production in the pituitary gland, and possibly in the early stages of T-3 (thyronine) binding to its receptor. Vitamin E is part of the necessary supporting apparatus that enables the deiodinase enzyme to convert T-4 into T-3.
It now appears that the amount of vitamin D people need has been grossly under-estimated; experts recommend at least 800 IU of Vitamin D daily.
As well amount of vitamin E needed has likewise been undersold; recommend dose is 400-800 IU daily.
http://www.geocities.com/gnattygrl/diet.htm
Linda