The thyroid gland produces hormones that regulate the body's metabolic rate as well as heart and digestive function, muscle control, brain development, mood and bone maintenance. Its correct functioning depends on having a good supply of iodine from the diet.
It is important that you learn about foods for your thyroid health. Food heals, and when it comes to foods for your thyroid health, it is all the more true.
Foods that can affect thyroid health often play an essential role in whether your thyroid is functioning properly. Below is a list of foods that can help your thyroid.
9 Best Foods for Thyroid Health:
1. Berries
The best diet for your thyroid health requires more than just selenium, iodine and vitamin D. Foods that are rich in antioxidants are also good for your thyroid.
A study in 2008 by researchers from Turkey reported that people with hypothyroidism(under active thyroid gland) have higher levels of harmful free radicals, as compared to those without the condition.
Berries are loaded with antioxidants, according to a 2010 study in Nutrition Journal. The researchers studied more than 3,000 foods and found that blackberries, wild strawberries, cranberries and goji berries ranked especially high.
2. Chicken
Animal protein is rich in amino acids, in particular tyrosine, the building block of thyroid hormone, and of dopamine. Both of these are important for weight management.
Lack of tyrosine in your diet may lead to an underactive thyroid, while a deficiency in dopamine is linked with weight and food cravings. You can find tyrosine in leafy greens and dairy, but poultry has the additional benefit of being naturally rich in vitamin B12 and low-fat.
3. Dark Green Leafy Vegetables
Any of the dark leafy vegetables can help with thyroid health. Kale, spinach, swiss chard, collard greens, turnip greens and mustard are all a great source of iron, Vitamins A, C and D, B vitamins (needed for hormone creation), antioxidants and magnesium. These foods not only provide the nutrients the thyroid needs, but also help protect your overall health.
4. Dulse Seaweed
Sea vegetables are also a great source of iodine. Dulse seaweed has been found to offer the most highest concentrations of iodine. This purple-brown sea vegetable is loaded in potassium.
Also, it is a great source of protein. You can also consume kombu, arame, sea palm, nori and wakame, which are good iodine and nutrient sources.
5. Eggs
Consuming eggs is beneficial to your metabolism. The yolk are loaded in metabolism-stoking nutrients, that includes essential fatty acids, fat-soluble vitamins and most significantly — choline, which is a powerful compound that attacks the gene mechanism that triggers your body to store fat around the liver.
Are you worried about cholesterol? Recent studies have found that moderate consumption of 2 whole eggs per day has no negative effect of an individuals’ lipid (fat) profile and may actually improve it.
See Also: How to Reduce Cholesterol Naturally
6. Fish
Fish is a good source of the nutrient iodine. Just 1 3-ounce serving of baked cod contains approximately 99 micrograms of iodine, or 66% of your daily recommended intake. While canned tuna with 3-ounce serving contains about 17 micrograms, or 11% of your daily iodine quota.
7. Milk
Studies conducted at The Nutrition Institute at the University of Tennessee suggest that consuming calcium — which milk has plenty of — may help your body metabolize fat more efficiently. Other studies have shown that increased calcium intake from dairy products (though not from supplemental calcium carbonate) caused study participants to poop out more fat as opposed to it sticking around on the body.
Related: Amazing Beauty Uses Almond Milk
8. Nuts
Almonds, cashews and pumpkin seeds are excellent sources of iron. Brazil nuts can help your thyroid in two ways. Not only are they a good source of iron, but nuts are also rich in selenium,a mineral that supports the thyroid. Just a few nuts each day give you the selenium you need.
9. Olive Oil
Our bodies need dietary fat, in particular healthy oils for lose weight and to function properly. The right kinds of oils and fats help quash hunger, speed nutrients through your body and maximize your metabolism.
Healthy monounsaturated fats like olive oil can aid the body to burn calories. Also, extra virgin olive oil may increase blood levels of serotonin, a hormone that is linked with satiety. Added to that, olive oil is also filled with polyphenols, the antioxidants that help fight many diseases including osteoporosis, cancer and brain deterioration.
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