The thyroid gland is the engine of the body. For some people this works a bit slowly, or perhaps too slowly. This can have several causes. You can support the thyroid by adjusting your diet. In this article you will find some tips to help you with this. However, if you are under the care of a doctor for thyroid problems, consult with him/her first before changing your diet! Following the advice below will not provide a solution to thyroid problems, but will only help to support a somewhat slower, but still within normal, functioning thyroid gland.
Iodine
Iodine is essential for proper thyroid function! In earlier times, when people did not consume enough iodine, goiter (commonly called ‘goitre’) and cretinism (a syndrome with retarded growth and limited intellectual development, caused by an iodine deficiency during pregnancy) were common. Therefore, the government decided that the salt used in bread had to be iodized. Nowadays, bread is regularly replaced by other breakfast and lunch products, which also creates a risk of iodine deficiency. It is then wise to use other sources of iodine, such as iodized salt, saltwater fish, shellfish, seaweed/kelp, yogurt, cashew nuts and brown rice.
Vitamins and minerals
Like any organ, your thyroid gland also needs sufficient vitamins and minerals. The most important vitamins for your thyroid are vitamin E, A, B12 and D. Selenium, magnesium, iron, copper and zinc are the important minerals. In the Netherlands, a deficiency of selenium and zinc mainly occurs, while these minerals are essential for proper thyroid function! The important vitamins are mainly found in dairy (cheese, low-fat margarine, butter), (organ) meat, fish, eggs and grains. Selenium is mainly obtained from fish, seafood and grains, zinc from seeds and kernels, iron from meat, legumes and almonds, copper from avocado, mushrooms and plums and magnesium from cocoa, bananas and whole wheat bread.
Bread!
As you may have already concluded, a well-made sandwich is a must for the thyroid. Take whole wheat bread (magnesium and iodine) with a good layer of low-fat margarine (vitamin E) or butter (vitamin D) with a slice of cheese (vitamin D) or cold cuts (iron, vitamin A & B12) and you have come a long way. In addition, the fibers in whole wheat bread are also very important for good digestion, which is often slowed down by a slow thyroid gland. Dietary fiber can be found not only in bread, but also in vegetables and fruit.
Not so good…
Sugar
A large sugar intake causes high insulin levels in the blood. This in turn causes dysregulation of the thyroid gland. Therefore, try to avoid sugar as much as possible.
Dietary supplements
It is tempting to take an easy tablet that provides sufficient vitamins and minerals. However, the vitamins and minerals will often be synthetic, so the connections and balance do not correspond to the natural variant. These synthetic substances are more difficult for the body to absorb, making them more of a burden on your body! Try to get as much minerals and vitamins as possible from a natural and varied diet.
