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Best Foods for Thyroid Health

When it comes to your body, a properly functioning thyroid is more important than you may realize. It serves many functions such as regulating your metabolism, the beating of your heart, and your internal body temperature. For most people, the thyroid functions properly so they don’t give it a second thought. It isn’t until the thyroid becomes underactive or overactive that you’ll begin to notice it. When it starts acting up, you may become depressed, gain weight and feel sluggish on a day to day basis or quite the opposite with an overactive thyroid. Because of this, it’s important to make sure you keep it healthy. Here are some foods that can assist you:

Fish

Fish, specifically tuna, wild salmon, sardines, and trout contain omega-3 fatty acids, which are great for keeping inflammation at bay. It also helps keep your immune system working great and keeps your risk for heart disease low, which is good because hypothyroidism increases your bad cholesterol, which makes someone a prime candidate for a heart attack.

Salt

This one may come as a shock to you. How often have you heard your doctor say that you need to watch your salt intake? The fact is, your body needs the iodine found in salt in order for it to work as well as it should. For the healthiest option, you’ll want to choose salt that is iodized. Sea salts and other similar salts often have little to no iodine content.

Coconut Oil

Coconut oil is rich in lauric acid, caprylic acid, and capric acid. These three forms of fatty acids promote a healthy metabolism, keeps you from feeling tired all the time and gives you a noticeable boost of energy. Coconut oil is easy to consume as it can be used as a cooking oil, making it easy to be cooked into the foods you already eat. Simply replace things like vegetable and peanut oil with coconut oil to reap the benefits.

In addition to increasing thyroid function, coconut oil has also been found to keep your blood sugar at safe levels, improve your immune system and help with memory functions.

Berries

Berries are naturally full of antioxidants that help keep your immune system healthy and strong, which is an important factor in keeping your thyroid in check. The best options include raspberries, strawberries, and blueberries. If possible, try to get in a serving of berries each day.

Seaweed

If there is anything on this list that’s going to cause you to raise your eyebrows, it’s probably this one. After all, seaweed is not something you typically think about when looking for something to eat. The truth is, seaweed is delicious. It’s often dehydrated and crisps up like a chip. It’s packed with protein and plenty of potassium.

What Not to Eat

Just as there are foods that should be eaten to help thyroid function, there are also some foods that you should avoid.

Soy is another food that you want to stay away from. Soybeans contain phytoestrogens that prevent your body from making the thyroid hormones your body needs.

Conclusion

These are just some of the foods that can help keep your thyroid functioning in an efficient manner. If you feel you have thyroid problems, it is important that you visit your physician. Your doctor can run tests and help recommend a diet plan that is personalized to you and your specific situation.