Does Our Diet Affect Our Thyroid Health?Although thyroid health conditions were not a massive concern a few decades ago, it is not the case anymore. A study by NIDK states that 1 out of every 100 people, more than 1.2% of the US population, suffers from just hypothyroidism.
Now the question arises, what is causing the increased incidence of thyroid diseases? Are we responsible for damaging our thyroid? How can we remedy our worsening thyroid health?
One of the major causes of our deteriorating thyroid function lies in our diet. Since the introduction of GMO food and excessive use of pesticides, research has reported increasing health conditions globally.
What’s more, non-organic foods, artificial flavors, fertilizers, and even pre-packaged foods harm our thyroid gland. If you are already diagnosed with a thyroid condition, such foods can even hinder your treatment.
Keep reading to learn which foods are bad for your thyroid and how you can improve your diet with organic foods.
The Danger of GMOs
GMOs are foods whose molecular structure is altered at the genetic level for multiple benefits. These foods typically have extended shelf-life, better yield, and are even resistant to many pests and bacteria.
Although they might seem like the answer to global hunger, they have many side effects on our body too. GMOs are linked to infertility, faulty insulin, bleeding stomachs, allergic reactions, antibiotic resistance, elevated cancer risk, and immune suppression.
One of their downsides involves damaging our thyroid gland.
Since such foods contain many new proteins, our body may consider them as pathogens. Hence, you can have an autoimmune reaction, which can cause diseases like Hashimoto Thyroiditis or Graves’ disease.
Besides this, you can develop a dangerous inflammation or immune response. For people with existing thyroid dysfunction, GMOs can worsen their conditions by interacting with their treatment. Besides this, the inflammatory reaction can exacerbate their symptoms.
So what is the solution?
The only way you can reduce GMO foods in your diet is to opt for healthier foods, research all your ingredients, and cut down packaged foods.
Unfortunately, genetically engineered soy, corn, sugar beets, and canola are pretty prevalent all over the US.
How to Avoid GMOs in Our Diet
Here are some ways to avoid GMO foods in your diet.
- Do not purchase or reduce intake of pre-made or packaged ingredients.
- Wherever possible, opt for organic foods from a local market or organic store.
- Avoid consuming soy and corn-based products. These foods typically have a higher amount of GMOs than others.
- You should familiarize yourself with the common aliases of GM food ingredient list to select the right products for your thyroid.
- Instead of eating out in restaurants frequently, opt for healthier, home-cooked meals to skip conventionally-produced food.
- You should substitute non-organic meat with organic chicken, beef, or mutton.
Chemicals and Pesticides in Our Food Supply
It is no secret that the agricultural sector uses more than 1000 different pesticides and chemicals to ensure better yield and crop. However, these benefits come at the cost of our health.
Since these chemicals can remain in the soil for years and even get washed off into our water supply, everyone is inherently exposed to the toxic materials.
The thyroid is one of our glands that are quite vulnerable to many of the chemicals used in pesticides. For example, DDT can persist in the environment for long periods and even accumulate in our body fat.
According to a study, organochloride pesticides, benomyl, and paraquat are associated with an increased risk of hypothyroidism in women.
On the other hand, chemicals like carbamates and organophosphates in pesticides are harmful to men’s thyroid gland.
These chemicals reduce iodine uptake in thyroid glands and limit thyroxine sensitivity in our cells. As a result, there is increased excretion and low synthesis of thyroid hormones in the body.
What Vegetables and Fruits Have the Most Pesticides?
Now that you know how pesticides have a negative impact on your thyroid health, how can you reduce their impact on your body? Well, the only sure way to avoid these chemicals is to reduce the intake of food with high contents of pesticides.
According to the Environmental Working Group, the following are some of the most contaminated vegetables and fruits. You should especially avoid them if you are already suffering from some thyroid dysfunction.
- Strawberries
- Kale and mustard greens
- Spinach
- Grapes
- Apples
- Pears
- Peaches
- Tomatoes
- Celery
- Bell and hot peppers
- Cherries
Almost 90% of samples of these products tested positive for more than two pesticides, with some containing more than 90 chemicals.
What Vegetables and Fruits Have Fewer Pesticides and Chemicals?
Similar to sampling foods with high contamination, the Environmental Working Group has also listed various vegetables and fruits with the least chemicals.The following are some of the items with less than 2% of the sample showing any chemicals.
- Sweet corn
- Avocados
- Papaya
- Onions
- Pineapple
- Eggplant
- Asparagus
- Sweet peas
- Cabbage
- Kiwi
- Broccoli
- Mushrooms
- Cauliflower
- Honeydew melon
- Cantaloupes
Problems with Non-Organic Meat
Although many research studies have linked a vegan diet to hypothyroidism, eating non-organic meat is not healthy too.
Instead of focusing on growing healthy animals, many animal farms are more concerned with producing fatter and fast-growing animals for slaughter. They are fed cheaper animal by-products, antibiotics, growth hormones, and even sewage sludge to cut down feeding costs.
As a result, we ultimately consume all the toxins and chemicals that are fed to the animals.
For example, if we eat beef injected with antibiotics, we end up accumulating the medicine in our bodies. Over time, you develop resistance to even the most basic antibiotics for critical diseases.
Similarly, growth hormones are used for the faster growth of cattle animals. These hormones disturb our normal hormone synthesis in the body or trigger an immune response. In some cases, these steroids produce an adverse autoimmune reaction to your own body, increase cancer risk, and cause infertility.
Why We Have to Look for Grass-Fed Animals?
Instead of feeding animals harmful substances, organic meat is sourced from animals fed on grass. They are devoid of hormone injections, antibiotics, or animal by-products.
Therefore, organic meat is way more nutritional, healthy, and safe for our bodies. These differences are a result of healthier feeding habits. Under organic standards, animals are primarily reared outdoors for part of the year and kept on at least 60% grass-based and hay diets.
The following are some of the benefits of substituting convention meat with organic meat in our diets.
- According to a British Journal of Nutrition report, organic meat has 50% more omega-3 fatty acids than non-organic, conventional meats. They have a much higher nutritional value than non-organic meats.
- They have low concentrations of harmful saturated fats. Thus, they help to reduce blood cholesterol and prevent early insulin resistance.
- Organic meat reduces the risk of developing antibiotic resistance in the future.
- Since their feed is not exposed to pesticides or fertilizers, they are healthier for our thyroid glands.
In my experience, I changed my diet from non-organic produce to a completely organic diet. This includes organic fruits, vegetables, raw cheeses, yogurt, chicken, and even grass-fed beef and lamb. Besides this, I also substituted farmed fish with wild salmons from Alaska.
Overall, I have noticed a remarkable improvement in my thyroid levels along with my whole body. Not only have my cholesterol and blood glucose levels normalized, but I also look more youthful and feel more energetic than usual.
Common Food Additives (Artificial Flavors)- Should We Avoid Them?
Food additives are a common occurrence in the ingredient list of every food you have ever come across. Many food industries use them to enhance the shelf-life, flavor, texture, and appearance of foods.
However, there are many adverse effects of such additives on our body too. We have listed a few of the most common additives in the following section.
- MSG or monosodium glutamate is used widely in the Asian culture to intensify the taste of savory dishes. However, it can cause side effects like nausea, high blood pressure, breathing problems, and metabolic syndrome.
- Artificial food coloring, like FD&C yellow in cereals or candy, can lead to allergic reactions in asthmatic patients. Meanwhile, Red 3 has an association with an increased risk for thyroid cancers.
- Sodium nitrate is used in processed meat to prevent bacterial growth, enhance flavor, and deliver a pink color. Unfortunately, high quantities of this salt can predispose you to stomach, colorectal, bladder, and breast cancer.
- Artificial sweeteners like aspartame, saccharin, and sucralose are generally used to reduce calorie intake and aid in weight loss. With only mild side effects like headaches, they are safe for consumption.
- Xanthan gum helps to thicken or stabilize foods like soups, syrups, and sauces. It is typically easy to tolerate with only mild GI symptoms of soft stools and gas. According to a research study, it helps to reduce both blood sugar levels and cholesterol.
- Some studies link artificial flavorings to a toxic effect on bone marrow cells in our body.
Trans Fats and Corn Syrup-What Are They?
Trans fat is a form of unsaturated fat that is available in both natural and artificial states. While natural fats, like those found in cattle, goats, and sheep, are not harmful, artificial trans fats are hazardous to our health.
Also called industrial trans fats, they are partially hydrogenated vegetable oils linked to heart diseases, diabetes, and many chronic illnesses. Fortunately, food manufacturers have reduced trans fats in their products in the past ten years under FDA regulations.
Meanwhile, corn syrup is dubbed as the new trans fat. The artificial sweetener is used extensively in processed foods and beverages and contains high quantities of fructose and harmful toxins.
Both trans fats and HFCS (high fructose corn syrup) have damaging effects on our livers. For example, fructose is responsible for increasing fat production in the liver, and thus, causes fatty liver in the population.
Besides this, it can also lead to a higher incidence of obesity and diabetes in the population. Firstly, fructose does not stimulate enough insulin in the body. Secondly, it also limits leptin release, which is responsible for the feeling of satiety.
Overall, the disruption of triglycerides, hyperglycemia, and insulin resistance leads to many chronic illnesses, including hypothyroidism. Hence, it is not surprising that HFCS and trans fat have shown a parallel growth with the increasing incidence of thyroid diseases in society.
How to Grow Organic Food in Pots or Front/Backyards
Instead of purchasing expensive organic food from organic stores, you can start your very own organic garden in your front or backyard. All you need is good sunlight, fertilizer, and the best seeds for your organic food.
The following steps will help you to point in the right direction when starting an organic garden.
- Find an area in your backyard that received at least six hours of sunlight. If you are using pots to plant your vegetables, place them in a sunlit area.
- Make sure that your garden spot has access to a hose or spigot for frequent watering.
- To ensure a healthy crop, look for the best organic matter soil for your garden. You can either make your compost or buy it in bulk from home improvement centers or garden stores. The compost, peat moss, and manure in the soil offer excellent nutrients to your crop.
- Spread one to a two-inch-thick layer of mulch on top of your soil to prevent weed and fungal growth on your plants. You should use only organic matter for mulch to add additional organic material to the soil as it decomposes.
- Opt for organic fertilizers from a garden store for optimal growth.
- Make sure to purchase only GMO-free seedlings without wilting leaves or any flower buds. You should also take the plant out of the pot to look at its roots.
Last Thoughts
Diet is one of the major reasons why there is an increase in the incidence of thyroid diseases worldwide. With the introduction of artificial flavors, additives, genetically engineered food, and even pesticides, we are ingesting more and more harmful toxins every day.
If you want to protect your thyroid gland or prevent your disease from exacerbating, it is crucial to opt for alternative dietary habits. From cutting down on GMOs to opting for only organic meat and vegetables, your thyroid health will improve over time.
