General

[TamaraS]

Does it really make a big difference if you take your meds an hour and a half before you eat?  

I know that there are bad food that can inhibit your thyroid from functioning properly, but what are they?

[lhowell]

If you eat too soon after taking your meds, your body may not absorb all of the medicine which would be just like taking a much lower dose.

I always allow my Synthroid to dissolve in my mouth and I chase it with a glass of water.  I don't ingest anything else for at least an hour.

[GravesLady]

<know that there are bad food that can inhibit your thyroid from functioning properly, but what are they?>

This subject can be every long and involved.

None of these foods have been proven to cause hypothyroidism in humans.

Foods for hypos to avoid:
Members of the cabbage family (cabbage, kale, broccoli, cauliflower, turnips, rutabaga, mustard greens, kale, spinach, Brussels sprouts, peaches, pears, strawberries, millet,  African cassava,  kohlrabi, watercress, radishes,  peanuts, pine nuts  corn,  maize and sweet potatoes are goiterogenic suppress thyroid function) and should be eaten in moderation. Cooking may lower the goiterogenic effects. Other foods that fall on this list are potatoes and corn. These starchy vegetables may also have a goitrogenic effect, although we in the Western world are less likely to consume either of these raw anyway. Therefore they may not be as much of a factor for us. Soy isoflavones can also wreak havoc on the thyroid by causing anti-thyroid antibodies to be produced. This would create a situation in which the thyroid would attack itself just as in autoimmune thyroiditis. Over time, this could cause hypothyroidism to occur or worsen, if it already exists. Fluoride should be avoided, including fluoridated toothpastes and drinking water. Use bottled water, instead. chlorides, mercury, PCB's.
Soybean products such as tofu, soy sauce, etc. should only be used in moderation; avoid soy supplements and foods with added soy, as the soy reduces thyroid function.
There is some research that cautions against drinking water with fluoride in it. Distilled water may be a better bet, especially if your water supply is questionable. And the Use of fluoride tooth paste. Avoid caffeine drinks like coffee, cola; avoid stimulants like smoking and alcohol as these all effect the thyroid function. Avoid processed and refined foods, like white flour and sugar. Avoid dried fruit, processed potatoes, shrimp, and wine. The sulfites in these foods can destroy riboflavin, which can lead to deficiency.
Anything that affects your digestion speed or speed of absorption of items into the stomach can have an effect on your absorption of thyroid hormone.
High-fiber diets can speed things up a bit and they are known to inhibit absorption
Food may delay or reduce the absorption of many drugs, including thyroid hormone. Food can often slow the process of the stomach entering, but it may also affect absorption of the drug you're taking by binding with it, by decreasing access to absorption sites, by altering the rate at which it dissolves, or by changing the stomach's pH balance. This is why many doctors recommend that for best absorption of your thyroid hormone, you should take it first thing the morning, on an empty stomach, one hour before eating. Oatmeal and other bran type products bind bran type products in our stomach and can cut the effectiveness of the drug by up to 50% or more.
Iron and calcium inhibit the absorption of thyroid medication. Iron should be taken at least 6 hours away and calcium at least two hours away from taking thyroid medication. So even if it is true a person can eat right after med absorption under the tongue still have to make sure the foods don't have iron or calcium. Take V-C, Calcium or Iron supplements and their food/drinks, and soy products four to 12 hours of your synthroid for they interfere with aborsption, as well as  the same with  Aspirin and equivalent. Thyroid medication can be stimulating, so it is best to take it early on in the day. PMS & HRT - For some women thyroid sufferers, these can complicate their thyroid condition, and vice versa. Each situation is individual and you will benefit from the best medical advice obtainable. ALCOHOL - The liver reacts to thyroid disease, so don’t add to the gland problems: practise ‘moderation in all things’. In particular, thyroxine does not seem to be a good ‘mixer’. SMOKING - This aggravates the high cholesterol levels that can develop with thyroid underactivity and also the eye troubles that can come with thyroid.


Happy Health!

[utahmomma]

Looks like you got a wonderfully inclusive list of things to avoid.  

Personally, I have to take A LOT of pills every day and many of them interact with synthroid.  I put the synthroid tablet on my nightstand and take it just as soon as I wake up.  By the time I've gotten my children out the door and I'm ready to go, it's been an hour and a half.  

Everything else I take (vitamins, HRT, calcium, etc.) I take in the evening.

You'll feel the difference if you aren't taking the right level of synthetic thyroid and it's important that your thyroid levels be maintained properly.  Treat that little thyroid pill with a huge amount of respect and give it its place of honor in your stomach all by itself.  :-)

[angelicaofthewind]

Hi,

I was reading this and was wondering if you can suggest some foods or if you know of a cookbook that may help. I eat most of what is listed and now feel confused and don't know what I will be eating. Is it normal to get really hungry for someone thats hypo?

Thank's,

-angelicaofthewind

[GravesLady]

Even though it is suggested that people with hypothyroidism or hyperthyroidism, avoid certain foods or eat certain foods, it has not been proven to cause hypothyroidism/hyperthyroidism in humans or help.  But at least we'll be healthier in general. Also hyper and hypos do not eat the same foods or the same vitamin/minerals supplements and taking one vitamin/mineral with out certain others ones or in the incorrect balance dose will deplete you or make you deficient of other vitamin/mineral.  Consult your health practitioner before eating these foods and taking supplements, because these can unbalance your thyroid.

Use Iodine-rich foods such as iodine salt such as Celtic sea salt, sea salt contains a natural form of iodine.  Concentrated food sources of iodine include sea vegetables such as seaweed and ocean fish(sushi, nori rolls), water fish and sea food,  yogurt, cow's milk, eggs, strawberries and mozzarella cheese.
Tyrosine-rich foods These foods include meat, fish, turkey and chicken breast, low fat milk and yogurt, almonds, avocado, bananas, lima beans, pumpkin seeds, sesame seeds, lentils. Supplements of tyrosine should be taken on an empty stomach so that it doesn’t have to compete with other amino acids.
High quality protein. All of our body’s glands and hormones are made from protein. Try to eat high quality lean protein at every meal.
Selenium-rich foods – meat, chicken, salmon, tuna, seafood, whole unrefined grains, brazil nuts, brewer’s yeast, dairy products, garlic, onions and black strap molasses. Other foods that are helpful for the thyroid function are: carrots, spinach, apricots, asparagus, olive oil, avocado, sunflower seeds, whole grain cereals, bananas, oily fish. The best cooking oils for people with hypothyroid are sunflower, olive, and sesame. Avoid canola, corn, soybean and rapeseed.  Almonds and wheat germs are also helpful . Vitamin Supplements
The best cooking oils for people with hypothyroid are sunflower, olive, and sesame. Avoid canola, corn, soybean and rapeseed.
Supplements of Vitamin B complex and essential fatty acids because they help to balance the entire hormonal system.
Sunlight – while not a food, its important to get a daily dose of safe sun. Light stimulates the pineal gland, which in turn positively affects the thyroid as well as all the other endocrine glands. Lack of Sunshine slows thyroid.

Also, you need to eat fresh and whole foods, they need to be organic so they are not estrogenic in the body. Excess estrogen inhibits thyroid function.
If you eat animal products, they need to be organic and "free range" and you should eat no more than ONE serving daily. If you have been following a high protein diet like many practitioners tell hypothyroid's to do, know that it will not support your thyroid and it will worsen your constipation if that is one of your symptoms.

Anything that affects your digestion speed or speed of absorption of items into the stomach can have an effect on your absorption of thyroid hormone. Since high-fiber diets can speed things up a bit they are known to inhibit absorption.                      

  Since the benefits of fruits, vegetables and a high-fiber diet are known, again, the issue here is consistency. If you are already eating a high-fiber diet regularly, and have regular TSH testing done, your dosage level is appropriate for you, given your diet. If you are starting a new regimen of eating high-fiber, plan to get tested around six to eight weeks after you change your diet, to make sure you're receiving the proper amount of thyroid hormone. But be consistent. Don't jump around, or you'll have erratic absorption, and that can wreak havoc on TSH levels...AND how you feel! But again, taking your thyroid hormone first thing a.m. on an empty stomach, and waiting at least an hour to eat, will ensure maximum absorption, whatever your diet is!                      


T4 is converted to the active form T3 mostly in the liver 80%, brain and bloodstream. So if your liver is not working well and you trash it out with alcohol, drugs, or you just have a weak liver, the thyroid hormone can't do it's job correctly and this starts a cascade of challenges.

Lots of zinc, selenium and iodine is needed in our diets to produce the enzymes that convert T4 to T3.
Sugar leads to binding of the thyroid hormone making it unavailable to the body (hypothyroidism results).
Copper, mercury, and lead will block zinc absorption. This is why it's important to detect and get rid of any heavy metals in the body.
Other members of the thyroid enhancement family include Zinc, Copper, Manganese, Vitamin C, the B Vitamins, Niacin, Pyridoxine, and Bladderwrack.  Note hypo's take vitamins in different   dosage amount as hyper's.

I am not a doctor, nurse, or nutritionist.  These are notes that I have gotten for myself from internet sites and my own purchased health/nutrition books. Therefore the info is not a 100% law. I am always looking for better ways to eat and supplement my diet, for better health.

Good Luck!

[fellnacrack]

hi, i was doing some reasearch and was wondering what foods inhibit the absorbation of calcium? if any body can answer this than please email me at ***@****

[GravesLady]

Hi

Some kinds of fiber do reduce calcium absorption somewhat. If your breakfast cereal is high in wheat bran, for instance, take your calcium pill at lunch. Fiber from oats and other grains (including standard doses of psyllium, such as Metamucil) doesn’t appear to be a problem. Oxalates, substances found in many plant foods (especially some leafy greens, like spinach), such as sweet potatoes, okra, kale, collards, chard, berries and tea, bind to calcium and thus reduce its absorption. But because foods high in oxalates tend to be rich in calcium, some of the calcium is still absorbed. If you get the recommended daily amounts of calcium from a variety of sources, such dietary interactions shouldn’t be a problem.
Chocolate contains oxalate — a naturally occurring compound in cocoa beans — which in large amounts may inhibit absorption of calcium. However, the amount of oxalate in chocolate is small, so any effect on calcium absorption is likely to be very minimal. In fact, a small study published in 1989 reported no difference in calcium absorption between plain milk and milk flavored with chocolate. Also, many chocolates are now fortified with calcium.

Foods to consider avoiding:
1%, 2% and whole milk and products
Meats with 96% or less fat, Red meats (Increases calcium loss), Hydrogenated oils such as stick margarine, and when listed as an ingredient in foods, Food with high butter fat and other animal fats, Hot dogs, hamburgers, Salt (a major bone robber) or foods prepared with salt,
More than one cup of coffee or other caffeine beverages a day, Sugar (a major bone robber),Chocolate (a bone robber due to caffeine content), Soft drinks due to high phosphorus content, Alcohol (it inhibits calcium absorption), Carbonated Beverages, and Caffeine (increases rate of calcium loss through the urine).  

Hope this helps - Good Luck.

[angelicaofthewind]

Thank You! GravesLady this is really helpful.