Nutrition for a Healthy Thyroid: Foods and Supplements to Support Thyroid Function

Thyroid related medical conditions affect around 7% of the total US population. Alongside the recommended medication and care plans, it is helpful to understand that a lot of the symptoms and
overarching causes can also be greatly influenced by eating the right food and exploring the most
supportive supplements. This guide explores the foods and supplements that support thyroid
function.

What Affects Thyroid Function?
To fully understand the impact of food and supplements on thyroid levels in the body, is it useful to
also learn about the kind of things that may impact them. For example, being overweight is a major
risk factor when it comes to hypothyroidism, and this is something that is highly controllable. So,
what are the main things that you should be thinking about if you are facing this kind of problem?

Iodine
Iodine is needed to create the thyroid hormone. So, in order to maintain positive thyroid health, it is essential that your body is also producing the correct levels of iodine. When this is not happening, there is a significant increase in risk factors for hypothyroidism to set in. Again, being overweight is a major risk factor here because this can impact how your body produces hormones in many significant ways. Bio Bean looks at iodine and weight loss through the lens of how the two interact and what can be done to promote sustainable and supportive levels within.

Selenium
Also a necessary part of a healthy thyroid, selenium is highly recommended for those with issues in
this area. You can add plenty of foods into your daily diet that are brimming with selenium, and you may be eating some already. Try Brazil nuts, sardines or tuna, eggs, and various legumes to give your body a selenium boost. This will help thyroid functions to retain a normal level of expected behaviour.

Vitamin D
Hypothyroidism impacts the vitamin D levels in the body too. You may notice the signs of a
deficiency by their tell-tale characteristics like dizzy spells, fatigue, weakness, hair loss, and
depression. Taking a supplement is the easiest route towards boosting your levels because it is not
found naturally in many food sources. The food that does contain some of this essential vitamin has nowhere near enough content to support healthy thyroids.

Zinc
It is impossible to have optimal thyroid health if your body is missing the all-important zinc factor.
These types of supplements are commonplace and can be found in most drugstores, supermarkets,
and online health brands as well. Low zinc strongly impacts the way your thyroid hormone is able to function, so it’s worth investigating because if you do have subpar levels, lots of other things might be negatively affected as well. If you prefer to get your vitamins through your diet, try red meats and seafood for this one.

The Rest
There are a few more essential vitamins that work well in the body to combat the effects of
hypothyroidism. It’s helpful to know about these as a deficiency of any one of them could cause your symptoms to worsen and the condition to deteriorate.
 Vitamin A
 Iron
 Magnesium
 Vitamin B12
 Protein
 Calcium

Which Food Is Best?
That’s the lowdown on vitamins, so what about food that is on the safe list too? Zinc-rich meals are a great way to go, but there are other things you can eat to support positive health as well.
 Gluten free rice
 Almonds
 Carrots and spinach
 Chickpeas and lentils

Should You Avoid Anything?
So, now you know what complements the agenda, a few food groups can actually make thyroid
issues worse. Here’s what to avoid.

 Gluten
 Soy
 Coffee
 Ultra-processed fast food

A healthy thyroid depends on a body that can produce iodine. If your vitamin count is out of kilter,
this will impact how you feel and what your body can do.