1. Community
  2. Diabetes and hormone problems
  3. Hypothyroidism

Hypothyroidism and diet

Posted , 7 users are following.

danielleb94
danielleb94

Hi everyone, 

I am a 22 year old female, I was diagnosed with an underactive thyroid a year ago and just trying to learn how to manage it and keep my levels right. I was just wondering if there is anything i can do regarding my diet that can help me lose weight, keep my levels normal or even improve my levels?

I have heard lots about gluten?

Any advice would be appreciated!

Thanks in advance 

Danielle 

0 likes, 7 replies

7 Replies

  • lucy51252
    lucy51252 danielleb94

    Posted

    Gluten contains a protein that can attack the thyroid so.......

    Lots of people with gluten intolerance have thyroid issues and joint pain. There is a condition called the gluten syndrome.

    Many people with a g intolerance also have corn, yeast, wheat ,soya, aspartame intolerances as well.

    Hope this helps.

     

    • danielleb94
      danielleb94 lucy51252

      Posted

      Hi Lucy,

      Thanks for taking the time to reply that has helped! X

  • shellyC19
    shellyC19 danielleb94

    Posted

    Hello Danielle:

    My name is Shelly and I am a nurse in the USA.  I have Hashimoto's thyroid disease since 1987.

    Gluten is a binder in food, it can cause autoimmune thyroid conditions to act or flare up.  It is also a major cause of Celiacs Disease.

    Today you can buy many items not made of gluten. Gluten is in pasta and breads, and sweets like cakes and rolls and cinnamon buns, pizza etc...any dough items.

    It is best to avoid it and avoid high fats also.

    Ready made foods are full of gluten and sodium.  So are fast foods and junk foods. Avoid all of these and soda.

    Eat lean meats, Fish like salmom is good, any fish except fried is good and chicken is good.  Eat veggies but CORN can have gluten so avoid that. Do what you can to eat healthy.

    I lost 32 pounds walking and eating healthy.  Walk around your neighborhood for 30 mins. Start slow and walk a small amount at first then up it until you get to 30 mins. or longer. We need some exercise and walking is good for the body and lungs.  No running just walking!

    Iron is important to help the thyroid out. If you can eat iron rich foods like spinach and Liver that is good.  You may want to take a supplement as many of us have low ferritin which is a component of iron and that can make Levo and other thyroid meds not work as well.

    Avoid food when taking your dose of levo or thyroid med.  You must take it on an empty stomach.  Wait at least 1 hour before eating, food will block receptor sites in the stomach and bowels.

    Keep us posted on how you do and any questions just ask,

    Shelly

    • danielleb94
      danielleb94 shellyC19

      Posted

      Hi Shelly, thanks so much for your detailed reply!

      Is hashimoto's like the advanced version of underactive thyroid?

      Do you think it is worth trying a gluten free diet?

      Thanks for all the advice I shall take it all on board!

      Danielle X

    • shellyC19
      shellyC19 danielleb94

      Posted

      Hello Danielleb94:

      Hashimoto's is a separate condition under the heading of Hypothyroidism.  Hashimoto's is autoimmune and causes Hypothyroidism because the antibodies attack the gland and render it useless over a long period of time.

      Hypothyroidism is a big General Category and it has many conditions. One of them is Hashimoto's, then Hypothyroid (also called under active thyroid), by itself and subclinical Hypothyroidism, Myxedema (a condition without thyroid meds seen in 3rd world countries) falls under this also.

      Yes, I recommend Gluten Free because it is a known attacker and causes falre ups.  It can aggravate the antibodies and also cause joints to ache.

      Do eat healthy and watch portion size.

      Any questions just ask,

      Shelly

    • donna41340
      donna41340 shellyC19

      Posted

      Hi Shelly,Just a quick one,do you think that if you start to loose weight your medication will need to be decreased,Thanks in advance Donna x
    • shellyC19
      shellyC19 donna41340

      Posted

      Hello Donna:

      They Thyroid can be helped some by losing weight, as the meds are based on your weight when you start it so  if you are heavy now and lose weight you may need less hormone as time goes on.

      It is also helpful to lose weight for the heart and the pancreas.  Weight gain can add stress to those organs, thus avoiding adult onset Diabetes.

      Of course the doctors tend to rely mostly on your blood levels and tend to use that more in medication adjustments.

      Any questions just ask,

      Shelly

Back to top

Report or request deletion

Thanks for your help!

We want the community to be a useful resource for our users but it is important to remember that the community are not moderated or reviewed by doctors and so you should not rely on opinions or advice given by other users in respect of any healthcare matters. Always speak to your doctor before acting and in cases of emergency seek appropriate medical assistance immediately. Use of the community is subject to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy and steps will be taken to remove posts identified as being in breach of those terms.