How's Your Thyroid ?
A classic cause of depression, lethargy, irritability, poor memory, feeling cold all the time, etc is...an underactive thyroid - condition called hypothyroidism.
For example in the US, thyroid medication is the 4th most commonly prescribed drug. The Thyroid gland, in the base of the throat, makes the hormone THYROXINE which tells the brain and body to keep cells active. Often as a long-term consequence of stress and suboptimum nutrition, the thyroid gland can start to underproduce thyroxine.
The telltale signs of an underactive thyroid are: lethargy, depression, poor memory, skin problems, feeling cold and not tolerating heat well, fluid retention, and weight gain, heavy or irregular menstrual periods, dry skin, anxiety, even constipation, etc. Since thyroxine speeds up your metabolism, which produces heat, the DEFINITIVE SYMPTOM is a drop in body temperature! If you suspect you have a thyroid problem, your doctor can run a blood test to further investigate this possibility. However an apparently normal thyroxine level, if at the low end of normal, backed up by lowered temperature and symptoms, may still be worth treating.
While the medical approach is to give you thyroxine, a hormone made from tyrosine, iodine is also needed to turn tyrosine into thyroxine. Both zinc and selenium are important too. So tyrosine will need to go together with a multi-mineral containing iodine, zinc, and selenium. Exercise also stimulates the thyroid.
List of Foods High in Tyrosine
Protein, which is composed of amino acids, plays a vital role in your health. Tyrosine is one of the amino acids your body needs to function properly (and it's manufactured from another amino acid called phenylalanine). Tyrosine acts as a building block that your body uses to produce critical brain chemicals that influence mood and well-being. Protein-rich foods are high in tyrosine.
Under prolonged stress, your body might not be able to manufacture enough tyrosine from phenylalanine, but you can get it from your diet. Meats, fish and poultry, such as chicken and turkey, are rich sources of tyrosine. Dairy products, such as milk, cheese, yogurt, and cottage cheese, are good tyrosine sources as well. You can also get tyrosine from legumes such as beans and peanuts. Other foods that contain tyrosine include tofu, almonds, pumpkin seeds, bananas, avocados and sesame seeds.
Goitrogens are substances that suppress the function of the thyroid gland by interfering with iodine uptake, which can, as a result, cause an enlargement of the thyroid. Most goitrogens are naturally-occurring chemicals that are ingested in foods or drugs. These chemicals can interfere with thyroid function in different ways. Some compounds induce antibodies that cross-react with the thyroid gland; others interfere with thyroid peroxidase (TPO), the enzyme responsible for adding iodine during production of thyroid hormones. Either way, the thyroid isn’t able to produce as many of the hormones that are needed for regulating metabolism.
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In fact, most foods that are commonly called goitrogenic - such as the cruciferous vegetables (including broccoli, cabbage, kale, and cauliflower) and soyfoods - do not interfere with thyroid function in healthy persons even when they are consumed on a daily basis. For people with healthy thyroid function, the thyroid simply compensates and makes more of the hormones as they’re called for. But in some people whose thyroid function is already compromised, the thyroid gland may actually grow more cells as it tries to make up for inadequate hormone production, eventually forming a goiter (a swelling or enlargement of the thyroid gland).
Even if many common foods contain goitrogenic compounds, the good news is, in most cases you don’t have to cross them off your grocery list. For example:
- If you’d like to keep gluten in your diet but you’re concerned about your thyroid, try scaling back on how often you eat it. Be aware that gluten is included in a great many processed foods, so it may help if you look for those varieties that advertise as gluten-free. And instead of having wheat bread or baked goods with your meal, consider substituting gluten-free grains or saving them for the occasional treat. You may find after awhile that you don’t miss gluten nearly as much as you may have thought (but if you find yourself craving bread or pasta, it could be a sign of gluten sensitivity).
- The other good news is that the goitrogenic activity of soy isoflavones can be at least partly “turned off” by cooking or fermenting. With soy foods, you may want to favor fermented, cultured, or otherwise “aged” soybean products such as tempeh, soy sauce, miso, and natto. These methods of processing soybeans alter the activity (goitrogenicity) of the phytochemicals they contain. If you do eat whole soybean foods such as edamame or tofu, eat them cooked or steamed.
- Certain “potentially goitrogenic” compounds are also present in small amounts in peanuts, pine nuts, millet, peaches, strawberries, spinach, and cassava root, among others. Unless they’re consuming them in high amounts on a continual basis, they’re not likely to have undue impact on their thyroid health, because the possible goitrogens are present in such minute quantities.
Goitrogens - Something you need to know about
Goitrogens are substances that suppress the function of the thyroid gland by interfering with iodine uptake, which can, as a result, cause an enlargement of the thyroid. Most goitrogens are naturally-occurring chemicals that are ingested in foods or drugs. These chemicals can interfere with thyroid function in different ways. Some compounds induce antibodies that cross-react with the thyroid gland; others interfere with thyroid peroxidase (TPO), the enzyme responsible for adding iodine during production of thyroid hormones. Either way, the thyroid isn’t able to produce as many of the hormones that are needed for regulating metabolism.
In fact, most foods that are commonly called goitrogenic - such as the cruciferous vegetables (including broccoli, cabbage, kale, and cauliflower) and soyfoods - do not interfere with thyroid function in healthy persons even when they are consumed on a daily basis. For people with healthy thyroid function, the thyroid simply compensates and makes more of the hormones as they’re called for. But in some people whose thyroid function is already compromised, the thyroid gland may actually grow more cells as it tries to make up for inadequate hormone production, eventually forming a goiter (a swelling or enlargement of the thyroid gland).
Even if many common foods contain goitrogenic compounds, the good news is, in most cases you don’t have to cross them off your grocery list. For example:
- If you’d like to keep gluten in your diet but you’re concerned about your thyroid, try scaling back on how often you eat it. Be aware that gluten is included in a great many processed foods, so it may help if you look for those varieties that advertise as gluten-free. And instead of having wheat bread or baked goods with your meal, consider substituting gluten-free grains or saving them for the occasional treat. You may find after awhile that you don’t miss gluten nearly as much as you may have thought (but if you find yourself craving bread or pasta, it could be a sign of gluten sensitivity).
- The other good news is that the goitrogenic activity of soy isoflavones can be at least partly “turned off” by cooking or fermenting. With soy foods, you may want to favor fermented, cultured, or otherwise “aged” soybean products such as tempeh, soy sauce, miso, and natto. These methods of processing soybeans alter the activity (goitrogenicity) of the phytochemicals they contain. If you do eat whole soybean foods such as edamame or tofu, eat them cooked or steamed.
- Certain “potentially goitrogenic” compounds are also present in small amounts in peanuts, pine nuts, millet, peaches, strawberries, spinach, and cassava root, among others. Unless they’re consuming them in high amounts on a continual basis, they’re not likely to have undue impact on their thyroid health, because the possible goitrogens are present in such minute quantities.
Source: "New Optimum Nutrition for the Mind" by Patrick Holford
www.livestrong.com, www.womentowomen.com
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